Passed by the House March 10, 2005 Yeas 95 Nays 0 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 6, 2005 Yeas 47 Nays 0 ________________________________________ President of the Senate		CERTIFICATE 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. ________________________________________ Chief Clerk
Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington		FILED Secretary of State State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to the highway weight limit for farm implements; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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.