,i  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ccgf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bi1 #bjae     
,mrs4 ,lowey introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to         
authorize ,states to carry out bridge   
construction1 maintenance1 repair1 and  
replacement projects using previously   
allocated surface transportation funds  
that are identified as being excess or  
inactive1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,findings  7a7 ,findings ,congress finds
 the following3 7#a7 ,the ,federal      
,highway ,administration estimates that 
there are #fjd1dhe bridges on the       
,nation's public road network1 of which 
#aaf1ffi are on the ,national ,highway  
,system4  7#b7 ,the average age of the  
,nation's bridges is #ci years old and  
more than two-thirds of the ,nation's   
bridges are more than #bf years old4    
7#c7 ,one in #i bridges is classified as
 structurally deficient and requires    

significant maintenance1 repair1 or     
replacement4  7#d7 ,fourteen percent of 
the ,nation's bridges are functionally  
obsolete and do not meet current design 
standards4  7#e7 ,the ,federal ,highway 
,administration estimates that to       
eliminate the ,nation's deficient bridge
 backlog by #bjcj1 #bj4b billion of     
investment would be required annually   
through ,federal1 ,state1 and local     
levels of government1 although current  
annual bridge investment is             
approximately #ag4a billion4  7b7       
,definitions ,in this section1 the      
following definitions apply3 7#a7       
,eligible funds  7,a7 ,in general ,the  
term eligible funds means funds--  7i7  
authorized or designated in-- 7,i7      
,public ,law #aji-ei or a prior surface 
transportation authorization ,act2 or   
7,,ii7 an appropriations ,act1 or a     
report accompanying an appropriations   
,act1 for allocation to a specific      
surface transportation project or       
activity2 and  7ii7 identified1 not     

later than #fj days after the date of   
enactment of this ,act1 by the ,state in
 which the project or activity is       
authorized to be carried out as being   
excess funds or inactive funds4  7,b7   
,inclusion ,the term eligible funds     
includes funds described in subparagraph
 7,a7 that were allocated and designated
 for a demonstration project4  7#b7     
,excess funds ,the term excess funds    
means-- 7,a7 funds obligated for a      
specific surface transportation project 
or activity that remain available for   
the project or activity after the       
project or activity has been completed  
or canceled2 or  7,b7 an unobligated    
balance of funds allocated for a        
specific surface transportation project 
or activity that the ,state in which the
 project or activity is authorized to be
 carried out certifies is no longer     
needed for the project or activity4     
7#c7 ,inactive funds ,the term inactive 
funds means-- 7,a7 an unobligated       
balance of ,federal funds for an        

eligible surface transportation project 
or activity against which no more than  
#aj percent of the ,federal funds       
originally designated for the project or
 activity have been obligated2 or  7,b7 
funds that are available to carry out a 
surface transportation project or       
activity in a ,state1 but1 as certified 
by the ,state1 are unlikely to be       
advanced for the project or activity    
during the #a-year period beginning on  
the date of certification4  7c7         
,availability of funds for bridge       
projects ,eligible funds shall be-- 7#a7
 made available in accordance with this 
section to the ,state that originally   
received the funds2 and  7#b7 available 
for obligation for any eligible project 
under section #acc7;b77#b7 or           
#acc7;b77#c7 of title #bc1 ,united      
,states ,code4  7d7 ,authority ,to      
obligate ,notwithstanding the original  
source or period of availability of     
eligible funds1 the ,secretary of       
,transportation may1 on the request by a

 ,state--  7#a7 obligate the funds for  
any eligible project under section      
#acc7;b77#b7 or #acc7;b77#c7 of title   
#bc1 ,united ,states ,code2 or  7#b7    
7,a7 deobligate the funds2 and  7,b7    
reobligate the funds for any project    
eligible under such sections4  7e7      
,period of availability2 title #bc      
requirements  7#a7 ,in general          
,notwithstanding the original source or 
period of availability of eligible funds
 obligated 7or deobligated and          
reobligated7 under subsection 7d71 the  
eligible funds--  7,a7 shall remain     
available for obligation for a period of
 #c fiscal years after the fiscal year  
in which this ,act is enacted2 and  7,b7
 except as otherwise provided in this   
subsection1 shall be subject to the     
requirements of title #bc1 ,united      
,states ,code1 that apply to section    
#acc of that title1 including provisions
 relating to ,federal share4  7#b7 ,no  
allocation based on population ,section 
#acc7;d7 of title #bc1 ,united ,states  

,code1 shall not apply to eligible funds
 under this section4  7f7 ,report ,not  
later than #a year after the date of    
enactment of this ,act1 and annually    
thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit 
to the ,committee on ,environment and   
,public ,works of the ,senate1 the      
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure of the ,house of        
,representatives1 and the ,committees on
 ,appropriations of the ,senate and the 
,house of ,representatives a report     
describing any action taken by the      
,secretary under this section4