State Watch

Arizona

One Senate bill, SB1203, would repeal the ability of the Arizona DOT to establish an axle fee on foreign commercial vehicles entering the state from Mexico. State law now sets fees on foreign vehicles based on the number of axles attached to the vehicle.

California

Assemblyman Randy Voepel, R-Santee, has two bills of interest. AB158 is intended to ease restrictions on where professional drivers can take a break.

Existing law prohibits vehicles from stopping, parking or standing alongside a freeway.

The bill would exempt large vehicles from the rule under certain circumstances. Specifically, the maneuver would be permitted for truck drivers “who are unable, due to a lack of available spaces, to park their vehicles at a truck stop or rest area within hours-of-service limitations.”

AB159 covers truck inspection facilities and platform scales.

California law now authorizes the Highway Patrol to operate inspection facilities and platform scales.

AB159 would require the department or other state or local agencies operating affected facilities to update information, including signs, about being open or closed “as soon as it changes.”

Colorado

A Senate bill would boost funding for roads and bridges.

State law enacted one year ago requires the state to transfer $150 million from the general fund to pay for transportation needs. The state highway fund is set to receive $105 million. Counties and municipalities, and the multimodal transportation options fund are each scheduled to receive $22.5 million.

SB51 would increase the transfer to $340 million. The state highway fund would receive $266.5 million and counties and municipalities would get $51 million. The amount allotted for multimodal projects would remain at $22.5 million.

The House and Senate have approved a separate bill, SB18, to authorize people 18 to 20 years old to be licensed to operate a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce. Federal law also must include the authorization to take effect at the state level.

Connecticut

One House bill covers rest areas throughout the state. There are seven rest areas along interstates 84, 91 and 95 in the state. HB5162 calls for setting up a task force to study “alternative funding sources” to maintain rest areas on state highways.

Another House bill would amend the state’s “Move Over” law. HB5457 would include fuel delivery trucks and refuse-collection trucks in the rule that requires vehicles to slow down or move left when passing certain vehicles parked along the roadside.

Illinois

Multiple bills introduced would repeal collection of the commercial distribution fee for trucks in the state. The amount is a 14.35 percent surcharge of the annual registration fees.

For truck registrations of 80,000 pounds, truckers are required to chip in another $400 to cover the CDF. On top of the nearly $2,800 they already pay for base plates, truckers pay about $3,200 a year to tag their trucks in the state.

Kansas

A piece of legislation in the Senate attempts to prevent legislators from shifting money from transportation for other purposes. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1601 would amend the state’s Constitution to require two-thirds majority support at the statehouse for passage. The governor’s signature is not required for the change. Instead, voters would get the final say on a statewide ballot.

Maine

One bill, LD243, would create an hourly rate compensation system for loggers and truck drivers.

Michigan

Two bills would establish more local control of vehicle taxes and fees. SB27 would require all vehicle registration fees collected by the state go to the county where the vehicle is registered. SB28 would require all fuel tax collected to stay in the county where the fuel was pumped.

Minnesota

One Senate bill would authorize the city of Minneapolis to restrict or prohibit the use of engine brakes along a portion of Interstate 94. SF944 covers the westbound lanes beginning at LaSalle Avenue and extending west to the Lowry Tunnel. Signs would be posted to alert truck drivers.

Legislation introduced in both statehouse chambers cover large trucks that navigate through roundabouts. HF8633/SF115 defines affected trucks as having a minimum total length of 40 feet or a minimum total width of 10 feet. For occurrences where two large trucks are approaching a roundabout at about the same time, the vehicle on the right would be required to yield the right-of-way.

Missouri

A proposed constitutional amendment would change how state license fees and vehicle taxes are collected. HJR17 would link fee and tax increases to inflation.

Two bills cover towing operations in the state. HB749 would create a towing task force within the Missouri DOT to make recommendations about overcharges, complaints, a process for consumers to recover overcharges, and a process to remove towing companies from police rotation lists for violation of rules set by the bill.

SB323 would set regulations for towing of commercial vehicles. Regulations would include guidelines for determining if charges are reasonable and a process for suspending or removing companies from police dispatch lists who fail to follow rules set in the bill.

New Mexico

A bill in the House would add a declared gross weight surcharge for registration of cars and trucks. HB321 would collect a $400 fee for large vehicles in excess of 48,000 pounds. Ninety percent of the surcharge revenue collected from trucks would be used for highway maintenance. The rest would be used for transit work.

Nevada

SB71 would permit truck drivers to show proof of registration via their smartphone. In addition, affected drivers would be authorized to provide proof of their user’s license via an electronic device. Law enforcement would be relieved from any liability for damage to an electronic device when it’s presented as proof of registration.

South Carolina

One Senate bill would divert a portion of fuel tax revenue intended for maintenance work to instead be used for widening interstates. S5 would prohibit the use of funds for new interstate projects.

Texas

Pursuit is underway in both statehouse chambers to permit police officers in the city of Katy to enforce truck rules.

HB1308/SB636 would allow officers to apply for “certification to enforce commercial vehicle standards for overweight trucks” passing through city limits.

Another truck bill, HB799, specifies that the owner of a vehicle that exceeds maximum height limits is “strictly liable” for any damage to a bridge, underpass, or similar structure that is affected by a vehicle height violation. Offenders would be responsible for paying costs to repair damage caused by the height of the vehicle.

Utah

The Senate Transportation Committee voted to kill a bill to continue a large truck ban on the Legacy Parkway. The ban is set to expire at the end of this year. SB119 sought to continue prohibiting trucks from accessing the two-lane highway for another two years.

Vermont

One House bill would require truck drivers to use a GPS device to provide information about weight limits on state and town highways. Operators found in violation of a law or ordinance governing weight limits, vehicle dimensions, or restrictions who are unable to prove use of a GPS device would face fines up to $300. H166 would authorize up to $500 fines for repeat offenses.

Washington

A Senate bill changes from eight to four hours the length of time vehicles are permitted to access a rest area. SB5506 would require the state DOT to designate zones within a rest area with shorter parking time limits for “maximum efficiency and safety.” Drivers of commercial vehicles would be permitted to park up to one hour beyond the federally mandated rest periods.

West Virginia

One bill in the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee covers truck weights on noninterstate and defense highways. S73 would permit trucks ranging from single unit trucks with one steering axle and two axles in tandem up to five-axle trucks to operate up to 10,000 pounds in excess of current limits. All loads would be permitted a 10 percent tolerance. LL