Committee debates centralizing oversize/overweight permitting, then postpones bill

Representative Johnson told the committee HB 26‑12‑48 would study options for a more efficient, centralized oversized/overweight (OSOW) permitting system, improve local permitting tools and redirect a modest, scheduled portion of the Road Usage Fee (RUF) revenue toward the roadways most affected by heavy freight. "This does not raise taxes, it does not create a new fee," she said, emphasizing the proposal would reallocate already‑scheduled revenue.

Industry and local government witnesses mostly supported the bill’s goal of matching fees to impacts but urged a careful study. Craig Hurst, CDOT statewide manager for freight mobility, told the panel the department currently lacks trip‑level data for annual permits: "We do not have the data from the past... the statute allows annual permits to self‑route, so we do not know where they're going or when they're leaving." Advocates and carrier associations said better routing and reporting could be built into a revised permitting system.

The committee adopted collaborative technical amendments that moved an implementation requirement from mandatory to permissive, clarified study scope and adjusted deadlines. After additional debate about the cost and timing of the data work, Representative Stewart moved to postpone the bill indefinitely on a reverse roll call; the motion carried and the bill was postponed.

Committee members and stakeholders agreed on the need for more detailed routing and usage data before committing to permanent reallocations of existing maintenance funds; sponsor and stakeholders said they would continue discussions outside the committee.