[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4050 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4050

  To establish a demonstration project to begin correcting structural 
                          bridge deficiencies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2004

  Mr. Vitter introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a demonstration project to begin correcting structural 
                          bridge deficiencies.

    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 ``Rural Bridge Safety and Repair 
Demonstration Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The 589,111 bridges in the United States are a vital 
        link in a seamless and efficient transportation system, 
        connecting communities, States, and regions.
            (2) Fourteen percent of all bridges that are 20 feet or 
        longer are structurally deficient.
             (3) The cost of correcting all bridge deficiencies in the 
        United States is $136,000,000,000. Faced with budget cutbacks, 
        many States are struggling to maintain an acceptable schedule 
        of maintenance, repair, and replacement of their roads and 
        bridges.
            (4) To begin correcting structural bridge deficiencies, a 
        demonstration program is necessary, beginning with a State that 
        has a significant number of structurally deficient bridges.
            (5) More than 33 percent of the 13,339 bridges in the State 
        of Louisiana are structurally deficient or functionally 
        obsolete; a State with a high percentage of structurally 
        deficient bridges.

SEC. 3. LOUISIANA RURAL DEVELOPMENT PARISH BRIDGE REPAIR PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 144 of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (q) as subsection (r); and
            (2) by adding after subsection (p) the following:
    ``(q) Demonstration Project.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants to the 
        Executive Director of the Louisiana Governor's Office of Rural 
        Development Parish Bridge Repair Program to provide for the 
        rehabilitation of the State's most structurally deficient off-
        system bridges.
            ``(2) Report.--The Executive Director of the Governor's 
        Office of Rural Development Parish Bridge Repair Program shall 
        transmit a report to Congress at the end of each fiscal year 
        describing the number of bridges and extent of corrected 
        deficiencies made during such year.''.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act--
            (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
            (2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
            (3) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
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