| 1 | 1 | | 86R1898 AAF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Martinez H.B. No. 1778 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to weight limitations for certain vehicles transporting |
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| 8 | 8 | | agricultural products. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 622, Transportation Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 622.102 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 622.102. VEHICLES TRANSPORTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS |
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| 13 | 13 | | DURING HARVEST SEASON. (a) This section applies only to a vehicle |
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| 14 | 14 | | or a combination of vehicles being used to transport agricultural |
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| 15 | 15 | | products that are in their natural state and are being transported |
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| 16 | 16 | | not more than 100 miles from the place of production to the place of |
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| 17 | 17 | | first marketing or first processing. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) A vehicle or combination of vehicles to which this |
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| 19 | 19 | | section applies may be operated at a weight that exceeds the weight |
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| 20 | 20 | | limitations of Section 621.101 by not more than 10 percent if the |
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| 21 | 21 | | vehicle or combination of vehicles is operated during the harvest |
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| 22 | 22 | | season for the products being transported. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) The department, in coordination with the Texas A&M |
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| 24 | 24 | | AgriLife Extension Service, by rule shall determine the harvest |
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| 25 | 25 | | season of each agricultural product authorized to be transported |
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| 26 | 26 | | under this section. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) This section does not authorize the operation on the |
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| 28 | 28 | | national system of interstate and defense highways in this state of |
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| 29 | 29 | | a vehicle or combination of vehicles of a weight greater than that |
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| 30 | 30 | | permitted under 23 U.S.C. Section 127. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (e) This section does not authorize the operation of a |
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| 32 | 32 | | vehicle or combination of vehicles in excess of the weight |
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| 33 | 33 | | authorized for a load-zoned bridge in this state. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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