What it changes

1 change to S. 3036 · shown in the bill's text

Adds a section
  1. Adds TITLE XVIII--COMMERCIAL TRUCK FUEL SAVINGS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM at the end of the bill

    Adds a title

    In S. 3036 · Placed on Calendar Senate

    (3) in subparagraph (A), by striking "air pollution which" and inserting "air pollution or water pollution (including any degradation in the quality of groundwater) that".

    Inserted: TITLE XVIII--COMMERCIAL TRUCK FUEL SAVINGS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

    Inserted: SEC. 1801. FINDINGS.

    Inserted: Congress finds that--

    Inserted: (1) diesel fuel prices have increased more than 50 percent during the 1-year period between May 2007 and May 2008;

    Inserted: (2) laws governing Federal highway funding effectively impose a limit of 80,000 pounds on the weight of vehicles permitted to use highways on the Interstate System;

    Inserted: (3) the administration of that provision in many States has forced heavy tractor-trailer and tractor-semitrailer combination vehicles traveling in those States to divert onto small State and local roads on which higher vehicle weight limits apply under State law;

    Inserted: (4) the diversion of those vehicles onto those roads increases fuel costs because of increased idling time and total travel time along those roads; and

    Inserted: (5) permitting heavy commercial vehicles, including tanker trucks carrying hazardous material and fuel oil, to travel on Interstate System highways when fuel prices are high would provide significant savings in the transportation of goods throughout the United States.

    Inserted: SEC. 1802. DEFINITIONS.

    Inserted: In this title:

    Inserted: (1) Commissioner.--The term "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Transportation of a State.

    Inserted: (2) Covered interstate system highway.--

    Show 30 more inserted paragraphs

    Inserted: (A) In general.--The term "covered Interstate System highway" means a highway designated as a route on the Interstate System.

    Inserted: (B) Exclusion.--The term "covered Interstate System highway" does not include any portion of a highway that, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, is exempt from the requirements of subsection (a) of section 127 of title 23, United States Code, pursuant to a waiver under that subsection.

    Inserted: (3) Interstate system.--The term "Interstate System" has the meaning given the term in section 101(a) of title 23, United States Code.

    Inserted: SEC. 1803. WAIVER OF HIGHWAY FUNDING REDUCTION RELATING TO WEIGHT OF VEHICLES USING INTERSTATE SYSTEM HIGHWAYS.

    Inserted: (a) Prohibition Relating to Certain Vehicles.--Notwithstanding section 127(a) of title 23, United States Code, the total amount of funds apportioned to a State under section 104(b)(1) of that title for any period may not be reduced under section 127(a) of that title if a State permits a vehicle described in subsection (b) to use a covered Interstate System highway in the State in accordance with the conditions described in subsection (c).

    Inserted: (b) Combination Vehicles in Excess of 80,000 Pounds.--A vehicle described in this subsection is a vehicle having a weight in excess of 80,000 pounds that--

    Inserted: (1) consists of a 3-axle tractor unit hauling a single trailer or semitrailer; and

    Inserted: (2) does not exceed any vehicle weight limitation that is applicable under the laws of a State to the operation 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.

    Inserted: (c) Conditions.--This section shall apply at any time at which the weighted average price of retail number 2 diesel in the United States is $3.50 or more per gallon.

    Inserted: (d) Effective Date and Termination.--This section shall not remain in effect--

    Inserted: (1) after the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act; or

    Inserted: (2) before the end of that 2-year period, after any date on which the Secretary of Transportation--

    Inserted: (A) determines that--

    Inserted: (i) operation of vehicles described in subsection (b) on covered Interstate System highways has adversely affected safety on the overall highway network; or

    Inserted: (ii) a Commissioner has failed faithfully to use the highway safety committee as described in section 1805(2)(A) or to collect the data described in section 1805(3); and

    Inserted: (B) publishes the determination, together with the date of termination of this section, in the Federal Register.

    Inserted: (e) Consultation Regarding Termination for Safety.--In making a determination under subsection (d)(2)(A)(i), the Secretary of Transportation shall consult with the highway safety committee established by a Commissioner in accordance with section 1805.

    Inserted: SEC. 1804. GAO TRUCK SAFETY DEMONSTRATION REPORT.

    Inserted: The Comptroller General of the United States shall carry out a study of the effects of participation in the program under section 1803 on the safety of the overall highway network in States participating in that program.

    Inserted: SEC. 1805. RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATES.

    Inserted: For the purpose of section 1803, a State shall be considered to meet the conditions under this section if the Commissioner of the State--

    Inserted: (1) submits to the Secretary of Transportation a plan for use in meeting the conditions described in paragraphs (2) and (3);

    Inserted: (2) establishes and chairs a highway safety committee that--

    Inserted: (A) the Commissioner uses to review the data collected pursuant to paragraph (3); and

    Inserted: (B) consists of representatives of--

    Inserted: (i) agencies of the State that have responsibilities relating to highway safety;

    Inserted: (ii) municipalities of the State;

    Inserted: (iii) organizations that have evaluation or promotion of highway safety among the principal purposes of the organizations; and

    Inserted: (iv) the commercial trucking industry; and

    Inserted: (3) collects data on the net effects that the operation of vehicles described in section 1803(b) on covered Interstate System highways have on the safety of the overall highway network, including the net effects on single-vehicle and multiple-vehicle collision rates for those vehicles.

    Original wording

    At the end, add the following:

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As printed

SA 4887. Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Ms. Snowe) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 3036, to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end, add the following:

TITLE XVIII--COMMERCIAL TRUCK FUEL SAVINGS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

SEC. 1801. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--

(1) diesel fuel prices have increased more than 50 percent during the 1-year period between May 2007 and May 2008;

(2) laws governing Federal highway funding effectively impose a limit of 80,000 pounds on the weight of vehicles permitted to use highways on the Interstate System;

(3) the administration of that provision in many States has forced heavy tractor-trailer and tractor-semitrailer combination vehicles traveling in those States to divert onto small State and local roads on which higher vehicle weight limits apply under State law;

(4) the diversion of those vehicles onto those roads increases fuel costs because of increased idling time and total travel time along those roads; and

(5) permitting heavy commercial vehicles, including tanker trucks carrying hazardous material and fuel oil, to travel on Interstate System highways when fuel prices are high would provide significant savings in the transportation of goods throughout the United States.

SEC. 1802. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:

(1) Commissioner.--The term “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Transportation of a State.

(2) Covered interstate system highway.--

(A) In general.--The term “covered Interstate System highway” means a highway designated as a route on the Interstate System.

(B) Exclusion.--The term “covered Interstate System highway” does not include any portion of a highway that, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, is exempt from the requirements of subsection (a) of section 127 of title 23, United States Code, pursuant to a waiver under that subsection.

(3) Interstate system.--The term “Interstate System” has the meaning given the term in section 101(a) of title 23, United States Code.

SEC. 1803. WAIVER OF HIGHWAY FUNDING REDUCTION RELATING TO WEIGHT OF VEHICLES USING INTERSTATE SYSTEM HIGHWAYS.

(a) Prohibition Relating to Certain Vehicles.--Notwithstanding section 127(a) of title 23, United States Code, the total amount of funds apportioned to a State under section 104(b)(1) of that title for any period may not be reduced under section 127(a) of that title if a State permits a vehicle described in subsection (b) to use a covered Interstate System highway in the State in accordance with the conditions described in subsection (c).

(b) Combination Vehicles in Excess of 80,000 Pounds.--A vehicle described in this subsection is a vehicle having a weight in excess of 80,000 pounds that--

(1) consists of a 3-axle tractor unit hauling a single trailer or semitrailer; and

(2) does not exceed any vehicle weight limitation that is applicable under the laws of a State to the operation 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.

(c) Conditions.--This section shall apply at any time at which the weighted average price of retail number 2 diesel in the United States is $3.50 or more per gallon.

(d) Effective Date and Termination.--This section shall not remain in effect--

(1) after the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act; or

(2) before the end of that 2-year period, after any date on which the Secretary of Transportation--

(A) determines that--

(i) operation of vehicles described in subsection (b) on covered Interstate System highways has adversely affected safety on the overall highway network; or

(ii) a Commissioner has failed faithfully to use the highway safety committee as described in section 1805(2)(A) or to collect the data described in section 1805(3); and

(B) publishes the determination, together with the date of termination of this section, in the Federal Register.

(e) Consultation Regarding Termination for Safety.--In making a determination under subsection (d)(2)(A)(i), the Secretary of Transportation shall consult with the highway safety committee established by a Commissioner in accordance with section 1805.

SEC. 1804. GAO TRUCK SAFETY DEMONSTRATION REPORT.

The Comptroller General of the United States shall carry out a study of the effects of participation in the program under section 1803 on the safety of the overall highway network in States participating in that program.

SEC. 1805. RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATES.

For the purpose of section 1803, a State shall be considered to meet the conditions under this section if the Commissioner of the State--

(1) submits to the Secretary of Transportation a plan for use in meeting the conditions described in paragraphs (2) and (3);

(2) establishes and chairs a highway safety committee that--

(A) the Commissioner uses to review the data collected pursuant to paragraph (3); and

(B) consists of representatives of--

(i) agencies of the State that have responsibilities relating to highway safety;

(ii) municipalities of the State;

(iii) organizations that have evaluation or promotion of highway safety among the principal purposes of the organizations; and

(iv) the commercial trucking industry; and

(3) collects data on the net effects that the operation of vehicles described in section 1803(b) on covered Interstate System highways have on the safety of the overall highway network, including the net effects on single-vehicle and multiple-vehicle collision rates for those vehicles.

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Senate amendment submitted

June 5, 2008