‘‘(3) LIMITATION
ON
STATUTORY
CONSTRUC-
TION.—Nothing in this subsection shall be construed
to prevent a State from reducing the State’s gross
vehicle weight limitation or the State’s single or tan-
dem axle weight limitations on the Interstate System
for operations on the list published pursuant to
paragraph (2) but in no event shall any such reduc-
tion fall below weight limits referred to in subsection
(a).
‘‘(4) APPLICABILITY
OF
EXISTING
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—All vehicles or combinations included on
the list published pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be
subject to all routing-specific, commodity-specific,
and weight-specific designations in force in a State
before January 1, 1997.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The 4th sentence
of section 127(a) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘the
State determines’’.
SEC. 4. NONDIVISIBLE LOAD PROCEEDING.
Section 127 of title 23, United States Code, is further
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(i) NONDIVISIBLE LOADS.—
‘‘(1) PROCEEDING.—Not later than 60 days
after the date of the enactment of this subsection,
the Secretary shall initiate a proceeding to deter-
mine the meaning of the term ‘vehicles and loads
which cannot be easily dismantled or divided’ as
used in subsection (a), including a commodity-spe-
cific definition of such term.
‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 270 days
after the date of the enactment of this subsection,
the Secretary shall issue final regulations setting
forth the determination of the Secretary made pur-
suant to subparagraph (A). Such regulations shall
apply to all loads operating on the National High-
way System. A State may establish other require-
ments not inconsistent with such regulations.
‘‘(j) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—The policy of this title
is to promote conformity with the Interstate weight limits
for the benefit and safety of all motorists.
‘‘(k) INTERSTATE WEIGHT LIMITS DEFINED.—For
purposes of subsections (h), (i), and (j), the term ‘Inter-
state weight limits’ means the 80,000 pound gross vehicle
weight limitation, the 20,000 pound single axle weight lim-
itation (including enforcement tolerances), the 34,000
pound tandem axle weight limitation (including enforce-
ment tolerances), and the overall maximum gross weight
(including enforcement tolerances) on a group of 2 or
more consecutive axles produced by application of the
Bridge Formula B in subsection (a).’’.
SEC. 5. WEIGHT LIMITATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 23, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after section 127 the following:
‘‘§ 127a. Gross vehicle weight and axle loading limita-
tions on non-Interstate highways on the
National Highway System
‘‘(a) NON-INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS ON NHS.—The
gross vehicle weight limitations and axle loading limita-
tions applicable to all vehicles and combinations on any
non-Interstate highway on the National Highway System
in existence on the date of the enactment of this section,
shall be the gross vehicle weight and axle loading limita-
tions (including enforcement tolerances) set by State stat-
ute as of January 1, 1997, on the non-Interstate highway
on the National Highway System in the State in which
such non-Interstate highway is located, except as provided
by subsection (c). The gross vehicle weight limitations and
axle loading limitations applicable to all vehicles and com-
binations on any segment of any non-Interstate highway
on the National Highway System not in existence on the
date of the enactment of this section, shall be the Inter-
state weight limits.
‘‘(b) PROCEEDING TO PUBLISH LIST OF STATE LIM-
ITATIONS.—The Secretary shall initiate a proceeding to
determine and publish a list of the States’ gross vehicle
weight limitations and axle loading limitations as of Janu-
ary 1, 1997, applicable to non-Interstate highways on the
National Highway System. The Secretary shall publish a
final list not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this section.
‘‘(c) PROCEEDING TO PUBLISH LIST
OF NON-
CONFORMING OPERATIONS.—The Secretary shall initiate
a proceeding to determine and publish a list of operations
not in conformance with State gross vehicle weight limita-
tions and axle loading limitations applicable to all vehicles
and combinations on any non-Interstate highways on the
National Highway System in existence on the date of the
enactment of this section, of such State before January
1, 1997, and which were in actual and lawful operation
on a regular or periodic basis (including seasonal oper-
ations) before January 1, 1997. The Secretary shall pub-
lish a final list of such operations not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this section. No oper-
ation of any vehicle or combination shall be on the Sec-
retary’s list on the basis that a State law or regulation
could have authorized such operations at some prior date,
by permit or otherwise.
‘‘(d) 
APPLICABILITY
OF
EXISTING
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—All vehicles or combinations included on the Sec-
retary’s list provided for in subsection (c) shall be subject
to all routing-specific, commodity-specific, and weight-spe-
cific designations in force in a State on December 31,
1996.
‘‘(e) APPLICABILITY.—The limitations established by
subsection (a) shall apply to any new designations 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.
‘‘(f) LIMITATION ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any
State from reducing the State’s gross vehicle weight limi-
tation or the State’s single or tandem axle weight limita-
tions on any existing non-Interstate highway on the Na-
tional Highway System.
‘‘(g) INTERSTATE WEIGHT LIMITS DEFINED.—For
purposes of this section, the term ‘Interstate weight limits’
means the 80,000 pound gross vehicle weight limitation,
the 20,000 pound single axle weight limitation (including
enforcement tolerances), and the 34,000 pound tandem
axle weight limitation (including enforcement toler-
ances).’’.
(b) ENFORCEMENT
OF
REQUIREMENTS.—Section
141(a) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘section
127(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 127 and 127a’’.
(c) CONFORMING
CHAPTER
ANALYSIS
AMEND-
MENT.—The analysis for chapter 1 of such title is amend-
ed by inserting after the item relating to section 127 the
following:
‘‘127a. Gross vehicle weight and axle loading limitations on non-Interstate high-
ways on the National Highway System.’’.
Æ