By: Seliger  S.B. No. 1815          (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 2021; March 26, 2021, read   first time and referred to Committee on Transportation;   April 23, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable Committee   Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 23, 2021,   sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1815 By:  Seliger     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to motor vehicle size and weight limitations.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Chapter 622, Transportation Code, is amended by   adding Subchapter K to read as follows:   SUBCHAPTER K.  AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORTERS          Sec. 622.151.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:                (1)  "Automobile transporter" has the meaning assigned   by 49 U.S.C. Section 31111.                (2)  "Backhaul" means the return trip of a vehicle   transporting cargo or general freight.                (3)  "Stinger-steered" means a truck-tractor and   semitrailer combination in which the fifth wheel is located on a   drop frame located behind and below the rearmost axle of the   truck-tractor.          Sec. 622.152.  AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORTER BACKHAULS. (a) An   automobile transporter that complies with the weight and size   limitations for a truck-tractor and semitrailer combination under   this subtitle may transport cargo or general freight on a backhaul.          (b)  For purposes of Subsection (a), an automobile   transporter is presumed to be on a backhaul if the automobile   transporter is transporting cargo or general freight back over all   or part of the same route.          Sec. 622.153.  MAXIMUM EXTENDED LENGTH OF LOAD.   Notwithstanding Section 621.206, an automobile transporter that is   stinger-steered may carry a load that extends not more than:                (1)  four feet beyond its front; and                (2)  six feet beyond its rear.          SECTION 2.  Section 622.902, Transportation Code, is amended   to read as follows:          Sec. 622.902.  LENGTH EXCEPTIONS.  The length limitations   provided by Sections 621.203 to 621.205 do not apply to:                (1)  machinery used exclusively for drilling water   wells, including machinery that is itself a unit or that is a unit   mounted on a conventional vehicle or chassis;                (2)  a vehicle owned or operated by a public, private,   or volunteer fire department;                (3)  a vehicle or combination of vehicles operated   exclusively in the territory of a municipality or to a combination   of vehicles operated by a municipality in a suburb adjoining the   municipality in which the municipality has been using the equipment   or similar equipment in connection with an established service to   the suburb;                (4)  a truck-tractor, truck-tractor combination, or   truck-trailer combination exclusively transporting machinery,   materials, and equipment used in the construction, operation, and   maintenance of facilities, including pipelines, that are used for   the discovery, production, and processing of natural gas or   petroleum;                (5)  a drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter   combination or a drive-away saddlemount with fullmount vehicle   transporter combination, as defined by 23 C.F.R. Part 658 or its   successor, if:                      (A)  the overall length of the combination is not   longer than 97 feet; and                      (B)  the combination does not have more than three   saddlemounted vehicles if the combination does not include more   than one fullmount vehicle;                (6)  the combination of a tow truck and another vehicle   or vehicle combination if:                      (A)  the other vehicle or vehicle combination   cannot be normally or safely driven or was abandoned on a highway;   and                      (B)  the tow truck is towing the other vehicle or   vehicle combination directly to the nearest authorized place of   repair, terminal, or destination of unloading;                (7)  a vehicle or combination of vehicles used to   transport a harvest machine that is used in farm custom harvesting   operations on a farm if the overall length of the vehicle or   combination is not longer than:                      (A)  75 feet if the vehicle is traveling on a   highway that is part of the national system of interstate and   defense highways or the federal aid primary highway system; or                      (B)  81-1/2 feet if the vehicle is not traveling   on a highway that is part of the national system of interstate and   defense highways or the federal aid primary highway system; [or]                (8)  a truck-tractor operated in combination with a   semitrailer and trailer or semitrailer and semitrailer if:                      (A)  the combination is used to transport a   harvest machine that is used in farm custom harvesting operations   on a farm;                      (B)  the overall length of the combination,   excluding the length of the truck-tractor, is not longer than   81-1/2 feet; and                      (C)  the combination is traveling on a highway   that:                            (i)  is not part of the national system of   interstate and defense highways or the federal aid primary highway   system; and                            (ii)  is located in a county with a   population of less than 300,000; or                (9)  a towaway trailer transporter combination, as   defined by 49 U.S.C. Section 31111, if the overall length of the   combination is not longer than 82 feet.          SECTION 3.  Section 622.952, Transportation Code, is amended   to read as follows:          Sec. 622.952.  EMERGENCY [FIRE DEPARTMENT] VEHICLE. (a)   The weight limitations of Section 621.101 do not apply to an   emergency [a] vehicle [owned or operated by a public, private, or   volunteer fire department].          (b)  The weight of an emergency [a fire department's] vehicle   may not exceed the greater of:                (1)  [be heavier than] the manufacturer's gross vehicle   weight capacity or axle design rating; or                (2)  including all enforcement tolerances, a:                      (A)  gross weight of 86,000 pounds;                      (B)  single steering axle weight of 24,000 pounds;                      (C)  single drive axle weight of 33,500 pounds;                      (D)  tandem axle weight of 62,000 pounds; or                      (E)  tandem rear drive steer axle weight of 52,000   pounds.          (c)  In this section, "emergency vehicle" means a vehicle   designed to be used under emergency conditions:                (1)  to transport personnel and equipment; and                (2)  to support the suppression of fires and mitigation   of other hazardous situations.          SECTION 4.  Section 622.955(c), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (c)  The weight increase under Subsection (b) may not be   greater than 550 [400] pounds.          SECTION 5.  Sections 623.071(a), (c), and (c-1),   Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:          (a)  The department may issue a permit to allow the operation   on [a person to operate over] a state highway of [superheavy or   oversize] equipment that exceeds the weight and size limits   provided by law for the movement of equipment[:                [(1) is used to transport cylindrically shaped bales of   hay] or a commodity that cannot reasonably be dismantled[; and                [(2)  has a gross weight or size that exceeds the limits   allowed by law to be transported over a state highway].          (c)  The department may issue an annual permit to allow the   operation on a state highway of equipment that exceeds weight and   size limits provided by law for the movement of:                (1)  an implement of husbandry by a dealer;                (2)  water well drilling machinery and equipment or   harvesting equipment being moved as part of an agricultural   operation; or                (3)  [superheavy or oversize] equipment or a commodity   that:                      (A)  cannot reasonably be dismantled; and                      (B)  does not exceed:                            (i)  12 feet in width;                            (ii)  14 feet in height;                            (iii)  110 feet in length; or                            (iv)  120,000 pounds gross weight.          (c-1)  The department may issue an annual permit that allows   a person to operate over a state highway or road a vehicle or   combination of vehicles transporting a load that cannot reasonably   be dismantled that exceeds the length and height limits provided by   law, except that:                (1)  the maximum length allowed may not exceed 110   feet; and                (2)  the maximum height allowed may not exceed 14 feet.          SECTION 6.  The change in law made by this Act applies only   to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.   An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is   governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,   and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For   purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the   effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred   before that date.          SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.     * * * * *