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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2702 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3627 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Natalie M. Blais |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act to enhance agricultural operations. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin1/16/2025James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex3/12/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2702 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3627 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Blais of Deerfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3627) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Natalie M. Blais for legislation to allow farmers to operate all-terrain vehicles for short distances |
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| 20 | 20 | | on public ways. Transportation. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 3269 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act to enhance agricultural operations. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Section 9 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2hereby amended by striking the third sentence and inserting in place thereof the following:- |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3 A tractor, trailer, truck or all-terrain vehicle may be operated without such registration |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4upon any way for a distance not exceeding one-half mile, if said tractor, trailer, truck or all- |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5terrain vehicle is used exclusively for agricultural purposes consistent with section 1A of the |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6General Laws chapter 128, or between one-half mile and 10 miles if said tractor, trailer, truck or |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7all-terrain vehicle is used exclusively for such agricultural purposes and the owner thereof |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8maintains in full force a policy of liability insurance which conforms to the provisions of section |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9113A of the General Laws chapter 175, or for a distance not exceeding three hundred yards, if |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10such tractor, trailer or truck is used for industrial purposes other than agricultural purposes, for 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11the purpose of going from property owned or occupied by the owner of such tractor, trailer or |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12truck to other property so owned or occupied. |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13 For the purposes of this section, an all-terrain vehicle shall include those vehicles known |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14as a quad, quad bike, three-wheeler, four-wheeler, or quadricycle as defined by the American |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15National Standards Institute. Persons utilizing all-terrain vehicles under these provisions shall |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16annually notify the police department in the municipalities in which they are to operate of the |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17public way and sections of public way on which they operate in the course of agricultural |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18purposes. Failure to provide such notification may result in penalties pursuant to the General |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19Laws chapter 90, section 20. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 20 All-terrain vehicles operating under the provisions of this section shall be equipped with |
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| 51 | 51 | | 21a safety flag of not less than 36 square inches in area which shall be elevated to no less than 6 |
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| 52 | 52 | | 22feet from the ground. All-terrain vehicles must be equipped with a flashing red light mounted to |
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| 53 | 53 | | 23the rear of the vehicle. If designed to travel at 25 miles per hour or less, the vehicle shall display |
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| 54 | 54 | | 24a “slow moving vehicle emblem” as governed by the General Laws chapter 90, section 7. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 25 Vehicles traveling on a public way subject to this section, shall be operated by a licensed |
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| 56 | 56 | | 26driver. No all-terrain vehicle may operate on a public way between sunset and sunrise. No all- |
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| 57 | 57 | | 27terrain vehicle may be operated on a public way for recreational or other purposes except as |
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| 58 | 58 | | 28authorized in this section and the General Laws chapter 90B, section 25, regarding crossing road |
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| 59 | 59 | | 29at designated points. |
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