Bill Text: IA HSB655 | 2021-2022 | 89th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act allowing vehicles transporting certain agricultural commodities on noninterstate highways to exceed maximum gross weight limits, and making penalties applicable.(See HF 2536.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-24 - Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 2536. [HSB655 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2021-HSB655-Introduced.html
House Study Bill 655 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON BEST) A BILL FOR An Act allowing vehicles transporting certain agricultural 1 commodities on noninterstate highways to exceed maximum 2 gross weight limits, and making penalties applicable. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 6079YC (2) 89 th/ns
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 321.463, Code 2022, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 7A. a. A vehicle or combination of 3 vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, 4 stover, or manure, and which is operating on a highway that is 5 not part of the interstate road system, may exceed the legal 6 maximum gross weight otherwise allowed under this chapter by up 7 to twelve and one-half percent, not to exceed ninety thousand 8 pounds, if the gross weight on any one axle does not exceed 9 the limits allowed under this chapter and if the vehicle or 10 combination of vehicles complies with all posted weight limits 11 on highways and bridges. 12 b. If a vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds the 13 twelve and one-half percent tolerance allowed under this 14 subsection, the fine shall be computed based on the difference 15 between the actual weight and the twelve and one-half percent 16 tolerance weight allowed. 17 c. This subsection does not apply to vehicles or 18 combinations of vehicles authorized to have a maximum gross 19 weight in excess of ninety thousand pounds under subsection 6, 20 paragraph “c” . 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 Current law limits the maximum gross weight of a vehicle 25 based on the number of axles and the distance between the 26 axles on the vehicle. The department of transportation and 27 local authorities may issue certain permits for vehicles 28 which exceed the maximum allowable gross weights. This bill 29 makes permanent certain directives ordered by governors in 30 proclamations issued during the harvest season suspending 31 certain regulatory provisions relating to the gross weight of 32 vehicles transporting agricultural commodities. The bill adds 33 manure to the list of applicable agricultural commodities. 34 The bill allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, 35 -1- LSB 6079YC (2) 89 th/ns 1/ 2
H.F. _____ straw, silage, stover, or manure on noninterstate highways to 1 exceed the legal maximum gross weight otherwise allowed by up 2 to 12.5 percent, not to exceed 90,000 pounds. By operation of 3 law, an eligible vehicle that exceeds the maximum gross weight 4 otherwise allowed by up to 12.5 percent is not required to have 5 a special permit. However, eligible vehicles must not exceed 6 the gross weight limit on any one axle and must comply with 7 all posted weight limits on highways and bridges. Current law 8 allows certain seven-axle commercial motor vehicles to have 9 a maximum gross weight over 90,000 pounds on noninterstate 10 highways. Such vehicles are excluded from the provisions of 11 the bill. 12 A vehicle that exceeds the 12.5 percent tolerance is subject 13 to a scheduled fine based on the difference between the actual 14 weight and the 12.5 percent tolerance weight. The scheduled 15 fine ranges from $12 to $2,200 plus 10 cents per pound in 16 excess of 20,000 pounds over the limit. 17 -2- LSB 6079YC (2) 89 th/ns 2/ 2
feedback