I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2143 
To permit commercial vehicles at weights up to 129,000 pounds to use 
certain highways on the Interstate System in the State of Idaho, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 3, 2011 
Mr. SIMPSON (for himself and Mr. LABRADOR) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To permit commercial vehicles at weights up to 129,000 
pounds to use certain highways on the Interstate System 
in the State of Idaho, 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 ‘‘Idaho Efficient Vehicle 
Demonstration Act of 2011’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) certain States, including Montana, Nevada, 
Utah, and Wyoming, have been grandfathered the 
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right to operate 129,000-pound or greater vehicle 
combinations on 9 axles or more on Federal-aid 
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), which allow higher 
weight limits on the Interstate System, and that 
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 Idaho, but does not address the 
Interstate System; 
(5) in enacting the pilot project, the legislature 
required the Idaho Transportation Department to 
report to the legislature on the effect of the project; 
(6) the Idaho Transportation Department is re-
quired to submit reports every 3 years during the 
10-year life of the pilot project that describe the re-
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sults of monitoring and evaluation of all important 
impacts, including impacts to safety, bridges, and 
pavement, on all pilot project routes; 
(7) the pilot project terminates on July 1, 
2013, unless the project is otherwise extended 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sooner repealed by the legislature; 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— 
(A) significant savings in the transpor-
tation of goods throughout the State; and 
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(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, the following definitions apply: 
(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 section 127(a) of title 23, United 
States Code, pursuant to a waiver under that sec-
tion. 
(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 that 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 
129,000 pounds to be operated on specific routes in 
the State. 
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(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 such title for any period 
may not be reduced under such section 127(a) on the basis 
that the State permits a vehicle described in subsection 
(b) to use a covered Interstate System highway in the 
State in accordance with this section. 
(b) VEHICLES COMBINATIONS.—A vehicle referred to 
in subsection (a) 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; 
(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 
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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 Utah 
border; 
(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— 
(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— 
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(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)(B)(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— 
(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 have 
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on the safety of the overall highway system, in ac-
cordance with the terms of the pilot project. 
Æ 
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