WEIGHING VEHICLE COMBINATIONS H.B. 6604 (H-1): FLOOR SUMMARY
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House Bill 6604 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Jeff Mayes
House Committee: Agriculture
Senate Committee: Transportation

CONTENT
The bill would amend the Weights and Measures Act to require the gross weight of a vehicle to be determined by weighing the vehicle in a single measurement and not by adding the results of multiple measurements taken at opposite ends of the vehicle. The gross weight of a combination of a truck tractor with multiple trailers would have to be determined by weighing the coupled tractor and trailers in a single measurement, with the brakes released and no tension on the draw bar.


The approaches to the scale would have to be straight and on the same level as the scale, and would have to be of sufficient width and length to ensure level positioning of the coupled vehicles during weighing.

A scale used to weigh vehicles under those provisions would have to be tested annually by weighing a coupled tractor with multiple trailers as a single unit and comparing that weight with the combined weight of each vehicle weighed separately. If the weights determined by that method varied by more than 0.2%, the scale could not be used to determine the gross weight of vehicles while coupled until the scale was corrected to measure properly within that range.


If a scale could not be used to weigh vehicles while they were coupled, the vehicles would have to be weighed individually and the weights totaled to obtain the gross weight of the vehicle combination.


The bill would not apply to the enforcement of vehicle weight under the Michigan Vehicle Code.


Proposed MCL 290.628d Legislative Analyst: Curtis Walker
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on the State. Potential costs would depend upon any changes or adjustments needed to the scales used to weigh vehicles and the testing of the scales.


Date Completed: 12-3-08 Fiscal Analyst: Jessica Runnels

Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb6604/0708