To direct the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate a rule to improve the daytime and nighttime visibility of agricultural equipment that may be operated on a public road.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to promulgate a rule to: (1) improve the daytime and nighttime visibility of agricultural equipment operating on public roads, and (2) establish minimum lighting and marking standards for such equipment.

Requires the Secretary to review and revise such standards at least once every five years to reflect the latest revision of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Standard 279 entitled "Lighting and Marking of Agricultural Equipment on Highways."

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 843 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 843

   To direct the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate a rule to 
improve the daytime and nighttime visibility of agricultural equipment 
                 that may be operated on a public road.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 28, 2011

   Mr. Schock (for himself, Mr. Boswell, and Mr. Graves of Missouri) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate a rule to 
improve the daytime and nighttime visibility of agricultural equipment 
                 that may be operated on a public road.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. RULEMAKING ON ROAD VISIBILITY OF AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT.

    (a) Rulemaking.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, after consultation with 
the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, other 
appropriate Federal agencies and other appropriate persons, shall 
promulgate a rule to improve the daytime and nighttime visibility of 
agricultural equipment that may be operated on a public road. Such rule 
shall establish minimum lighting and marking standards for applicable 
agricultural equipment manufactured 1 year or more subsequent to the 
effective date of the rule. Such rule shall provide for methods, 
materials, specifications, or equipment employed, equivalent to the 
standard set in ANSI/ASAE S279.14 published in July 2008 by the 
American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers and entitled 
``Lighting and Marking of Agricultural Equipment on Highways'', or any 
successor standard.
    (b) Review.--The Secretary shall periodically review not less than 
once every 5 years the standards established under this section and 
shall revise the standards to reflect the provisions of the edition of 
ANSI/ASAE S279 that is in effect at the time of the review.
    (c) Rules of Construction.--
            (1) Compliance with successor standards.--No provision of 
        any rule promulgated pursuant to this section shall prohibit 
        the operation on public roads of agricultural equipment that is 
        equipped according to any adopted edition of ANSI/ASAE S279 
        that is later than the edition of such standard that was 
        referenced during the promulgation of the rule.
            (2) No retrofitting required.--No provision of any rule 
        promulgated pursuant to this section shall require the 
        retrofitting of agricultural equipment that was manufactured 
        prior to 1 year after the date on which a final rule is 
        promulgated pursuant to subsection (a).
            (3) No effect on additional materials and equipment.--No 
        provision of any rule promulgated pursuant to this section 
        shall prohibit the operation on public roads of agricultural 
        equipment that is equipped with materials or equipment that are 
        in addition to the minimum materials and equipment specified by 
        the standards promulgated under this rule.
    (d) Definitions.--As used in this Act--
            (1) the term ``agricultural equipment'' means 
        ``agricultural field equipment'' as defined under the standard 
        ANSI/ASABE S390.4 published by the American Society of 
        Agriculture and Biological Engineers, or any successor 
        standard; and
            (2) the term ``public road'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101(27) of title 23, United States Code.
                                 <all>