[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 18, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S2982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4016. Ms. BALDWIN (for herself and Mr. Johnson) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3896 proposed by Ms. 
Collins (for herself, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Reed, and Mr. Tester) to the bill 
H.R. 2577, making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, 
and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title I in division A, add the following:
       Sec. ___.  Section 127 of title 23, United States Code, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(u) Pilot Program.--
       ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       ``(A) Pilot program.--The term `pilot program' means the 
     pilot program established by paragraph (2).
       ``(B) State.--The term `State' means the State of 
     Wisconsin.
       ``(2) Establishment.--Notwithstanding subsection (a) the 
     State may participate in a pilot program relating to certain 
     exceptions to certain vehicle weight limitations applicable 
     to the Interstate System in accordance with this subsection.
       ``(3) Program.--Under the pilot program, the 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 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;
       ``(E) the gross weight of the vehicle does not exceed 
     91,000 pounds, including enforcement tolerances; and
       ``(F) the vehicle complies with the bridge formula under 
     subsection (a)(2).
       ``(4) 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) the authority of the State with respect to a vehicle 
     described in clause (i).
       ``(B) Means of implementation.--The State may implement 
     this subsection by any means, including statute or rule of 
     general applicability, by special permit, or otherwise.
       ``(5) Reporting requirements.--
       ``(A) Report.--If the State participates in the pilot 
     program, after the pilot program terminates in accordance 
     with paragraph (10), the State shall submit to the Secretary 
     a report that includes--
       ``(i) the number of fatalities that occurred in the State 
     involving crashes on the Interstate System in the State of 
     vehicles authorized to operate on that system under the pilot 
     program;
       ``(ii) the estimated vehicle miles traveled by vehicles 
     described in clause (i) on the Interstate System in the 
     State; and
       ``(iii) the estimated gross vehicle weight and number of 
     axles of vehicles described in clause (i) at the time of a 
     crash described in clause (i).
       ``(B) Public availability.--The Secretary shall make all 
     information required under subparagraph (A) available to the 
     public.
       ``(6) Termination as to route segment.--The Secretary may 
     terminate the operation of vehicles authorized by the State 
     under the pilot program on a specific Interstate System route 
     segment if, after the effective date of a decision of the 
     State to allow vehicles to operate under the pilot program, 
     the Secretary determines that operation poses an unreasonable 
     safety risk based on an engineering analysis of the route 
     segment or an analysis of safety or other applicable data 
     from the route segment.
       ``(7) Waiver of highway funding reduction.--Notwithstanding 
     subsection (a), the total amount of funds apportioned to the 
     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 (3) to operate on the 
     Interstate System in the State under the pilot program.
       ``(8) Preserving state and local authority regarding non-
     interstate system highways.--Subsection (b) shall not apply 
     to motor vehicles operating on the Interstate System solely 
     under the pilot program.
       ``(9) Savings provision.--The pilot program shall not 
     affect the operation of any vehicle that, as of the date of 
     enactment of this subsection, is permitted under Federal and 
     State law to have a gross vehicle weight of greater than 
     91,000 pounds, including under subsections (f), (j), and (o).
       ``(10) Termination.--The pilot program shall terminate on 
     the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     subsection.''.
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