HIGHWAY COST ALLOCATION STUDY.

SEC. 11530. HIGHWAY COST ALLOCATION STUDY. (a) In General.—Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with State departments of transportation, shall carry out a highway cost allocation study to determine the direct costs of highway use by various types of users. (b) Inclusions.—The study under subsection (a) shall include an examination of— (1) the Federal costs occasioned in the design, construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of Federal-aid highways by— (A) the use of vehicles of different dimensions, weights, number of axles, and other specifications; and (B) the frequency of those vehicles in the traffic stream; (2) the safety-, emissions-, congestion-, and noise-related costs of highway use by various types of users, and other costs as determined by the Secretary; and (3) the proportionate share of the costs described in paragraph (1) that are attributable to each class of highway users. (c) Requirements.—In carrying out the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— (1) ensure that the study examines only direct costs of highway use; (2) capture the various driving conditions in different geographic areas of the United States; (3) to the maximum extent practicable, distinguish between costs directly occasioned by a highway user class and costs occasioned by all highway user classes; and (4) compare the costs occasioned by various highway user classes with the user fee revenue contributed to the Highway Trust Fund by those highway user classes. (d) Reports.— (1) Interim reports.—Not less frequently than annually during the period during which the Secretary is carrying out the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress an interim report on the progress of the study. (2) Final report.—On completion of the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a final report on the results of the study, including the recommendations under subsection (e). (e) Recommendations.—On completion of the study under subsection (a), the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall develop recommendations for a set of revenue options to fully cover the costs occasioned by highway users, including recommendations for— (1) changes to existing revenue streams; and (2) new revenue streams based on user fees.