The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a six-year highway bill that provides state and local governments a federal commitment, and sets the rules for planning and building highways, bridges and transit programs. The bill authorizes programs for six years but only provides funding for three years.

During consideration of the bill, the House of Representatives rejected an amendment strongly backed by agriculture that would have allowed states to increase the truck weight limits on their interstate highways from 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds for trucks with six axles.

A coalition of agricultural groups had written members of the House, urging them to increase allowable truck weights to help reduce the number of trucks needed to move commodities and products.

The American Feed Industry Association said the amendment would “improve efficiency when shipping commodities, while reducing the number of trucks on the interstate highway system.” The bill now goes to a House-Senate conference committee to resolve the differences.