Sponsors (5)
The bill creates modest federal incentives, procurement rules, and support to accelerate use of lower‑emission paving materials—potentially cutting construction emissions and stabilizing supply—while relying on limited federal funds and creating additional costs, administrative burdens, and competitive pressures that fall on states, taxpayers, and smaller suppliers.
State departments of transportation can recoup part of the higher cost of low‑emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt (including a 2% material‑cost incentive), lowering the immediate financial barrier to using greener materials.
Incentivizes and encourages use of lower‑emission paving materials, which can reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from road construction if widely adopted.
Allows States to lock in prices and supply for low‑emissions paving materials, helping projects stay on schedule and avoid delays caused by material shortages or price volatility.
The program is authorized at only $15 million, which is likely too small to cover higher incremental costs nationwide and could sharply limit how many projects can claim reimbursements or incentives.
Taxpayers ultimately fund the authorized payments and ongoing FHWA administrative costs, yet emissions benefits are uncertain if uptake is limited.
If low‑emissions materials remain more expensive than conventional ones, state transportation budgets and taxpayers could pay higher prices for highway projects.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates an FHWA program to reimburse and incentivize use of low‑emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt in state highway projects and allows advance multiyear domestic procurement using highway funds.
Official title: To strengthen and enhance the competitiveness of cement, concrete, asphalt binder, and asphalt mixture production in the United States through the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of technologies to reduce emissions from cement, concrete, asphalt binder, and asphalt mixture production, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 14, 2025 by Valerie Foushee · Last progress March 14, 2025
Creates a Federal Highway Administration program that pays states back for the extra cost of using low‑emissions cement, concrete, asphalt binder, and asphalt mixtures in highway projects, provides a 2% project incentive, and funds a public directory and commercialization support. It also amends highway law to let states use Highway Infrastructure Program funds for advance multiyear purchases of domestically produced low‑emissions materials under specified contract and reporting rules. The bill funds the FHWA program with $15 million for FY2025–FY2027, requires a State application and FHWA review process for eligible materials, and sets definitions, performance criteria, and limits for advance procurements to encourage domestic production and lower construction emissions over time.