06 LC 35
0272S
The
Senate Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee offered the following
substitute to HB 1392:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor
vehicles and traffic, so as to change the definition of vehicles that may be
operated under noncommercial Class C
driveŕs
license relative to farmers towing vehicles hauling agricultural products,
livestock, farm machinery, or farm supplies; to provide for certain penalties
for a driver who commits a right of way violation resulting in a collision with
a motorcyclist, pedestrian, bicyclist, or farmer transporting vehicles hauling
agricultural products, livestock, farm machinery, or farm products; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicles
and traffic, is amended in Code Section 40-5-23, relating to classes of
licenses, by striking subsection (c) and inserting in lieu thereof the
following:
"(c)
The noncommercial classes of motor vehicles for which operators may be licensed
shall be as follows:
Class
A — Any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of
26,001 pounds or more, provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle
or vehicles being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds, and all vehicles included
within Class B and Class C;
Class
B — Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds
or more, any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating
not in excess of 10,000 pounds, and all vehicles included within Class
C;
Class
C — Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating not in excess of
26,000 pounds, any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight
rating not in excess of 10,000 pounds, any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a
gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 10,000 pounds, provided that the
combination of vehicles has a gross combined vehicle weight rating not in excess
of 26,000 pounds, and any self-propelled or towed vehicle that is equipped to
serve as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel purposes
and is used solely as a family or personal conveyance;
except that
any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating not in excess of
26,000 pounds may be operated under such class of license if such combination of
vehicles are controlled and operated by a farmer, used to transport agricultural
products, livestock, farm machinery, or farm supplies to or from a farm, and are
not used in the operations of a common or contract carrier;
Class
D — Provisional license applicable to noncommercial Class C vehicles for
which an applicant desires a
driveŕs
license but is not presently licensed to drive;
Class
M — Motorcycles, motor driven cycles, and three-wheeled
motorcycles;
Class
P — Instructional permit applicable to all types of vehicles for which an
applicant desires a
driveŕs
license but is not presently licensed to drive.
Any
applicant for a Class A or Class B license must possess a valid Georgia
driveŕs
license for Class C vehicles. A license issued pursuant to this Code section
shall not be a commercial
driveŕs
license."
SECTION
2.
Said
title is further amended by adding a new Code Section 40-6-77 to read as
follows:
"40-6-77.
Any
person who causes a serious injury to another person as a result of a collision
with a motorcyclist, bicyclist, pedestrian, or farmer operating any vehicle used
to transport agricultural products, livestock, farm machinery, or farm supplies
by committing any right of way violation under this chapter when such
motorcyclist, bicyclist, pedestrian, or farmer operating any vehicle used to
transport agricultural products, livestock, farm machinery, or farm supplies is
abiding by the provisions of this title shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and
shall be punished by a fine of not less than $250.00 in addition to any other
penalties stipulated by law. For purposes of this Code section, serious injury
shall include, but shall not be limited to, causing bodily harm to another by
depriving him or her of a member of his or her body, by rendering a member of
his or her body useless, by seriously disfiguring his or her body or a member
thereof, or by causing organic brain damage which renders the body or any member
thereof
useless."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.