S.B. No. 331
 
AN ACT
relating to the maximum length for certain vehicles.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  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 [75] 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; or
             (7)  a vehicle or combination of vehicles used to
transport a combine that is used in farm custom harvesting
operations on a farm if the overall length of the vehicle or
combination is not longer than 75 feet.
       SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
____________________________________________________________
President of the Senate             Speaker of the House
       I hereby certify that S.B. No. 331 passed the Senate on
March 12, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
______________________________ 
   Secretary of the Senate
       I hereby certify that S.B. No. 331 passed the House on
May 2, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0, two present
not voting.
______________________________ 
   Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________ 
______________________________ 
            Date
______________________________ 
______________________________ 
          Governor