HBA-MSH H.B. 2520 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2520 By: Craddick Transportation 3/22/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law puts a number of restrictions on the transportation of agriculture equipment on roadways, including limits on length and width. Also, farm vehicles that are operated outside a 150 mile radius of the owner's farm are regulated by the Texas Commercial Driver's License Act. Farmers and farm workers may benefit from greater access to roads and highways in the state for the transport of farm and husbandry equipment. House Bill 2520 exempts certain farm vehicles from limits on length and width and exempts farm vehicles from regulation under the Texas Commercial Driver's License Act. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2520 amends the Transportation Code to provide that a vehicle is exempt from the Texas Commercial Driver's License Act if it is controlled and operated by a farmer and used in this state rather than within 150 miles of the person's farm to transport agricultural products, farm machinery, or farm supplies to or from a farm and is not used in the operations of a common or motor carrier (Section 522.004). The bill exempts a vehicle or combination of vehicles that is owned or operated by a farmer and is transporting an implement of husbandry or agricultural equipment from provisions that prohibit the carrying of a load that extends more than three feet beyond the front of the vehicle or more than four feet beyond the rear of the vehicle (Sec. 621.206). The bill exempts from provisions regulating to maximum vehicle width a vehicle traveling during daylight on a public highway, or traveling not more than 300 rather than 50 miles on a highway that is part of the national system of interstate and defense highways if the vehicle is a farm tractor or implement of husbandry or is transporting certain farm or husbandry equipment and implements (Sec.622.901). The bill exempts from provisions limiting the length of vehicles and vehicle combinations a vehicle or combination of vehicles on which farm equipment or an implement of husbandry is being moved by the owner or by an agent or employee of the owner to deliver the farm equipment or implement of husbandry to a new owner, to transport the farm equipment or implement of husbandry to or from a mechanic for maintenance or repair, or in the course of an agricultural operation (Sec. 622.902). The bill prohibits the Department of Public Safety from adopting a rule relating to commercial motor vehicle safety standards that imposes maximum driving and on-duty times on an operator of a vehicle that is owned or operated by a farmer and is transporting in intrastate commerce agricultural equipment or an implement of husbandry of the farmer for agricultural purposes within this state (Sec. 644.053). EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.