PRINTER'S NO. 1311
No. 1076 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY HICKERNELL, GEIST, HERSHEY, BASTIAN, BOYD,
CAPPELLI, COX, CUTLER, EVERETT, GOODMAN, GRELL, GRUCELA,
HESS, KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, McILHATTAN, MILLARD, MOUL, PAYNE,
SAYLOR, SOLOBAY, STERN, TRUE, YOUNGBLOOD AND BELFANTI,
APRIL 18, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 18, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, further providing for vehicles exempt from
3 registration, for use of farm vehicle plates, for general
4 lighting requirements, for requirement for periodic
5 inspection of vehicles, for operation of vehicle without
6 official certificate of inspection, for securing loads in
7 vehicles, for safety requirements for towed vehicles and for
8 width of vehicles.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. Section 1302(2) and (10) of Title 75 of the
12 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
13 § 1302. Vehicles exempt from registration.
14 The following types of vehicles are exempt from registration:
15 * * *
16 (2) Any implement of husbandry[, trailer or semitrailer
17 determined by the department to be] and any trailer or
18 semitrailer towed or hauled by a farm vehicle or implement of
19 husbandry, provided that the implement of husbandry, trailer
1 or semitrailer is used exclusively for agricultural
2 operations and only infrequently operated upon highways.
3 Vehicles exempt from registration under this paragraph shall
4 be used exclusively upon a farm or farms owned or operated by
5 the owner of the vehicle or upon highways [between] as
6 subject to the following limitations:
7 [(i) Parts of one such farm.
8 (ii) Such farms located not more than 25 miles
9 apart.
10 (iii) Such farm or farms and a place of business
11 located within a radius of 25 miles from such farm or
12 farms for the purpose of buying or selling agricultural
13 commodities or supplies or for delivery, repair or
14 servicing of the vehicle.]
15 (i) For an implement of husbandry or for a trailer
16 or semitrailer being towed or hauled by an implement of
17 husbandry:
18 (A) Parts of one such farm.
19 (B) Between such farms located not more than 25
20 miles apart.
21 (C) Between such farm or farms and a place of
22 business located within a radius of 25 miles from
23 such farm or farms for the purpose of buying or
24 selling agricultural commodities or supplies or for
25 delivery, repair or servicing of the vehicle.
26 (ii) For a trailer or semitrailer being towed or
27 hauled by a farm vehicle exempt from registration under
28 paragraph (10), the areas that the towing or hauling
29 vehicle is authorized to be driven.
30 (iii) For a trailer or semitrailer being towed or
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1 hauled by a farm vehicle bearing farm vehicle
2 registration plates under section 1344 (relating to use
3 of farm vehicle plates):
4 (A) Between such farms located not more than 50
5 miles apart.
6 (B) Between such farm or farms and a place of
7 business located within a radius of 50 miles from
8 such farm or farms for the purpose of buying or
9 selling agricultural commodities or supplies or for
10 repairing or servicing the vehicle.
11 * * *
12 (10) Any farm vehicle used exclusively upon a farm or
13 farms owned or operated by the owner of the vehicle.
14 [(i) Type I--Such a farm vehicle which does not
15 qualify as a motor carrier vehicle may be driven upon
16 highways only from sunrise to sunset. However, a farm
17 vehicle which qualifies as a motor carrier vehicle and
18 displays a currently valid certificate of inspection may
19 be driven upon highways without any restriction as to
20 time. Such a farm vehicle may only be driven on highways
21 between:]
22 (i) Type A--Such a farm vehicle which does not
23 qualify as a motor carrier vehicle may be driven on
24 highways only from sunrise to sunset and between:
25 (A) Parts of one such farm.
26 (B) Such farms located not more than 25 miles
27 apart.
28 (C) Such farm or farms and a place of business
29 located within a radius of 25 miles from such farm or
30 farms for the purpose of buying or selling
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1 agricultural commodities or supplies.
2 (D) Such farm or farms and a place of business
3 located within a radius of 50 miles from such farm or
4 farms for the purpose of repair or servicing of the
5 farm vehicle[.] or the trailer or semitrailer being
6 towed or hauled by the farm vehicle.
7 [(ii) Type II--](ii) Type B--Such a farm vehicle
8 which does qualify as a motor carrier vehicle and
9 displays a currently valid certificate of inspection may
10 be driven without any restriction as to time but may only
11 be driven on highways between:
12 (A) Parts of one such farm.
13 (B) Such farms located not more than 50 miles
14 apart.
15 (C) Such farm or farms and a place of business
16 located within a radius of 50 miles from such farm or
17 farms for the purpose of buying or selling
18 agricultural commodities or supplies or for repair or
19 servicing of the farm vehicle or the trailer or
20 semitrailer being towed or hauled by the farm
21 vehicle.
22 (iii) Type C--Such a farm vehicle which does qualify
23 as a motor carrier vehicle and which does not display a
24 currently valid certificate of inspection may be driven
25 upon highways only from sunrise to sunset and between:
26 (A) Parts of one such farm.
27 (B) Such farms located not more than ten miles
28 apart.
29 (C) Such farm or farms and a place of business
30 located within a radius of ten miles from such farm
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1 or farms for the purpose of buying or selling
2 agricultural commodities or supplies.
3 (D) Such farm or farms and a place of business
4 located within a radius of 25 miles from such farm or
5 farms for the purpose of repair or servicing of the
6 farm vehicle or the trailer or semitrailer being
7 towed or hauled by the farm vehicle.
8 [(iii)] (iv) A biennial certificate of exemption
9 shall be required for such a farm vehicle.
10 [(iv)] (v) The owner of the farm vehicle shall
11 maintain such minimum levels of liability insurance
12 coverage on the vehicle as are required to be maintained
13 under Chapter 17 (relating to financial responsibility)
14 by owners of registered motor vehicles. The owner shall
15 satisfy the requirements of this subparagraph if the
16 minimum amounts of liability insurance coverage for the
17 farm vehicle have been provided under farm liability
18 insurance coverage maintained generally by the owner.
19 Coverage prescribed in Subchapter B of Chapter 17 shall
20 not be required to be maintained or provided for the farm
21 vehicle.
22 * * *
23 Section 2. Section 1344 of Title 75 is amended by adding a
24 subsection to read:
25 § 1344. Use of farm vehicle plates.
26 * * *
27 (c) Applicability of section 1301.--A truck or truck tractor
28 bearing current farm vehicle registration plates shall be deemed
29 to be duly registered for purposes of section 1301 (relating to
30 registration and certificate of title required), notwithstanding
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1 the commission of any violation of this section.
2 Section 3. Section 4303(e) is amended and the section is
3 amended by adding a subsection to read:
4 § 4303. General lighting requirements.
5 * * *
6 (e) Equipment exempted [by regulation].--Antique motor
7 vehicles, animal-drawn vehicles, implements of husbandry,
8 commercial implements of husbandry and special mobile equipment,
9 if operated exclusively between the hours of sunrise and sunset
10 and not during periods of reduced visibility or insufficient
11 illumination, [may be exempted from certain lighting equipment
12 requirements of this part by regulations of the department.] are
13 exempted from the lighting equipment requirements of this part.
14 (e.1) Certain trailers exempt.--Trailers and semitrailers
15 exempt from registration under section 1302(2) (relating to
16 vehicles exempt from registration), if operated exclusively
17 between the hours of sunrise and sunset and not during periods
18 of reduced visibility or insufficient illumination, are exempted
19 from the lighting equipment requirements of this part, with the
20 exception of the requirements under subsection (b).
21 * * *
22 Section 4. Section 4702(a), 4703(a), 4905(e) and 4921(b) of
23 Title 75 are amended to read:
24 § 4702. Requirement for periodic inspection of vehicles.
25 (a) Annual safety inspection.--Except as provided in
26 subsection (b), the department shall establish a system of
27 annual safety inspection of vehicles, including emergency
28 vehicles, farm vehicles with a gross weight or gross vehicle
29 weight rating of greater than 17,000 pounds for which a [Type I]
30 Type B biennial certificate of exemption has been issued and
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1 private noncommercial vehicles used to transport students.
2 * * *
3 § 4703. Operation of vehicle without official certificate of
4 inspection.
5 (a) General rule.--Except as otherwise provided in this
6 section, no motor vehicle required to bear current registration
7 plates issued by this Commonwealth and no farm vehicle with a
8 gross weight or gross vehicle weight rating of greater than
9 17,000 pounds for which a [Type I] Type B biennial certificate
10 of exemption has been issued shall be driven and no trailer
11 required to bear current registration plates issued by this
12 Commonwealth shall be moved on a highway and no mass transit
13 vehicle shall be operated unless the vehicle displays a
14 currently valid certificate of inspection issued under this
15 chapter.
16 * * *
17 § 4905. Safety requirements for towed vehicles.
18 * * *
19 (e) Obstructed lighting equipment.--Whenever the rear
20 running lights, stop lights, turn signals or hazard warning
21 lights required by the provisions of Chapter 43 (relating to
22 lighting equipment) are obstructed by the load on a vehicle or
23 by a towed vehicle or its load, lighting equipment shall be
24 displayed on the rear of the towed vehicle or load equivalent to
25 the obstructed lights or signals, except in the case of
26 implements of husbandry or commercial implements of husbandry
27 displaying the slow-moving vehicle emblem [and] or in the case
28 of a farm vehicle hauling or towing a trailer or semitrailer
29 exempt from registration under section 1302(2) (relating to
30 vehicles exempt from registration), if the hauling or towing
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1 vehicle is operating between sunrise and sunset.
2 * * *
3 § 4921. Width of vehicles.
4 * * *
5 (b) Special vehicles.--
6 (1) Any implement of husbandry or vehicle loaded with
7 vegetable produce or forage crops and not exceeding 11 feet
8 in width may be driven, hauled or towed between sunrise and
9 sunset on highways other than freeways.
10 (2) Any implement of husbandry not exceeding [14 feet 6
11 inches] 16 feet in width may be driven, hauled or towed
12 between sunrise and sunset on highways other than freeways:
13 (i) Between parts of one farm owned or operated by
14 the owner of the implement of husbandry.
15 (ii) Between farms owned or operated by the owner of
16 the implement of husbandry located not more than 50 miles
17 apart.
18 (iii) Between:
19 (A) farms; or
20 (B) a farm owned or operated by a farmer and a
21 place of business of a mechanic or dealer in
22 implements of husbandry;
23 located not more than 150 miles away for the purpose of
24 buying, selling, trading, loaning and leasing,
25 demonstrating, repairing or servicing the implement of
26 husbandry.
27 The width allowance under this paragraph shall not apply to
28 an implement of husbandry exceeding 14 feet 6 inches unless
29 the implement is equipped with reflective edgemarks on the
30 front and rear and is operating vehicular hazard lamps that
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1 are equipped in accordance with the regulations of the
2 department and is preceded by a pilot vehicle that is
3 operating vehicular hazard lamps and is displaying a "wide
4 vehicle" sign on the front of the vehicle.
5 (2.1) Any implement of husbandry not exceeding 14 feet 6
6 inches in width may be driven, hauled or towed between sunset
7 and sunrise on highways other than freeways:
8 (i) Between parts of one farm owned or operated by
9 the owner of the implement of husbandry.
10 (ii) Between farms owned or operated by the owner of
11 the implement of husbandry located not more than 50 miles
12 apart.
13 (iii) Between:
14 (A) farms; or
15 (B) a farm owned or operated by a farmer and a
16 place of business of a mechanic or dealer in
17 implements of husbandry;
18 located not more than 150 miles away for the purpose of
19 buying, selling, trading, loaning and leasing,
20 demonstrating, repairing or servicing the implement of
21 husbandry.
22 The width allowance provided under this paragraph shall not
23 apply to an implement of husbandry exceeding 11 feet unless
24 the implement is equipped with reflective edgemarks on the
25 front and rear and is operating vehicular hazard lamps that
26 are equipped in accordance with the regulations of the
27 department and is followed by a pilot vehicle that is
28 operating vehicular hazard lamps and is displaying a "wide
29 vehicle" sign on the rear of the vehicle.
30 (3) Special mobile equipment not exceeding nine feet two
20070H1076B1311 - 9 -
1 inches in width may be driven, hauled or towed between
2 sunrise and sunset on highways other than freeways.
3 (4) The department may regulate the operation of special
4 vehicles subject to this subsection which regulations may
5 prohibit the operation of special vehicles on certain days or
6 during certain hours.
7 (5) An implement of husbandry or vehicle used
8 exclusively for highly perishable crops for processing and
9 not exceeding 14 feet 6 inches in width may be operated on
10 highways other than freeways [between sunset and sunrise only
11 during the period of May 20 to October 15]. The implement or
12 vehicle, when used at this time, shall have two rotating
13 yellow beacons and vehicular hazard signal lamps operating.
14 (6) Commercial implements of husbandry not exceeding [12
15 feet] 14 feet 6 inches in width, including wheels and tires,
16 may be driven, hauled or towed between sunrise and sunset on
17 highways other than freeways.
18 * * *
19 Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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