,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fgja  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ab1       
#bjbe,mr4 ,stanton 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,lawler7 introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,transportation and ,infrastructure  ,a
 ,,bill  ,to amend title #bc1 ,united   
,states ,code1 to provide for emergency 
relief for repair or reconstruction of  
infrastructure damaged by extreme heat1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,heat ,emergency ,assistance for        
,transportation ,act of #bjbe or the    
,,heat ,act of #bjbe4  #b4 ,findings    
,congress finds the following3  7#a7    
,extreme heat1 particularly heat waves1 
are an emerging threat to critical      
transportation infrastructure4  7#b7    
,extreme heat is damaging critical      
transportation infrastructure4  7#c7    
,research indicates that high           
temperatures cause bridge expansion     
joints to crack or fail1 accelerate the 

degradation of concrete and steel1 and  
weaken structural integrity over time4  
7#d7 ,aging infrastructure is at        
heightened risk4  7#e7 ,assessments show
 more than #he1jjj girder or movable    
bridges are over #ej years old in the   
,united ,states1 carrying #hfj million  
vehicle crossings each day4  7#f7 ,many 
such bridges designed for historical    
conditions and are now experiencing     
stress beyond their original design4    
7#g7 ,movable bridges may face          
operational challenges1 including       
breakdowns during heat waves4  7#h7     
,steel expansion during extreme heat can
 cause drawbridges and similar          
structures to jam or fail to close      
properly4  7#i7 ,emergency cooling      
measures1 such as spraying bridges with 
water1 have already been required in    
cities such as ,new ,york1 ,chicago1    
,portland1 and ,seattle4  7#aj7 ,extreme
 heat threatens economic continuity4    
7#aa7 ,unplanned bridge closures and    
roadway restrictions caused by thermal  

stress interrupt freight movement1      
supply chains1 and daily commuting1     
imposing significant costs on local     
economies and national productivity4    
7#ab7 ,federal disaster programs omit   
extreme heat4  7#ac7 ,while section #abe
 of title #bc1 ,united ,states ,code1   
recognizes disasters such as flooding1  
severe storms1 and wildfires1 extreme   
heat is not explicitly identified as a  
qualifying event for ,emergency ,relief 
funding1 despite its clear              
infrastructure consequences4  7#ad7     
,communities can face disproportionate  
risks4  7#ae7 ,rural areas and regions  
with limited redundancy in              
transportation networks are particularly
 at high risk1 as heat-related          
transportation disruptions can isolate  
entire communities1 delay emergency     
response1 and endanger public safety4   
#c4 ,emergency relief ,section #abe of  
title #bc1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended--  7#a7 in subsection 7a77#a71  
by inserting extreme heat1 after severe 

storm12  7#b7 in subsection 7b7 by      
inserting ,this subsection shall not    
apply to a bridge with respect to which 
physical deterioration was substantially
 caused by extreme heat exposure4 after 
the period at the end2 and  7#c7 by     
striking extreme weather1 flooding1 and 
other natural disasters each place it   
appears and inserting extreme weather1  
heat waves1 flooding1 and other natural 
disasters4  #d4 ,study on extreme heat  
events  7a7 ,study required ,not later  
than #a year after the date of enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary of        
,transportation shall enter into an     
agreement with the ,transportation      
,research ,board of the ,national       
,academies1 in coordination with the    
,secretary of ,transportation1 shall    
conduct a study to--  7#a7 evaluate the 
measurable costs of an extreme heat     
event1 particularly long-duration1 high 
intensity heat waves2  7#b7 provide     
recommendations on how to track damage  
from extreme heat events1 separate from 

regular deterioration over time2 and    
7#c7 to examine how the ,secretary may  
better assist ,state departments of     
transportation1 public transit systems1 
,amtrak1 freight rail systems1 and other
 interested parties with tracking damage
 from extreme heat events4  7b7         
,consultation requirements ,in carrying 
out the study under this section1 the   
,transportation ,research ,board shall  
consult with the ,secretary1 the        
,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency1 ,state departments 
of transportation1 public transit       
systems1 ,amtrak1 freight rail systems1 
stakeholders with expertise in          
engineering and natural disaster        
management1 and educational and         
technical groups in extreme heat and    
infrastructure safety4  7c7 ,report     
required ,the ,transportation ,research 
,board shall submit to the ,secretary1  
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure of the ,house of        
,representatives1 and the ,committee on 

,environment and ,public ,works of the  
,senate a report detailing the results  
of the study under this section4  #e4   
,best management practices report ,not  
later than #a year after the date of the
 enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary 
of ,transportation shall issue a best   
management practices report to reflect  
new information and advancements in     
highway and bridge safety as related to 
extreme heat4