| 5 | 3 | | |
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| 6 | 4 | | |
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| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 7 | | relating to the administration and oversight of overweight |
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| 10 | 8 | | corridors; authorizing a fee. |
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| 11 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 623, Transportation Code, |
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| 13 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 623.004 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 12 | | Sec. 623.004. ADMINISTRATION AND OVERSIGHT OF OVERWEIGHT |
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| 15 | 13 | | CORRIDORS. (a) In this section, "overweight corridor" means a |
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| 16 | 14 | | designated section of a state highway for which an optional |
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| 17 | 15 | | procedure is authorized under this chapter for the issuance of |
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| 18 | 16 | | permits: |
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| 19 | 17 | | (1) by entities other than the Texas Department of |
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| 20 | 18 | | Transportation or the department; and |
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| 21 | 19 | | (2) for the movement of oversize or overweight |
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| 22 | 20 | | vehicles. |
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| 23 | 21 | | (b) The Texas Department of Transportation shall, after |
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| 24 | 22 | | receiving input from local officials: |
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| 25 | 23 | | (1) set minimum requirements for determining the |
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| 26 | 24 | | feasibility, viability, and economic impact of additional |
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| 27 | 25 | | overweight corridors that take into consideration traffic volume, |
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| 28 | 26 | | safety concerns, ability to recover costs, and the role of |
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| 29 | 27 | | overweight corridors within a statewide plan for freight mobility; |
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| 30 | 28 | | (2) use the requirements set under Subdivision (1) to |
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| 31 | 29 | | periodically develop recommendations for additional overweight |
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| 32 | 30 | | corridors that would benefit the state; |
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| 33 | 31 | | (3) include any recommendations developed under |
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| 34 | 32 | | Subdivision (2) in the plan described by Section 201.6011; and |
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| 35 | 33 | | (4) create a pavement management plan for each |
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| 36 | 34 | | operational overweight corridor. |
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| 37 | 35 | | (c) The Texas Department of Transportation, in consultation |
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| 38 | 36 | | with interested parties, shall: |
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| 39 | 37 | | (1) establish performance measures for each |
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| 40 | 38 | | operational overweight corridor; and |
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| 41 | 39 | | (2) include in the plan described by Section 201.6011 |
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| 42 | 40 | | the results of an evaluation using the performance measures |
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| 43 | 41 | | disaggregated by overweight corridor. |
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| 44 | 42 | | (d) An entity issuing overweight corridor permits under |
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| 45 | 43 | | this chapter shall: |
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| 46 | 44 | | (1) report information necessary for an evaluation |
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| 47 | 45 | | using performance measures established under Subsection (c) to the |
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| 48 | 46 | | Texas Department of Transportation; and |
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| 49 | 47 | | (2) in setting a fee for the permit, consider the |
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| 50 | 48 | | pavement management plan created under Subsection (b)(4) for the |
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| 51 | 49 | | overweight corridor. |
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| 52 | 50 | | (e) The department may: |
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| 53 | 51 | | (1) issue overweight corridor permits on behalf of an |
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| 54 | 52 | | entity authorized to issue the permits under this chapter; and |
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| 55 | 53 | | (2) establish and charge a fee for issuing a permit |
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| 56 | 54 | | under Subdivision (1) in an amount sufficient to recover the actual |
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| 57 | 55 | | cost of issuance. |
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| 58 | 56 | | (f) A fee collected under Subsection (e)(2) shall be sent to |
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| 59 | 57 | | the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the Texas Department of |
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| 60 | 58 | | Motor Vehicles fund and may be appropriated only to the department |
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| 61 | 59 | | for the administration of this section. |
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| 62 | 60 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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