Agricultural and Forestry Hauling Efficiency Act

Bill: 119-hr-1487
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. McGuire, John [R-VA-5]
Introduced: 2025-02-21
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Latest action: action_date: 2025-02-26
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H845)

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-21
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Agricultural and Forestry Hauling Efficiency Act</strong></p><p>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&nbsp;to operate&nbsp;on interstate highways in Virginia.</p><p>The term&nbsp;<em>covered agricultural&nbsp;vehicle&nbsp;</em>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.</p><p>Under current law, there is an&nbsp;80,000 pound overall gross vehicle weight limit&nbsp;for interstate highways,&nbsp;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.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1487 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Agricultural and Forestry Hauling Efficiency Act . 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. .