I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6701 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for emergency relief 
for repair or reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by extreme heat, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 12, 2025 
Mr. STANTON (for himself and Mr. LAWLER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for emer-
gency relief for repair or reconstruction of infrastructure 
damaged by extreme heat, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Heat Emergency As-
sistance for Transportation Act of 2025’’ or the ‘‘HEAT 
Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Extreme heat, particularly heat waves, are 
an emerging threat to critical transportation infra-
structure. 
(2) Extreme heat is damaging critical transpor-
tation infrastructure. 
(3) Research indicates that high temperatures 
cause bridge expansion joints to crack or fail, accel-
erate the degradation of concrete and steel, and 
weaken structural integrity over time. 
(4) Aging infrastructure is at heightened risk. 
(5) Assessments show more than 85,000 girder 
or movable bridges are over 50 years old in the 
United States, carrying 860 million vehicle crossings 
each day. 
(6) Many such bridges designed for historical 
conditions and are now experiencing stress beyond 
their original design. 
(7) Movable bridges may face operational chal-
lenges, including breakdowns during heat waves. 
(8) Steel expansion during extreme heat can 
cause drawbridges and similar structures to jam or 
fail to close properly. 
(9) Emergency cooling measures, such as spray-
ing bridges with water, have already been required 
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SEC. 3. EMERGENCY RELIEF. 
Section 125 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘extreme 
heat,’’ after ‘‘severe storm,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b) by inserting ‘‘This sub-
section shall not apply to a bridge with respect to 
which physical deterioration was substantially caused 
by extreme heat exposure.’’ after the period at the 
end; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘extreme weather, flooding, and 
other natural disasters’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘extreme weather, heat waves, flooding, 
and other natural disasters’’. 
SEC. 4. STUDY ON EXTREME HEAT EVENTS. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans-
portation shall enter into an agreement with the Transpor-
tation Research Board of the National Academies, in co-
ordination with the Secretary of Transportation, shall con-
duct a study to— 
(1) evaluate the measurable costs of an extreme 
heat event, particularly long-duration, high intensity 
heat waves; 
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(2) provide recommendations on how to track 
damage from extreme heat events, separate from 
regular deterioration over time; and 
(3) to examine how the Secretary may better 
assist State departments of transportation, public 
transit systems, Amtrak, freight rail systems, and 
other interested parties with tracking damage from 
extreme heat events. 
(b) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying 
out the study under this section, the Transportation Re-
search Board shall consult with the Secretary, the Admin-
istrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, State 
departments of transportation, public transit systems, 
Amtrak, freight rail systems, stakeholders with expertise 
in engineering and natural disaster management, and edu-
cational and technical groups in extreme heat and infra-
structure safety. 
(c) REPORT REQUIRED.—The Transportation Re-
search Board shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works of the Senate a report detailing the results 
of the study under this section. 
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SEC. 5. BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES REPORT. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue a 
best management practices report to reflect new informa-
tion and advancements in highway and bridge safety as 
related to extreme heat. 
Æ 
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