National Bridge Funding Reform Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7442
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-10: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-03T08:07:34Z
AI-Generated Summary
National Bridge Funding Reform Act (H.R. 7442)
Purpose
This legislation redirects federal highway funding by eliminating two existing programs and creating a new bridge-focused program. The goal is to support bridge replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection, and construction using a formula based mainly on bridge deck area.
Key Provisions
- Program Elimination: Removes the Carbon Reduction Program (Section 175) and the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program (Section 176) from Title 23 of the U.S. Code.
- New National Bridge Program: Establishes a program under a revised Section 175 to fund bridge work on Federal-aid highways, with states allowed flexibility to use funds for bridges not on those highways.
- Funding Apportionment: Allocates 5.47660865256628% of remaining funds (after other distributions) under Section 104(b)(7) to the new program, distributed to states as follows:
- 75% based on each state's share of total bridge deck area on Federal-aid highways.
- 25% based on each state's share of bridge deck area classified as in poor condition.
- Data Source: Uses the National Bridge Inventory as of December 31, 2024, to calculate distributions.
- Eligible Uses: Funds support replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection, and construction of bridges.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Repeals two programs previously authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Revises Section 104 apportionment formulas by removing references to the eliminated programs and inserting the new bridge allocation.
- Updates related sections (including 120 and 520) to remove cross-references to the repealed programs.
- Adds the new Section 175 to the table of contents for Chapter 1 of Title 23.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Shifts responsibilities for the Federal Highway Administration (under the Secretary of Transportation) from climate and resilience programs to bridge inventory management and formula-based funding.
- Citizens: May lead to increased focus on bridge repairs in states with larger or poorer-condition bridge inventories, potentially improving infrastructure safety without direct effects on international relations.
- States: Alters funding shares, favoring states with more total bridge deck area over those previously benefiting from carbon or resilience allocations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State departments of transportation and local governments responsible for bridge maintenance.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation, which administers the new program and inventory data.
- Bridge owners and operators on Federal-aid highways.
- Taxpayers and road users, through changes in infrastructure spending priorities.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The bill makes targeted amendments to federal transportation statutes without altering constitutional authority over interstate commerce or highways.
- It introduces a precise mathematical formula for fund distribution, which could affect equitable allocation among states based on objective bridge data.
- No major new regulatory requirements or enforcement mechanisms are added beyond existing highway program rules.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (5)
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14], Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25], Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26], Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17], Rep. Self, Keith [R-TX-3]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-10: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 2026-02-09: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2026-02-09: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-09: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- National Bridge Funding Reform Act — issued 2026-02-09 — PDF (5 pages)