| Passed by the House March 10, 2005 Yeas 95 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 6, 2005 Yeas 47 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Richard Nafziger, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1117 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. RICHARD NAFZIGER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved April 20, 2005, with the
exception of section 2, which is vetoed. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | April 20, 2005 - 3:25 p.m. Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2005 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 03/07/05.
AN ACT Relating to the highway weight limit for farm implements; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature recognizes that the
farming industry of Washington is a vital state economic interest.
Over the past decade, the number of operating farms has decreased while
the average farm size has increased. With stricter regulations
regarding the management of livestock nutrients, advances in farming
and farm equipment technology, and larger distances between farms, the
demand to increase farm equipment carrying capacity has increased.
(2) The legislature directs the Washington state department of
transportation to study the issue of enabling Washington state farms to
operate in an economically feasible manner while following federal and
state laws, including laws regarding livestock nutrient management, and
protecting state roads and highways. The department shall work with
the United States department of transportation, local transportation
authorities, transportation agencies in other states, and legislative
members and/or staff. By December 1, 2005, the department shall report
its findings and recommendations to the transportation committees of
the legislature.
(3) Until such study and any subsequent law changes are completed,
farm implements transporting dairy nutrients in order to comply with
the dairy nutrient management act may travel on city and county roads,
under the following conditions:
(a) The total gross weight for the entire vehicle and load does not
exceed 105,500 pounds.
(b) The vehicle uses an axle configuration and low pressure tires
that maximize distribution of vehicle and load weight.
(c) A city or county road authority may place restrictions on the
weight of the load carried by the farm implement, the manner in which
the load is carried, the times of the year the farm implement may
travel, and the route or routes traveled in order to avoid reasonably
likely damage to city or county roads.
(4) Until the study referenced in subsection (2) of this section is
completed and any subsequent law changes take effect, the legislature
respectfully requests the United States department of transportation to
allow the vehicles described in subsection (3) of this section to
travel on Washington state highways, under rules or policies adopted by
the Washington state department of transportation that are designed to
allow necessary movement of farm implements to comply with the dairy
nutrient management act while mitigating risk of damage to state
highways.
*NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 This act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the
state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect
immediately.
*Sec. 2 was vetoed. See message at end of chapter.