Honorable Tom Craddick, Chair, House Committee on Transportation
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB283 by Guillen (Relating to axle weight limitations for certain vehicles transporting aggregates.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB283, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($14,272,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2026
($7,080,000)
2027
($7,192,000)
2028
($7,301,000)
2029
($7,411,000)
2030
($7,522,000)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from General Revenue Fund 1
Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from State Highway Fund 6
Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Fund 10
Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from Counties
2026
($7,080,000)
($2,179,000)
($1,422,000)
($1,316,000)
2027
($7,192,000)
($2,211,000)
($1,443,000)
($1,330,000)
2028
($7,301,000)
($2,245,000)
($1,465,000)
($1,350,000)
2029
($7,411,000)
($2,278,000)
($1,487,000)
($1,371,000)
2030
($7,522,000)
($2,312,000)
($1,509,000)
($1,391,000)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend Section 621.101 of the Transportation Code to allow certain vehicles transporting aggregates, as defined in statute, to operate at an axle weight 15 percent greater than the limit set by current law, provided that the gross weight is not heavier than the the maximum gross weight authorized for the roadway on which the vehicle is being operated. The bill would take effect immediately upon receiving a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house or, otherwise, on September 1, 2025.
Methodology
Based on the information provided by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), implementation of the bill would authorize eligible vehicles to operate over the current weight limitations without obtaining a weight tolerance permit and would result in 26,213 fewer weight tolerance permits being issued beginning in fiscal year 2026. Based on the analysis provided by TxDMV and the Comptroller's office, the applicable fees for each overweight permit are as follows: (1) a $90 base fee, of which $50 is allocated to the counties and $40 is deposited to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Fund (TxDMV Fund 0010); (2) a $5 administrative fee is deposited to TxDMV Fund 0010; and (3) a variable $175-$1,000 fee (the amount of which is based on the number of counties in which the permitted vehicle will operate), of which $125-$1,000 is deposited to the General Revenue Fund for allocation to the counties, $0-$112.50 is deposited to the State Highway Fund, and $0-$12.50 is deposited to TxDMV Fund 0010. Based on the analysis provided by TxDMV, the number of permits issued is estimated to grow by 1.5 percent each year under current law. Based on this analysis, it is assumed implementation of the bill would result in the revenue losses shown in the table above beginning in fiscal year 2026.
Local Government Impact
It is assumed implementation of the bill would result in a revenue loss to the county road and bridge fund from the portion of each overweight permit fee allocated to the counties.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 608 Department of Motor Vehicles