New federal legislation designed to more thoroughly document the building of state infrastructure projects has been introduced in Congress.
What is being called the Preserving America’s Infrastructure Dollars Act would in particular focus on projects that have received in excess of $30 million from Washington.
The measure, as introduced by Minnesota Representative Pete Stauber, would require that any state receiving more than that amount must conduct what is called a Life Cycle Cost Analysis.
That analysis, said Stauber in a statement, would help to save taxpayers and various state departments of transportation, “valuable infrastructure dollars.”
“It is the duty of the federal government to serve as responsible stewards of taxpayer money,” Stauber continued in his statement, adding that he is currently encouraging his fellow House members to “support this straightforward, commonsense legislation.”
Adoption of the Life Cycle Cost Analysis would mean that state officials would be tasked with measuring not only the cost of constructing and maintaining any given piece of infrastructure, but also forecasting future maintenance and reconstruction costs.
Stauber’s legislation is currently under review in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
By Garry Boulard
