March 5, 2012 - Introduced by Representatives Tranel, Brooks, Marklein, A. Ott,
Spanbauer, Ballweg
and Vruwink, cosponsored by Senator Schultz. Referred
to Committee on Transportation.
AB659,1,5 1An Act to renumber and amend 347.24 (2); to amend 347.245 (2), 349.03 (1)
2(b), 349.03 (2) and subchapter III (title) of chapter 349 [precedes 349.24]; and
3to create 347.24 (2) (a), (b) and (c), 347.25 (2g) and 349.27 of the statutes;
4relating to: operation of animal-drawn vehicles on highways and granting
5rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, any person operating an animal-drawn vehicle on a
roadway is generally granted all the rights and is subject to all the duties applicable
to operators of other vehicles. Animal-drawn vehicles operated on a highway are
also subject to certain vehicle equipment requirements. No animal-drawn vehicle
may be operated on a highway during hours of darkness unless the vehicle is
equipped with at least one lighted lamp or lantern exhibiting a white light visible
from a distance of 500 feet ahead and two lighted lamps or lanterns exhibiting red
light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear and mounted in such a manner
as to indicate the extreme width of the vehicle. Unless an animal-drawn vehicle has
attached to the left rear a yellow or amber flashing light at least four inches in
diameter, in order to operate on a highway in the day or at night, the vehicle must
have displayed on the most practicable visible rear area of the vehicle a slow moving
vehicle (SMV) emblem.
This bill requires animal-drawn vehicles operated on a highway during hours
of darkness to be equipped with a white front lamp and two rear red lamps that are

visible for a distance of 1,000 feet, rather than 500 feet. In addition, animal-drawn
vehicles operated on a highway must be equipped with strips of reflective tape, at
least one inch wide, affixed in a specified manner on the vehicle and two flashing
yellow or amber lights mounted on or near each top rear corner of the vehicle. When
an SMV emblem is required on an animal-drawn vehicle, the SMV emblem must be
made of or incorporate reflective material.
The bill also authorizes counties to, by ordinance, require registration of
animal-drawn vehicles that are customarily kept within the county and operated,
at any time, on any highway within the county. The amount of the registration fee
for animal-drawn vehicles registered by the county is determined by the county, but
may not exceed the fee for registering an automobile with the Department of
Transportation, which is currently $75. All revenues received by a county from these
registration fees may be used only for any of the following: 1) safety programs
relating to animal-drawn vehicles operating on highways, including public
education programs and traffic enforcement programs; 2) erecting highway signs
relating to animal-drawn vehicles operating on highways; and 3) highway
improvements and repairs, including improvements and repairs to highway
shoulders and other areas within the highway right-of-way, that promote safety
where animal-drawn vehicles are operated on highways.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB659, s. 1 1Section 1. 347.24 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 347.24 (2) (intro.) and
2amended to read:
AB659,2,103 347.24 (2) (intro.) No person may operate on a highway during hours of
4darkness a vehicle drawn by an animal unless the vehicle is equipped with at least
5one lighted lamp or lantern exhibiting a white light visible from a distance of 500
61,000 feet ahead and 2 lighted lamps or lanterns exhibiting red light visible from a
7distance of 500 1,000 feet to the rear and mounted in such a manner as to indicate
8the extreme width of the vehicle. A vehicle drawn by an animal shall also be
9equipped with red, white, or yellow reflective tape, at least one inch wide, affixed to
10the vehicle as follows:
AB659, s. 2 11Section 2. 347.24 (2) (a), (b) and (c) of the statutes are created to read:
AB659,3,3
1347.24 (2) (a) On the rear of the vehicle, at least one strip of at least 2 feet in
2length affixed horizontally at the highest practicable point, to mark the top of the
3rear of the vehicle.
AB659,3,64 (b) On the rear of the vehicle, at least one strip of at least 2 feet in length on
5each side, affixed vertically and as far as practicable toward the sides of the vehicle,
6to mark the sides of the rear of the vehicle.
AB659,3,87 (c) On the two sides of the vehicle, strips of at least 6 inches in length affixed
8in a manner that marks each of the corners of the vehicle when viewed from the sides.
AB659, s. 3 9Section 3. 347.245 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB659,3,1910 347.245 (2) Standards and specifications for the design and position of
11mounting of the SMV emblem shall be established by rule by the secretary , but all
12SMV emblems displayed on animal-drawn vehicles shall be made of or incorporate
13reflective material
. Except as provided in s. 347.21 (1), the standards and
14specifications for SMV emblems shall correlate with and, so far as possible, conform
15with those approved by the American society of agricultural engineers. The
16secretary shall submit such standards and specifications, and any subsequent
17changes therein, to the assembly and senate committees having jurisdiction over
18transportation matters as determined by the speaker of the assembly and the
19president of the senate acting jointly for their approval.
AB659, s. 4 20Section 4. 347.25 (2g) of the statutes is created to read:
AB659,4,221 347.25 (2g) No person may operate on a highway a vehicle drawn by an animal
22unless the vehicle is equipped with 2 flashing yellow or amber lights, which may be
23360-degree strobe lights. These lights shall be mounted on the top of the vehicle as
24close as practicable to the rear corners of the vehicle or on the sides or rear of the
25vehicle as close as practicable to the top rear corners of the vehicle. The secretary

1may prescribe rules for the type, installation, operation, flash rate, and light output
2brilliance of the lights required under this subsection.
AB659, s. 5 3Section 5. 349.03 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB659,4,54 349.03 (1) (b) Is expressly authorized by ss. 349.06 to 349.25 349.27 or some
5other provision of the statutes.
AB659, s. 6 6Section 6. 349.03 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB659,4,147 349.03 (2) No local authority may enact or enforce any traffic regulation
8providing for suspension or revocation of motor vehicle operator's licenses or
9requiring local registration of vehicles, except as authorized by s. 341.35 or 349.27,
10or in any manner excluding or prohibiting any motor vehicle, mobile home, vehicle
11transporting a manufactured home or modular home, recreational vehicle, trailer,
12or semitrailer whose owner has complied with chs. 341 to 348 from the free use of all
13highways, except as authorized by sub. (3) and ss. 66.0429 (1) and (3), 349.13, 349.17,
14349.22 and 349.23.
AB659, s. 7 15Section 7. Subchapter III (title) of chapter 349 [precedes 349.24] of the
16statutes is amended to read:
AB659,4,1717 CHAPTER 349
AB659,4,1818 SUBCHAPTER III
AB659,4,1919 LICENSING AND REGISTRATION POWERS
AB659, s. 8 20Section 8. 349.27 of the statutes is created to read:
AB659,4,24 21349.27 Authority of counties to require registration of animal-drawn
22vehicles.
(1) The governing body of any county may by ordinance require the
23registration with the county of any animal-drawn vehicle that is customarily kept
24within the county and operated, at any time, on any highway within the county.
AB659,5,4
1(2) For each animal-drawn vehicle registered as provided in sub. (1), the
2county may impose a registration fee in an amount determined by the county, but not
3greater than the registration fee specified in s. 341.25 (1) (a) for an automobile
4registered after September 1, 1947.
AB659,5,6 5(3) All revenues received by a county from a registration fee under sub. (2) may
6be used only for any of the following:
AB659,5,87 (a) Safety programs relating to animal-drawn vehicles operating on highways,
8including public education programs and traffic enforcement programs.
AB659,5,109 (b) Erecting highway signs relating to animal-drawn vehicles operating on
10highways.
AB659,5,1311 (c) Highway improvements and repairs, including improvements and repairs
12to highway shoulders and other areas within the highway right-of-way, that
13promote safety where animal-drawn vehicles are operated on highways.
AB659, s. 9 14Section 9. Effective date.
AB659,5,1615 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 7th month beginning after
16publication.
AB659,5,1717 (End)
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