Exempting persons operating certain combinations of vehicles from commercial driver’s license requirements and hazardous materials transportation regulations

Under current law, a person must hold a commercial driver’s license or commercial learner’s permit (CDL) to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).176A. A vehicle is considered a CMV generally based on the vehicle’s weight, design, and use. A motor vehicle or combination of vehicles used to transport passengers or property and having a gross combination weight rating or combined gross weight of 26,001 or more pounds, including a towed vehicle or vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating or gross weight, whichever is greater, of 10,001 or more pounds; a motor vehicle designed to transport or more persons, including the operator; a motor vehicle of a size and design to transport or more persons, including the operator, but is redesigned or modified to transport fewer than persons with disabilities; and a motor vehicle used in the transportation of hazardous material of a type or quantity requiring vehicle placarding are all considered a CMV. This bill exempts a person from the CDL requirement if the person is operating a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,001 pounds while towing nonhazardous material or agricultural hazardous material, regardless of the combined gross weight, if the operation is solely for commercial use in accordance with the person’s employment and if the person is employed by a person with a place of business in Iowa. As the term is used in Code chapter 321, “agricultural hazardous material” is a hazardous material, other than hazardous waste, whose end use directly supports the production of an agricultural commodity, including but not limited to a fertilizer, pesticide, soil conditioner, or fuel.8. Under current law, a person must hold a CDL with an endorsement to transport hazardous material. A person must pass additional testing to be issued a hazardous material endorsement. The department of public safety (DPS) is required to adopt rules regulating the transportation or shipment of hazardous material, and the rules must be in compliance with federal law.450, the DPS rules do not apply to farmers or employees of a farmer when transporting an agricultural hazardous material, except class material, between the sites in the farmer’s agricultural operations unless the material is being transported on the interstate road system. The bill provides an exception to DPS rules for persons operating a vehicle transporting agricultural hazardous material, except class material, that is exempt from CDL requirements under the bill unless the material is being transported on the interstate road system. “Class 2” material includes flammable gas, nonflammable gas, and poisonous gas.