What's happening
This bill allows agricultural plated trucks directly involved in farm operations to use certain state highways and parkways with specific conditions.
Why it matters
Eases transportation logistics for farms. By allowing agricultural plated trucks directly involved in farm operations to use certain state highways and parkways, the bill helps farmers move products, supplies, and equipment more efficiently, potentially lowering costs and reducing travel time.
Targets only smaller, farm-specific vehicles. The exemption applies only to trucks weighing less than 12,000 pounds and meeting height restrictions, ensuring that only typical farm vehicles (not large commercial trucks) benefit—balancing agricultural needs with roadway safety and infrastructure preservation.
Limits access to sensitive parkway areas. The bill specifically prohibits these agricultural trucks from operating on parkways south of Interstate 84 and the Taconic Parkway intersection, protecting more congested or infrastructure-sensitive roadways from increased truck traffic.
Clarifies emergencies and definitions. It preserves the governor’s authority to waive restrictions during declared emergencies, ensuring flexibility in crises, and provides precise definitions for “farm operation” and “agricultural plated truck,” reducing ambiguity in enforcement and compliance.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Farm Trucks on Highways
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to rules
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6563
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
June 2, 2017
Introduced by Sen. SERINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to exceptions from prohibitions on the operation of agricultural plated trucks on certain state highways and parkways
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs 9 and 22 of subdivision (a) of section 1621 of the vehicle and traffic law, paragraph 9 as amended and paragraph 22 as added by chapter 1008 of the laws of 1983, are amended to read as follows:
9. Exclude trucks, commercial vehicles, tractors, tractor-trailer combinations, tractor-semitrailer combinations, or tractor-trailer-semitrailer combinations from highways specified by the commissioner. Such exclusion shall not be construed to prevent the delivery or pickup of merchandise or other property along the highways from which such vehicles and combinations are otherwise excluded, nor shall such exclusion apply to agricultural plated trucks directly engaged in the furtherance of the farm operation.
22. Exclude trucks, commercial vehicles, tractors, tractor-trailer combinations, tractor-semitrailer combinations, or tractor-trailer-semitrailer combinations in excess of any designated weight, designated length, designated height, or eight feet in width, from highways or set limits on hours of operation of such vehicles on particular state highways or segments of such highways. Such exclusion shall not be construed to prevent the delivery or pickup of merchandise or other property along the highways from which such vehicles or combinations are otherwise excluded, nor shall such exclusion apply to agricultural plated trucks directly engaged in the furtherance of the farm operation.
§ 2. Section 1621 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision (e) to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13028-01-7
S. 6563 2
(e) 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in paragraph two of this subdivision, no rule or regulation of the department of transportation or the office or parks, recreation and historic preservation shall exclude from any state highway or parkway an agricultural plated vehicle directly engaged in the furtherance of the farm operation. For the purposes of this section, "farm operation" shall mean the land and on-farm buildings, equipment, manure processing and handling facilities, and practices which contribute to the production, preparation and marketing of crops, livestock and livestock products as a commercial enterprise, including a "commercial horse boarding operation," a "timber operation," "compost, mulch or other biomass crops" and "commercial equine operation" as defined in subdivision eleven of section three hundred one of the agricultural and markets law. For the purposes of this section, "agricultural plated truck" shall mean a truck and an agricultural trailer shall be a trailer, other than a coach or house trailer or semitrailer, owned by a person engaged in production by means of the planting, cultivation and harvesting of agricultural, vegetable and food products of the soil, including horticultural specialties such as nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees and flowers, the raising, feeding and care of livestock, bees and poultry or dairy farming. Such agricultural truck and agricultural trailer shall be used only for the transportation of his own agricultural or dairy commodities or supplies or for personal passenger use, or use in conjunction with lumbering operations connected with but only incidental to the operation of a farm as defined in section four hundred one of this chapter.
2. An agricultural plated truck shall be exempt from exclusion pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision if the operation of such vehicle on a state highway or parkway meets the following terms and conditions:
(i) the operator is operating the agricultural plated truck for the furtherance of the farm operation;
(ii) the vehicle weighs less than twelve thousand pounds;
(iii) the vehicle meets the height restrictions for any such highway or parkway; and
(iv) the vehicle must not operate on any such parkway south of the intersection of Interstate 84 and the Taconic Parkway.
3. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be deemed to impair the ability of the governor to waive all restrictions for operation on a state highway pursuant to a declared state of emergency.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to exceptions from prohibitions on the operation of agricultural plated trucks on certain state highways and parkways
Purpose
To provide for limited access to the State's Parkway system by agricultural plated trucks, weighing 12,000 pounds or less.
Summary of provisions
This bill amends § 1621 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to authorize limited access to the State's parkways by agricultural plated trucks, weighing 12,000 pounds or less, engaged directly in business of the farm operation.
Such access will only be allowed when:
-the agriculturally plated truck is being actively used to travel for business associated with the agricultural operation.
-the vehicle weighs 12,000 pounds or less
-the vehicle meets the height restrictions to travel safely on the Parkway
-the vehicle is operating on the Taconic State Parkway north of Interstate 84.
Justification
Agricultural plated trucks are considered commercial vehicles because they are used for business purposes. Due to these vehicles being labeled commercial, they are banned from being used on the Taconic Parkway. This creates a burden for farmers who would like to take a direct route to pick up or deliver and forces them to either take alternative routes out of the way or pay high tolls to drive on Interstate 87. This bill will help to save farmers money by eliminating the need to drive out of the way to reach their destinations.
This legislation would allow vehicles with agricultural truck plates to drive on the Taconic State Parkway, north of the intersection of Interstate 84 and the Taconic State Parkway as long as the vehicle is being used for farm purposes. The vehicle would be required to be under 12,000 pounds and meet the height restrictions for the Parkway.
Legislative history
This is a new bill
Fiscal implications
To be determined. This bill will increase economic activity with small and medium size farmers, thus increasing revenue to the state by other means.
Effective date
This act shall take effect 90 days after enactment, except regulations may be promulgated on or before the effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.