[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 612 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 612

 To amend title 23, United States Code, with respect to vehicle weight 
    limitations applicable to the Interstate System, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2013

   Mr. Michaud (for himself, Mr. Ribble, Mr. Walz, Mr. Simpson, Mr. 
Schrader, and Mr. Young of Alaska) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
  in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 23, United States Code, with respect to vehicle weight 
    limitations applicable to the Interstate System, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 cited as the ``Safe and Efficient Transportation 
Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. MODERNIZED WEIGHT LIMITATIONS FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES.

    Section 127 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(j) Additional Exception to Weight Requirements.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), a State 
        may authorize a vehicle with a maximum gross weight, including 
        all enforcement tolerances, that exceeds the maximum gross 
        weight otherwise applicable under subsection (a) to operate on 
        the Interstate System routes in the State, if--
                    ``(A) the vehicle is equipped with at least 6 
                axles;
                    ``(B) the weight of any single axle on the vehicle 
                does not exceed 20,000 pounds, including enforcement 
                tolerances;
                    ``(C) the weight of any tandem axle on the vehicle 
                does not exceed 34,000 pounds, including enforcement 
                tolerances;
                    ``(D) the weight of any group of 3 or more axles on 
                the vehicle does not exceed 51,000 pounds, including 
                enforcement tolerances; and
                    ``(E) the gross weight of the vehicle does not 
                exceed 97,000 pounds, including enforcement tolerances.
            ``(2) Special rules.--
                    ``(A) Other exceptions not affected.--This 
                subsection shall not restrict--
                            ``(i) a vehicle that may operate under any 
                        other provision of this section or another 
                        Federal law; or
                            ``(ii) a State's authority with respect to 
                        a vehicle that may operate under any other 
                        provision of this section or another Federal 
                        law.
                    ``(B) Increase in axle weight requirement.--A State 
                may authorize a vehicle to exceed the maximum axle 
                weight requirements under any one axle grouping in 
                subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1) by not 
                more than 2,000 pounds.
            ``(3) State authorization.--A State seeking to authorize a 
        vehicle to operate on the Interstate System routes within its 
        boundaries under paragraph (1) or to increase the maximum axle 
        weight requirements under paragraph (2) shall do so pursuant to 
        authority provided under the laws of the State.
            ``(4) Reporting requirements.--
                    ``(A) Annual report.--If a State authorizes 
                vehicles described in paragraph (1) to operate on 
                highway routes in the State in a fiscal year, the State 
                shall submit to the Secretary for the fiscal year an 
                annual report at such time, in such manner, and 
                containing such information as the Secretary may 
                require, including, at a minimum, the following:
                            ``(i) An identification of highway routes 
                        in the State, including routes not on the 
                        Interstate System, on which the State 
                        authorizes vehicles described in paragraph (1) 
                        to operate.
                            ``(ii) A description of the operating 
                        requirements and gross vehicle weight limits 
                        applicable to the vehicles described in 
                        paragraph (1).
                            ``(iii) Safety statistics, including 
                        estimated vehicle miles traveled data, 
                        concerning the vehicles described in paragraph 
                        (1).
                    ``(B) Public availability.--The Secretary shall 
                make all information required under subparagraph (A) 
                available to the public.
            ``(5) Termination.--The Secretary may terminate the 
        operation of vehicles authorized under this subsection on a 
        specific Interstate System route segment if the Secretary 
        determines that such operation poses an unreasonable safety 
        risk based on an engineering analysis or an analysis of safety 
        data or any other applicable data the Secretary may use.
            ``(6) Waiver of highway funding reduction.--Notwithstanding 
        subsection (a), the total amount of funds apportioned to a 
        State under section 104(b)(1) for any period may not be reduced 
        under subsection (a) if the State authorizes a vehicle 
        described in paragraph (1) to operate on the Interstate System 
        in the State in accordance with this subsection or subsection 
        (k).
    ``(k) Vehicles Lawfully Operating on December 31, 2012.--In 
addition to authority otherwise provided to a State under this section, 
a State may permit a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight that could 
have been lawfully operated on the Interstate System in the State on 
December 31, 2012, to operate on the Interstate System in that State 
upon the date of enactment of this subsection.''.

SEC. 3. SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE BRIDGE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 171. Safe and efficient vehicle bridge infrastructure 
              improvement program
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a safe and 
efficient vehicle bridge infrastructure improvement program in 
accordance with this section.
    ``(b) Apportionment of Funds to Eligible States.--
            ``(1) In general.--On October 1 of each fiscal year, the 
        Secretary shall apportion, in accordance with paragraph (2), 
        the sums made available out of the Safe and Efficient Vehicle 
        Trust Fund for that fiscal year to carry out this section.
            ``(2) Ratio to eligible states.--The sums made available 
        out of the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund shall be 
        apportioned among eligible States in a ratio that--
                    ``(A) the total vehicle miles traveled on 
                Interstate System highways by vehicles authorized to 
                travel on such highways pursuant to section 127(j) in 
                each eligible State, as determined by the Secretary; 
                bears to
                    ``(B) the total vehicle miles traveled on 
                Interstate System highways by vehicles authorized to 
                travel on such highways pursuant to section 127(j) in 
                all eligible States, as determined by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Eligible Projects.--An eligible State that receives an 
apportionment in a fiscal year under subsection (b) shall use the 
amounts of the apportionment for bridge projects eligible for 
assistance under this chapter that are located on the Interstate 
System.
    ``(d) Contract Authority.--Funds made available out of the Safe and 
Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund to carry out this section shall be 
available for obligation in the same manner as if the funds were made 
available from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 
Account).
    ``(e) Eligible State Defined.--In this section, the term `eligible 
State' means a State that authorizes a vehicle described in section 
127(j) to operate on the Interstate System within its borders.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for such chapter is amended 
by adding at the end the following:

``171. Safe and efficient vehicle bridge infrastructure improvement 
                            program.''.

SEC. 4. SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE CHARGES.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (a) of section 4481 of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following:
``In the case of the use of any highway motor vehicle described in 
section 127(j) of title 23, United States Code, if that vehicle is used 
on the Interstate System with a gross weight in excess of 80,000 
pounds, in lieu of the rate in the table, the rate shall be equal to 
the lesser of--
            ``(1) $100 per year, plus $22 for each 1,000 pounds (or 
        fraction thereof) in excess of 55,000 pounds, or
            ``(2) $800 per year.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply 
to taxable periods beginning after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 5. SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE TRUST FUND.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 (relating to the trust fund code) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section:

``SEC. 9512. SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE TRUST FUND.

    ``(a) Creation of Fund.--There is hereby established in the 
Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the `Safe and 
Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund', consisting of such amounts as may be--
            ``(1) appropriated to the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust 
        Fund as provided in this section, or
            ``(2) credited to the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund 
        as provided in section 9602(b).
    ``(b) Transfer to Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund of Amounts 
Equivalent to Certain Taxes.--There are hereby appropriated to the Safe 
and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund amounts equivalent to the taxes 
received in the Treasury under section 4481(a) which are attributable 
to the use of any highway motor vehicle described in section 127(j) of 
title 23, United States Code, if that vehicle is used on the Interstate 
System with a gross weight in excess of 80,000 pounds.
    ``(c) Expenditures From Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund.--
Amounts in the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund shall be 
available, as provided by appropriations Acts, for fiscal years 
beginning 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section for 
projects eligible for assistance under section 171(c) of title 23, 
United States Code.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Paragraph (1) of section 9503(b) of such Code is 
        amended by striking the period at the end and inserting ``, and 
        taxes received under section 4481 shall be determined without 
        regard to those received in the Treasury under section 4481(a) 
        which are attributable to the use of any highway motor vehicle 
        described in section 127(j) of title 23, United States Code, if 
        that vehicle is used on the Interstate System with a gross 
        weight in excess of 80,000 pounds.''.
            (2) The table of sections for subchapter A of chapter 98 of 
        such Code is amended by adding at the end the following:

``Sec. 9512. Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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