Session of 1999
         
SENATE BILL No. 77
         
By Committee on Transportation and Tourism
          
1-20
          
  9             AN  ACT regulating traffic; concerning the maximum speed limits for
10             certain vehicles; amending K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 8-1558 and repealing
11             the existing section.
12      
13       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
14             Section  1. K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 8-1558 is hereby amended to read as
15       follows: 8-1558. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (e) subsec-
16       tion (b) and except when a special hazard exists that requires lower speed
17       for compliance with K.S.A. 8-1557, and amendments thereto, the limits
18       specified in this subsection or established as authorized by law shall be
19       maximum lawful speeds, and no person shall operate a vehicle at a speed
20       in excess of such maximum limits:
21             (1) In any urban district, 30 miles per hour;
22             (2) on any separated multilane highway, as designated and posted by
23       the secretary of transportation, 70 miles per hour, except that any vehicle
24       with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 or more pounds, 65 miles per
25       hour;
26             (3) on any county or township highway, 55 miles per hour; and
27             (4) on all other highways, 65 miles per hour.
28             (b) No person shall drive a school bus to or from school, or inter-
29       school or intraschool functions or activities, at a speed greater than 45
30       miles per hour on any roadway having a dirt, sand or gravel surface, and
31       in no event shall a school bus be driven to and from school, or functions
32       or activities, in excess of 55 miles per hour, notwithstanding any maximum
33       speed limit in excess thereof. The provisions of this subsection relating
34       to school buses shall apply to buses used for the transportation of students
35       enrolled in community colleges or area vocational schools, when such
36       buses are transporting students to or from school, or functions or
37       activities.
38             (c) The secretary of transportation shall not be liable for any damage
39       or loss, asserted to have been sustained between the effective date of this
40       act and July 1, 1996, based on a claim of failure to post any speed limit,
41       or to erect signs or place markings in relation to any speed limit estab-
42       lished by this act, on any highway under the secretary's jurisdiction.
43             (d) The maximum speed limits in this section may be altered as au-

SB 77

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  1       thorized in K.S.A. 8-1559 and 8-1560, and amendments thereto.
  2             (e) The speed limits established in paragraphs (2) and (4) of subsec-
  3       tion (a) shall be effective 15 days following the effective date of this act.
  4       During such interim fifteen-day period, the maximum speed limit under
  5       paragraph (2) of subsection (a) shall be 65 miles per hour and the maxi-
  6       mum speed limit under paragraph (4) of subsection (a) shall be 55 miles
  7       per hour.
  8             (e) As used in this section, "gross vehicle weight rating" means the
  9       value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a
10       single or a combination (articulated) vehicle. The gross vehicle weight
11       rating of a combination (articulated) vehicle (commonly referred to as the
12       "gross combination weight rating") is the gross vehicle weight rating of
13       the power unit plus the gross vehicle weight rating of the towed unit or
14       units. 
15       Sec.  2. K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 8-1558 is hereby repealed.
16        Sec.  3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
17       publication in the statute book.