Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1815 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	S.B. No. 1815
	1	+	By: Seliger S.B. No. 1815
	2	+	(Martinez)
2	3
3	4
	5	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	6		AN ACT
5	7		relating to motor vehicle size and weight limitations.
6	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
7	9		SECTION 1. Chapter 622, Transportation Code, is amended by
8	10		adding Subchapter K to read as follows:
9	11		SUBCHAPTER K. AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORTERS
10	12		Sec. 622.151. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
11	13		(1) "Automobile transporter" has the meaning assigned
12	14		by 49 U.S.C. Section 31111.
13	15		(2) "Backhaul" means the return trip of a vehicle
14	16		transporting cargo or general freight.
15	17		(3) "Stinger-steered" means a truck-tractor and
16	18		semitrailer combination in which the fifth wheel is located on a
17	19		drop frame located behind and below the rearmost axle of the
18	20		truck-tractor.
19	21		Sec. 622.152. AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORTER BACKHAULS. (a) An
20	22		automobile transporter that complies with the weight and size
21	23		limitations for a truck-tractor and semitrailer combination under
22	24		this subtitle may transport cargo or general freight on a backhaul.
23	25		(b) For purposes of Subsection (a), an automobile
24	26		transporter is presumed to be on a backhaul if the automobile
25	27		transporter is transporting cargo or general freight back over all
26	28		or part of the same route.
27	29		Sec. 622.153. MAXIMUM EXTENDED LENGTH OF LOAD.
28	30		Notwithstanding Section 621.206, an automobile transporter that is
29	31		stinger-steered may carry a load that extends not more than:
30	32		(1) four feet beyond its front; and
31	33		(2) six feet beyond its rear.
32	34		SECTION 2. Section 622.902, Transportation Code, is amended
33	35		to read as follows:
34	36		Sec. 622.902. LENGTH EXCEPTIONS. The length limitations
35	37		provided by Sections 621.203 to 621.205 do not apply to:
36	38		(1) machinery used exclusively for drilling water
37	39		wells, including machinery that is itself a unit or that is a unit
38	40		mounted on a conventional vehicle or chassis;
39	41		(2) a vehicle owned or operated by a public, private,
40	42		or volunteer fire department;
41	43		(3) a vehicle or combination of vehicles operated
42	44		exclusively in the territory of a municipality or to a combination
43	45		of vehicles operated by a municipality in a suburb adjoining the
44	46		municipality in which the municipality has been using the equipment
45	47		or similar equipment in connection with an established service to
46	48		the suburb;
47	49		(4) a truck-tractor, truck-tractor combination, or
48	50		truck-trailer combination exclusively transporting machinery,
49	51		materials, and equipment used in the construction, operation, and
50	52		maintenance of facilities, including pipelines, that are used for
51	53		the discovery, production, and processing of natural gas or
52	54		petroleum;
53	55		(5) a drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter
54	56		combination or a drive-away saddlemount with fullmount vehicle
55	57		transporter combination, as defined by 23 C.F.R. Part 658 or its
56	58		successor, if:
57	59		(A) the overall length of the combination is not
58	60		longer than 97 feet; and
59	61		(B) the combination does not have more than three
60	62		saddlemounted vehicles if the combination does not include more
61	63		than one fullmount vehicle;
62	64		(6) the combination of a tow truck and another vehicle
63	65		or vehicle combination if:
64	66		(A) the other vehicle or vehicle combination
65	67		cannot be normally or safely driven or was abandoned on a highway;
66	68		and
67	69		(B) the tow truck is towing the other vehicle or
68	70		vehicle combination directly to the nearest authorized place of
69	71		repair, terminal, or destination of unloading;
70	72		(7) a vehicle or combination of vehicles used to
71	73		transport a harvest machine that is used in farm custom harvesting
72	74		operations on a farm if the overall length of the vehicle or
73	75		combination is not longer than:
74	76		(A) 75 feet if the vehicle is traveling on a
75	77		highway that is part of the national system of interstate and
76	78		defense highways or the federal aid primary highway system; or
77	79		(B) 81-1/2 feet if the vehicle is not traveling
78	80		on a highway that is part of the national system of interstate and
79	81		defense highways or the federal aid primary highway system; [or]
80	82		(8) a truck-tractor operated in combination with a
81	83		semitrailer and trailer or semitrailer and semitrailer if:
82	84		(A) the combination is used to transport a
83	85		harvest machine that is used in farm custom harvesting operations
84	86		on a farm;
85	87		(B) the overall length of the combination,
86	88		excluding the length of the truck-tractor, is not longer than
87	89		81-1/2 feet; and
88	90		(C) the combination is traveling on a highway
89	91		that:
90	92		(i) is not part of the national system of
91	93		interstate and defense highways or the federal aid primary highway
92	94		system; and
93	95		(ii) is located in a county with a
94	96		population of less than 300,000; or
95	97		(9) a towaway trailer transporter combination, as
96	98		defined by 49 U.S.C. Section 31111, if the overall length of the
97	99		combination is not longer than 82 feet.
98	100		SECTION 3. Section 622.952, Transportation Code, is amended
99	101		to read as follows:
100	102		Sec. 622.952. EMERGENCY [FIRE DEPARTMENT] VEHICLE. (a)
101	103		The weight limitations of Section 621.101 do not apply to an
102	104		emergency [a] vehicle [owned or operated by a public, private, or
103	105		volunteer fire department].
104	106		(b) The weight of an emergency [a fire department's] vehicle
105	107		may not exceed the greater of:
106	108		(1) [be heavier than] the manufacturer's gross vehicle
107	109		weight capacity or axle design rating; or
108	110		(2) including all enforcement tolerances, a:
109	111		(A) gross weight of 86,000 pounds;
110	112		(B) single steering axle weight of 24,000 pounds;
111	113		(C) single drive axle weight of 33,500 pounds;
112	114		(D) tandem axle weight of 62,000 pounds; or
113	115		(E) tandem rear drive steer axle weight of 52,000
114	116		pounds.
115	117		(c) In this section, "emergency vehicle" means a vehicle
116	118		designed to be used under emergency conditions:
117	119		(1) to transport personnel and equipment; and
118	120		(2) to support the suppression of fires and mitigation
119	121		of other hazardous situations.
120	122		SECTION 4. Section 622.955(c), Transportation Code, is
121	123		amended to read as follows:
122	124		(c) The weight increase under Subsection (b) may not be
123	125		greater than 550 [400] pounds.
124	126		SECTION 5. Sections 623.071(a), (c), and (c-1),
125	127		Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
126	128		(a) The department may issue a permit to allow the operation
127	129		on [a person to operate over] a state highway of [superheavy or
128	130		oversize] equipment that exceeds the weight and size limits
129	131		provided by law for the movement of equipment[:
130	132		[(1) is used to transport cylindrically shaped bales of
131	133		hay] or a commodity that cannot reasonably be dismantled[; and
132	134		[(2) has a gross weight or size that exceeds the limits
133	135		allowed by law to be transported over a state highway].
134	136		(c) The department may issue an annual permit to allow the
135	137		operation on a state highway of equipment that exceeds weight and
136	138		size limits provided by law for the movement of:
137	139		(1) an implement of husbandry by a dealer;
138	140		(2) water well drilling machinery and equipment or
139	141		harvesting equipment being moved as part of an agricultural
140	142		operation; or
141	143		(3) [superheavy or oversize] equipment or a commodity
142	144		that:
143	145		(A) cannot reasonably be dismantled; and
144	146		(B) does not exceed:
145	147		(i) 12 feet in width;
146	148		(ii) 14 feet in height;
147	149		(iii) 110 feet in length; or
148	150		(iv) 120,000 pounds gross weight.
149	151		(c-1) The department may issue an annual permit that allows
150	152		a person to operate over a state highway or road a vehicle or
151	153		combination of vehicles transporting a load that cannot reasonably
152	154		be dismantled that exceeds the length and height limits provided by
153	155		law, except that:
154	156		(1) the maximum length allowed may not exceed 110
155	157		feet; and
156	158		(2) the maximum height allowed may not exceed 14 feet.
157	159		SECTION 6. The change in law made by this Act applies only
158	160		to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
159	161		An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
160	162		governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
161	163		and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
162	164		purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
163	165		effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
164	166		before that date.
165	167		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
166		-	______________________________ ______________________________
167		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
168		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1815 passed the Senate on
169		-	April 27, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
170		-	______________________________
171		-	Secretary of the Senate
172		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1815 passed the House on
173		-	May 23, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 136, Nays 9, two
174		-	present not voting.
175		-	______________________________
176		-	Chief Clerk of the House
177		-	Approved:
178		-	______________________________
179		-	Date
180		-	______________________________
181		-	Governor