GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RESTRICTION.

SEC. 1023. GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RESTRICTION. (a) Conforming Amendments.— Section 127(a) of title 23, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking “funds authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal year under provisions of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 shall be apportioned” and inserting “funds shall be apportioned in any fiscal year under section 104(b)(1) of this title”; and (2) in the fourth sentence by inserting after “thereof” the following: “, other than vehicles or combinations subject to subsection (d) of this section,”. 105 STAT. 1952 (b) Operation of Longer Combination Vehicles.— Section 127 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(d) Longer Combination Vehicles.— “(1) Prohibition.— “(A) General continuation rule.— A longer combination vehicle may continue to operate only if the longer combination vehicle configuration type was authorized by State officials pursuant to State statute or regulation conforming to this section and in actual lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including seasonal operations) on or before June 1, 1991, or pursuant to section 335 of the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1991 (104 Stat. 2186). “(B) Applicability of state laws and regulations.— All such operations shall continue to be subject to, at the minimum, all State statutes, regulations, Limitations and conditions, including, but not limited to, routing-specific and configuration-specific designations and all other restrictions, in force on June 1, 1991; except that subject to such regulations as may be issued by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (5) of this subsection, the State may make minor adjustments of a temporary and emergency nature to route designations and vehicle operating restrictions in effect on June 1, 1991, for specific safety purposes and road construction. “(C) Wyoming.— In addition to those vehicles allowed under subparagraph (A), the State of Wyoming may allow the operation of additional vehicle configurations not in actual operation on June 1, 1991, but authorized by State law not later than November 3, 1992, if such vehicle configurations comply with the single axle, tandem axle, and bridge formula limits set forth in subsection (a) and do not exceed 117,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. “(D) Ohio.— In addition to vehicles which the State of Ohio may continue to allow to be operated under subparagraph (A), such State may allow longer combination vehicles with 3 cargo carrying units of 28 V4 feet each (not including the truck tractor) not in actual operation on June 1, 1991, to be operated within its boundaries on the 1-mile segment of Ohio State Route 7 which begins at and is south of exit 16 of the Ohio Turnpike. “(E) Alaska.— In addition to vehicles which the State of Alaska may continue to allow to be operated under subparagraph (A), such State may allow the operation of longer combination vehicles which were not in actual operation on June 1, 1991, but which were in actual operation prior to July 5, 1991. “(2) Additional state restrictions.— “(A) In general.— Nothing in this subsection shall prevent any State from further restricting in any manner or prohibiting the operation of longer combination vehicles otherwise authorized under this subsection; except that such restrictions or prohibitions shall be consistent with the requirements of sections 411, 412, and 416 of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (49 U.S.C. App. 2311, 2312, and 2316). 105 STAT. 1953 “(B) Minor adjustments.— Any State further restricting or prohibiting the operations of longer combination vehicles publication, or making minor adjustments of a temporary and emergency nature as may be allowed pursuant to regulations issued by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (5) of this subsection, shall, within 30 days, advise the Secretary of such action, and the Secretary shall publish a notice of such action in the Federal Register. “(3) Publication of list.— “(A) Submission to secretary.— Within 60 days of the date of the enactment of this subsection, each State (i) shall submit to the Secretary for publication in the Federal Register a complete list of (I) all operations of longer combination vehicles being conducted as of June 1, 1991, pursuant to State statutes and regulations; (II) all limitations and conditions, including, but not limited to, routing-specific and configuration-specific designations and all other restrictions, governing the operation of longer combination vehicles otherwise prohibited under this subsection; and (III) such statutes, regulations, limitations, and conditions; and (ii) shall submit to the Secretary copies of such statutes, regulations, limitations, and conditions. “(B) Interim list.— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall publish an interim list in the Federal Register, consisting of all information submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A). The Secretary shall review for accuracy all information submitted by the States pursuant to subparagraph (A) and shall solicit and consider public comment on the accuracy of all such information. “(C) Limitation.— No statute or regulation shall be included on the list submitted by a State or published by the Secretary merely on the grounds that it authorized, or could have authorized, by permit or otherwise, the operation of longer combination vehicles, not in actual operation on a regular or periodic basis on or before June 1, 1991. “(D) Final list.— Except as modified pursuant to paragraph (1)(C) of this subsection, the list shall be published as final in the Federal Register not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection. In publishing the final list, the Secretary shall make any revisions necessary to correct inaccuracies identified under subparagraph (B). After publication of the final list, longer combination vehicles may not operate on the Interstate System except as provided in the list. “(E) Review and correction procedure.— The Secretary, on his or her own motion or upon a request by any person (including a State), shall review the list issued by the Secretary pursuant to subparagraph (D). If the Secretary determines there is cause to believe that a mistake was made in the accuracy of the final list, the Secretary shall commence a proceeding to determine whether the list published pursuant to subparagraph (D) should be corrected. If the Secretary determines that there is a mistake in the accuracy of the list the Secretary shall correct the 105 STAT. 1954publication under subparagraph (D) to reflect the determination of the Secretary. “(4) Longer combination vehicle defined.— For purposes of this section, the term ‘longer combination vehicle’ means any combination of a truck tractor and 2 or more trailers or semitrailers which operates on the Interstate System at a gross vehicle weight greater than 80,000 pounds. “(5) Regulations regarding minor adjustments.— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall issue regulations establishing criteria for the States to follow in making minor adjustments under paragraph (1)(B).”. (c) State Certification.— Section 141(b) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: “Each State shall also certify that it is enforcing and complying with the provisions of section 127(d) of this title and section 411(j) of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 (49 U.S.C. App. 2311(j)).”. (d) Interstate Route 68.— Section 127 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(e) Operation of Certain Specialized Hauling Vehicles on Interstate Route 68.— The single axle, tandem axle, and bridge formula limits set forth in subsection (a) shall not apply to the operation on Interstate Route 68 in Garrett and Allegany Counties, Maryland, of any specialized vehicle equipped with a steering axle and a tridem axle and used for hauling coal, logs, and pulpwood if such vehicle is of a type of vehicle as was operating in such counties on United States Route 40 or 48 for such purpose on August 1, 1991.”. (e) Firefighting Vehicles.— (1) Temporary exemption.— The second sentence of section 127 of title 23, United States Code, relating to axle weight limitations and the bridge formula for vehicles using the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, shall not apply, in the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, to any existing vehicle which is used for the purpose of protecting persons and property from fires and other disasters that threaten public safety and which is in actual operation before such date of enactment and to any new vehicle to be used for such purpose while such vehicle is being delivered to a firefighting agency. The Secretary may extend such 2-year period for an additional year. (2) Study.— The Secretary shall conduct a study— (A) of State laws regulating the use on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways of vehicles which are used for the purpose of protecting persons and property from fires and other disasters that threaten public safety and which are being delivered to or operated by a firefighting agency; and (B) of the issuance of permits by States which exempt such vehicles from the requirements of the second sentence of section 127 of title 23, United States Code. (3) Purposes.— The purposes of the study under this subsection are to determine whether or not such State laws and such section 127 need to be modified with regard to such vehicles and whether or not a permanent exemption should be made for such vehicles from the requirements of such laws and section 127 or 105 STAT. 1955whether or not the bridge formula set forth in such section should be modified as it applies to such vehicles. (4) Report.— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report on the results of the study conducted under paragraph (2), together with recommendations. (f) Montana-Canada Trade.— The Secretary shall not withhold funds from the State of Montana on the basis of actions taken by the State of Montana pursuant to a draft memorandum of understanding with the Province of Alberta, Canada, regarding truck transportation between Canada and Shelby, Montana; except that such actions do not include actions not permitted by the State of Montana on or before June 1, 1991. (g) Transporters of Water Well Drilling Rigs.— (1) Study.— The Secretary shall conduct a study of State and Federal regulations pertaining to transporters of water well drilling rigs on public highways for the purpose of identifying requirements which place a burden on such transporters without enhancing safety or preservation of public highways. (2) Report.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1), together with any legislative and administrative recommendations of the Secretary.