Bill Text: IA SF2050 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the applicability of motor vehicle size, weight, and load limitations to law enforcement vehicles.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-04 - Returned to committee. [SF2050 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SF2050-Introduced.html

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Senate File 2050 - Introduced




                                 SENATE FILE       
                                 BY  BRASE

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the applicability of motor vehicle size,
  2    weight, and load limitations to law enforcement vehicles.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 5562XS (2) 86
    ns/nh

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 321.453, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code
  1  2 2016, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    a.  Fire apparatus and law enforcement vehicles.
  1  4    Sec. 2.  Section 321.471, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code
  1  5 2016, is amended to read as follows:
  1  6    a.  Local authorities with respect to a highway under their
  1  7 jurisdiction may by ordinance or resolution prohibit the
  1  8 operation of vehicles upon the highway or impose restrictions
  1  9 as to the weight of vehicles to be operated upon the highway
  1 10 for a total period of not to exceed ninety days in any one
  1 11 calendar year, whenever the highway by reason of deterioration,
  1 12 rain, snow, or other climatic conditions will be seriously
  1 13 damaged or destroyed unless the use of vehicles on the
  1 14 highway is prohibited or the permissible weights reduced.
  1 15 The ordinance or resolution shall not apply to implements of
  1 16 husbandry as defined in section 321.1, implements of husbandry
  1 17 loaded on hauling units for transporting the implements to
  1 18 locations for repair, or fire apparatus, law enforcement
  1 19 vehicles, and road maintenance equipment owned by, under lease
  1 20 to, or used in the performance of a contract with a state or
  1 21 local authority.
  1 22    Sec. 3.  Section 321.471, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code
  1 23 2016, is amended to read as follows:
  1 24    a.  Upon a finding that a bridge or culvert does not
  1 25 meet established standards set forth by state and federal
  1 26 authorities, local authorities may by ordinance or resolution
  1 27 impose limitations for an indefinite period of time on
  1 28 the weight of vehicles upon bridges or culverts located on
  1 29 highways under their sole jurisdiction. The limitations shall
  1 30 be effective when signs giving notice of the limitations
  1 31 are erected. The ordinance or resolution shall not apply
  1 32 to implements of husbandry loaded on hauling units for
  1 33 transporting the implements to locations for purposes of
  1 34 repair or to fire apparatus, law enforcement vehicles, or road
  1 35 maintenance equipment owned by, under lease to, or used in the
  2  1 performance of a contract with a state or local authority.
  2  2    Sec. 4.  Section 321.474, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2016, are
  2  3 amended to read as follows:
  2  4    1.  The department shall have authority, as granted to
  2  5 local authorities, to determine by resolution and to impose
  2  6 restrictions as to the weight of vehicles, except implements of
  2  7 husbandry as defined in section 321.1, implements of husbandry
  2  8 loaded on hauling units for transporting the implements to
  2  9 locations for repair, and fire apparatus, law enforcement
  2 10 vehicles, and road maintenance equipment owned by, under
  2 11 lease to, or used in the performance of a contract with a
  2 12 state or local authority, operated upon any highway under
  2 13 the jurisdiction of the department for a definite period of
  2 14 time not to exceed twelve months. The restrictions shall be
  2 15 effective when signs giving notice of the restrictions and
  2 16 the expiration date of the restrictions are erected upon the
  2 17 affected highway or portion of highway.
  2 18    2.  Upon a finding that a bridge or culvert does not
  2 19 meet established standards set forth by state and federal
  2 20 authorities, the department may impose, by resolution,
  2 21 restrictions for an indefinite period of time on the weight of
  2 22 vehicles operated upon bridges or culverts located on highways
  2 23 under its jurisdiction. The restrictions shall be effective
  2 24 when signs giving notice of the restrictions are erected. The
  2 25 restrictions shall not apply to implements of husbandry loaded
  2 26 on hauling units for transporting the implements to locations
  2 27 for purposes of repair or to fire apparatus, law enforcement
  2 28 vehicles, or road maintenance equipment owned by, under lease
  2 29 to, or used in the performance of a contract with a state or
  2 30 local authority.
  2 31                           EXPLANATION
  2 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  2 33 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  2 34    Current law provides that fire apparatus, certain road
  2 35 maintenance equipment, certain implements of husbandry, and
  3  1 certain construction equipment are exempt from motor vehicle
  3  2 size, weight, and load limitations and the permit requirements
  3  3 of Code chapter 321E.  This bill expands that provision to also
  3  4 exempt law enforcement vehicles. The bill also provides that
  3  5 motor vehicle weight restrictions imposed by local authorities
  3  6 and the department of transportation shall not apply to law
  3  7 enforcement vehicles.
       LSB 5562XS (2) 86
       ns/nh