[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3372 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3372
To amend title 23, United States Code, to establish a safety data
collection program for certain 6-axle vehicles, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 16, 2023
Mr. Johnson of South Dakota (for himself and Mr. Costa) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 23, United States Code, to establish a safety data
collection program for certain 6-axle vehicles, 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. SAFETY DATA COLLECTION PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN 6-AXLE VEHICLES.
Section 127 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(x) Pilot Program for Safety Data Collection on Certain 6-Axle
Vehicles.--
``(1) General authority.--Not later than 30 days after the
date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall
establish a pilot program (referred to in this subsection as
the `pilot program') under which States admitted by the
Secretary under paragraph (2) may allow covered 6-axle vehicles
to be operated on the Interstate System in the State.
``(2) Admission to pilot program.--
``(A) Initial application.--Beginning on the date
that is 30 days after the date of enactment of this
subsection, a State seeking to participate in the pilot
program shall submit an application to the Secretary in
electronic form, containing such administrative
information as the Secretary may require, including a
certification that the State has or will have the
authority pursuant to State law to implement the pilot
program.
``(B) Admission.--The Secretary shall admit to the
pilot program, on a rolling basis, States that submit a
completed application under subparagraph (A).
``(C) Election to no longer participate.--If a
State elects to no longer participate in the pilot
program, the State shall notify the Secretary of such
election.
``(3) Means of implementation.--
``(A) In general.--To be eligible to participate in
the pilot program, a State shall agree to implement the
pilot program through the issuance of permits per
vehicle or group of vehicles with respect to covered 6-
axle vehicles.
``(B) Permit.--A permit described in subparagraph
(A) shall--
``(i) describe the Interstate System routes
that may be used while operating at greater
than 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight in a
covered 6-axle vehicle; and
``(ii) require the permit holder to report
to the State, with respect to each covered 6-
axle vehicle for which such permit was issued--
``(I) each accident (as such term
is defined in section 390.5 of title
49, Code of Federal Regulations, as in
effect on the date of enactment of this
subsection) that occurred in the State
involving the covered 6-axle vehicle on
the Interstate System in the State;
``(II) the estimated gross vehicle
weight of each covered 6-axle vehicle
at the time of an accident described in
subclause (I); and
``(III) the estimated miles
traveled by the covered 6-axle vehicle
on the Interstate System in the State
annually.
``(C) Safety equipment incentive.--
``(i) Fee reduction.--With respect to any
fee associated with a permit under this
paragraph, the State may reduce the fee
otherwise applicable to a vehicle by 67 percent
if the vehicle is equipped with an automatic
emergency braking system, including such
systems in use on the date of enactment of this
subsection.
``(ii) Group of vehicles.--As applied to a
permit for a group of vehicles, the reduction
under clause (i) shall only apply with respect
to individual vehicles in the group that are
equipped with an automatic emergency breaking
system, including such systems in use on the
date of enactment of this subsection.
``(4) Other authorizations not affected.--This subsection
shall not restrict--
``(A) a vehicle that may operate under any other
provision of this section or another Federal law; or
``(B) a State's authority with respect to a vehicle
that may operate under any other provision of this
section or another Federal law.
``(5) No highway funding reduction.--Notwithstanding
subsection (a), funds apportioned to a State under section 104
for any period may not be reduced because the State authorizes
the operation of covered 6-axle vehicles within such State in
accordance with this subsection.
``(6) Annual report.--Not later than the first March 1
after the date of enactment of this subsection, and annually
thereafter, a State participating in the pilot program shall
submit to the Secretary with respect to the previous calendar
year, a report on--
``(A) the number of accidents (as such term is
defined in section 390.5 of title 49, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of
this subsection)) that occurred on the Interstate
System in the State involving a covered 6-axle vehicle
for which a permit was issued under the pilot program;
``(B) the estimated gross vehicle weight of each
such vehicle at the time of the accident in the State
described in subparagraph (A); and
``(C) the estimated miles traveled by such vehicle
on the Interstate System in the State.
``(7) Termination of pilot program.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), the pilot program shall terminate on
the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment
of this subsection.
``(B) Additional application; continuation of
authority.--For a period of 10 years beginning on the
date described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary may
continue the pilot program with respect to each State
in the program, upon the application of a State and
after consideration of--
``(i) the actual experience of the State
under the pilot program; and
``(ii) any documents or other material
submitted by the State in support of such an
application.
``(8) Covered 6-axle vehicle defined.--In this subsection,
the term `covered 6-axle vehicle' means a vehicle--
``(A) equipped with 6 or more axles;
``(B) for which the weight--
``(i) on any single axle of the vehicle
does not exceed 20,000 pounds, including
enforcement tolerances;
``(ii) on any tandem axle of the vehicle
does not exceed 34,000 pounds, including
enforcement tolerances; and
``(iii) on any group of three or more axles
of the vehicle does not exceed 45,000 pounds,
including enforcement tolerances;
``(C) for which the gross weight does not exceed
the lesser of--
``(i) 91,000 pounds, including enforcement
tolerances; and
``(ii) the maximum permitted by the bridge
formula under subsection (a); and
``(D) that is not a longer combination vehicle, as
such term is defined in subsection (d)(4).''.
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