formance plans and updates submitted 
under clause (i). 
‘‘(iii) APPROVAL AND DISAPPROVAL.— 
The Secretary shall approve or disapprove 
each 5-year performance plan and update 
submitted by a State under this subpara-
graph. If the Secretary disapproves a plan 
or update, the Secretary shall inform the 
State of the reasons for the disapproval 
and shall require the State to resubmit the 
plan or update with such modifications as 
the Secretary determines necessary. 
‘‘(C) HISTORIC BRIDGES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A 5-year perform-
ance plan of a State under subparagraph 
(A)(iii) may provide for more frequent, in- 
depth inspection of a historic bridge lo-
cated in the State in lieu of replacement of 
the bridge if the Secretary determines 
that— 
‘‘(I) it is appropriate based on 
the age, design, traffic characteristics, 
and any known deficiency of the 
bridge; and
‘‘(II) granting the exception will 
increase the overall safety of the 
State’s bridge inventory. 
‘‘(ii) HISTORIC BRIDGE DEFINED.—In 
this subparagraph, the term ‘historic 
bridge’ means any bridge that is listed on 
the National Register of Historic Places.’’. 
(d) INFORMATION AND REPORTS.—Section 144(h) of 
such title is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(h) INFORMATION AND REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) UPDATES
OF
INFORMATION.—The Sec-
retary shall annually revise, as necessary, the infor-
mation required under subsections (b) and (c). 
‘‘(2) REPORTS
TO
CONGRESS.—Concurrently 
with the President’s annual budget submission to 
Congress under section 1105(a) of title 31, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committee on Environment and Pub-
lic Works of the Senate a report containing— 
‘‘(A) a description of projects and activities 
approved under this section; 
‘‘(B) the information updated under para-
graph (1), including a description of the pri-
ority assigned, on a national basis and by State,
for the replacement or rehabilitation of each 
structurally deficient or functionally obsolete 
bridge on a Federal-aid highway; 
‘‘(C) a description of any project or activ-
ity carried out by a State under this section in 
the preceding fiscal year that is inconsistent 
with the priorities assigned by the Secretary 
under 
subsection 
(b)(3), 
(c)(1)(C), 
and 
(c)(3)(C); and 
‘‘(D) such recommendations as the Sec-
retary may have for improvements of the pro-
gram authorized by this section.’’. 
(e) TRANSFERABILITY OF FUNDING.—Section 144 of 
such title is amended by inserting after subsection (r) the 
following: 
‘‘(s) TRANSFERABILITY
OF
FUNDING.—Notwith-
standing section 126 or any other provision of law, a State 
may transfer funds apportioned to the State under this 
section for a fiscal year to another apportionment of funds 
to the State under this title only if the State demonstrates 
to the satisfaction of the Secretary that there are not any 
bridges on the National Highway System located in the 
State that are eligible for replacement.’’. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—Section 144 of such title is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(t) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following 
definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) FUNCTIONALLY
OBSOLETE.—The term 
‘functionally obsolete’ as used with respect to a 
bridge means a bridge that no longer meets current 
design standards relating to geometrics, including 
roadway width, shoulder width, and approach align-
ment, for the traffic demands on the bridge. 
‘‘(2) STRUCTURALLY
DEFICIENT.—The term 
‘structurally deficient’ as used with respect to a 
bridge means a bridge that has— 
‘‘(A) significant load-carrying elements 
that are in poor or worse condition due to dete-
rioration or damage, or both; 
‘‘(B) a load capacity that is significantly 
below current truckloads and that requires re-
placement; or 
‘‘(C) a waterway opening causing frequent 
flooding of the bridge deck and approaches re-
sulting in significant traffic interruptions. 
‘‘(3) REHABILITATION.—The term ‘rehabilita-
tion’ means major work necessary to restore the 
structural integrity of a bridge and work necessary 
to correct a major safety defect.
‘‘(4) REPLACEMENT.—The term ‘replacement’ 
as used with respect to a structurally deficient or 
functionally obsolete bridge means a new facility 
constructed in the same general traffic corridor that 
meets the geometric, construction, and structural 
standards, in effect at the time of such construction, 
required for the types and volume of projected traf-
fic of the facility over its design life.’’. 
(g) NATIONAL BRIDGE INVENTORY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall take necessary actions to make information 
contained in the national bridge inventory estab-
lished under section 144 of title 23, United States 
Code, more readily available to the public, including 
actions to make the information easier to under-
stand. 
(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2009. 
Such sums shall remain available until expended. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL BRIDGE INSPECTION PROGRAM. 
(a) NATIONAL BRIDGE INSPECTION STANDARDS.— 
Section 151(a) of title 23, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The standards estab-
lished under this subsection shall be designed to ensure 
uniformity among the States in the conduct of such in-
spections and evaluations.’’. 
(b) MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS
OF
INSPECTION 
STANDARDS.—Section 151(b) of title 23, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (5) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) establish procedures for conducting annual 
compliance reviews of State inspections, quality con-
trol and quality assurance procedures, load ratings, 
and weight limit postings of structurally deficient 
highway bridges; 
‘‘(7) establish procedures for States to follow in 
reporting to the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) critical findings relating to structural 
or 
safety-related 
deficiencies 
of 
highway 
bridges; and 
‘‘(B) monitoring activities and corrective 
actions taken in response to such a finding; and 
‘‘(8) provide for testing with a state-of-the-art 
technology that detects growth activity of fatigue
cracks as small as 0.01 inches on steel bridges ex-
hibiting fatigue damage or bridges with fatigue sus-
ceptible members.’’. 
(c) REGULATIONS
ON
CRITICAL
FINDINGS
OF 
BRIDGE DEFICIENCIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Transportation shall issue regulations establishing 
procedures to be used by States in reporting critical 
findings of bridge deficiencies, and subsequent moni-
toring activities and corrective actions, to the Sec-
retary in accordance with the standards to be estab-
lished under section 151(b)(7) of title 23, United 
States Code, as added by subsection (b)(3) of this 
section. 
(2) CONTENTS.—Regulations to be issued 
under paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) establish a uniform definition of the 
term ‘‘critical finding’’; 
(B) establish deadlines for State reporting 
of critical finding determinations to the Sec-
retary; 
(C) establish requirements for monitoring 
and follow-up actions and reporting following a 
critical finding determination; and
(D) provide for enhanced training of 
bridge inspectors relating to critical findings. 
(d) TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ALL BRIDGE INSPEC-
TORS.—Section 151(c) of such title is amended by adding 
at the end the following: ‘‘The Secretary shall expand the 
scope of the training program to ensure that all persons 
conducting highway bridge inspections receive appropriate 
training and certification under the program.’’. 
(e) FREQUENCY OF BRIDGE INSPECTIONS.—Section 
151 of such title is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(2) by inserting ‘‘in accord-
ance with subsection (d)’’ before the semicolon; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) FREQUENCY OF BRIDGE INSPECTIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the standards established under subsection (a), at a 
minimum, shall provide for— 
‘‘(A) annual inspections of structurally de-
ficient highway bridges using the best prac-
ticable technologies and methods; 
‘‘(B) annual in depth inspections of frac-
ture critical members, as such terms are de-
fined in section 650.305 of title 23, Code of 
Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of 
enactment of this paragraph); and 
‘‘(C) 
biennial 
inspections 
of 
highway 
bridges that have not been determined to be 
structurally deficient. 
‘‘(2) EXTENSIONS.—Upon the request of a 
State, the Secretary may extend, to a maximum pe-
riod of 48 months, the time between required inspec-
tions of a highway bridge that has not been deter-
mined to be structurally deficient if the Secretary 
determines that— 
‘‘(A) the extension is appropriate based on 
the age, design, traffic characteristics, and any 
known deficiency of the bridge; 
‘‘(B) the extension is consistent with the 5- 
year performance plan of the State approved 
under section 144(d)(5)(B); and 
‘‘(C) granting the extension will increase 
the overall safety of the State’s bridge inven-
tory.’’. 
(f) QUALIFICATIONS OF PROGRAM MANAGERS AND 
TEAM LEADERS.— 
(1) REVISION
OF
REGULATIONS.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Transportation shall revise regula-
tions contained in section 650.309 of title 23, Code 
of Federal Regulations, relating to the qualifications 
of highway bridge inspection personnel, to require 
that, in addition to meeting the qualifications identi-
fied in such section (as in effect on the date of en-
actment of this Act)— 
(A) an individual serving as the program 
manager of a State be a professional engineer 
licensed under the laws of that State; 
(B) an individual serving as a team leader 
for a State for the inspection of complex 
bridges or follow-up inspections of bridges for 
which there has been a critical finding be a li-
censed professional engineer; and 
(C) an individual serving as a team leader 
for a State for the inspection of all other 
bridges be a licensed professional engineer or 
have at least 10 years of bridge inspection expe-
rience. 
(2) APPLICABILITY.—The additional qualifica-
tion requirements specified in paragraphs (1)(A), 
(1)(B), and (1)(C) shall apply only to an individual 
selected by a State to serve as the program manager
or a team leader after the date of issuance of revised 
regulations under paragraph (1). 
(3) COMPLEX BRIDGE DEFINED.—In this sub-
section, the term ‘‘complex bridge’’ means a highway 
bridge with unusual characteristics, including mov-
able, suspension, and cable-stayed highway bridges. 
(g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall mod-
ify national bridge inspection standards and modify the 
training program for bridge inspectors in accordance with 
the amendments made by this section. 
(h) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 15 days 
after a critical finding determination is made by a State 
which results in the closure of a bridge, the Secretary of 
Transportation shall report to the appropriate Committees 
of Congress regarding the impact, including the economic 
impact, on regional transportation and transit that will re-
sult from the such bridge closure and recommend solutions 
to mitigate such impact. 
SEC. 4. GAO STUDY. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall conduct a study 
and report its findings to the Secretary of Transportation 
regarding—
(1) the identification of factors that contribute 
to construction delays of bridge rehabilitation; and 
(2) any recommendations the Comptroller Gen-
eral may have to simplify and expedite the construc-
tion of bridges that are to be rehabilitated. 
SEC. 5. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH. 
Section 502(d) of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2) in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A) by inserting ‘‘and enhance the 
safety’’ before ‘‘of bridge structures’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘for use with 
existing infrastructure facilities and with next-gen-
eration infrastructure facilities’’ and inserting ‘‘for 
assessing the structural integrity of existing infra-
structure facilities and next-generation infrastruc-
ture facilities’’. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out section 144 of title 23, United States 
Code, $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2009. 
(b) APPORTIONMENT AND USE OF FUNDS.—Funds 
appropriated pursuant to subsection (a)—