Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

Hon. D. C. Greer . Opinion ~5. VAj89 ,’ “,,,,.. State Highway Engine& Texas Highway .Department Be:~ The authority of the Austin, Texas ., Texas Highway Depart- ment to impose condi- tions in the Issuance of special permtts for the operation of over- weight and .over-8ize vehicles and the effect I.. . . of a violation of such conditions. ‘. ..DearMr. ,Greer: You have requested an opinion of the Attor- nay General aato t~hele ality..ofthe imposition by the Highway.Department.o! conditions in the issuance of ,specialpermitsauthorizing the operation of super- heavy or .over~slza~vehicles.over the highways of this ..~ have adviaedus .~that It is the practice of State,,.~.You. -. Dspartnent.to stamp.on the face ofteach special .~the. permit which.Ian iazued the .followingor similar condo- .-’ .tions: ~., ~. ., RFull dayli t moaement only, and then &ky when .visibi lty .is good and highway ffh shoulders firm...~MO part of Load or equlp- ment.to extend .overcenter of pavement, ex- cept over ,nacrowztructureaor.short narrow sectIons where traffic...shall be fla ed 300’ in front. at&rear..of ..load. This loa 3 shall not follow another.ov.er-.#idth load closer ” than lOGO..feet. Permit.. +ll become void if any’of. above conditions are not complied with.” You have presented two questions in counec- tion with the’; above.facta.. T,hefirst rel+tes 40 the authority of the IJepartmentto impose such condltlon8, and.the second with the authority.ofthe State to . prosecute a permittee who ,violates,anyof the coadi- Don. D. C, Greer, Page 2 (V-789) tions which the Department has imposed. Section 2.of Article 827a, V.P.C., reads in part as fcllowz: "It shall be unlawful. .'. for any per- son to drive .*.' O O any vehicle or vehicles of a-size or weight exceeding the limitations stated Sn this Act... O or to transport there- .,on any load~or.loadsexceedingthe.dimensions _ or weight preScribed in this Act; provided ::' 'theDepartmentp acting directly or through ~ its agent or agents designated in each county shall have Andyis hereby granted authority to .~ grant permitsslimitedto period of ninety (90) -days orless for the transportationover State ~.highwaysof.such overweight or oversize or overlength commoditiesas cannot be reason: LU ..ablydismantled.arfor the operation over . State highways,of super-heavyand oversize equipment for the transportationof such over-. - - sizeor overwei~t~~.or.overlan~h commodities. . as-cannot bereasonably.dismantled. . .e _ Article 67Ola,.YdC.Set reads in part aa $01~ 1,Si Vet. 1. .&hen any person, firm or cor- _~ _ .porat.ionshall.deziroto operate over a 1 stats highway super?heavy.or over-size equlp- .ment.for thetransportation of such,commodi- _ :tiea.as cannot-be reasonably dismantled, where the.gross weight or weights exceeds the limit allowedby law,to be transported over a state highway the State Highway Depart- ment map upon application,issuea permit for tle e operation of said equipmentwith said commodities,.when said State Highway De- . partment is of the opinion that the same may ., be ~operatedwithout material damage to the highway.~~0 ." (Emphasisis added throughout.) Other sections of Article 67Gla provide for the designationof agents,by the Highway Department for theissuance of such permits, the form of appllca- .tionto .hemade, and the posting of an indemnity bond byethe permittee. Section &in prescribingthe form .of ths.parmit,.specificallyprovides, among other things, as follows: *id) It shall state any conditions upon which.the permit is issued." hy the use~of ,theword "may" in the first section of~Article6701a the-Legislatureobviously intended the.grant of discretionaryauthority to -thenHighway Department inthe.issuance of such per- mits., Raving this discretionaryauthority, reason- .able..co~nditions may be impostid. Furthermore the Legislatures fin. prescribingthe form to be used in ~issuingsuch a .permit,specificallyprovided for the imposition of.condit.ions.initeissuance. .The..cond.itions which may ,be imposed must _ be,;reas.onable.and bear.+ direct.relationshipto the .~safet,y .of.the t.ravellingpnblicand permittee-andto .t.he, physical maintenance~of,the...hi.ghways to be 'trav- Youare therefore advised in answer to yo.ur.fi&t question‘that~reasonableconditions may _be.imposedin thenissuance of th,osepermit5 author- ..ized~ by-the.above statutes. The second question presented relates to :the.po'w.er .of.the..State to prosecute a permittee for .violationaf any condition.whichhas been imposed. It .iat.o.be~ observed..that. neither~the criminal stat- . ute -(Art...827a), nar the civil .statute(Art. 6701a), .-~~contain.any..penalty for..the~ violation by a permittee ..~.of-any. condition.which may be imposed. Article 3, V.P.C.,,is a positive declara- tion.by the Legislaturethat,.before an act or omis- sion const~itutesa-penal.offense,,: it-must be made so .by.thewrittenlaw .of'theState.. ,WilIiamsv. State, ,246 Tex. Cr. Rep.,~430.,176.S. W: (2d1 177 (1943). s ~ifany pro.se.cution ~.~The~rafore is..authorizedfor the .~violationof,the conditions imposed it must be under the,gene.ralpenal statutes...That-is, unless the per- mittee.maybe charged with operating an over-size, ...super.-heavy.. or over-width~vehicleupon the highway, no prosecutionandconviction may,.behad. In our opinion, once,~havingbeen granted .a special.permit,the.violat.ionof an imposed condi- tionwould not have the..sff.ect. of subjecting the ~per- mittee to prosecutionunder,.thegeneral penal stat- .~utes. Article~~,3.of the Penal Code prohibits the High- .~away.-Departmentfrom providingthat the violation of .any conditionimposed shall render the permit void Andythereby subject.theho~lder..ta. prosecutionfor operating witho.uta permit...,WilTiamsv. State,supra. You are accordingly advised that inasmuch _asthe_,statutedoe.s.notprov,idea penalty for the vi- ..,.olationof~a condition imposed in the issuance of ~.sucha.permitno prose.cutionmay .be,hadfor the vio- ~..lation thereof. However.~..in, view ,ofthe fact that ..the, power of~the Department..to.issue. such permits is discret.ionary.,thereremains-a.praspectivemeans of .._, enforcement.byr.efusingpermits t,o.flagrantviolators of..the.condit.ions, imposed, ~.~. :~. SUMMARY“ Y The Texas.~HighwayDepartment may im- conditions in the issuance .pose..reasonable ..~ ~.,.of special permits.authorisingthe opera- ,_ .~..,tian of over-.sise.,.super-heavy and'over- . width vehicles. ..Art.827a, Sec. 2, V.P.C.; .,..A&. 67Gl.a., V..C,S. .But.inasmuchas no pen- ...alt.yis.provided.forbyestatute'for the .,.violationsof .such.condition.s,no prosecution .._. ..~ is.autho.rizedagainstthe permittee for a violation thereof. Art. 3, V.P.C. Yours very truly, .- .ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 'By - &* -9 CEC/lg Charles E. Crensha#w Assistant APPROVED: sew e IRSTASSISTAET ATTORNEY ,.. _ ~.._ ,GENERAL