Title: Support for Community Bridges Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Support for Community Bridges Act
This bill sets aside a portion of Federal-aid highway funding for repairing structurally deficient bridges that are not part of the National Highway System and prescribes a formula to allocate this funding to states based on their share of such bridges.


[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1878 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1878

 To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for funding for off-
                system bridges, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 27, 2021

 Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Blunt) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide for funding for off-
                system bridges, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Support for Community Bridges Act''.

SEC. 2. OFF-SYSTEM BRIDGE PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 101(a) of title 23, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (17) through (34) as 
        paragraphs (18) through (35); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (16) the following:
            ``(17) Off-system bridge.--The term `off-system bridge' 
        means a highway bridge located on a public road, other than a 
        bridge on a Federal-aid highway.''.
    (b) Apportionment.--Section 104 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``and to carry out section 134'' and inserting 
                ``to carry out section 134, and for the off-system 
                bridge program under section 171'';
                    (B) in each of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), by 
                striking ``and (6)'' and inserting ``(6), and (7)'';
                    (C) in paragraph (4), in the matter preceding 
                subparagraph (A), by striking ``set aside in accordance 
                with paragraph (5)'' and inserting ``set asides in 
                accordance with paragraphs (5) and (7)'';
                    (D) in paragraph (5)(A), by inserting ``after 
                making the set aside in accordance with paragraph 
                (7),'' after ``section 167,'';
                    (E) in paragraph (6), in the matter preceding 
                subparagraph (A), by striking ``set aside in accordance 
                with paragraph (5)'' and inserting ``set asides in 
                accordance with paragraphs (5) and (7)''; and
                    (F) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Off-system bridge program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For the off-system bridge 
                program under section 171, the Secretary shall set 
                aside from the base apportionment determined for a 
                State under subsection (c) an amount determined for the 
                State under subparagraphs (B) and (C).
                    ``(B) Total amount.--The total amount set aside for 
                the off-system bridge program for all States shall be 
                2.5 percent of the total amount made available to carry 
                out the programs described in this subsection for the 
                fiscal year.
                    ``(C) State share.--
                            ``(i) In general.--For each fiscal year, 
                        the Secretary shall distribute among States the 
                        total amount set aside under subparagraph (B) 
                        so that each State receives an amount equal to 
                        the sum of the amounts calculated for the State 
                        under each of subclauses (I) and (II) of clause 
                        (ii), subject to any adjustment under clause 
                        (iii).
                            ``(ii) Initial amounts.--
                                    ``(I) Bridges in poor condition.--
                                75 percent of the amount reserved under 
                                subparagraph (B) shall be apportioned 
                                so that each State receives an amount 
                                equal to the proportion that--
                                            ``(aa) the total deck space 
                                        of off-system bridges in the 
                                        State that are in poor 
                                        condition, as determined by the 
                                        Secretary; bears to
                                            ``(bb) the total deck space 
                                        of off-system bridges in all 
                                        States that are in poor 
                                        condition, as determined by the 
                                        Secretary.
                                    ``(II) Bridges in other than poor 
                                condition.--25 percent of the amount 
                                reserved under subparagraph (B) shall 
                                be apportioned so that each State 
                                receives an amount equal to the 
                                proportion that--
                                            ``(aa) the total deck space 
                                        of off-system bridges in the 
                                        State that are not in poor 
                                        condition, as determined by the 
                                        Secretary; bears to
                                            ``(bb) the total deck space 
                                        of off-system bridges in all 
                                        States that are not in poor 
                                        condition, as determined by the 
                                        Secretary.
                            ``(iii) Adjustments to amounts.--
                                    ``(I) Definitions.--In this clause:
                                            ``(aa) Adjustment amount.--
                                        The term `adjustment amount' 
                                        means the total amount needed 
                                        for all States that do not meet 
                                        the requirement under subclause 
                                        (II), based on the initial 
                                        calculation under clause (ii), 
                                        to meet that requirement.
                                            ``(bb) Increase in funds.--
                                        The term `increase in funds', 
                                        with respect to a State, means 
                                        the amount, expressed as a 
                                        percentage, that--

                                                    ``(AA) the State 
                                                would receive under 
                                                clause (ii); compared 
                                                to

                                                    ``(BB) the amount 
                                                required to be 
                                                obligated by the State 
                                                for fiscal year 2021 
                                                for off-system bridges 
                                                under section 133(f)(2) 
                                                (as in effect on the 
                                                day before the date of 
                                                enactment of the 
                                                Support for Community 
                                                Bridges Act).

                                    ``(II) Adjustments.--The Secretary 
                                shall adjust the initial amount 
                                calculated for a State under clause 
                                (ii) to ensure that each State receives 
                                an amount that is not less than the 
                                amount required to be obligated by the 
                                State for fiscal year 2021 for off-
                                system bridges under section 133(f)(2) 
                                (as in effect on the day before the 
                                date of enactment of the Support for 
                                Community Bridges Act).
                                    ``(III) Method.--
                                            ``(aa) Ranking.--Before 
                                        making adjustments under 
                                        subclause (II), the Secretary 
                                        shall rank each State in 
                                        descending order based on the 
                                        increase in funds for each 
                                        State.
                                            ``(bb) Reductions.--The 
                                        Secretary shall adjust amounts 
                                        under subclause (II) as 
                                        follows:

                                                    ``(AA) By reducing 
                                                the adjustment amount 
                                                from the highest ranked 
                                                State under item (aa), 
                                                until the increase in 
                                                funds of that State is 
                                                equal to the increase 
                                                in funds of the next-
                                                highest ranked State.

                                                    ``(BB) If the 
                                                amount reduced under 
                                                subitem (AA) is less 
                                                than the full 
                                                adjustment amount, by 
                                                reducing the remainder 
                                                of the adjustment 
                                                amount from the next-
                                                highest ranked State, 
                                                until the increase in 
                                                funds of that State is 
                                                equal to the increase 
                                                in funds of the next-
                                                highest ranked State.

                                                    ``(CC) By repeating 
                                                the process described 
                                                in subitem (BB) for 
                                                States in descending 
                                                order based on the 
                                                ranking under item (aa) 
                                                until the full 
                                                adjustment amount is 
                                                achieved.

                                                    ``(DD) By 
                                                reallocating the 
                                                adjustment amount to 
                                                the States that do not 
                                                meet the requirement 
                                                under subclause (II), 
                                                based on the initial 
                                                calculation under 
                                                clause (ii), in order 
                                                to meet that 
                                                requirement.'';

            (2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ``and to carry out 
        section 134'' and inserting ``to carry out section 134, and for 
        the off-system bridge program under section 171''; and
            (3) in subsection (i)(1), by striking ``and to carry out 
        section 134'' and inserting ``to carry out section 134, and for 
        the off-system bridge program under section 171''.
    (c) Surface Transportation Block Grant Program.--Section 133(f) of 
title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking the subsection designation and heading and 
        all that follows through the period at the end of paragraph 
        (2)(B);
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as subsection (f) and 
        indenting appropriately; and
            (3) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as 
        paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, and indenting 
        appropriately.
    (d) Off-System Bridge Program.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, 
        is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 171. Off-system bridge program
    ``(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), each State shall use 
the amount apportioned to the State under section 104(b)(7) for each 
fiscal year for the purpose of repairing and maintaining off-system 
bridges.
    ``(b) Waiver.--The Secretary, after consultation with State and 
local officials, may waive the requirement under subsection (a) with 
respect to a State if the Secretary determines that the State has 
inadequate needs to justify the expenditure.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The analysis for chapter 1 of 
        title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
        the following:

``171. Off-system bridge program.''.
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