Heavy vehicle and commercial drivers'' licenses.

2015
STATE OF WYOMING
15LSO-0323
Numbered
2.1

HOUSE BILL

NO.

HB0095

Heavy vehicle and commercial drivers' licenses.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Northrup, Greear, Jaggi, Laursen, Lindholm and Sommers and Senator(s) Christensen, Coe, Driskill, Hicks and Meier

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; revising driver's license classifications as specified; prohibiting operation of large vehicles by minors as specified; amending commercial drivers' license exemptions; making conforming amendments; repealing heavy vehicle driver's license classifications; granting rulemaking authority; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 31
‑
7
‑
109(d)(iii)
and (h) by creating a new paragraph (viii)
,

31
‑
7
‑
302(b)(intro) and 31
‑
7
‑
303(a)(intro), (i)(A) through (C)
and
by creating a new subparagraph (D), (ii)
and
(iii)
are
amended to read:

31
‑
7
‑
109.

Classes of licenses.

(d)

Licensing classification plan:

(iii)

Class "C" consists of any single vehicle or combination of vehicles, except motorcycles, that does not
meet the definition of class "A" or class "B" vehicles under this subsection, but that is not designed to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers including the driver or is not placarded for transportation of hazardous materials

require a commercial driver's license. Any person under the age of eighteen (18) is prohibited from operating a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one (26,001) pounds or more
;

(h)

The following driver's license endorsements are special authorizations permitting the driver to operate certain types of motor vehicles or transport certain types of cargo if the endorsement is displayed on the driver license:

(viii)

"Z" authorizes the
holder of a class C license under subsection (d) of this section to operate
a
vehicle or combination of vehicles which have a gross vehicle weight rating
of thirty-five thousand one

(
35,001
)
pounds
or more. An endorsement under this paragraph shall be issued only if
the driver
,

as required
by rule and regulation of the department
,
has completed testing
,

has
submit
ted
an affidavit of competency signed by a
person currently licensed to operate a vehicle of this weight
or if the person held a class A or class B license under this article prior to July
1
, 2015
.

31
‑
7
‑
302.

Employer responsibilities.

(b)

No employer may knowingly allow, permit or authorize a driver to drive a commercial motor vehicle
, unless exempted pursuant to the terms of this chapter,
during any period in which the driver has:

31
‑
7
‑
303.

Exemptions.

(a)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, the department shall by rule and regulation grant an exemption from the licensing requirements of this article or
with
from
the requirements of
any rule or regulation
adopted pursuant to
the licensing requirements of
this article to a class of
persons or class of commercial motor vehicles exempted by the secretary of the United States department of transportation pursuant to title 49 of the United States Code including:

(i)

A farm or ranch vehicle when:

(A)

Controlled and operated by a farmer or rancher
,
including operation by employees or family members
;

(B)

Used in agricultural operations as defined in W.S. 31
‑
18
‑
801(a)(i)

and
used to transport
either
agricultural products,
farm or ranch machinery, farm or ranch
supplies
, or any combination of these items,
to or from a farm or ranch
;

and

(C)

Not used in the operations of a contract or common motor carrier
;
.

and

(D)

Used within a radius of
one hundred fifty (150) miles from the farm or ranch
,

including any
area within that perimeter that is in an adjoining state if there is a reciprocity agreement with the adjoining state.

(ii)

Firefighting
equipmen
t
Firefighters a
nd other
persons
who operate commercial motor vehicles which
are
necessary to the preservation of life or property or the execution of emergency governmental functions, are equipped with audible and visual signals and are not subject to normal traffic regulation. These vehicles include fire trucks, hook and ladder trucks, foam or water transport trucks, police special weapons and tactics team vehicles, ambulances or other vehicles that are used in response to emergencies;

(iii)

Individuals who operate commercial motor vehicles for m
ilitary
equipment operated by the department of defense, including the
national guard
, when operated by noncivilian personnel

purposes
.

This exception is applicable to active duty military personnel, members of the military reserves, members of the national guard on active duty, including personnel on full-time national guard duty, personnel on part-time national guard training, civilian national guard military technicians who are
required to wear military uniforms and active duty United States coast guard personnel
.

Section 2.

W.S. 31
‑
7
‑
109(
d)(i), (ii), (h)(ii), (iv) and (vi) is repealed.

Section
3
.

This
act is effective July 1,
2015
.

(END)

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HB0095