[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6458 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6458

  To establish a national maximum speed limit of 60 miles per hour on 
  highways, and 65 miles per hour on portions of the National Highway 
              System located outside of an urbanized area.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2008

  Ms. Speier introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a national maximum speed limit of 60 miles per hour on 
  highways, and 65 miles per hour on portions of the National Highway 
              System located outside of an urbanized area.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be referred to as the ``Gasoline Savings and Speed 
Limit Reduction Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS.

    (a) National Maximum Speed Limits.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 149 the following:
``Sec. 150. National maximum speed limits
    ``(a) Speed Limit Requirements.--The Secretary shall not approve a 
project under section 106 in any State which has--
            ``(1) a maximum speed limit on any highway within its 
        jurisdiction in excess of 60 miles per hour, other than a 
        highway on the National Highway System located outside of an 
        urbanized area;
            ``(2) a maximum speed limit on any highway within its 
        jurisdiction on the National Highway System located outside of 
        an urbanized area in excess of 65 miles per hour;
            ``(3) failed to meet the requirements of subsection (b); or
            ``(4) a speed limit on any portion of a public highway 
        within its jurisdiction which is not uniformly applicable to 
        all types of motor vehicles using such portion of highway, if 
        on July 1, 2008, such portion of highway had a speed limit 
        which was uniformly applicable to all types of motor vehicles 
        using it, except that--
                    ``(A) a lower speed limit may be established for 
                any vehicle operating under a special permit because of 
                the weight or dimension of such vehicle, including any 
                load thereon; and
                    ``(B) this paragraph shall not apply to any portion 
                of a highway during such time that the condition of the 
                highway, weather, an accident, or other condition 
                creates a temporary hazard to the safety of traffic.
    ``(b) Certification.--
            ``(1) Certification requirement.--Each State shall certify 
        to the Secretary before January 1 of each year, beginning in 
        2009, that it is enforcing all speed limits on public highways 
        in accordance with this section.
            ``(2) Data requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each State shall submit to the 
                Secretary such data as the Secretary determines by rule 
                is necessary to support the certification of the State 
                under this subsection, including data required under 
                subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Data on speed limit violations.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Each State shall submit 
                        to the Secretary data on the percentage of 
                        motor vehicles exceeding the speed limit on 
                        maximum speed limit highways, including data 
                        on--
                                    ``(I) citations; and
                                    ``(II) travel speed, including the 
                                posted speed limit and design 
                                characteristics of roads from which 
                                travel speed data are gathered.
                            ``(ii) Establishment of criteria.--The 
                        Secretary shall establish criteria for data 
                        submitted under this subparagraph, including 
                        criteria which take into account the 
                        variability of speedometer readings and 
                        criteria based on the speeds of all vehicles or 
                        a representative sample thereof.
                    ``(C) Data collection.--The Secretary shall issue 
                regulations which ensure that--
                            ``(i) the monitoring programs conducted by 
                        the States to collect data for purposes of this 
                        subsection are uniform;
                            ``(ii) devices and equipment for such 
                        programs are placed at locations on maximum 
                        speed limit highways on a scientifically random 
                        basis which takes into account the relative 
                        risk, as determined by the Secretary, of motor 
                        vehicle accidents occurring considering the 
                        classes of such highways and the speeds at 
                        which vehicles travel on such classes of 
                        highways; and
                            ``(iii) the data submitted under this 
                        subsection will be in such form as the 
                        Secretary determines is necessary to carry out 
                        this section.
    ``(c) Penalty for Underenforcement.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), if 
        the data submitted by a State pursuant to subsection (b) at the 
        end of a fiscal year show that the percentage of motor vehicles 
        exceeding the speed limit on maximum speed limit highways in 
        the State is greater than the maximum percentage established 
        for such fiscal year under this paragraph, the Secretary shall 
        transfer a percentage of the aggregate amount of Federal-aid 
        highway funds apportioned to the State under sections 104(b)(1) 
        and 104(b)(3) for the fiscal year ending 2 years later to one 
        or more State safety projects, as follows:
                    ``(A) 2009.--For the fiscal year ending September 
                30, 2009, if the percentage of motor vehicles exceeding 
                the speed limit on maximum speed highways in the State 
                is greater than 70 percent, the Secretary shall 
                transfer up to 5 percent of the aggregate amount of 
                Federal-aid highway funds apportioned to the State 
                under sections 104(b)(1) and 104(b)(3) for the fiscal 
                year ending September 30, 2011, to one or more State 
                safety projects.
                    ``(B) 2010.--For the fiscal year ending September 
                30, 2010, if the percentage of motor vehicles exceeding 
                the speed limit on maximum speed highways in the State 
                is greater than 60 percent,the Secretary shall transfer 
                up to 5 percent of the aggregate amount of Federal-aid 
                highway funds apportioned to the State under sections 
                104(b)(1) and 104(b)(3) for the fiscal year ending 
                September 30, 2012, to one or more State safety 
                projects.
                    ``(C) 2011.--For the fiscal year ending September 
                30, 2011, if the percentage of motor vehicles exceeding 
                the speed limit on maximum speed highways in the State 
                is greater than 50 percent, the Secretary shall 
                transfer up to 5 percent of the aggregate amount of 
                Federal-aid highway funds apportioned to the State 
                under sections 104(b)(1) and 104(b)(3) for the fiscal 
                year ending September 30, 2013, to one or more State 
                safety projects.
                    ``(D) 2012.--For the fiscal year ending September 
                30, 2012, if the percentage of motor vehicles exceeding 
                the speed limit on maximum speed highways in the State 
                is greater than 40 percent, the Secretary shall 
                transfer up to 10 percent of the aggregate amount of 
                Federal-aid highway funds apportioned to the State 
                under sections 104(b)(1) and 104(b)(3) for the fiscal 
                year ending September 30, 2014, to one or more State 
                safety projects.
                    ``(E) 2013.--For the fiscal year ending September 
                30, 2013, if the percentage of motor vehicles exceeding 
                the speed limit on maximum speed highways in the State 
                is greater than 30 percent, the Secretary shall 
                transfer up to 10 percent of the aggregate amount of 
                Federal-aid highway funds apportioned to the State 
                under sections 104(b)(1) and 104(b)(3) for the fiscal 
                year ending September 30, 2015, to one or more State 
                safety projects.
                    ``(F) Subsequent years.--In a fiscal year following 
                the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, if the 
                percentage of motor vehicles exceeding the speed limit 
                on maximum speed highways in the State is greater than 
                30 percent, the Secretary shall transfer up to 10 
                percent of the aggregate amount of Federal-aid highway 
                funds apportioned to the State under sections 104(b)(1) 
                and 104(b)(3) for the fiscal year ending 2 years later, 
                to one or more State safety projects.
            ``(2) Hardship exemption.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), 
        if the Secretary determines, in accordance with criteria 
        established by the Secretary, that a transfer of funds under 
        paragraph (1) would result in hardship to a State in the fiscal 
        year in which the transfer would apply, the Secretary shall 
        defer the transfer until the subsequent fiscal year.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Motor vehicle.--The term `motor vehicle' means any 
        vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power manufactured 
        primarily for use on public highways, except any vehicle 
        operated exclusively on a rail or rails.
            ``(2) Maximum speed limit highway.--The term `maximum speed 
        limit highway' means a highway subject to the speed limits 
        established under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a).
            ``(3) Safety project.--The term `safety project' means a 
        project carried out for the purpose of safety under this title, 
        including a project to promote the awareness and education of 
        the public concerning highway safety matters (including 
        motorcyclist safety) and to enforce highway safety laws.''.
    (b) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall arrange with the 
        Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of 
        Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study and investigation of 
        the following:
                    (A) Benefits of the program.--The benefits, both 
                human and economic, of lowered speeds due to the 
                enactment of this Act, with particular attention to the 
                savings to taxpayers.
                    (B) Effectiveness of state enforcement.--Whether 
                the laws of each State constitute a substantial 
                deterrent to violations of the speed limit on maximum 
                speed limit highways.
            (2) Report.--In entering into an arrangement with the 
        Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of 
        Sciences for conducting such study and investigation, the 
        Secretary shall request the Board to report to the Secretary 
        and Congress not later than 12 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act on the results of such study and 
        investigation, together with its recommendations. The Secretary 
        shall furnish to the Board on request any information which the 
        Board considers necessary for the purpose of conducting the 
        investigation and study authorized by this section.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 149 the following:

``150. National maximum speed limits.''.
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