[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5275 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5275
To require that certain aspects of bridge projects be carried out by
certified contractors, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 15, 2022
Mr. Casey (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and
Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
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 Quality Preservation Act''.
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 or accredited by an organization that
sets industry corrosion standards; 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 as meeting the ANSI/NACE
Number 13/SSPC-ACS-1 standard (or a successor
standard).
(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 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 recent 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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