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HB 1421

Adding counties to the voluntary stewardship program.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Barkis and 14 co-sponsors

Would authorize farm tractors to operate on interstate highways with an annual registration fee and safety rules, creating new enforcement penalties and possible speed changes.

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Bill Summary · HB 1421

HB 1421 — Summary (North Dakota, 2025 session)

Status: Introduced Nov 20, 2024; referred to Transportation. Second reading — failed to pass (yeas 2, nays 91). Multiple draft versions and committee amendments were filed.

Purpose / Intent

The bill would (1) authorize and regulate operation of farm tractors on access‑controlled, paved, divided multi‑lane interstate highways by creating a specific registration/fee and safety requirements; (2) revise statutory speed provisions (including the posted maximum on interstates); and (3) add moving‑violation fee provisions and related penalties.

Key provisions (by code section)

  • Amends NDCC 39‑04‑18 (exceptions) to allow farm tractors on interstates only if:

    • The owner/lessee pays the registration fee under NDCC 39‑04‑19 (see below); and
    • While on the interstate, the tractor is clear of debris, may not leave debris on the interstate, and must be followed by a motor vehicle operating flashing hazard‑warning signals.

  • Creates a new subsection to NDCC 39‑04‑19 to permit registration of a farm tractor for interstate operation upon payment of an annual fee. Drafts differ on the fee amount:

    • Introduced draft: $100/year;
    • Committee amendment: $125/year (text shows “one hundredtwenty‑five dollars”);
    • First engrossment version reduced to $25/year. (Committee and engrossed drafts therefore conflict on the numeric fee.)

  • Adds two new subdivisions to NDCC 39‑06.1‑06 establishing civil fee amounts for violations of the farm‑tractor interstate rules:

    • A violation of a specified subparagraph (limited farm‑tractor infractions): $100 fee.
    • Other violations of the subdivision: $200 fee.

  • Amends NDCC 39‑06.1‑09 (definition of “moving violation”) to explicitly include the farm‑tractor interstate provision so violations count as moving violations for enforcement/penalty purposes.

  • Amends NDCC 39‑09‑02 (speed limitations):

    • Retains director’s authority to post lower limits and designate high‑accident zones.
    • Proposes changing the posted maximum speed on “access‑controlled, paved and divided, multilane interstate highways” from seventy‑five miles per hour to eighty miles per hour (draft text reads “Seventy‑fiveEighty miles…”).

  • Amends (but truncated in available text) NDCC 39‑09‑09 (minimum speed limits) — bill text not fully shown.

Who would be affected

  • Farm tractor owners/lessees and operators who wish to operate on interstates (new registration/fee, safety and escort‑vehicle requirements).
  • Motor carriers and other motorists (potentially higher interstate maximum posted speed).
  • State transportation authorities (must implement registration/fee/oversight) and law enforcement (new enforcement provisions and fee schedules).
  • Courts/administrative systems for processing moving violations and civil fees.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Multiple drafts and committee amendments changed the numeric fee and some details; the bill did not pass final floor action (failed 2–91 on second reading as reported). Because it was not enacted, none of the proposed statutory changes are in effect.

Potential policy impacts

  • Costs to farm operators who use interstates (annual fee and possible civil penalties if rules are violated).
  • Safety considerations: bill imposes safety conditions (debris prohibition, escort vehicle with hazard lights) but also contemplates raising the maximum interstate speed—both could affect traffic dynamics and enforcement workload.
  • Administrative impact on ND Department of Transportation and motor vehicle services to implement registration, signage, and enforcement processes if enacted.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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