Bill Summary
The "Bridge Corrosion Prevention and Repair Act of 2025" aims to enhance the safety and longevity of bridges in the United States by ensuring that specific aspects of bridge projects are conducted by certified contractors. The legislation defines "applicable bridge projects," which include construction, rehabilitation, or protection of bridges receiving federal financial assistance.
Key provisions of the bill include:
1. **Certification Requirement**: Contractors involved in critical aspects like surface preparation, coating application, and hazardous material removal must be certified by recognized industry organizations.
2. **Corrosion Management Systems**: Entities executing bridge projects are mandated to implement comprehensive corrosion management systems that adhere to industry standards, including training personnel and employing best practices for environmental protection.
3. **Grant Funding for Rail Bridges**: The bill amends existing laws to enable federal funding for corrosion control work specifically on railroad bridges.
4. **Study on Weathering Steel**: The Secretary of Transportation is tasked with conducting a study on the inspection and maintenance of weathering steel bridges, following concerns raised by incidents like the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh.
Overall, the legislation seeks to mitigate corrosion-related risks to bridges through strict contractor certification, training, and research, ultimately improving public safety and infrastructure resilience.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the "Bridge Corrosion Prevention and Repair Act of 2025" could affect people:
1. **Enhanced Safety for Commuters**: By requiring that bridge projects be managed by certified contractors trained in corrosion prevention, the Act aims to improve the structural integrity and longevity of bridges. This could significantly enhance safety for individuals who use these bridges for commuting, reducing the risk of accidents and collapses due to corrosion-related failures.
2. **Job Creation and Workforce Development**: The legislation mandates that certified contractors employ a substantial number of trained individuals for bridge projects. This requirement could lead to job creation in the construction and maintenance sectors, providing new employment opportunities for workers who complete qualified training programs. This focus on certification and training could also enhance workforce skills in corrosion management, which is increasingly important in infrastructure projects.
3. **Environmental and Public Health Protection**: The Act emphasizes the need for best practices in environmental protection and public health during bridge construction and maintenance. By requiring certified contractors to adhere to standards that prevent environmental degradation, the legislation could help protect local communities from potential hazards associated with hazardous materials, such as lead-based coatings, thus contributing to overall public health and safety.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4170 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4170
To require that certain aspects of bridge projects be carried out by
certified contractors, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 26, 2025
Mr. Garamendi (for himself, Mr. Bost, Mr. Deluzio, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms.
Brownley, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Gottheimer, and Ms. Elfreth)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require that certain aspects of bridge projects be carried out by
certified contractors, 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 ``Bridge Corrosion Prevention and
Repair Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. CORROSION PREVENTION FOR BRIDGES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Applicable bridge project.--The term ``applicable
bridge project'' means a project for construction, replacement,
rehabilitation, preservation, or protection, other than de
minimis work, as determined by the entity carrying out the
project, on--
(A) a bridge project that receives financial
assistance under title 23, United States Code; or
(B) a project for a railroad bridge (as defined in
section 237.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations
(or successor regulations)) that receives financial
assistance under title 49, United States Code.
(2) Certified contractor.--The term ``certified
contractor'' means a contracting or subcontracting firm that
has been certified by a third-party organization recognized
industry-wide that evaluates the capability of the contractor
or subcontractor to properly perform 1 or more specified
aspects of an applicable bridge project described in subsection
(b)(2).
(3) Qualified training program.--The term ``qualified
training program'' means a training program in corrosion
control, mitigation, and prevention that is--
(A) offered by an organization that provides
trainees with a certification that meets the ANSI/NACE
Number 13/SSPC-ACS-1 standard (or a successor standard)
or another standard approved by the Administrator of
the Federal Highway Administration; or
(B) an industrial coatings applicator training
program--
(i) registered under the Act of August 16,
1937 (commonly known as the ``National
Apprenticeship Act'') (50 Stat. 664, chapter
663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.); and
(ii) that meets the standards of subpart A
of part 29 and part 30 of title 29, Code of
Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).
(b) Applicable Bridge Projects.--
(1) Quality control.--A certified contractor shall carry
out aspects of an applicable bridge project described in
paragraph (2).
(2) Aspects of applicable bridge projects.--Aspects of an
applicable bridge project referred to in paragraph (1)
include--
(A) surface preparation or coating application on
steel, concrete, or rebar of an applicable bridge
project;
(B) removal of a lead-based or other hazardous
coating from steel or concrete of an existing
applicable bridge project; and
(C) shop painting of structural steel or rebar
fabricated for installation on an applicable bridge
project.
(3) Corrosion management system.--In carrying out an
applicable bridge project, the entity carrying out the project
shall--
(A) implement a corrosion management system that
utilizes industry-recognized standards and corrosion
mitigation and prevention methods to address different
considerations, including--
(i) surface preparation;
(ii) protective coatings;
(iii) materials selection;
(iv) cathodic protection;
(v) corrosion engineering;
(vi) personnel training; and
(vii) best practices in environmental
protection to prevent environmental degradation
and uphold public health; and
(B) require certified contractors, for the purpose
of carrying out aspects of applicable bridge projects
described in paragraph (2), to employ a substantial
number of individuals that are trained and certified by
a qualified training program.
(4) Certification.--For an applicable bridge project that
includes an aspect described in paragraph (2), the entity
carrying out the project shall only accept bids from a
certified contractor that presents written proof that the
certification of the contractor meets the relevant (AMPP) SSPC-
QP standards (or a successor standard).
(c) Training Program.--As a condition of entering into a contract
for an applicable bridge project, each certified contractor shall
provide training for each individual who is not a certified coating
applicator but that the certified contractor employs to carry out
aspects of applicable bridge projects described in subsection (b)(2).
SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING FOR CORROSION CONTROL
WORK ON RAIL BRIDGES.
Section 22402(b)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (G);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
``(F) to perform corrosion control work on rail
bridges; or''.
SEC. 4. STUDY ON EFFICACY OF WEATHERING STEEL.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) weathering steel is often used for bridge construction
projects because of its ability to withstand weather conditions
better than other forms of steel;
(2) the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, in January 2022 highlights the real threat that
corrosion poses to the bridges of the United States;
(3) more research is needed into the vulnerabilities of
weathering steel; and
(4) States and units of local government need more
information on when and how to address the risk of corrosion to
weathering steel.
(b) Study.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall--
(1) carry out a study on best practices for--
(A) the frequency and method of inspecting
corrosion on weathering steel bridges; and
(B) addressing corrosion on weathering steel
bridges;
(2) submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
of the Senate, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report on the results of the study under
paragraph (1); and
(3) make the report under paragraph (2) available to State
departments of transportation, metropolitan planning
organizations (as defined in section 134(b) of title 23, United
States Code), regional transportation planning organizations
(as defined in that section), and units of local government
that own bridge assets.
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