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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3376 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3376

  To authorize States to carry out bridge construction, maintenance, 
  repair, and replacement projects using previously allocated surface 
 transportation funds that are identified as being excess or inactive, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 29, 2015

  Mrs. Lowey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To authorize States to carry out bridge construction, maintenance, 
  repair, and replacement projects using previously allocated surface 
 transportation funds that are identified as being excess or inactive, 
                        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. FINDINGS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Federal Highway Administration estimates that there 
        are 604,485 bridges on the Nation's public road network, of 
        which 116,669 are on the National Highway System.
            (2) The average age of the Nation's bridges is 39 years old 
        and more than two-thirds of the Nation's bridges are more than 
        26 years old.
            (3) One in 9 bridges is classified as structurally 
        deficient and requires significant maintenance, repair, or 
        replacement.
            (4) Fourteen percent of the Nation's bridges are 
        functionally obsolete and do not meet current design standards.
            (5) The Federal Highway Administration estimates that to 
        eliminate the Nation's deficient bridge backlog by 2030, $20.2 
        billion of investment would be required annually through 
        Federal, State, and local levels of government, although 
        current annual bridge investment is approximately $17.1 
        billion.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Eligible funds.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``eligible funds'' means 
                funds--
                            (i) authorized or designated in--
                                    (I) Public Law 109-59 or a prior 
                                surface transportation authorization 
                                Act; or
                                    (II) an appropriations Act, or a 
                                report accompanying an appropriations 
                                Act, for allocation to a specific 
                                surface transportation project or 
                                activity; and
                            (ii) identified, not later than 60 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this Act, by the 
                        State in which the project or activity is 
                        authorized to be carried out as being excess 
                        funds or inactive funds.
                    (B) Inclusion.--The term ``eligible funds'' 
                includes funds described in subparagraph (A) that were 
                allocated and designated for a demonstration project.
            (2) Excess funds.--The term ``excess funds'' means--
                    (A) funds obligated for a specific surface 
                transportation project or activity that remain 
                available for the project or activity after the project 
                or activity has been completed or canceled; or
                    (B) an unobligated balance of funds allocated for a 
                specific surface transportation project or activity 
                that the State in which the project or activity is 
                authorized to be carried out certifies is no longer 
                needed for the project or activity.
            (3) Inactive funds.--The term ``inactive funds'' means--
                    (A) an unobligated balance of Federal funds for an 
                eligible surface transportation project or activity 
                against which no more than 10 percent of the Federal 
                funds originally designated for the project or activity 
                have been obligated; or
                    (B) funds that are available to carry out a surface 
                transportation project or activity in a State, but, as 
                certified by the State, are unlikely to be advanced for 
                the project or activity during the 1-year period 
                beginning on the date of certification.
    (c) Availability of Funds for Bridge Projects.--Eligible funds 
shall be--
            (1) made available in accordance with this section to the 
        State that originally received the funds; and
            (2) available for obligation for any eligible project under 
        section 133(b)(2) or 133(b)(3) of title 23, United States Code.
    (d) Authority To Obligate.--Notwithstanding the original source or 
period of availability of eligible funds, the Secretary of 
Transportation may, on the request by a State--
            (1) obligate the funds for any eligible project under 
        section 133(b)(2) or 133(b)(3) of title 23, United States Code; 
        or
            (2)(A) deobligate the funds; and
            (B) reobligate the funds for any project eligible under 
        such sections.
    (e) Period of Availability; Title 23 Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding the original source or 
        period of availability of eligible funds obligated (or 
        deobligated and reobligated) under subsection (d), the eligible 
        funds--
                    (A) shall remain available for obligation for a 
                period of 3 fiscal years after the fiscal year in which 
                this Act is enacted; and
                    (B) except as otherwise provided in this 
                subsection, shall be subject to the requirements of 
                title 23, United States Code, that apply to section 133 
                of that title, including provisions relating to Federal 
                share.
            (2) No allocation based on population.--Section 133(d) of 
        title 23, United States Code, shall not apply to eligible funds 
        under this section.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate, the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives a report describing any action taken by the Secretary 
under this section.
                                 <all>
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