Brief(1)
H.B. 2782 relates to operation of vehicles loaded with bales of hay of more than 8 feet, 6 inches wide but less than 12 feet wide on the National Network of Highways (the Interstate System, United States designated highways, and all state highways) .
Under current law, vehicles loaded with bales of hay exceeding 8 � feet in width but less than 12 feet in width are allowed on United States designated highways and all state highways without a trip permit. These vehicles, however, are not permitted on interstate roads.
Once H.B. 2782 becomes effective and until July 1, 1999, vehicles loaded with hay covered by the bill may be moved on interstate highways provided they have a permit and meet the requirements set out in the amendments appearing in subsection (j)(l) of K.S.A. 1997 Supp. 8-1911. After July 1, 1999, no vehicle loaded with hay covered by the bill may be moved on an interstate, U.S., or state highway unless it has a permit and meets the requirements set out in subsection (j)(2) of the statute. The operator of the vehicle would be required to have either a single trip permit or an annual permit. In addition to the permit fees set out currently in K.S.A. 1997 Supp. 8-1911, a new fee of $25 for an annual permit for vehicles authorized to move bales of hay on noninterstate highways on and after July 1, 1999, is created by H.B. 2782.
Background
The Assistant Bureau Chief of Traffic Engineering of the Kansas Department of Transportation informed the Committee that in order to use any federal highway for movement of vehicles loaded with bales of hay that exceed 8 feet, 6 inch in width, the bill needed to be amended to require the vehicle to have an over-width permit.
An intern of Representative Schwartz testified in favor of the bill, noting that the current prohibition against using the interstate by vehicles loaded with hay that exceed the legal limit results in these vehicles having to travel over unsafe two-lane roads.
The Senate amendments were worked out by the Kansas Motor Carriers Association, the Kansas Department of Transportation, and Representative Schwartz. Current federal law requires trip permits for overwidth vehicles traveling on the Interstate System, U.S. designated highways and state highways. In effect, the bill will require trip permits for all three components of the National Network of Highways as required by the federal law.
The Department of Transportation estimates that between 100 and 200 annual and single-trip permits would be issued each fiscal year. Single-trip permits are $5 and annual permits are $125. The issuance of those permits would increase revenue to the State Highway Fund by $13,000 to $26,000 annually. The Division of the Budget based its revenue estimate on the issuance of 100 annual permits and 100 single-trip permits, for a total of $13,000 for FY 1999. The Senate Committee amendments caret a fee of only $25 for an annual permit for vehicles carrying bales of hay on noninterstate highways, rather than the $135 annual permit required for other overwidth vehicles.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext-bill.html.