VEHICLES TOWING COTTON TRAILERS (Section 304.170)

This act exempts vehicles towing trailers specifically designed to carry harvested cotton, with a total length of not more than 93 feet, from certain height, width, and length limitations, provided that the vehicles shall only be used to haul cotton, or to haul hay within the state to areas determined by the National Drought Mitigation Center to be affected by drought.

These provisions are identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS#3/SCS/HB 1963 (2020), provisions in HCS/SB 686 (2020), provisions in HCS/SB 782 (2020), and provisions in HCS/SCS/SB 867 (2020).

FIRE PROTECTION VEHICLES (Sections 304.172 and 304.180)

Currently, vehicles used in fire protection are exempted from certain restrictions on height, width, weight, length, and load. This act repeals the exemption from weight and load restrictions. (Section 304.172)

The act instead specifies that emergency vehicles designed to be used under emergency conditions to transport personnel and equipment and to "support the suppression of fires and" mitigate hazardous situations may have a maximum gross vehicle weight of 86,000 pounds as specified in the act, "except that, such emergency vehicles shall only operate on the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways." (Section 304.180)

These provisions are identical HB 2539 (2020), provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS#3/SCS/HB 1963 (2020), provisions in HCS/SB 686 (2020), provisions in HCS/SB 782 (2020), and provisions in HCS/SCS/SB 867 (2020).

ERIC VANDER WEERD