TITLE: Relating to the fines for the operation of overweight vehicles transporting agricultural products.

SUMMARY: Relating to the fines for the operation of overweight vehicles transporting agricultural products.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to the fines for the operation of overweight vehicles transporting agricultural products. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 623.019, Transportation Code, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (i) to read as follows: (b) Except as provided by Subsections (c),[and] (d),and (i),an offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $250. (i) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $25 if the offense involves a vehicle loaded primarily with agricultural products in their natural state. If it is shown on the trial of an offense under Subsection (a) that the actor has previously been convicted one or more times of an offense punishable under this subsection, the offense is punishable by, as applicable: (1) a fine according to the schedules as provided by Subsection (c); or (2) a fine calculated in the manner described by Subsection (d). SECTION 2. 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 3. 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.