HR 471 118th Congress House Transportation and Public Works

SHIP IT Act

Introduced: March 27, 2023 Introduced by: Johnson, Dusty Republican · South Dakota See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Feb 1, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Jan 24, 2023

Introduced in House

Jan 24, 2023

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking Act or the SHIP IT Act

This bill expands programs and special permits for trucks and truck drivers.

Specifically, a state may issue a special permit for certain overweight vehicles based on a Presidential major disaster declaration or a Department of Transportation (DOT) declaration (1) of an emergency (including non-natural or financial), or (2) that the United States supply chain is having issues. Currently, a state may issue a special permit only based on a Presidential major disaster declaration.

DOT must also, subject to the availability of funds, award competitive grants to construct or improve commercial vehicle parking facilities.

Under the bill, the Department of Labor must provide Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grants for entry level commercial motor vehicle driver training. The bill also establishes a limited tax credit, adjusted annually based on inflation, for eligible commercial driver's license holders.

Further, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration must revise certain regulations related to commercial driver's license testing and permits, including to allow a third-party examiner to administer commercial driver's license tests.

DOT must also establish a pilot program allowing states to issue permits for qualifying vehicles with six axles or more operating at greater than 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight on a state's Interstate System. (Generally, the federal commercial vehicle weight limit is 80,000 pounds, with some exceptions.)

The bill also exempts the battery weight from the gross vehicle weight for certain commercial motor vehicles powered primarily by electric battery power.

Finally, existing driving time exemptions are expanded for truck drivers transporting agricultural commodities and farm supplies within a 150-mile radius.

What's happening now February 1, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Related & companion bills 3

Bill text 1 version

Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 4

Education and Workforce Committee
House of Representatives
Highways and Transit Subcommittee
House of Representatives · subcommittee of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
House of Representatives
Ways and Means Committee
House of Representatives

Lobbying activity 25

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. (TMA)
for TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA INC (TMA) · District of Columbia · 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2026
NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION
for NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION · Virginia · 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2026
COALITION AGAINST BIGGER TRUCKS
for COALITION AGAINST BIGGER TRUCKS · Virginia · 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2026
NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION
for NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION · Virginia · 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2026
COALITION AGAINST BIGGER TRUCKS
for COALITION AGAINST BIGGER TRUCKS · Virginia · 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2026
TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. (TMA)
for TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA INC (TMA) · District of Columbia · 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2026