216 Relating to: agricultural emergency permits issued by the Department of Transportation for vehicles transporting oversize loads. (FE)

  Date of enactment: April 8, 2014
2013 Senate Bill 501   Date of publication*: April 9, 2014

* Section 991.11, Wisconsin Statutes : Effective date of acts. "Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor's partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication."

2013 WISCONSIN ACT 216

An Act to renumber and amend 348.27 (11m) (a); to amend 348.27 (11m) (b); and to create 348.01 (2) (bu) and 348.27 (11m) (a) 1. and 2. of the statutes; relating to: agricultural emergency permits issued by the Department of Transportation for vehicles transporting oversize loads.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1 . 348.01 (2) (bu) of the statutes is created to read:

348.01 (2) (bu) "Stover" means the leaves and stalks of field crops, such as corn, sorghum, or soybean, that are commonly left in a field after harvesting the grain.

Section 2 . 348.27 (11m) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 348.27 (11m) (a) (intro.) and amended to read:

348.27 (11m) (a) (intro.) If the secretary of agriculture, trade and consumer protection determines that an agricultural emergency exists, the secretary of transportation may authorize the issuance of permits to allow vehicles that are transporting any of the following loads of hay in bales and, from September 15 to December 15 of each year, loads of Christmas trees from the point of harvesting or staging to a Christmas tree yard or point of commercial shipment to exceed the width limitation under s. 348.05 (1) if the total outside width does not exceed 12 feet . This authorization is limited to the operation of commercial motor vehicles upon routes of the national system of interstate and defense highways. 5 inches and the height does not exceed 14 feet 6 inches:

Section 3 . 348.27 (11m) (a) 1. and 2. of the statutes are created to read:

348.27 (11m) (a) 1. Baled hay, baled straw, baled cornstalks, or baled stover if the hay, straw, cornstalks, or stover is to be used for feed or bedding.

2. From September 15 to December 15 of each year, Christmas trees from the point of harvesting or staging to a Christmas tree yard or point of commercial shipment.

Section 4 . 348.27 (11m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

348.27 (11m) (b) In authorizing the issuance of permits under this subsection, the secretary of transportation shall specify in writing the factors which resulted in the determination to issue permits under this subsection. The factors shall include the effect of the increased width size limits on highway safety.