AB555: Bill Text

LRB-3806/3

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1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE

1995 Assembly BILL 555

September 12, 1995 - Introduced by Representatives Ainsworth, Baldus, Ward, Albers, Coleman, Ott, Musser, Owens, Freese, Wilder, Goetsch, Hahn, Ourada, Otte, Ladwig, Olsen, Hasenohrl and Gunderson, cosponsored by Senator Schultz. Referred to Committee on Rural Affairs.

AB555,1,2 An Act to amend 340.01 (24) (a) and 341.01 (2) of the statutes; relating to: modifying the definition of implement of husbandry.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law defines an "implement of husbandry" as a vehicle or piece of equipment or machinery that is designed and used for agricultural purposes and only incidentally used upon a highway, or a trailer-mounted bulk liquid fertilizer container. Except for purposes of vehicle registration, the term does not include any motor truck, farm truck, road tractor, truck tractor, or farm truck tractor or any of these vehicles if, combined with a semitrailer, trailer or farm trailer, the vehicle or vehicle combination is a commercial motor vehicle operated upon a highway.

Under current law, implements of husbandry are exempt from vehicle registration by the department of transportation. A person temporarily operating or moving an implement of husbandry on a highway between fields or between a farm and a field is exempt from the driver licensing requirements of this state.

This bill expands the definition of "implement of husbandry" to include any engine-driven device with a gross weight of more than 650 pounds but less than 2,000 pounds that is designed to travel on 4 or more low-pressure tires, is equipped with a cargo area and may be used in the conduct of agricultural operations and which is used primarily off a highway.

For further information see the state 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:

AB555, s. 1 Section 1. 340.01 (24) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB555,2,10 340.01 (24) (a) Means a vehicle or piece of equipment or machinery designed for agricultural purposes, used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural operations and used principally off the highway, or a trailer-mounted bulk liquid fertilizer container or an engine-driven device having a gross weight of more than 650 pounds but less than 2,000 pounds that is designed to travel on 4 or more low-pressure tires, that is equipped with a cargo area and may be used in the conduct of agricultural operations and which is used primarily off a highway. For purposes of this paragraph, a "low-pressure tire" is a tire that is designed to be mounted on a rim with a maximum diameter of 13 inches and to be inflated with an operating pressure not to exceed 8 pounds per square inch as recommended by the manufacturer.

AB555, s. 2 Section 2. 341.01 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB555,2,22 341.01 (2) In this chapter notwithstanding s. 340.01 (24), "implement of husbandry" means a vehicle or piece of equipment or machinery designed for agricultural purposes, used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural operations and used principally off a highway, or a trailer-mounted bulk liquid fertilizer container or an engine-driven device having a gross weight of more than 650 pounds but less than 2,000 pounds that is designed to travel on 4 or more low-pressure tires, that is equipped with a cargo area and may be used in the conduct of agricultural operations and which is used primarily off a highway. For purposes of this subsection, a "low-pressure tire" is a tire that is designed to be mounted on a rim with a maximum diameter of 13 inches and to be inflated with an operating pressure not to exceed 8 pounds per square inch as recommended by the manufacturer.

AB555,2,23 (End)