Bill Details
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This bill would let Virginia issue special permits for certain heavy farm and forestry trucks to travel on parts of the Interstate System in the state. These vehicles could carry more weight than usual, up to 90,000 pounds, as long as they are transporting unprocessed crops or raw wood products. The goal is to make hauling these goods more efficient for farmers and forestry businesses.
- Virginia could allow the trucks by special permit, but only within the state’s Interstate System.
- The higher weight limit would apply only to covered agricultural vehicles that are carrying unprocessed crops used for food, feed, or fiber.
- The rule would also cover raw or unfinished forest products, such as logs, pulpwood, rough-sawn green lumber, biomass, and wood chips.
- The bill is limited to this specific weight exception and does not change the general national weight rules for other vehicles.
Official Summaries
Agricultural and Forestry Hauling Efficiency Act
This bill allows Virginia to increase the vehicle weight limit for covered agricultural vehicles traveling on interstate highways to 90,000 pounds. Specifically, Virginia may provide a special permit for these covered agricultural vehicles to operate on interstate highways in Virginia.
The term covered agricultural vehicle means a vehicle that is transporting (1) unprocessed agricultural crops used for food, feed, or fiber; or (2) raw or unfinished forest products, including logs, pulpwood, rough-sawn green lumber, biomass, or wood chips.
Under current law, there is an 80,000 pound overall gross vehicle weight limit for interstate highways, with exceptions. Virginia allows certain agricultural vehicles that do not exceed 90,000 pounds to travel on Virginia highways that are not part of the interstate highway system.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1487 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1487
To amend title 23, United States Code, to increase the maximum gross
vehicle weight for certain agricultural vehicles operating on a segment
of the Interstate System in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 21, 2025
Mr. McGuire (for himself and Mr. Wittman) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 23, United States Code, to increase the maximum gross
vehicle weight for certain agricultural vehicles operating on a segment
of the Interstate System in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Agricultural and Forestry Hauling
Efficiency Act''.
SEC. 2. VEHICLE WEIGHT LIMITATIONS.
Section 127 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(z) Exception for Agricultural Vehicles in Commonwealth of
Virginia.--
``(1) In general.--The Commonwealth of Virginia may allow,
by special permit, the operation of a covered agricultural
vehicle on the Interstate System in the Commonwealth of
Virginia if such vehicle does not exceed 90,000 pounds.
``(2) Covered agricultural vehicle defined.--In this
subsection, the term `covered agricultural vehicle' means a
vehicle that is transporting unprocessed agricultural crops
used for food, feed or fiber, or raw or unfinished forest
products, including logs, pulpwood, rough-sawn green lumber,
biomass, or wood chips.''.
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