| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
Relating to oversize and overweight vehicle permits.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
SB 1814 would make changes to the delivery of reports of certain overweight vehicles by establishing a database with a searchable and downloadable list by county of each permit issued. The database would include the following information for each permit, the name and address of the person for whom the permit was issued, the vehicle identification number and license plate number of the vehicle, the permit number, and the effective date of the permit.
SB 1814 would require the transporter to obtain a bond or letter of credit in the amount of $15,000 payable to the counties of this state be conditioned so that the applicant would have to pay a county for any damage to a road or bridge of the county caused by the operation of the overweight or oversized vehicle. The liability of a holder of a permit for damage to a county road is not limited to the amount of the bond or letter of credit ($15,000) required for the issuance of the permit.
SB 1814 would establish a base fee of $90 with any other additional administrative fees needed to issue stickers, distribute fees, and maintain the database.
The bill would change the allotment of the permit fees by requiring that 90 percent of the fee go to the state highway fund and the other 10 percent go to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund.
Under the current code, the bond or letter of credit ($15,000) goes to the Department of Transportation, but under SB 1814 it would go to the individual counties to utilize these funds for needed repairs.
The expansion of the permit database would help counties in recognizing the many different permits needed for overweight or oversize vehicles and would be easily accessible and may reduce the involvement of the Department of Motor Vehicles in this process.
While some of the provisions of this bill may help local governments run more efficiently, no liberty principles are directly impacted so Texas Action remains neutral.