Under this bill, there is generally no width limitation for implements of
husbandry operated on a highway. However, certain wide implements of husbandry
are subject to lighting and marking requirements (discussed below). There is also
no width limitation if the implement of husbandry is being operated or transported
by an implement dealer or farmer for purposes of delivery, repair, or servicing and
being operated or transported directly between a farmer's owned or leased land and
the business of an implement dealer located within 75 miles, but, if applicable, the
lighting and marking requirements for wide implements of husbandry (discussed
below) apply. If the implement of husbandry is being transported rather than
operated, certain provisions of current law relating to side projections of loads do not
apply. The bill establishes a general total width limitation for agricultural
commercial motor vehicles, operated without a permit, of 10 feet, but provides a total
width limitation of 12 feet for agricultural CMVs operated for the purpose of
spreading lime or fertilizer and having extending tires, fenders, or fender flares.

The bill also eliminates DOT's issuance of farm machinery permits, repeals the
general width limitation of 12 feet for farm tractors, and repeals the exception under
current law authorizing the operation of certain farm tractors and implements of
husbandry that would otherwise not be authorized on the highway between one-half

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hour before sunrise and sunset on Mondays to Thursdays and from one-half hour
before sunrise to 2 p.m. on Fridays.

Under current law, unless an exception applies, a person may not, without a
permit, operate on a highway any single vehicle with an overall length in excess of
45 feet or any combination of two vehicles with an overall length in excess of 70 feet.
Under one exception, there is no length limitation for implements of husbandry
temporarily operated on a highway.

Also under current law, unless an exception applies, a person may not, without
a permit, operate on a highway any vehicle towing, or having attached to it, two or
more other vehicles. Under one exception, two trailers used primarily as implements
of husbandry in connection with seasonal agricultural activities or one such trailer
and any other implement of husbandry may be towed by a farm tractor if the
operation of the vehicle combination (implement of husbandry train) is exclusively
a farming operation and not for the transportation of property for hire and if the
overall length of the vehicle combination does not exceed 60 feet. Under another
exception, two trailers transporting empty tanks used for hauling or storing liquid
agricultural fertilizer or two implements of husbandry, including two empty trailers
used primarily as implements of husbandry in connection with seasonal agricultural
activities, may be towed by a motor truck or truck tractor if the overall length of the
vehicle combination (truck-drawn agricultural train) does not exceed 60 feet.

This bill creates length limitations for implements of husbandry operated on a
highway without a permit based in part on the number of vehicles being operated.
Under the bill, if the implement of husbandry is a single vehicle, it may not exceed
60 feet in length. If the implement of husbandry is a two-vehicle combination, it may
not exceed 100 feet in length. If the vehicle combination is an implement of
husbandry train or a truck-drawn agricultural train, its length may not exceed 70
feet or, if it is traveling at a speed of 20 miles per hour or less, 100 feet. The bill also
modifies the statutory description of an implement of husbandry train to specify that
it consists of three implements of husbandry. The same length limitation that
applies to a one-vehicle or two-vehicle implement of husbandry also applies if the
one-vehicle or two-vehicle implement of husbandry is being operated or transported
by an implement dealer or farmer for purposes of delivery, repair, or servicing and
being operated or transported directly between a farmer's owned or leased land and
the business of an implement dealer located within 75 miles.

Under current law, unless an exception applies, a person may not, without a
permit, operate on a highway any vehicle having an overall height in excess of 13.5
feet. Under one exception, there is no height limitation for implements of husbandry
temporarily operated on a highway.

Under this bill, there is no height limitation for implements of husbandry
operated on a highway. The bill also specifies that the operator of the implement of
husbandry is responsible for ensuring that there is adequate height clearance
between the implement of husbandry and any overhead structure or obstruction.

The bill creates a new annual or consecutive month permit, referred to as a
"no-fee permit," issued by DOT and local authorities for implements of husbandry
and agricultural CMVs that exceed statutory length or weight limitations. For

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purposes of this no-fee permit, the bill defines a "maintaining authority" of a
highway as: 1) DOT or its designee, with respect to a state trunk highway; or 2) the
municipality or county responsible for maintenance of the highway or its designee
(local authority), with respect to a highway that is not a state trunk highway. A
maintaining authority may issue no-fee permits authorizing operation on highways
under its jurisdiction of implements of husbandry and agricultural CMVs that
exceed statutory length or weight limitations. A no-fee permit is not valid on
interstate highways. With an exception, an application for a no-fee permit must be
accompanied by a listing or map of the highways that may potentially be traveled
under authorization of the permit. Under this exception, a municipality may, by
resolution or ordinance, authorize operation of implements of husbandry and
agricultural CMVs exceeding statutory length or weight limitations on any or all
highways under the municipality's jurisdiction and issue a form letter and copy of
the resolution or ordinance to serve as the approved permit. In such a municipality,
a no-fee permit application is not required to be accompanied by a listing or map of
the highways to be traveled under the permit and is not required to be made on a form
prescribed by DOT for the application. Upon application, a no-fee permit may be
amended by the maintaining authority to reflect changes in the applicant's
circumstances, including a change in the highways to be traveled.

Under the bill, no fee may be charged for issuance or amendment of a no-fee
permit or for any study or investigation in connection with the permit application.
If a maintaining authority denies an application for a no-fee permit, it must notify
the applicant in writing of the denial and the notice must include a reasonable and
structurally based explanation of the denial that relates to the preservation of the
roadway. If the application is made with respect to certain self-propelled
implements of husbandry, including combines, forage harvesters, and fertilizer or
pesticide application equipment, the denial must also include an approved alternate
route or map of highways for operation of the implement of husbandry.

Under current law, if any bill introduced in either house of the legislature
directly or indirectly establishes an exception to vehicle weight limitations, DOT
must prepare a report, containing specified information, relating to the bill within
six weeks after the bill is introduced and before any vote is taken on the bill. This
bill directs DOT not to prepare such a report on this bill because DOT recently
completed the Implements of Husbandry Study, which contained the same or similar
information that would be contained in a report on this bill.

Current law imposes various equipment requirements for vehicles operated on
highways, including certain lighting and marking requirements. Although these
requirements are generally inapplicable to implements of husbandry, farm tractors,
and self-propelled farm implements, current law does impose various specific
requirements with respect to lighting and marking of implements of husbandry and
other agricultural vehicles.

Under current law, during hours of darkness, the following requirements apply
with respect to each described vehicle operated on the highway:

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1. A farm tractor or self-propelled farm implement must carry the lighted
headlamps and tail lamps that would be required of other vehicles and the only color
of light that may show to the rear is red.

2. An implement of husbandry must generally be equipped with at least two
lighted lamps or lanterns exhibiting a white light to the front and either two lighted
lamps or lanterns exhibiting a red light to the rear or two red reflectors mounted on
the rear. Also, if the implement of husbandry extends at least four feet to the left of
the center line of a towing vehicle, it must be equipped with an amber reflector
mounted on the left side, facing forward, to mark the extreme width of the implement
of husbandry to drivers of oncoming vehicles.

3. A truck-drawn agricultural train must have mounted on each side of every
vehicle in the train at least one lamp emitting red light visible to the side or at least
one red reflector or one slow moving vehicle (SMV) emblem visible from the side.

4. An implement of husbandry train must have mounted on each side of every
vehicle in the train at least one lamp emitting a red light visible to the side or at least
one red reflector visible from the side.

Certain requirements also apply to a farm tractor, implement of husbandry, or
self-propelled farm implement, whether attended or unattended, parked, or left
standing on the roadway or shoulder of a highway during hours of darkness.

Under current law, at times other than hours of darkness, an implement of
husbandry train operated on a highway must display a red flag at least 12 inches
square on each rear corner of the rearmost vehicle in the train.

Under current law, a person may not operate on a highway, day or night, any
vehicle that usually travels at speeds of less than 25 miles per hour unless an SMV
emblem is displayed on the most practicable visible rear area. However, instead of
the SMV emblem, a vehicle may be equipped with a yellow or amber flashing light
at least four inches in diameter attached to the left rear. The SMV emblem is also
not required if the vehicle is only moving directly across the highway. A towed vehicle
is exempt from this requirement if an SMV emblem on the towing vehicle is visible
from the rear. The SMV emblem must meet standards and specifications for design
and mounting established by rule by DOT, but this rule must conform to standards
and specifications approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

In addition to the lighting and marking requirements described above, this bill
creates new lighting and marking requirements for implements of husbandry
operated on the highway that exceed 15 feet in total width or that extend over the
center of the roadway into a lane intended for the opposite direction of travel (wide
implements of husbandry). A person may not operate on a highway a wide
implement of husbandry manufactured before January 1, 2014, unless it is equipped
with all of the following: 1) at least two amber flashing warning lamps, visible from
both the front and rear; 2) red retroreflective conspicuity material, visible to the rear;
3) at least two strips of yellow retroreflective conspicuity material, visible to the
front; and 4) at least two red tail lamps. Any lamp or light required above must be
lighted and visible when the wide implement of husbandry is operated on a highway
and the lamps or lights, devices, and material described above must generally be
mounted so as to indicate the lateral extremities of the implement of husbandry. A

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wide implement of husbandry manufactured before January 1, 2014, must also
display an SMV emblem. An implement of husbandry manufactured on or after
January 1, 2014, may not be operated on a highway unless it is equipped with all
lighting and marking devices with which the implement of husbandry was originally
equipped by the manufacturer and all such lighting and marking devices are in good
working order and visible at the time of operation.

Under the bill, a person may not operate on a highway any self-propelled
implement of husbandry manufactured before January 1, 2014, that exceeds 12 feet
in total width, unless it is equipped with a yellow or amber rotating strobe or beacon
light mounted at the highest practicable point, or two flashing amber lights visible
to the front and rear, and the light or lights are activated. If an implement of
husbandry exceeds 20 feet in total width, in addition to the applicable foregoing
requirements, it must be accompanied by an escort vehicle operating with hazard
lights activated unless it is traveling between fields and operated on the highway for
a distance of 0.25 miles or less.

The bill also eliminates the requirement that an implement of husbandry train
operated on a highway during the day must display a red flag on each rear corner of
the rearmost vehicle in the train.

Under current law, on all roadways of sufficient width, the operator of a vehicle
must generally drive on the right half of the roadway and in the right-hand lane of
a three-lane highway, subject to various exceptions, such as when the operator is
making a left turn or U-turn or is overtaking and passing another vehicle. A vehicle
operator must also drive as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and,
on a three-lane highway, may not drive in the center lane, subject to exceptions like
those discussed above. With an exception, a vehicle operator may not drive in a lane
when signs or signals indicate that the lane is allocated exclusively to vehicles
moving in the opposite direction.

Also under current law, on a two-way roadway: 1) operators of vehicles
proceeding in opposite directions must pass each other to the right and give to the
other at least one-half of the main traveled portion of the roadway as nearly as
possible; and 2) a vehicle operator may not drive on the left side of the center of the
roadway on a grade or curve where the operator's view is obstructed or, with an
exception, in an area designated by signs or pavement marking it as a no-passing
zone. In general, a person may not drive a motor vehicle so slowly as to impede the
normal movement of traffic and the operator of a slow-moving vehicle must, if
practicable, yield the roadway to an overtaking vehicle.

This bill creates an exception allowing a wide implement of husbandry that
satisfies applicable lighting and marking requirements and that is operated as much
as practicable on the right half of the roadway and within a single lane to: 1) extend
over the center of the roadway into a lane intended for travel in the opposite
direction; 2) extend into the passing lane of a three-lane highway; and 3) extend into
another lane intended for travel in the same direction if it does not impede other
vehicles approaching from the rear. However, this exception does not exempt the
operator of the wide implement of husbandry from the requirements and

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prohibitions above, specifying that a vehicle operator must pass a vehicle proceeding
in the opposite direction on the right and yield half of the roadway if possible; a
vehicle operator may not drive on the left side of the roadway on a grade or curve
where the operator's view is obstructed or in an area designated as a no-passing
zone; and a vehicle operator may not drive so slowly as to impede the normal
movement of traffic and must, if practicable, yield the roadway to an overtaking
vehicle.

Under current law, a vehicle operator may not drive on the left side of the center
of a roadway designated, by signs or a solid yellow line, as a no-passing zone.
However, under an exception, a vehicle operator may cross to the left of the center
of the roadway in such a no-passing zone to overtake and pass, with care, any vehicle
traveling at a speed less than half of the applicable speed limit. Under this bill, this
exception does not apply with respect to overtaking and passing an implement of
husbandry or an agricultural CMV.

Under current law, no person in the business of selling a tractor or other
machinery used in the business of farming (farm equipment) may sell farm
equipment unless, at the time of sale, the farm equipment is equipped with specified
safety equipment, including lights, reflectors, and an SMV emblem meeting
applicable vehicle equipment requirements, if the farm equipment can be operated
on a highway. However, this requirement does not apply to sales of farm equipment
to another person in the business of selling farm equipment for the purpose of resale,
sales of farm equipment for the purpose of salvage, and most sales by auction. A
person who violates this requirement may be required to forfeit not more than $500
for each violation.

Under this bill, no person in the business of selling farm equipment may sell
farm equipment that can be operated on a highway unless, at the time of sale, the
person who sells the farm equipment discloses to the buyer the gross vehicle weight
of the farm equipment. The exceptions and penalty described above also apply with
respect to this requirement. The bill also specifies that lights, reflectors, and other
marking devices with which farm equipment is required to be equipped at the time
of sale are those meeting applicable vehicle equipment requirements at the time the
farm equipment was manufactured.