Transportation

THA Sponsored Transportation Bill Passes - June 18, 2020

Signed by Governor Bill Lee, July 15, 2020 - (Public Chapter 786)

SB 1775, Senate Vote: 31-0

HB 2201, House Vote: 90 - 0

Effective Date October 1, 2020.  (Public Chapter 786, 2020)

1. Modification to holiday restriction of home transports.

• Manufactured home transports currently have a more restrictive holiday movement schedule than any other commodity. THA submitted a statutory reference change to allow our industry to become more in harmony with other commodity shipments.
• This statutory change will open up four (4) shipping weekends for the industry, where movement is currently restricted: Martin Luther King Day (Jan); President’s Day (Feb); Columbus Day (Oct); Veterans Day (Nov).

2. Regulatory Technical Correction

• In 2019, a section referencing annual blanket trip permits, added a statutory reference which inadvertently reduced MH’s permitting of up to 120’ length on annual permits, down to 90’ length. The state agreed there was an error in reference, and currently waives the standing rule, until this technical correction can be implemented.

3. Transportable Width Modification

• Allowance of a trip permit to grant movements of 18’ wide homes, in and through Tennessee.

As a note, THA sponsored legislation in the 2019 session which modified the standard MH transportable height restriction from 15' 6", to 16'.  These statutory changes and allowances will allow the industry to continue growing and exploring more home designs, to meet future market demands of our customers.  (Public Chapter 252, 2019)

BIG THANKS to the Tennessee Department of Safety and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, for working on this bill with THA staff and our lobbying team, over the last 10 months!  

Thank you to our bill sponsors, Senator Becky Massey (District 6 - Knoxville) and Representative Rick Tillis (District 92 - Lewisburg), for getting this Bill through all of the various committee hearings and up for floor votes!