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HR 551 105th Congress House

Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act of 1997

Official title: To amend the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 and title 23, United States Code, concerning length and weight limitations for vehicles operating on Federal-aid highways.

Introduced: March 6, 1997 See on congress.gov
Transportation and Public Works Administrative procedureDepartment of TransportationEconomics and Public FinanceFederal aid highway program
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Government Operations and PoliticsGovernment publicityInterstate highway systemLawState lawsTraffic accidents and safetyTruckingTrucks
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This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 18, 1997
Referred to the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation.
Feb 4, 1997
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Feb 4, 1997
Introduced in House
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 Latest action February 18, 1997

Referred to the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act of 1997 - Amends the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 to revise length limitations on federally-assisted highways to prohibit States from allowing the operation on highways of the Interstate System and the National Highway System of any trailer, semi-trailer, container, or other cargo-carrying unit that is longer than 53 feet, with specified exceptions.

Amends Federal highway law to terminate all current State (grandfathered) exceptions to Interstate vehicle weight limits, unless the vehicle or combination involved is on a list of vehicles and combinations which could be lawfully operated in the State on July 1, 1956.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations, in order to promote conformity with Interstate weight limits for the safety of all motorists, defining the term "vehicles and loads which cannot be easily dismantled or divided" (nondivisible loads), which shall apply to all loads operating on the National Highway System. Sets forth gross vehicle weight and axle loading limits on non-Interstate highways on the National Highway System.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 3 Independent 1
I
Sanders, Bernard
Vermont · Sep 24, 1997
LIPINSKI, WILLIAM
· Mar 6, 1997
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Mar 6, 1997
 D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Mar 6, 1997
 D
Pelosi, Nancy
California · Feb 25, 1997
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 551: Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act of 1997. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-551/
MLA
"H.R. 551: Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act of 1997." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-551/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 551, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-551/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 551: Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act of 1997](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-551/)
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