49 U.S.C. § 31110 — Authorization of appropriations

Page 850 TITLE 49—TRANSPORTATION [§ 31109 (Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 993; Pub. L. 109–59, title IV, § 4111(a), Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1722.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 31108 .......... (uncodified). Dec. 18, 1991, Pub. L. 102–240, § 4002(j), 105 Stat. 2144. The words ‘‘safety duties and powers’’ are substituted for ‘‘safety functions’’ for clarity and consistency in the revised title. The reference to fiscal year 1992 is omitted as obsolete. Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (b)(4), is Pub. L. 96–480, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2311, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 63 (§ 3701 et seq.) of Title 15, Com- merce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under sec- tion 3701 of Title 15 and Tables. AMENDMENTS 2005—Pub. L. 109–59 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as fol- lows: ‘‘Not more than $lllll may be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for the fiscal year ending September 30, 19l, to carry out the safety du- ties and powers of the Federal Highway Administra- tion.’’ [§ 31109. Repealed. Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title V, § 5101(e)(4), Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1525] Section, added Pub. L. 109–59, title IV, § 4109(b)(1), Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1721, related to performance and registration information system management. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF REPEAL Repeal effective Oct. 1, 2016, subject to a transition provision, see section 5101(f), (g) of Pub. L. 114–94, set out as Effective Date of 2015 Amendment and Transi- tion notes under section 31102 of this title. § 31110. Authorization of appropriations (a) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—There are au- thorized to be appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Ac- count) for the Secretary of Transportation to pay administrative expenses of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration— (1) $360,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; (2) $367,500,000 for fiscal year 2023; (3) $375,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; (4) $382,500,000 for fiscal year 2025; and (5) $390,000,000 for fiscal year 2026. (b) USE OF FUNDS.—The funds authorized by this section shall be used for— (1) personnel costs; (2) administrative infrastructure; (3) rent; (4) information technology; (5) programs for research and technology, in- formation management, regulatory develop- ment, and the administration of performance and registration information systems manage- ment under section 31106(b); (6) programs for outreach and education under subsection (c); (7) other operating expenses; (8) conducting safety reviews of new opera- tors; and (9) such other expenses as may from time to time become necessary to implement statu- tory mandates of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration not funded from other sources. (c) OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may con- duct, through any combination of grants, con- tracts, cooperative agreements, and other ac- tivities, an internal and external outreach and education program to be administered by the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The program author- ized under this subsection may support, in ad- dition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, the recognition, prevention, and re- porting of human trafficking, while deferring to existing resources, as practicable. (2) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of an outreach and education project for which a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement is made under this subsection may be up to 100 percent of the cost of the project. (3) FUNDING.—From amounts made available under subsection (a), the Secretary shall make available not more than $4,000,000 each fiscal year to carry out this subsection. (d) CONTRACT AUTHORITY; INITIAL DATE OF AVAILABILITY.—Amounts authorized from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Tran- sit Account) by this section shall be available for obligation on the date of their apportion- ment or allocation or on October 1 of the fiscal year for which they are authorized, whichever occurs first. (e) FUNDING AVAILABILITY.—Amounts made available under this section shall remain avail- able until expended. (f) CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION.—The approval of funds by the Secretary under this section is a contractual obligation of the Federal Govern- ment for payment of the Federal Government’s share of costs. (Added Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title V, § 5103(a), Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1526; amended Pub. L. 115–99, § 3, Jan. 3, 2018, 131 Stat. 2242; Pub. L. 117–58, div. B, title III, § 23001(a), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 756.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2021—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–58 added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a) which authorized appro- priations for administrative expenses of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for fiscal years 2016 to 2020. 2018—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–99 inserted at end ‘‘The program authorized under this subsection may support, in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, the recognition, prevention, and report- ing of human trafficking, while deferring to existing re- sources, as practicable.’’ Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Oct. 1, 2015, see section 1003 of Pub. L. 114–94, set out as an Effective Date of 2015 Amend- Page 851 TITLE 49—TRANSPORTATION § 31111 ment note under section 5313 of Title 5, Government Or- ganization and Employees. SUBCHAPTER II—LENGTH AND WIDTH LIMITATIONS § 31111. Length limitations (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following definitions apply: (1) AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORTER.—The term ‘‘automobile transporter’’ means any vehicle combination designed and used for the trans- port of assembled highway vehicles, including truck camper units. An automobile trans- porter shall not be prohibited from the trans- port of cargo or general freight on a backhaul, so long as it complies with weight limitations for a truck tractor and semitrailer combina- tion. (2) MAXI-CUBE VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘maxi- cube vehicle’’ means a truck tractor combined with a semitrailer and a separable property- carrying unit designed to be loaded and un- loaded through the semitrailer, with the length of the separable property-carrying unit being not more than 34 feet and the length of the vehicle combination being not more than 65 feet. (3) TRUCK TRACTOR.—The term ‘‘truck trac- tor’’ means— (A) a non-property-carrying power unit that operates in combination with a semitrailer or trailer; or (B) a power unit that carries as property motor vehicles when operating in combina- tion with a semitrailer in transporting motor vehicles or any other commodity, in- cluding cargo or general freight on a backhaul. (4) DRIVEAWAY SADDLEMOUNT VEHICLE TRANS- PORTER COMBINATION.—The term ‘‘driveaway saddlemount vehicle transporter combina- tion’’ means a vehicle combination designed and specifically used to tow up to 3 trucks or truck tractors, each connected by a saddle to the frame or fifth-wheel of the forward vehicle of the truck or truck tractor in front of it. Such combination may include one fullmount. (5) BACKHAUL.—The term ‘‘backhaul’’ means the return trip of a vehicle transporting cargo or general freight, especially when carrying goods back over all or part of the same route. (6) TRAILER TRANSPORTER TOWING UNIT.—The term ‘‘trailer transporter towing unit’’ means a power unit that is not used to carry property when operating in a towaway trailer trans- porter combination. (7) TOWAWAY TRAILER TRANSPORTER COMBINA- TION.—The term ‘‘towaway trailer transporter combination’’ means a combination of vehicles consisting of a trailer transporter towing unit and 2 trailers or semitrailers— (A) with a total weight that does not ex- ceed 26,000 pounds; and (B) in which the trailers or semitrailers carry no property and constitute inventory property of a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer of such trailers or semitrailers. (b) GENERAL LIMITATIONS.—(1) Except as pro- vided in this section, a State may not prescribe or enforce a regulation of commerce that— (A) imposes a vehicle length limitation of less than 45 feet on a bus, of less than 48 feet on a semitrailer operating in a truck tractor- semitrailer combination, or of less than 28 feet on a semitrailer or trailer operating in a truck tractor-semitrailer-trailer combination, on any segment of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Sys- tem of Interstate and Defense Highways (ex- cept a segment exempted under subsection (f) of this section) and those classes of qualifying Federal-aid Primary System highways des- ignated by the Secretary of Transportation under subsection (e) of this section; (B) imposes an overall length limitation on a commercial motor vehicle operating in a truck tractor-semitrailer or truck tractor- semitrailer-trailer combination; (C) has the effect of prohibiting the use of a semitrailer or trailer of the same dimensions as those that were in actual and lawful use in that State on December 1, 1982; (D) imposes a vehicle length limitation of not less than or more than 97 feet on all driveaway saddlemount vehicle transporter combinations; (E) has the effect of prohibiting the use of an existing semitrailer or trailer, of not more than 28.5 feet in length, in a truck tractor- semitrailer-trailer combination if the semitrailer or trailer was operating lawfully on December 1, 1982, within a 65-foot overall length limit in any State; (F) imposes a limitation of less than 46 feet on the distance from the kingpin to the center of the rear axle on trailers used exclusively or primarily in connection with motorsports competition events; (G) imposes a vehicle length limitation of less than 80 feet on a stinger-steered auto- mobile transporter with a front overhang of less than 4 feet and a rear overhang of less than 6 feet; or (H) has the effect of imposing an overall length limitation of less than 82 feet on a towaway trailer transporter combination. (2) A length limitation prescribed or enforced by a State under paragraph (1)(A) of this sub- section applies only to a semitrailer or trailer and not to a truck tractor. (c) MAXI-CUBE AND VEHICLE COMBINATION LIMI- TATIONS.—A State may not prohibit a maxi-cube vehicle or a commercial motor vehicle combina- tion consisting of a truck tractor and 2 trailing units on any segment of the Dwight D. Eisen- hower System of Interstate and Defense High- ways (except a segment exempted under sub- section (f) of this section) and those classes of qualifying Federal-aid Primary System high- ways designated by the Secretary under sub- section (e) of this section. (d) EXCLUSION OF SAFETY AND ENERGY CON- SERVATION DEVICES.—Length calculated under this section does not include a safety or energy conservation device the Secretary decides is necessary for safe and efficient operation of a commercial motor vehicle. However, such a de- vice may not have by its design or use the abil- ity to carry cargo. (e) QUALIFYING HIGHWAYS.—The Secretary by regulation shall designate as qualifying Federal- aid Primary System highways those highways of