Motor vehicle driver''s license exemptions.

ORIGINAL
Senate
File No.
SF0029

ENROLLED ACT NO. 31,

SENATE

SIXTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2015 General Session

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; providing exemptions from commercial drivers' licensing requirements as specified; amending commercial drivers' license exemptions; providing a commercial drivers' license exemption for recreational vehicles; making conforming amendments; 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), (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
‑
nine thousand one (39,001) pounds or more. An endorsement under this paragraph shall be issued only if
the driver held a class A or class B license under this article prior to July 1, 2015 or
the driver, as required by rule and regulation of the department, has completed a written test and:

(A)

Has taken a skills test; or

(B)

Has submitted an affidavit of competency signed by a person currently licensed to operate a vehicle of this weight
.

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
.

(ii)

Firefighting equipment
Firefighters and 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)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the
Senate
.

Chief Clerk

1