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Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 (page 1, lines 9 to 11 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §2357, sub-§2, ¶E  is enacted to read:
 
E.  On the tri-axle unit of a 4-axle single-unit vehicle registered as a farm truck under section 505 and hauling potatoes, 64,000 pounds. This paragraph is repealed October 1, 2013.
Sec. 4. Report. The Chief of the State Police and the Commissioner of Transportation shall report no later than January 15, 2013 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters an evaluation of the impact on roads and bridges of axle weight tolerances for tri-axle units of 4-axle single-unit vehicles used to haul forest products and potatoes. The report must include accident report data and citations for violations of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 2357, subsection 2, paragraphs D and E and must also include recommendations for continuance, discontinuance or modification of tri-axle weight tolerances for 4-axle single-unit vehicles used to haul forest products and potatoes. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters may submit legislation related to the subject matter of the report under this section to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.’
 
SUMMARY
The amendment clarifies that the expansion of axle tolerance limits to 64,000 pounds pertains to the tri-axle unit of a 4-axle single-unit vehicle registered as a farm truck under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 505 and hauling potatoes. The amendment repeals this provision October 1, 2013.
The amendment also directs the Chief of the State Police and the Commissioner of Transportation to evaluate the impact of axle weight tolerances for tri-axle units of 4-axle vehicles used to haul forest products and potatoes on road and bridge conditions and to report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters no later than January 15, 2013. The amendment gives the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters authority to submit legislation related to the subject matter of the report to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)