I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 612 
To amend title 23, United States Code, with respect to vehicle weight 
limitations applicable to the Interstate System, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 12, 2013 
Mr. MICHAUD (for himself, Mr. RIBBLE, Mr. WALZ, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. 
SCHRADER, and Mr. YOUNG of Alaska) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 23, United States Code, with respect to 
vehicle weight limitations applicable to the Interstate 
System, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe and Efficient 
Transportation Act of 2013’’. 
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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: 
‘‘(j) ADDITIONAL EXCEPTION TO WEIGHT REQUIRE-
MENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsection 
(a), a State may authorize a vehicle with a max-
imum gross weight, including all enforcement toler-
ances, that exceeds the maximum gross weight oth-
erwise applicable under subsection (a) to operate on 
the 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, includ-
ing enforcement tolerances; 
‘‘(C) the weight of any tandem axle on the 
vehicle does not exceed 34,000 pounds, includ-
ing 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; and 
‘‘(E) the gross weight of the vehicle does 
not exceed 97,000 pounds, including enforce-
ment tolerances. 
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‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULES.— 
‘‘(A) 
OTHER
EXCEPTIONS
NOT
AF-
FECTED.—This subsection shall not restrict— 
‘‘(i) a vehicle that may operate under 
any other provision of this section or an-
other 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) INCREASE
IN
AXLE
WEIGHT
RE-
QUIREMENT.—A State may authorize a vehicle 
to exceed the maximum axle weight require-
ments under any one axle grouping in subpara-
graph (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1) by not 
more than 2,000 pounds. 
‘‘(3) STATE AUTHORIZATION.—A State seeking 
to authorize a vehicle to operate on the Interstate 
System routes within its boundaries under para-
graph (1) or to increase the maximum axle weight 
requirements under paragraph (2) shall do so pursu-
ant to authority provided under the laws of the 
State. 
‘‘(4) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
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‘‘(A) ANNUAL REPORT.—If a State author-
izes vehicles described in paragraph (1) to oper-
ate on highway routes in the State in a fiscal 
year, the State shall submit to the Secretary for 
the fiscal year an annual report at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Secretary may require, including, at 
a minimum, the following: 
‘‘(i) An identification of highway 
routes in the State, including routes not on 
the Interstate System, on which the State 
authorizes vehicles described in paragraph 
(1) to operate. 
‘‘(ii) A description of the operating re-
quirements and gross vehicle weight limits 
applicable to the vehicles described in para-
graph (1). 
‘‘(iii) Safety statistics, including esti-
mated vehicle miles traveled data, con-
cerning the vehicles described in paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(B) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The Sec-
retary shall make all information required 
under subparagraph (A) available to the public. 
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‘‘(5) TERMINATION.—The Secretary may termi-
nate the operation of vehicles authorized under this 
subsection on a specific Interstate System route seg-
ment if the Secretary determines that such operation 
poses an unreasonable safety risk based on an engi-
neering analysis or an analysis of safety data or any 
other applicable data the Secretary may use. 
‘‘(6) WAIVER OF HIGHWAY FUNDING REDUC-
TION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), the total 
amount of funds apportioned to a State under sec-
tion 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 Inter-
state System in the State in accordance with this 
subsection or subsection (k). 
‘‘(k) VEHICLES LAWFULLY OPERATING ON DECEM-
BER 31, 2012.—In addition to authority otherwise pro-
vided to a State under this section, a State may permit 
a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight that could have been 
lawfully operated on the Interstate System in the State 
on December 31, 2012, to operate on the Interstate Sys-
tem in that State upon the date of enactment of this sub-
section.’’. 
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SEC. 3. SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE BRIDGE INFRA-
STRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 171. Safe and efficient vehicle bridge infrastruc-
ture improvement program 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a safe and efficient vehicle bridge infrastructure im-
provement program in accordance with this section. 
‘‘(b) APPORTIONMENT
OF FUNDS
TO ELIGIBLE 
STATES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—On October 1 of each fiscal 
year, the Secretary shall apportion, in accordance 
with paragraph (2), the sums made available out of 
the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund for that 
fiscal year to carry out this section. 
‘‘(2) RATIO TO ELIGIBLE STATES.—The sums 
made available out of the Safe and Efficient Vehicle 
Trust Fund shall be apportioned among eligible 
States in a ratio that— 
‘‘(A) the total vehicle miles traveled on 
Interstate System highways by vehicles author-
ized to travel on such highways pursuant to sec-
tion 127(j) in each eligible State, as determined 
by the Secretary; bears to 
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‘‘(B) the total vehicle miles traveled on 
Interstate System highways by vehicles author-
ized to travel on such highways pursuant to sec-
tion 127(j) in all eligible States, as determined 
by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—An eligible State that re-
ceives an apportionment in a fiscal year under subsection 
(b) shall use the amounts of the apportionment for bridge 
projects eligible for assistance under this chapter that are 
located on the Interstate System. 
‘‘(d) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—Funds made available 
out of the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund to carry 
out this section shall be available for obligation in the 
same manner as if the funds were made available from 
the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 
Account). 
‘‘(e) ELIGIBLE STATE DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘eligible State’ means a State that authorizes a 
vehicle described in section 127(j) to operate on the Inter-
state System within its borders.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for such 
chapter is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘171. Safe and efficient vehicle bridge infrastructure improvement program.’’. 
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SEC. 4. SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE CHARGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 4481 of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘In the case of the use of any highway motor vehicle de-
scribed in section 127(j) of title 23, United States Code, 
if that vehicle is used on the Interstate System with a 
gross weight in excess of 80,000 pounds, in lieu of the 
rate in the table, the rate shall be equal to the lesser of— 
‘‘(1) $100 per year, plus $22 for each 1,000 
pounds (or fraction thereof) in excess of 55,000 
pounds, or 
‘‘(2) $800 per year.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall apply to taxable periods beginning after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 5. SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE TRUST FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to the trust fund 
code) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section: 
‘‘SEC. 9512. SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE TRUST FUND. 
‘‘(a) CREATION OF FUND.—There is hereby estab-
lished in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be 
known as the ‘Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund’, 
consisting of such amounts as may be— 
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‘‘(1) appropriated to the Safe and Efficient Ve-
hicle Trust Fund as provided in this section, or 
‘‘(2) credited to the Safe and Efficient Vehicle 
Trust Fund as provided in section 9602(b). 
‘‘(b) TRANSFER TO SAFE AND EFFICIENT VEHICLE 
TRUST FUND OF AMOUNTS EQUIVALENT TO CERTAIN 
TAXES.—There are hereby appropriated to the Safe and 
Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund amounts equivalent to the 
taxes received in the Treasury under section 4481(a) 
which are attributable to the use of any highway motor 
vehicle described in section 127(j) of title 23, United 
States Code, if that vehicle is used on the Interstate Sys-
tem with a gross weight in excess of 80,000 pounds. 
‘‘(c) EXPENDITURES FROM SAFE AND EFFICIENT 
VEHICLE TRUST FUND.—Amounts in the Safe and Effi-
cient Vehicle Trust Fund shall be available, as provided 
by appropriations Acts, for fiscal years beginning 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this section for projects 
eligible for assistance under section 171(c) of title 23, 
United States Code.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Paragraph (1) of section 9503(b) of such 
Code is amended by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘, and taxes received under section 
4481 shall be determined without regard to those re-
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