Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens oversight, transparency, and fiscal controls for very large transportation megaprojects to reduce cost overruns and improve safety, but it increases administrative burdens, can delay project starts, and may unevenly burden smaller/local agencies or deter expert participation.
State and local project sponsors of covered megaprojects (generally ≥ $2.5B) must produce comprehensive risk-management plans before construction, which increases federal oversight of cost, schedule, and quality risks and helps prevent large cost overruns that would burden taxpayers.
Project sponsors must provide regular updated cost estimates and reassess financial reserves, improving fiscal planning and reducing the chance of surprise funding shortfalls for state/local governments and taxpayers.
Independent peer reviews plus public disclosure of review reports increase transparency and can surface technical or management problems early, protecting taxpayers and improving project outcomes.
State and local sponsors (and their projects) may face delays and added administrative costs from the new pre-construction requirements and peer-review processes, which can push back project starts and raise near-term program costs.
Smaller or less-resourced agencies will bear higher compliance costs to recruit independent experts, prepare documentation, and maintain ongoing reporting, which could strain local budgets or disadvantage smaller jurisdictions.
Public disclosure of peer reviewers' identities could deter qualified experts from participating due to reputational or liability concerns, reducing the pool of independent reviewers and potentially weakening review quality.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced December 4, 2025 by Mark James Desaulnier · Last progress December 4, 2025
Requires very large federal highway projects (generally $2.5 billion or more, or others the Secretary designates) to prepare and submit a detailed risk management plan and to form an independent peer review group before construction authorization. It also requires public disclosure of peer review reports and supervising engineer credentials, and it directs DOT to arrange a Transportation Research Board committee to study megaproject practices and report recommendations within three years. These rules apply to projects authorized for construction on or after one year after enactment.