Pub. 4 2024 Issue 1

2024 General Session Recap SB 107 virtually rose from the dead in the final hours of the session, and became an expansive enactment that affects the trucking industry. The bill had lingered in the House Appropriations & Revenue Committee since March 15, with no action taken. Then, a committee substitute was approved by the House A & R Committee on April 15, and quickly passed in both the House and the Senate. Elements of the bill are: • Registration fee of $30 paid to the County Clerk for IRP registration of vehicles with gross weight of 44,000 lbs. or greater is repealed. Registration fee collected on those commercial vehicles by the Transportation Cabinet will be increased by $30, and that amount will be passed on to the County Clerk where the vehicle is situated. • Tractor trailers will be prohibited from running in the left-most lane of limited access highways except “when traffic conditions exist which would prohibit the safe use of the right or center lanes.” • Towing company failing to post current rate sheet will be removed from the state police log and local law enforcement logs for six months for first violation and one year for any subsequent violations. • Commercial vehicles exceeding maximum weight allowances will be allowed the federal tolerance increased weight of 400 lbs. • Transportation Cabinet will be required to issue administrative regulations on permits for transporting overweight non-divisible loads, over-dimensional loads and other special permits. • Limits established on farm permit fees. • Work zone fines increased, minimum fine $500, maximum fine $10,000 and possible misdemeanor charge if the violator causes injury to a worker. • State police pilot project for driver licensing skills testing. Original SB 107 included a provision that would allow fire departments responding to emergencies to bill nonmembers of the fire department up to $1,000 without submitting a written itemized claim. Trucking companies and their insurance carriers would have to pay the increase, if it had passed. That provision was deleted in the Senate before the bill was amended by the House Committee Substitute. Maximum fee without itemized statement will remain $500. Other transportation-relate bills that passed during the session include: • SB 29, Auto glass claims practices. The bill was signed by the governor and became law on April 2. • SB 125, Off highway vehicle pilot project expanded and will continue until July 1, 2027. The bill was signed by the governor and became law on March 29. • SB 162, Motor vehicle accident reports will not be subject to open records law. Local law enforcement agencies may retain a copy of a report, but are not required to, after submitting the report to KSP. The bill was signed by the governor on March 29.

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