FARM VEHICLE EXEMPTION H.B. 4773: FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 4773 (as reported without amendment) Sponsor: Representative Kim Rhead
House Committee: Transportation
Senate Committee: Agriculture and Forestry
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to exempt certain motor-drawn farm vehicles from the requirement that a motor vehicle or a combination of motor-drawn vehicles be able to stop within specified distances or decelerate within specified speeds and distances under normal road conditions. The exemption would apply under the following circumstances:
-- The drawn vehicle was an implement of husbandry, as defined in the Code. (The Code defines “implement of husbandry” as a vehicle that is either a farm tractor, a vehicle designed to be drawn by a farm tractor or an animal, a vehicle that directly harvests farm products, or a vehicle that directly applies fertilizer, spray, or seeds to a farm field.)
-- The motor vehicle hauling the implement of husbandry did not exceed a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour if the implement of husbandry being drawn were not equipped with brakes that met the standards in the Code and Federal regulations.
-- If the implement of husbandry being drawn did not exceed any other implement or component design maximum speed limitation, the combination of vehicles could not exceed that maximum speed limit.
MCL 257.705 Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim
The bill is inconsistent with the standards contained in Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (which are adopted by reference in the Motor Carrier Safety Act, Public Act 181 of 1963) and could result in the loss of the State’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Inspection Grant, which is $1.9 million for FY 1994-95.
Date Completed: 5-26-95 Fiscal Analyst: B. Bowerman
floor\hb4773
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.