HR 1299 — Fixing America’s Bridges Act

(a) Establishment.— The Secretary shall establish a surface transportation block grant program in accordance with this section to provide flexible funding to address State and local transportation needs. (b) Eligible Projects.— Funds apportioned to a State under section 104(b)(2) for the surface transportation block grant program may be obligated for the following: (1) Construction of— (A) highways, bridges, tunnels, including designated routes of the Appalachian development highway system and local access roads under section 14501 of title 40; (B) ferry boats and terminal facilities— (i) that are eligible for funding under section 129(c); or (ii) that are privately or majority-privately owned, but that the Secretary determines provide a substantial public transportation benefit or otherwise meet the foremost needs of the surface transportation system described in section 101(b)(3)(D); (C) transit capital projects eligible for assistance under chapter 53 of title 49; (D) infrastructure-based intelligent transportation systems capital improvements, including the installation of vehicle-to-infrastructure communication equipment; (E) truck parking facilities eligible for funding under section 1401 of MAP–21 (23 U.S.C. 137 note); (F) border infrastructure projects eligible for funding under section 1303 of SAFETEA–LU (23 U.S.C. 101 note); and (G) wildlife crossing structures. (2) Operational improvements and capital and operating costs for traffic monitoring, management, and control facilities and programs. (3) Environmental measures eligible under sections 119(g), 148(a)(4)(B)(xvii), 328, and 329 and transportation control measures listed in section 108(f)(1)(A) (other than clause (xvi) of that section) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7408(f)(1)(A)). (5)  1 Highway and transit safety infrastructure improvements and programs, including projects eligible under section 130 and installation of safety barriers and nets on bridges. (6) Fringe and corridor parking facilities and programs in accordance with section 137 and carpool projects in accordance with section 146. (7) Recreational trails projects eligible for funding under section 206 including the maintenance and restoration of existing recreational trails,,2 pedestrian and bicycle projects in accordance with section 217 (including modifications to comply with accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.)), and the safe routes to school program under section 208. (8) Planning, design, or construction of boulevards and other roadways largely in the right-of-way of former Interstate System routes or other divided highways. (9) Development and implementation of a State asset management plan for the National Highway System and a performance-based management program for other public roads. (10) Protection (including painting, scour countermeasures, seismic retrofits, impact protection measures, security countermeasures, and protection against extreme events) for bridges (including approaches to bridges and other elevated structures) and tunnels on public roads, and inspection and evaluation of bridges and tunnels and other highway assets. (11) Surface transportation planning programs, highway and transit research and development and technology transfer programs, and workforce development, training, and education under chapter 5 of this title. (12) Surface transportation infrastructure modifications to facilitate direct intermodal interchange, transfer, and access into and out of a port terminal. (13) Projects and strategies designed to support congestion pricing, including electronic toll collection and travel demand management strategies and programs. (14) Projects and strategies designed to reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions, including project-related planning, design, construction, monitoring, and preventative maintenance. (15) The installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and vehicle-to-grid i...

(a) Findings and Declarations.— (1) Findings.— Congress finds that— (A) the condition of the bridges of the United States has improved since the date of enactment of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (Public Law 105–178; 112 Stat. 107), yet continued improvement to bridge conditions is essential to protect the safety of the traveling public and allow for the efficient movement of people and goods on which the economy of the United States relies; and (B) the systematic preventative maintenance of bridges, and replacement and rehabilitation of deficient bridges, should be undertaken through an overall asset management approach to transportation investment. (2) Declarations.— Congress declares that it is in the vital interest of the United States— (A) to inventory, inspect, and improve the condition of the highway bridges and tunnels of the United States; (B) to use a data-driven, risk-based approach and cost-effective strategy for systematic preventative maintenance, replacement, and rehabilitation of highway bridges and tunnels to ensure safety, resilience, and extended service life; (C) to use performance-based bridge management systems to assist States in making timely investments; (D) to ensure accountability and link performance outcomes to investment decisions; (E) to ensure connectivity and access for residents of rural areas of the United States through strategic investments in National Highway System bridges and bridges on all public roads; and (F) to ensure adequate passage of aquatic and terrestrial species, where appropriate. (b) National Bridge and Tunnel Inventories.— The Secretary, in consultation with the States and Federal agencies with jurisdiction over highway bridges and tunnels, shall— (1) inventory all highway bridges on public roads, on and off Federal-aid highways, including tribally owned and Federally owned bridges, that are bridges over waterways, other topographical barriers, other highways, and railroads; (2) inventory all tunnels on public roads, on and off Federal-aid highways, including tribally owned and Federally owned tunnels; (3) classify the bridges according to serviceability, safety, and essentiality for public use, including the potential impacts to emergency evacuation routes and to regional and national freight and passenger mobility if the serviceability of the bridge is restricted or diminished; (4) based on that classification, assign each a risk-based priority for systematic preventative maintenance, replacement, or rehabilitation; (5) determine the cost of replacing each bridge classified as in poor condition identified under this subsection with a comparable facility or the cost of rehabilitating the bridge; and (6) determine if the replacement or rehabilitation of bridges and tunnels should include measures to enable safe and unimpeded movement for terrestrial and aquatic species. (c) General Bridge Authority.— (1) In general.— Except as provided in paragraph (2) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the General Bridge Act of 1946 (33 U.S.C. 525 et seq.) shall apply to bridges authorized to be replaced, in whole or in part, by this title. (2) Exception.— Section 502(b) of the General Bridge Act of 1946 (33 U.S.C. 525(b)) and section 9 of the Act of March 3, 1899 (33 U.S.C. 401), shall not apply to any bridge constructed, reconstructed, rehabilitated, or replaced with assistance under this title, if the bridge is over waters that— (A) are not used and are not susceptible to use in the natural condition of the water or by reasonable improvement as a means to transport interstate or foreign commerce; and (B) are— (i) not tidal; or (ii) if tidal, used only by recreational boating, fishing, and other small vessels that are less than 21 feet in length. (d) Inventory Updates and Reports.— (1) In general.— The Secretary shall— (A) annually revise the inventories authorized by subsection (b); and (B) submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure...