Safe, Flexible, and Efficient Trucking Act of 2015

Summary: Safe, Flexible, and Efficient Trucking Act of 2015 This bill allows a state to authorize a vehicle with a maximum gross weight (including enforcement tolerances) exceeding certain federal weight limitations to operate on Interstate Highway System routes in the state if:  the vehicle is equipped with at least six axles, the weight of any single axle does not exceed 20,000 pounds, the weight of any tandem axle does not exceed 34,000 pounds, the weight of any group of 3 or more axles does not exceed 51,000 pounds, the gross weight of the vehicle does not exceed 91,000 pounds, and the vehicle complies with a specified bridge formula.  The Department of Transportation may issue regulations necessary to require such a vehicle to include one item of additional equipment not otherwise required by law, but only if the equipment item is available at the time the rule is proposed.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safe, Flexible, and Efficient 
Trucking Act of 2015''.

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:
    ``(m) 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 
        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 
                in subsection (a)(2) of this section.
            ``(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) Means of implementation.--A State may 
                implement this subsection by any means, including 
                statute or rule of general applicability, by special 
                permit, or otherwise.
            ``(3) Additional equipment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may issue such 
                regulations as are necessary to require a vehicle 
                operating pursuant to this subsection to include 1 item 
                of additional equipment not otherwise required by law. 
                The Secretary may issue such regulations only if the 
                equipment item to be required is available at the time 
                a rule is proposed.
                    ``(B) Comment.--In issuing regulations pursuant to 
                this paragraph, the Secretary shall invite comment on 
                the effective date of any proposed equipment 
                requirement.
                    ``(C) Limited authority.--The authority to issue 
                regulations pursuant to this paragraph applies only to 
                a rule that is published as a final rule in the Federal 
                Register not later than the date that is 6 months after 
                the date of enactment of this subsection.
            ``(4) Reporting requirements.--
                    ``(A) Triennial report.--If a State, pursuant to 
                paragraph (1), authorizes vehicles described in such 
                paragraph to operate on Interstate System routes in the 
                State, the State shall submit to the Secretary a 
                triennial report containing--
                            ``(i) an identification of highway routes 
                        in the State, including routes not on the 
                        Interstate System, on which the State so 
                        authorizes such vehicles to operate;
                            ``(ii) a description of any gross vehicle 
                        weight limit applicable to such vehicles so 
                        authorized and of any operating requirements 
                        applicable to such vehicles that are in 
                        addition to requirements applicable to all 
                        commercial motor vehicles;
                            ``(iii) the number of crashes that occurred 
                        in the State involving such vehicles so 
                        authorized on the Interstate System, the number 
                        of such crashes involving fatalities, and the 
                        number of such crashes involving non-fatal 
                        injuries;
                            ``(iv) estimated vehicle miles traveled on 
                        the Interstate System in the State by such 
                        vehicles so authorized; and
                            ``(v) other information, such as the gross 
                        vehicle weight of a vehicle operating pursuant 
                        to the authority of this subsection at the time 
                        of a crash, as the Secretary and the State 
                        jointly determine necessary.
                    ``(B) Public availability.--The Secretary shall 
                make all information required under subparagraph (A) 
                available to the public.
            ``(5) Termination as to route segment.--The Secretary may 
        terminate the operation of vehicles authorized by a State under 
        this subsection on a specific Interstate System route segment 
        if, after the effective date of a decision of a State to allow 
        vehicles to operate pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary 
        determines that such 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.
            ``(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.
            ``(7) Preserving state and local authority regarding non-
        interstate system highways.--Subsection (b) of this section 
        shall not apply to motor vehicles operating on the Interstate 
        System solely under the authority provided by this 
        subsection.''.