Pub Law: Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act

PUBLIC LAW 109–59—AUG. 10, 2005

SAFE, ACCOUNTABLE, FLEXIBLE, EFFICIENT
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY
FOR USERS

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119 STAT. 1144

PUBLIC LAW 109–59—AUG. 10, 2005

Public Law 109–59
109th Congress
An Act
Aug. 10, 2005
[H.R. 3]
Safe,
Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient
Transportation
Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users.
Intergovernmental
relations.
23 USC 101 note.

To authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit
programs, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for
Users’’ or ‘‘SAFETEA–LU’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. General definitions.
TITLE I—FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAYS
Subtitle A—Authorization of Programs
Sec.
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1101.
1102.
1103.
1104.
1105.
1106.
1107.
1108.
1109.
1110.
1111.
1112.
1113.
1114.
1115.
1116.
1117.
1118.
1119.
1120.
1121.
1122.

Authorization of appropriations.
Obligation ceiling.
Apportionments.
Equity bonus program.
Revenue aligned budget authority.
Future Interstate System routes.
Metropolitan planning.
Transfer of highway and transit funds.
Recreational trails.
Temporary traffic control devices.
Set-asides for Interstate discretionary projects.
Emergency relief.
Surface transportation program.
Highway bridge program.
Highway use tax evasion projects.
Appalachian development highway system.
Transportation, community, and system preservation program.
Territorial highway program.
Federal lands highways.
Puerto Rico highway program.
HOV facilities.
Definitions.

Subtitle B—Congestion Relief
Sec. 1201. Real-time system management information program.
Sec.
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1301.
1302.
1303.
1304.
1305.
1306.
1307.

Subtitle C—Mobility and Efficiency
Projects of national and regional significance.
National corridor infrastructure improvement program.
Coordinated border infrastructure program.
High priority corridors on the National Highway System.
Truck parking facilities.
Freight intermodal distribution pilot grant program.
Deployment of magnetic levitation transportation projects.

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119 STAT. 1148
Sec.
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PUBLIC LAW 109–59—AUG. 10, 2005
4115.
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Sec. 4130.
Sec. 4131.
Sec. 4132.
Sec. 4133.
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4134.
4135.
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4139.
4140.
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4210.
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Sec. 4214.
Sec. 4215.
Sec. 4216.

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4301.
4302.
4303.
4304.
4305.
4306.
4307.
4308.

Transfer provision.
Medical program.
Safety performance history screening.
Roadability.
International cooperation.
Financial responsibility for private motor carriers.
Deposit of certain civil penalties into Highway Trust Fund.
CDL learner’s permit program.
Commercial driver’s license information system modernization.
Commercial driver’s license improvements.
Hobbs Act.
Commercial vehicle information systems and networks deployment.
Outreach and education.
Safety data improvement program.
Operation of commercial motor vehicles by individuals who use insulin
to treat diabetes mellitus.
Operators of vehicles transporting agricultural commodities and farm
supplies.
Maximum hours of service for operators of ground water well drilling
rigs.
Hours of service for operators of utility service vehicles.
Hours of service rules for operators providing transportation to movie
production sites.
Grant program for commercial motor vehicle operators.
CDL task force.
Interstate van operations.
Decals.
High risk carrier compliance reviews.
Foreign commercial motor vehicles.
School bus driver qualifications and endorsement knowledge test.
Driveaway saddlemount vehicles.
Registration of motor carriers and freight forwarders.
Authority to stop commercial motor vehicles.
Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee.
Technical corrections.
Exemption during harvest periods.
Emergency condition requiring immediate response.
Substance abuse professionals.
Office of intermodalism.
Subtitle B—Household Goods Transportation
Short title.
Definitions; application of provisions.
Payment of rates.
Additional registration requirements for motor carriers of household
goods.
Household goods carrier operations.
Enforcement of regulations related to transportation of household goods.
Liability of carriers under receipts and bills of lading.
Arbitration requirements.
Civil penalties relating to household goods brokers and unauthorized
transportation.
Penalties for holding household goods hostage.
Consumer handbook on DOT web site.
Release of household goods broker information.
Working group for development of practices and procedures to enhance
Federal-State relations.
Consumer complaint information.
Review of liability of carriers.
Application of State consumer protection laws to certain household goods
carriers.
Subtitle C—Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005
Short title.
Relationship to other laws.
Inclusion of motor private and exempt carriers.
Unified Carrier Registration System.
Registration of motor carriers by States.
Identification of vehicles.
Use of UCR Agreement revenues as matching funds.
Regulations.

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119 STAT. 1760

Regulations.

49 USC 14706
note.
Deadline.
Regulations.

PUBLIC LAW 109–59—AUG. 10, 2005

(1) establish (A) a system for filing and logging consumer
complaints relating to household goods motor carriers for the
purpose of compiling or linking complaint information gathered
by the Department of Transportation and the States with
regard to such carriers, (B) a database of the complaints, and
(C) a procedure for the public to have access, subject to section
552(a) of title 5, United States Code, to aggregated information
and for carriers to challenge duplicate or fraudulent information
in the database;
(2) issue regulations requiring each motor carrier of household goods to submit on a quarterly basis a report
summarizing—
(A) the number of shipments that originate and are
delivered for individual shippers during the reporting
period by the carrier;
(B) the number and general category of complaints
lodged by consumers with the carrier;
(C) the number of claims filed with the carrier for
loss and damage in excess of $500;
(D) the number of such claims resolved during the
reporting period;
(E) the number of such claims declined in the reporting
period; and
(F) the number of such claims that are pending at
the close of the reporting period; and
(3) develop a procedure to forward a complaint, including
the motor carrier bill of lading number, if known, related to
the complaint to a motor carrier named in such complaint
and to an appropriate State authority (as defined in section
14710(d) of title 49, United States Code) in the State in which
the complainant resides.
(b) USE OF INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall consider
information in the data base established under subsection (a) in
its household goods compliance and enforcement program.
SEC. 4215. REVIEW OF LIABILITY OF CARRIERS.

(a) REVIEW.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Surface Transportation Board shall complete a
review of the current Federal regulations regarding the level of
liability protection provided by motor carriers that provide transportation of household goods and revise such regulations, if necessary,
to provide enhanced protection in the case of loss or damage.
(b) DETERMINATIONS.—The review required by subsection (a)
shall include a determination of—
(1) whether the current regulations provide adequate
protection;
(2) the benefits of purchase by a shipper of insurance
to supplement the carrier’s limitations on liability; and
(3) whether there are abuses of the current regulations
that leave the shipper unprotected in the event of loss and
damage to a shipment of household goods.
SEC. 4216. APPLICATION OF STATE CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS
TO CERTAIN HOUSEHOLD GOODS CARRIERS.

(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General shall conduct a study
on the current consumer protection authorities and actions of the
Department of Transportation and the impact on shippers and
carriers of household goods involved in interstate transportation

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