(1) States including Montana, Nevada, Utah, 
and Wyoming have been grandfathered the right to 
operate up to 129,000-pound or greater vehicle com-
binations on 9 axles or more on Federal highways; 
(2) laws governing Federal highway funding ef-
fectively impose a limit of 105,500 pounds on the 
weight of vehicles permitted to use the Interstate 
System within the State of Idaho; 
(3) the State of Idaho is surrounded by the 
States specified in paragraph (1) that allow higher 
weight limits on the Interstate System, which puts 
the State of Idaho at a disadvantage in moving 
freight within Idaho and into those surrounding 
States; 
(4) in 2003, the legislature of the State of 
Idaho adopted House Bill 395, which established a 
10-year pilot project that allows vehicle combinations 
up to 129,000 pounds to be operated on 10 axles on 
specific routes in that State, but does not address 
the Interstate System; 
(5) in enacting the pilot project program in 
House Bill 395 of the State, the legislature required 
the Idaho Transportation Department to report to 
the legislature on the effect of the program; 
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(6) the Idaho Transportation Department is re-
quired to submit reports every 3 years during the 
10-year life of the pilot project program that de-
scribe the results of monitoring and evaluation of all 
important impacts, including impacts to safety, 
bridges, and pavement, on all pilot project routes; 
(7) the pilot project program terminates on 
July 1, 2013, unless the program is otherwise ex-
tended or sooner repealed by the legislature; 
(8) the administration of the pilot project, cou-
pled with the fact that vehicle combinations cannot 
operate at 129,000 pounds on the Interstate System, 
has forced those heavier vehicle combinations to di-
vert onto small State and local roads on which high-
er vehicle weight limits are allowed under State law; 
(9) the diversion of those vehicles onto those 
roads increases fuel costs because of increased idling 
time and total travel time along those roads; 
(10) the cost of transportation fuel has in-
creased more than 80 percent between calendar 
years 2007 and 2008; and 
(11) permitting commercial vehicles to travel on 
a select few Interstate System highways within the 
State at increased weight limits would provide— 
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(A) significant savings in the transpor-
tation of goods throughout the State; and 
(B) substantial data and an opportunity 
for analysis of the impacts of the vehicles on 
bridges, highway safety, and pavements. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COVERED
INTERSTATE
SYSTEM
HIGH-
WAY.—The term ‘‘covered Interstate System high-
way’’ means any portion of a highway designated as 
a route on the Interstate System that, as of the date 
of enactment of this Act, is not exempt from the re-
quirements of subsection (a) of section 127 of title 
23, United States Code, pursuant to a waiver under 
that subsection. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Idaho Transportation Depart-
ment. 
(3) INTERSTATE
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Inter-
state System’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 101(a) of title 23, United States Code. 
(4) PILOT PROJECT.—The term ‘‘pilot project’’ 
means the 10-year pilot project of the State, estab-
lished in 2003 under House Bill 395 of the State, 
that permits vehicle combinations weighing up to 
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129,000 pounds to be operated on specific routes in 
that State. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Idaho. 
SEC. 4. WAIVER OF HIGHWAY FUNDING REDUCTION RELAT-
ING TO WEIGHT OF VEHICLES USING INTER-
STATE SYSTEM HIGHWAYS. 
(a) PROHIBITION RELATING
TO CERTAIN VEHI-
CLES.—Notwithstanding section 127(a) of title 23, United 
States Code, the total amount of funds apportioned to the 
State under section 104(b)(1) of that title for any period 
may not be reduced under section 127(a) of that title if 
the State permits a vehicle combination described in sub-
section (b) to use a covered Interstate System highway 
in the State in accordance with this Act. 
(b) COMBINATION VEHICLES IN EXCESS OF 105,500 
POUNDS UP TO 129,000 POUNDS.—A vehicle described in 
this subsection is a vehicle that— 
(1) has a weight in excess of 105,500 pounds 
but not more than 129,000 pounds; 
(2) consists of a power unit hauling 2 or more 
trailers or semitrailers; 
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(3) does not exceed any vehicle weight limita-
tion that is applicable under State law to the oper-
ation of the vehicle on highways in the State that 
are not part of the Interstate System, as those laws 
are in effect on the date of enactment of this Act; 
and 
(4) is limited to travel only on— 
(A) the portion of Interstate Route 15 ex-
tending from the Montana border to the junc-
tion with Interstate Route 86; 
(B) the portion of Interstate Route 86 ex-
tending from the junction of Interstate Route 
15 to the junction with Interstate Route 84; 
and 
(C) the portion of Interstate Route 84 ex-
tending from the Utah border to the Oregon 
border. 
(c) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
this section and the authority provided under this 
section shall terminate on July 1, 2013. 
(2) EXCEPTIONS.—This section and the author-
ity provided under this section shall terminate on— 
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(A) a date that is later than the date spec-
ified in paragraph (1), if the project is extended 
to that later date by the State; or 
(B) any date that is before, on, or after 
the date specified in paragraph (1), if the Sec-
retary— 
(i) determines that— 
(I) operation of vehicles described 
in subsection (b) on covered Interstate 
System highways has adversely af-
fected safety on the overall highway 
system; or 
(II) the Director has failed to 
collect the data described in section 
5(2); and 
(ii) publishes the determination, to-
gether with the date of termination of this 
section, in the Federal Register. 
(d) CONSULTATION REGARDING TERMINATION FOR 
SAFETY.—In making a determination under subsection 
(c)(2)(A)(i), the Secretary shall consult with the Director. 
SEC. 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE . 
For the purpose of section 4, the State shall be con-
sidered to meet the conditions under this section if the 
Director— 
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(1) submits to the Secretary a plan for use in 
meeting the conditions described in paragraph (2); 
and 
(2) collects data on the net effects that the op-
eration of vehicles described in section 4(b) on cov-
ered Interstate System highways in the State has on 
the safety of the overall highway system, as required 
by House Bill 395 of the State. 
Æ 
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