I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4372 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program for 

evaluating technologies that are likely to prevent adverse weather effects 

associated with freezing temperatures on bridges, improve bridge safety, 

extend the life of bridges, and promote energy efficiency on bridges 

on the National Highway System. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 16, 2009 

Mr. GRAVES (for himself and Mr. CLEAVER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 

pilot program for evaluating technologies that are likely 

to prevent adverse weather effects associated with freezing temperatures on bridges, improve bridge safety, extend the life of bridges, and promote energy efficiency 

on bridges on the National Highway System. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bridge Ice and Snow 

5 Prevention Pilot Program Act of 2009’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 

3 shall establish and implement a pilot program to evaluate 

4 the effectiveness and efficiency of the use of technologies 

5 to prevent ice, snow, and other adverse weather effects as6 sociated with freezing temperatures on bridges on the Na7 tional Highway System. 

8 (b) GRANT.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make 

10 grants to not more than 5 States to conduct projects 

11 under the pilot program. 

12 (2) APPLICATIONS.—A State seeking a grant 

13 under the pilot program shall submit an application 

14 to the Secretary in such form, and containing such 

15 information, as the Secretary may require. 

16 (c) ELIGIBILITY.— 

17 (1) SELECTION OF HIGHWAY BRIDGES.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—In awarding grants 

19 under the pilot program, the Secretary shall se20 lect not more than 20 highway bridges for par21 ticipation in the program. 

22 (B) BRIDGE REQUIREMENTS.—The Sec23 retary may select a highway bridge under sub24 paragraph (A) only if the bridge is— 

25 (i) not greater than 500 feet in 

26 length; and 


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1 (ii) on the National Highway System. 

2 (2) SELECTION OF TECHNOLOGIES.—The Sec3 retary shall select technologies to be tested under 

4 the pilot program that are likely to improve bridge 

5 safety, extend the life of a bridge, and promote en6 ergy efficiency. 

7 (d) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share payable on 

8 account of a project carried out under the pilot program 

9 shall not exceed 80 percent of the cost of the project. 

10 (e) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary 

11 shall carry out the pilot program for a period of no more 

12 than 5 fiscal years. 

13 (f) FINAL REPORT.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 

15 after the last day of the pilot program, the Secretary 

16 shall submit to the Committee on Transportation 

17 and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 

18 and the Committee on Environment and Public 

19 Works of the Senate a report that describes the ef20 fectiveness and benefits of the technologies tested 

21 under the pilot program. 

22 (2) CONTENTS.—The report shall describe, at a 

23 minimum, the following: 

24 (A) The cost effectiveness of each tech25 nology used. 


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1 (B) The safety impacts of each technology 

2 tested and of the pilot program as a whole. 

3 (C) Any change in the expected life span 

4 of each bridge participating in the pilot pro5 gram due to the technologies used. 

6 (D) The net effect of the pilot program on 

7 job creation or job loss. 

8 (E) Recommendations for— 

9 (i) an improved or expanded program, 

10 if appropriate; and 

11 (ii) the use of advanced bridge tech12 nology to prevent ice, snow, and other ad13 verse weather effects associated with freez14 ing temperatures on bridges on the Na15 tional Highway System. 

16 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

17 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated out 

18 of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 

19 Account) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2011. 

20 (h) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Amounts made available to 

22 carry out this section shall be available for obligation 

23 in the same manner as funds apportioned under 

24 chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, except 

25 that the Federal share payable on account of a 


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1 project carried out under the pilot program shall be 

2 determined in accordance with this section and such 

3 funds shall not be transferable and shall remain 

4 available for the duration of the pilot program. 

5 (2) LIMITATION.—A State may not receive a 

6 total of more than $2,000,000 in grants under the 

7 pilot program. 

8 (3) PROHIBITION OF EARMARKS.—None of the 

9 funds appropriated to carry out this section may be 

10 used for a congressional earmark, as defined in 

11 clause 9(e) of Rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

12 of Representatives of the 111th Congress. 

13 (i) REPORT TO CONGRESS RELATING TO COMPETI14 TIVE PROCEDURES.—If grants are awarded under this 

15 section using procedures other than competitive proce16 dures, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report ex17 plaining why competitive procedures were not used. 

18 SEC. 3. DEFINITION. 

19 In this Act, the term ‘‘State’’ has the meaning given 

20 that term in section 101(a) of title 23, United States 

21 Code. 

Æ 


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