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National Bridge Funding Reform Act
To eliminate the Carbon Reduction Program and PROTECT Program and dedicate the funding to a new bridge formula program that distributes funding based primarily on overall deck area, and for other purposes.
Summary
The bill eliminates the Carbon Reduction Program and PROTECT Program and replaces them with a new National Bridge Program. Funding previously allocated to these programs is redirected to support bridge replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection, and construction on federal-aid highways. States receive funding based on two factors: 75 percent distributed by the proportion of total bridge deck area in each state, and 25 percent distributed by the proportion of bridge deck area classified as in poor condition. The bill uses the National Bridge Inventory as of December 31, 2024, to calculate the distribution of funds to each state.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
5 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Troy E. Nehls’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Troy E. Nehls → · Outside spending →
Actions (3)
- Feb 10, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. · house
- Feb 9, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. · house
- Feb 9, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 9, 2026
Mr. Nehls (for himself, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Williams of Texas, and Mr. Gill of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To eliminate the Carbon Reduction Program and PROTECT Program and dedicate the funding to a new bridge formula program that distributes funding based primarily on overall deck area, 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 “National Bridge Funding Reform Act”.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL BRIDGE PROGRAM AND PROGRAM ELIMINATION.
(a) Apportionment.—Section 104 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking subsection (b)(7) and subsection (b)(8); and
(2) by inserting in its place the following:
“(7) National bridge program.—For the national bridge program under section 175, 5.47660865256628 percent of the amount remaining after distributing amounts under paragraphs
(4), (5), and (6).”.
(b) Carbon Reduction Program.—Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking Section 175.
(c) Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program.—Chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking Section 176.
(d) In General.—Title 23, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 175 the following: “Sec. 175. National bridge program
“(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish and implement a national bridge program under this section.
“(b) Purposes.—The purpose of the national bridge program shall be to provide support for the replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection, and construction of bridges on Federal-aid highways and for other purposes.
“(c) Eligible Projects.—
“(1) In general.—Funds apportioned to a State to carry out the national bridge program may be obligated for the replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection, and construction of bridges on Federal-aid highways.
“(2) Flexibility.—At the discretion of each State, funds made available for the national bridge program may be obligated for the replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection, and construction of bridges not on Federal-aid highways.
“(d) Apportionment.—The Secretary shall distribute the funds apportioned under section 104(b)(7) to carry out this section among States as follows—
“(1) 75 percent by the proportion that the total deck area of bridges on Federal-aid highways in such State bears to the sum of the total deck area of bridges on Federal-aid highways in all States; and
“(2) 25 percent by the proportion that the total deck area of bridges on Federal-aid highways classified as in poor condition in such State bears to the sum of the total deck area of bridges on Federal-aid highways classified as being in poor condition in all States.
“(e) National Bridge Inventory.—For purposes of determining the distribution of funds to States under subsection (d), the Secretary shall calculate the total deck area of bridges and the total deck area of bridges classified as being in poor condition based on the National Bridge Inventory as of December 31, 2024.”.
(e) Conforming Amendments.—
(1) Section 104 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—
(A) in subsection (b)—
(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “the carbon reduction program under section 175, to carry out subsection (c) of the PROTECT program under section 176,”; and
(ii) by striking paragraphs (7) and (8);
(B) in subsection (c)(2) by striking “the carbon reduction program under section 175, to carry out subsection (c) of the PROTECT program under section 176,”; and
(C) in subsection (h) by striking “the carbon reduction program under section 175, to carry out subsection (c) of the PROTECT program under section 176,”.
(2) Section 120(l)(2)(A) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking clauses (vi) and (vii).
(3) Section 520(e)(3)(B) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking clause (ii).
(f) Clerical Amendment.—The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking the items relating to section 175 and section 176 in effect prior to enactment of this section; and
(2) by inserting after the item relating to section 174 the following:
“175. National bridge program.”. <all>
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