S1818-118

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Safe Routes Act of 2023.

2. Vehicle weight exemption for certain logging vehicles Section 127 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: The Secretary shall waive, for a covered logging vehicle, the application of any vehicle weight limit established under this section. The waiver under this subsection shall only apply with respect to a State legal weight tolerance in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection. In this subsection, the term covered logging vehicle means a vehicle that— is transporting raw or unfinished forest products, including logs, pulpwood, biomass, or wood chips; is traveling a distance of not more than 150 air miles on the Interstate System from the point of origin to a storage or processing facility; and meets applicable State legal weight tolerances and vehicle configurations for transporting raw or unfinished forest products within the boundaries of each State in which the vehicle is operating. (x)Certain logging vehicles(1)In generalThe Secretary shall waive, for a covered logging vehicle, the application of any vehicle weight limit established under this section.(2)Application of weight tolerancesThe waiver under this subsection shall only apply with respect to a State legal weight tolerance in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection.(3)Definition of covered logging vehicleIn this subsection, the term covered logging vehicle means a vehicle that—(A)is transporting raw or unfinished forest products, including logs, pulpwood, biomass, or wood chips;(B)is traveling a distance of not more than 150 air miles on the Interstate System from the point of origin to a storage or processing facility; and(C)meets applicable State legal weight tolerances and vehicle configurations for transporting raw or unfinished forest products within the boundaries of each State in which the vehicle is operating..