SEC. 6. WAIVERS OF WEIGHT LIMITATIONS DURING PERI-
ODS OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY. 
Section 127 of title 23, United States Code, is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) WAIVERS
DURING
PERIODS
OF
NATIONAL 
EMERGENCY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this section or section 127a, the Sec-
retary, in consultation with the Secretary of De-
fense, may waive or limit the application of any vehi-
cle weight limit established under this section or sec-
tion 127a with respect to a highway route during a 
period of national emergency in order to respond to 
the effects of the national emergency. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—Emergency limits estab-
lished under paragraph (1) shall preempt any incon-
sistent State vehicle weight limits.’’. 
SEC. 7. VEHICLE WEIGHT LIMITATIONS—NATIONAL HIGH-
WAY SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 127 the following: 
‘‘§ 127a. Vehicle weight limitations—National High-
way System 
‘‘(a) NON-INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS ON NHS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—After the 270th day fol-
lowing the date of enactment of this section, any 
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Interstate weight limit that applies to vehicles and 
combinations (other than longer combination vehi-
cles) operating on the Interstate System in a State 
under section 127 shall also apply to vehicles and 
combinations (other than longer combination vehi-
cles) operating on non-Interstate segments of the 
National Highway System in such State unless such 
segments are subject to lower State weight limits as 
provided for in subsection (d). 
‘‘(2) EXISTING HIGHWAYS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding para-
graph (1), in the case of a non-Interstate seg-
ment of the National Highway System that is 
open to traffic on June 1, 2008, a State may 
allow the operation of any vehicle or combina-
tion (other than a longer combination vehicle) 
on such segment that the Secretary determines 
under subsection (b) could be lawfully operated 
on such segment on June 1, 2008. 
‘‘(B) APPLICABILITY OF STATE LAWS AND 
REGULATIONS.—All operations described in 
subparagraph (A) shall continue to be subject 
to all State statutes, regulations, limitations 
and conditions, including routing-specific, com-
modity-specific, and configuration-specific des-
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ignations and all other restrictions, in force on 
June 1, 2008. 
‘‘(3) NEW
HIGHWAYS.—Subject to subsection 
(d)(1), the gross vehicle weight limitations and axle 
loading limitations applicable to all vehicles and 
combinations (other than longer combination vehi-
cles) on a non-Interstate segment of the National 
Highway System that is not open to traffic on June 
1, 2008, shall be the Interstate weight limit. 
‘‘(b) LISTING OF VEHICLES AND COMBINATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall initiate 
a proceeding to determine and publish a list of vehi-
cles and combinations (other than longer combina-
tion vehicles), otherwise exceeding an Interstate 
weight limit, that could be lawfully operated on a 
non-Interstate segment of the National Highway 
System on June 1, 2008. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In publishing a list of 
vehicles and combinations under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall identify— 
‘‘(A) the gross vehicle weight limitations 
and axle loading limitations in each State appli-
cable, on June 1, 2008, to vehicles and com-
binations (other than longer combination vehi-
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cles) on non-Interstate segments of the Na-
tional Highway System; and 
‘‘(B) operations of vehicles and combina-
tions (other than longer combination vehicles), 
exceeding State gross vehicle weight limitations 
and axle loading limitations identified under 
subparagraph (A), which were in actual and 
lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis 
(including seasonal operations) on June 1, 
2008. 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—An operation of a vehicle or 
combination may not be included on the list pub-
lished under paragraph (1) on the basis that a State 
law or regulation could have authorized such oper-
ation at some prior date by permit or otherwise. 
‘‘(4) PUBLICATION OF FINAL LIST.—Not later 
than 270 days after the date of enactment of this 
section, the Secretary shall publish a final list of ve-
hicles and combinations described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(5) UPDATES.—The Secretary shall update 
the list published under paragraph (1) as necessary 
to reflect new designations made to the National 
Highway System. 
‘‘(c) APPLICABILITY OF LIMITATIONS.—The limita-
tions established by subsection (a) shall apply to any new 
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designation made to the National Highway System and 
remain in effect on those non-Interstate highways that 
cease to be designated as part of the National Highway 
System. 
‘‘(d) LIMITATIONS
ON
STATUTORY
CONSTRUC-
TION.— 
‘‘(1) STATE ENFORCEMENT OF MORE RESTRIC-
TIVE WEIGHT LIMITS.—This section does not pre-
vent a State from maintaining or imposing a weight 
limitation that is more restrictive than the Interstate 
weight limit on vehicles or combinations (other than 
longer combination vehicles) operating on a non- 
Interstate segment of the National Highway System. 
‘‘(2) STATE ACTIONS TO REDUCE WEIGHT LIM-
ITS.—This section does not prevent a State from re-
ducing the State’s gross vehicle weight limitation, 
single or tandem axle weight limitations, or the over-
all maximum gross weight on 2 or more consecutive 
axles on any non-Interstate segment of the National 
Highway System. 
‘‘(e) LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLES.— 
‘‘(1) PROHIBITION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—After the 270th day 
following the date of enactment of this section, 
a longer combination vehicle may continue to 
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operate on a non-Interstate segment of the Na-
tional Highway System only if the operation of 
the longer combination vehicle configuration 
type was authorized by State officials pursuant 
to State statute or regulation on June 1, 2008, 
and in actual and lawful operation on a regular 
or periodic basis (including seasonal operations) 
on or before June 1, 2008. 
‘‘(B) APPLICABILITY OF STATE LAWS AND 
REGULATIONS.—All operations described in 
subparagraph (A) shall continue to be subject 
to all State statutes, regulations, limitations 
and conditions, including routing-specific, com-
modity-specific, and configuration-specific des-
ignations and all other restrictions, in force on 
June 1, 2008. 
‘‘(2) LISTING
OF
VEHICLES
AND
COMBINA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 60 
days after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Secretary shall initiate a proceeding to de-
termine and publish a list of longer combination 
vehicles that could be lawfully operated on non- 
Interstate segments of the National Highway 
System on June 1, 2008. 
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