Bill · H.R. 3548· House(119-HR-3548)
Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 5/21/2025
- Last activity
- 5/21/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Nicholas Langworthy
- Cosponsors
- - 5 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2025 seeks to prevent absolute liability claims against property owners or contractors working on projects that receive Federal financial assistance, tax incentives, or are subject to Federal permitting. It specifically targets injuries related to elevation or gravity-related risks. Under this bill, a comparative negligence standard would replace absolute liability for these specific risks. This Act preempts State laws regarding these standards and moves such claims into the exclusive jurisdiction of Federal courts. The rules apply to projects where a State or local government accepts Federal assistance on or after January 1, 2026.
Yes· 3 of 5
Would business owners be better off under this?+6
Business owners and contractors benefit from reduced legal liability risks.
Does this give the federal government more power?+5
The bill increases federal power by preempting state laws and establishing exclusive federal court jurisdiction.
Is this likely to grow the economy?+1
Reducing liability risks may encourage more private investment in infrastructure projects.
The opposite· 3 of 5
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-5
The bill reduces state rights by preempting state liability standards and jurisdiction.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?-3
The bill reduces protections for individuals injured on projects by shifting from absolute to comparative negligence.
Would union members be better off under this?-3
Workers may face harder paths to compensation due to the shift from absolute to comparative negligence.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Standardized Liability for Projects: For projects receiving Federal assistance, tax incentives, or subject to Federal permitting, the bill replaces absolute liability with a comparative negligence standard regarding elevation or gravity-related risks (Section 2(a) and 2(b)). This means liability would be determined by whether negligence was a proximate cause of the injury (Section 2(b)(2)).
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Protection Against Absolute Liability: The bill prevents legal actions based on absolute liability for injuries associated with elevation or gravity-related risks on certain projects (Section 2(a)). This is relevant for workers or people affiliated with a project who may have failed to follow safety instructions, utilized safety equipment, or were impaired by drugs or alcohol, if those factors were a proximate cause of the injury (Section 2(e)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Shift in Legal Standards: The bill mandates that a comparative negligence standard apply instead of absolute liability for specific injuries (Section 2(b)). This changes how liability is assessed for injuries related to elevation or gravity-related risks (Section 2(e)(3)).
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Changes to Court Jurisdiction: All claims arising under this Act are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal courts, which prevents State courts from applying absolute liability standards to covered projects (Section 2(d)).
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Preemption of State Law: This Act supersedes and preempts State laws that impose absolute liability standards for elevation or gravity-related risks on projects receiving Federal financial assistance (Section 2(c)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+1Improves Consumer Protection-3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Public Transit+1Improves Roads And Bridges+1
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+5Increase States Rights-5Improves Due Process-2
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+6Good For Union Workers-3Good For Low Income Households-2
- 6/4/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/19/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/5/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/21/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Mike EzellRepublican · Mississippi
David JoyceRepublican · Ohio
Tom McClintockRepublican · California
Elise StefanikRepublican · New York
Claudia TenneyRepublican · New York