S.B. No. 1171
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the operation of certain oversize or overweight
  vehicles transporting timber, timber products, or forestry
  equipment on certain public roadways.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 621.102(d), Transportation Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (d)  A vehicle operating under a permit issued under Section
  623.011, 623.071, 623.094, 623.121, 623.142, 623.181, 623.192,
  [or] 623.212, or 623.321, as added by Chapter 1135 (H.B. 2741), Acts
  of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, may operate under
  the conditions authorized by the permit over a road for which the
  executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation has
  set a maximum weight under this section.
         SECTION 2.  Section 621.301(e), Transportation Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (e)  A vehicle operating under a permit issued under Section
  623.011, 623.071, 623.094, 623.121, 623.142, 623.181, 623.192,
  [or] 623.212, or 623.321, as added by Chapter 1135 (H.B. 2741), Acts
  of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, may operate under
  the conditions authorized by the permit over a road for which the
  commissioners court has set a maximum weight under this section.
         SECTION 3.  Section 622.901, Transportation Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 622.901.  WIDTH EXCEPTIONS.  The width limitation
  provided by Section 621.201 does not apply to:
               (1)  highway building or maintenance machinery that is
  traveling:
                     (A)  during daylight on a public highway other
  than a highway that is part of the national system of interstate and
  defense highways; or
                     (B)  for not more than 50 miles on a highway that
  is part of the national system of interstate and defense highways;
               (2)  a vehicle traveling during daylight on a public
  highway other than a highway that is part of the national system of
  interstate and defense highways or traveling for not more than 50
  miles on a highway that is part of the national system of interstate
  and defense highways if the vehicle is:
                     (A)  a farm tractor or implement of husbandry; or
                     (B)  a vehicle on which a farm tractor, [or]
  implement of husbandry, or equipment used in the harvesting and
  production of timber, other than a tractor, [or] implement, or
  equipment being transported from one dealer to another, is being
  moved by the owner of the tractor, [or] implement, or equipment or
  by an agent or employee of the owner:
                           (i)  to deliver the tractor, [or] implement,
  or equipment to a new owner;
                           (ii)  to transport the tractor, [or]
  implement, or equipment to or from a mechanic for maintenance or
  repair; or
                           (iii)  in the course of an agricultural or
  forestry operation;
               (3)  machinery that is used solely for drilling water
  wells, including machinery that is a unit or a unit mounted on a
  conventional vehicle or chassis, and that is traveling:
                     (A)  during daylight on a public highway other
  than a highway that is part of the national system of interstate and
  defense highways; or
                     (B)  for not more than 50 miles on a highway that
  is part of the national system of interstate and defense highways;
               (4)  a vehicle owned or operated by a public, private,
  or volunteer fire department;
               (5)  a vehicle registered under Section 502.431; or
               (6)  a recreational vehicle to which Section 622.903
  applies.
         SECTION 4.  Section 623.322(a), Transportation Code, as
  added by Chapter 1135 (H.B. 2741), Acts of the 83rd Legislature,
  Regular Session, 2013, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  To qualify for a permit under this subchapter for a
  vehicle or combination of vehicles, a person must:
               (1)  pay a permit fee of $900 [$1,500];
               (2)  designate in the permit application the timber
  producing counties described by Section 623.321(a) in which the
  vehicle or combination of vehicles will be operated; and
               (3)  satisfy the security requirement of Section
  623.012.
         SECTION 5.  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 6.  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, 2015.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1171 passed the Senate on
  April 29, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 28, 2015, by the
  following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1171 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 139,
  Nays 0, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor