§ 31-18-901 — Agreement provisions generally

The Multistate Highway Transportation Agreement is enacted into
law and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally
joining therein in form substantially as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1. As used in this agreement:
(a) "Cooperating committee" means a body composed of the
designated representatives from the participating jurisdictions;
(b) "Designated representative" means a legislator or
other person authorized under article IX to represent the
jurisdiction;
(c) "Jurisdiction" means a state of the United States or
the District of Columbia;
(d) "Vehicle" means any vehicle as defined by statute to
be subject to size and weight standards which operates in two
(2) or more participating jurisdictions.
ARTICLE II
GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 1. Qualifications for Membership. Participation in this
agreement is open to jurisdictions which subscribe to the
findings, purposes and objectives of this agreement and will
seek legislation necessary to accomplish these objectives.
SECTION 2. Cooperation. The participating jurisdictions,
working through their designated representatives, shall
cooperate and assist each other in achieving the desired goals
of this agreement pursuant to appropriate statutory authority.
SECTION 3. Vehicle Laws and Regulations. This agreement shall
not authorize the operation of a vehicle in any participating
jurisdiction contrary to the laws or regulations of that state.
SECTION 4. Interpretation. The final decision regarding
interpretation of questions at issue relating to this agreement
shall be reached by unanimous joint action of the participating
jurisdictions, acting through the designated representatives.
Results of all such actions shall be placed in writing. This
section shall have no effect on any judicial decision.
SECTION 5. Restrictions, Conditions or Limitations. Any
jurisdiction entering this agreement shall provide each other
participating jurisdiction with a list of any restriction,
condition or limitation on the general terms of this agreement,
if any.
SECTION 6. Additional Jurisdictions. Additional jurisdictions
may become members of this agreement by signing and accepting
the terms of the agreement.
ARTICLE III
COOPERATING COMMITTEE
SECTION 1. Each participating jurisdiction shall have two (2)
designated representatives. Pursuant to section 2, article II,
the designated representatives of each of the participating
jurisdictions shall constitute the cooperating committee which
shall have the power to:
(a) Collect, correlate, analyze and evaluate information
resulting or derivable from research and testing activities in
relation to vehicle size and weight related matters;
(b) Recommend and encourage the undertaking of research
and testing in any aspect of vehicle size and weight or related
matter when, in their collective judgment, appropriate or
sufficient research or testing has not been undertaken;
(c) Recommend changes in law or policy with emphasis on
compatibility of laws and uniformity of administrative rules or
regulations which would promote effective governmental action or
coordination in the field of vehicle size and weight related
matters.
(d) Consider mutual transportation problems of the motor
carrier industry and recommend changes.
(e) Recommend improvements in highway operations, in
vehicular safety and in state administration of highway
transportation laws.
(f) Perform functions necessary to facilitate the purposes
of this agreement.
SECTION 2. Each designated representative of a participating
jurisdiction shall be entitled to one (1) vote only. No action
of the committee is approved unless a majority of the total
number of votes cast by the designated representatives of the
participating jurisdictions are in favor thereof.
SECTION 3. The committee shall meet at least once annually and
shall elect, from among its members, a chairman, a vice-chairman
and a secretary.
SECTION 4. The committee shall submit annually to the
legislature of each participating jurisdiction a report setting
forth the work of the committee during the preceding year and
including recommendations developed by the committee. The
committee may submit such additional reports as it deems
appropriate or desirable.
ARTICLE IV
OBJECTIVES OF THE PARTICIPATING JURISDICTIONS
SECTION 1. Objectives. The participating jurisdictions hereby
declare that:
(a) It is the objective of the participating jurisdictions
to obtain more efficient and more economical transportation by
motor vehicles between and among the participating jurisdictions
by encouraging the adoption of standards that will, as minimums,
allow the operation on all state highways, except those
determined through engineering evaluation to be inadequate, with
a single-axle weight of 20,000 pounds, a tandem-axle weight of
36,000 pounds and a gross vehicle or combination weight of that
resulting from application of the formula:
W = 500[LN/(N-1) + 12N + 36] where W = maximum weight in pounds
carried on any group of two (2) or more consecutive axles
computed to the nearest five hundred (500) pounds;
L = distance in feet between the extremes of any group of two
(2) or more consecutive axles;
N = number of axles in group under consideration.
(b) It is the further objective of the participating
jurisdictions that in the event the operation of a vehicle or
combination of vehicles in interstate commerce according to the
provisions of subsection (a) of this section be authorized under
special permit authority by each participating jurisdiction for
vehicle combinations in excess of eighty thousand (80,000)
pounds gross vehicle weight or statutory maximum lengths. The
maximum statutory limits in each participating jurisdiction will
not be affected.
(c) It is the further objective of the participating
jurisdictions to facilitate and expedite the operation of any
vehicle or combination of vehicles between and among the
participating jurisdictions under the provisions of subsection
(a) or (b) of this section, and to that end the participating
jurisdictions hereby agree, through their designated
representatives, to meet and cooperate in the consideration of
vehicle size and weight related matters including, but not
limited to, the development of uniform enforcement procedures;
additional vehicle size and weight standards; operational
standards; agreements or compacts to facilitate regional
application and administration of vehicle size and weight
standards; uniform permit procedures; uniform application forms;
rules and regulations for the operation of vehicles, including
equipment requirements, driver qualifications and operating
practices; and such other matters as may be pertinent.
(d) The cooperating committee may recommend that the
participating jurisdictions jointly secure congressional
approval of this agreement and specifically of the vehicle size
and weight standards set forth in subsection (a) of this
section.
(e) It is the further objective of the participating
jurisdictions to:
(i) Establish transportation laws and regulations to
meet regional and economic needs and to promote an efficient,
safe and compatible transportation network;
(ii) Develop standards that facilitate the most
efficient and environmentally sound operation of vehicles on
highways, consistent with and in recognition of principles of
highway safety;
(iii) Establish programs to increase productivity and
reduce congestion, fuel consumption and related transportation
costs and enhance air quality through the uniform application of
state vehicle regulations and laws; and
(iv) Facilitate communication among legislators,
state transportation administrators and commercial industry
representatives to discuss unique highway transportation issues
in participating jurisdictions.
ARTICLE V
ENTRY INTO FORCE AND WITHDRAWAL
SECTION 1. This agreement shall enter into force when enacted
into law by any two (2) or more jurisdictions. Thereafter, this
agreement shall become effective as to any other jurisdiction
upon its enactment thereof, except as otherwise provided in
section 6, article II.
SECTION 2. Any participating jurisdiction may withdraw from
this agreement by canceling the same but no such withdrawal
shall take effect until thirty (30) days after the designated
representative of the withdrawing jurisdiction has given notice
in writing of the withdrawal to all other participating
jurisdictions.
ARTICLE VI
CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY
SECTION 1. This agreement shall be liberally construed so as to
effectuate the purposes thereof.
SECTION 2. The provisions of this agreement shall be severable
and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this
agreement is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any
participating jurisdiction or the applicability thereto to any
government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the
validity of the remainder of this agreement shall not be
affected thereby. If this agreement shall be held contrary to
the constitution of any jurisdiction participating herein, the
agreement shall remain in full force and effect as to the
jurisdictions affected as to all severable matters.
ARTICLE VII
FILING OF DOCUMENTS
SECTION 1. A copy of this agreement, its amendments and rules
or regulations promulgated thereunder and interpretations
thereof shall be filed in the highway department in each
participating jurisdiction and shall be made available for
review by interested parties.
ARTICLE VIII
EXISTING STATUTES NOT REPEALED
SECTION 1. All existing statutes prescribing weight and size
standards and all existing statutes relating to special permits
shall continue to be of force and effect until amended or
repealed by law.
ARTICLE IX
SELECTION OF DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES
SECTION 1. The process for selecting the designated
representatives to the cooperating committee shall be
established by law under this article.
SECTION 2. The persons authorized to represent the state of
Wyoming as the designated representatives to the committee shall
be the chairman of the senate transportation and highways
committee and the chairman of the house transportation and
highways committee, or a legislator or a state agency official
each chairman may designate.
SECTION 3. The chairmen of the senate and house transportation
and highways committees shall also designate one (1) alternate
representative who shall also be a legislator or state agency
official to serve in the absence of the representative
designated under section 2 of this article.