SB 83

Current law includes various provisions relating to the operation on highways

of implements of husbandry and agricultural commercial motor vehicles

(agricultural CMVs). An implement of husbandry is a self-propelled or towed

vehicle that is manufactured, designed, or reconstructed to be used and that is

exclusively used in the conduct of agricultural operations. An implement of

husbandry may include a farm tractor or a towed vehicle such as a farm trailer or

manure trailer. An implement of husbandry may also include such farm equipment

as a self-propelled combine; a self-propelled forage harvester; self-propelled

fertilizer or pesticide application equipment (but not including manure application

equipment); a power unit towing tillage, planting, or cultivation equipment; or

another self-propelled vehicle that directly engages in harvesting farm products,

directly applies fertilizer, spray, or seeds (but not manure), or distributes feed to

livestock (hereafter "farm equipment"). An implement of husbandry may also be a

combination of vehicles in which each vehicle in the combination is an implement of

husbandry or in which a towed implement of husbandry, such as a farm trailer, is

towed by a farm truck, farm truck tractor, or motor truck. An agricultural CMV is

a commercial motor vehicle that: 1) is substantially designed or equipped, or

materially altered from its original construction, for the purpose of agricultural use;

2) was designed and manufactured primarily for highway use and, with an

exception, was manufactured to meet federal motor vehicle highway safety

standards; 3) is used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural operations; and 4) is

directly engaged in harvesting farm products, directly applies fertilizer, spray, or

seeds to a farm field, or distributes feed to livestock. An agricultural CMV is not an

implement of husbandry.

This bill makes changes to the definitions of implement of husbandry and

agricultural CMV. Under the bill, a combination of vehicles is an implement of

husbandry if the combination consists of any implement of husbandry towed by a

farm truck, farm truck tractor, or motor truck. The bill also specifies that a power

unit towing harvesting equipment is an implement of husbandry of the farm

equipment type and that a grain cart is an implement of husbandry of the same type

as a farm trailer. The bill clarifies that, if an implement of husbandry consists of a

power unit towing tillage, planting, harvesting, or cultivation equipment, the power

unit may be a farm tractor. The bill also specifies that a vehicle directly applying lime

to a farm field may be an agricultural CMV. Under the bill, an agricultural CMV

includes a vehicle assisting a harvesting vehicle by receiving farm products as they

are harvested and includes a vehicle off-loading manure when field conditions do not

permit manure application directly to the field.

Under current law, no person may operate on a highway any vehicle or

combination of vehicles that exceeds certain statutory size or weight limits unless

the person obtains a permit issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) or