WOOD HARVESTING; VEHICLE PLATE
House Bill 5899
Sponsor: Rep. Scott Shackleton
Committee: Transportation
Complete to 4-16-02
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5899 AS INTRODUCED 4-16-02
House Bill 5899 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to expand the availability of a wood haulers' discounted license plate to those who transport wood products "in the form produced at the harvest site."
Currently under the law, the secretary of state collects a vehicle registration tax for various carriers who operate motor vehicles and trailers under the Motor Carrier Act. The law specifies that for a road tractor, truck, or truck tractor owned by a wood harvester and used exclusively in connection with the wood harvesting operations, the registration fee is 74 cents per 100 pounds of empty weight. (The same rate is available to milk haulers.) The law defines "wood harvester" to include the person or persons hauling and transporting raw materials only from the forest to the mill site, and it also specifies that "wood harvesting operations" does not include the transportation of processed lumber.
Under House Bill 5899, the description of "wood harvesting operations" as those operations not including the transportation of processed lumber would be retained. However, "wood harvester" would be defined to include the person or persons hauling and transporting raw materials in the form produced at the harvest site.
MCL 257.801
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.