Safe Routes Act of 2025

# Safe Routes Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary **What the Bill Does:** The Safe Routes Act of 2025 would allow the federal Department of Transportation to waive the standard weight limits for certain logging trucks on interstate highways. Currently, federal law limits how much weight vehicles can carry on interstates. This bill would create an exception for logging vehicles transporting raw forest products like logs, wood chips, and biomass, allowing them to carry heavier loads than normally permitted. **Who It Affects and Key Provisions:** The bill specifically targets logging trucks that meet three conditions: they must be carrying unfinished forest products, traveling no more than 150 air miles from their starting point to a storage or processing facility, and comply with weight and vehicle size rules already established by the state where they're operating. This means the exemption would apply to relatively short-distance hauls within logging regions.

The change would primarily benefit the logging industry and related wood processing businesses, though it could also affect highway safety standards and wear on interstate roads. **Current Status:** As of now, the bill (S. 1063) is in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. It was introduced by Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin.