Senate File 643 - Introduced SENATE FILE 643 BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (SUCCESSOR TO SF 568) (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1187) (COMPANION TO HF 1025 BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS) A BILL FOR An Act relating to certain state highways not designated as 1 part of the interstate road system, including the operation 2 of implements of husbandry on such highways, and including 3 applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1322SZ (2) 91 th/ns
S.F. 643 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 314.16A Interstate road designation 1 prohibition. 2 The department of transportation and the state 3 transportation commission shall not pursue an interstate 4 road designation for the segment of highway that is a 5 controlled-access facility, as defined in section 306A.2, 6 designated as state highway 5 and United States highway 65, 7 including where the highway designations overlap, between 8 interstate 35 and interstate 80, unless the United States 9 government provides an exemption to federal regulations 10 regarding vehicle weight and size on that segment. The federal 11 exemption must authorize any vehicle that is not prohibited 12 from being operated on the segment prior to the date of 13 designation as an interstate road to continue to be operated on 14 the segment after designation as an interstate road. 15 Sec. 2. Section 321.285, subsection 5, paragraph e, Code 16 2025, is amended to read as follows: 17 e. (1) Any kind of A vehicle, device, implement, or 18 conveyance incapable of attaining and maintaining a speed 19 of forty miles per hour shall be prohibited from using the 20 interstate road system. 21 (2) This paragraph does not apply to an implement of 22 husbandry that a person is authorized to operate on the segment 23 of United States highway 65, and state highway 5, including 24 where the highway designations overlap, between the highways 25 intersection with United States highway 6 and the highways 26 intersection with United States highway 69, or farther west 27 if authorized by the department, prior to the date that 28 segment of highway is designated a part of the interstate 29 road system, if the segment of highway is designated a part 30 of the interstate road system. The department may authorize 31 an implement of husbandry to be operated on a segment of the 32 highway described above farther west beyond the intersection 33 with United States highway 69. This subparagraph is repealed 34 on the date an alternative route for implements of husbandry is 35 -1- LSB 1322SZ (2) 91 th/ns 1/ 3
S.F. 643 developed, deemed suitable by the department of transportation 1 in consultation with the department of agriculture and land 2 stewardship, and opened for traffic to bypass the segment of 3 the interstate road system described in this subparagraph. The 4 department of transportation shall notify the Iowa Code editor 5 on that date. 6 Sec. 3. ALTERNATIVE HIGHWAY STUDY. The department of 7 transportation shall collaborate with the Des Moines area 8 metropolitan planning organization as the organization conducts 9 an alternative highway study to develop and implement an 10 accessible highway route suitable for implements of husbandry 11 to be operated alongside, but not directly on, the segment of 12 United States highway 65, and state highway 5, including where 13 the highway designations overlap, between United States highway 14 6 and United States highway 69. 15 Sec. 4. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to the segment 16 of the highway known as United States highway 65, and state 17 highway 5, including where the highway designations overlap, 18 described in this Act on the effective date of this Act, 19 and shall apply to that segment of the highway thereafter 20 regardless of whether the highways designation as United 21 States highway 65, or state highway 5, including where the 22 highway designations overlap, is subsequently changed by the 23 state transportation commission, department of transportation, 24 or the government of the United States. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 Under current law, any kind of vehicle, implement, or 29 conveyance incapable of attaining and maintaining a speed of 40 30 miles per hour (MPH) is prohibited from using the interstate 31 road system. 32 This bill provides a conditional exception to that 33 prohibition. If an implement of husbandry may be operated 34 on the segment of the highway known as U.S. highway 65, and 35 -2- LSB 1322SZ (2) 91 th/ns 2/ 3
S.F. 643 state highway 5, including where the highway designations 1 overlap (segment), between the highways intersection with U.S. 2 highway 6 and the highways intersection with U.S. highway 69, 3 prior to the date the segment becomes part of the interstate 4 road system, then the implement of husbandry may continue to 5 be operated on that segment until an alternative route for 6 implements of husbandry is made available. The department of 7 transportation (DOT) may authorize an implement of husbandry to 8 be operated on the segment farther west beyond the intersection 9 with U.S. highway 69. 10 Under current law, an implement of husbandry means a 11 vehicle or special mobile equipment manufactured, designed, 12 or reconstructed for agricultural purposes and, except 13 for incidental uses, is exclusively used in the conduct of 14 agricultural operations. To be considered an implement of 15 husbandry, a self-propelled qualifying vehicle must be operated 16 at speeds of 35 MPH or less. 17 The bill prohibits the DOT and the state transportation 18 commission from pursuing an interstate road designation for 19 the segment extending between the segments intersections with 20 interstate 35 and interstate 80 unless the U.S. government 21 provides an exemption from federal regulations regarding 22 vehicle weight and size on that segment, as described in the 23 bill. 24 The bill requires the DOT to collaborate with the Des Moines 25 area metropolitan planning organization as the organization 26 conducts an alternative highway study to develop and implement 27 an accessible alternative highway route suitable for implements 28 of husbandry. 29 The bill applies to the segment on the effective date of the 30 bill, and will continue to apply to the segment regardless of 31 whether the highways designation is subsequently changed. 32 -3- LSB 1322SZ (2) 91 th/ns 3/ 3