IIJA Expiration Puts Next Highway Bill in Focus for Aggregate and Civil Contractors

IIJA Expiration Puts Next Highway Bill in Focus for Aggregate and Civil Contractors

According to Pit & Quarry, the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) is actively positioning itself for the next federal highway bill as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act nears its expiration. Evan Bender, NSSGA’s director of government affairs, laid out the association’s legislative priorities and raised questions about what comes after IIJA in a Q&A at the Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference on April 1.

For subcontractors in civil construction, aggregates, and surface infrastructure, this is the policy moment that will shape project volume for years to come. When federal highway authorization lapses or shifts, the downstream effects hit earthwork, grading, paving, and materials supply contractors hard and fast.

Background

The IIJA, passed in 2021, delivered a significant injection of federal funding into roads, bridges, and broader infrastructure. According to Pit & Quarry, NSSGA has been focused on advocacy around the upcoming highway bill as one of its top priorities under new president and CEO Michele Stanley. Bender noted that Stanley views advocacy before both Congress and the administration as central to the organization’s mission.

Bender also highlighted a key personnel addition: Mira Lezell, brought on as senior vice president for government and regulatory affairs. Lezell comes directly from the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) subcommittee on highways, giving NSSGA a direct line of experience into the committee process that will shape whatever comes next.

At ConExpo-Con/Agg, according to Pit & Quarry, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri) announced he will retire at the end of his term.

Analysis

The expiration of IIJA is not just a budget event. It is a transition point that reshapes the federal funding architecture for surface transportation, and the uncertainty around what replaces it creates real planning risk for contractors at every tier of the supply chain.

Federal highway bills are the backbone of state DOT project pipelines. When reauthorization is delayed, or when a new bill is shaped around different priorities than its predecessor, the ripple effects show up quickly in bid calendars, materials demand, and subcontract award timelines. Contractors who are paying attention now, before the bill is drafted and debated, are the ones who can position their equipment, bonding capacity, and workforce accordingly.

The NSSGA’s moves here are worth watching for a practical reason: the association is inserting itself directly into the drafting process. Hiring someone with direct committee experience is not a ceremonial gesture. It signals that NSSGA intends to shape the bill’s structure, not just react to it. For aggregate producers and the contractors who depend on their supply, that kind of insider advocacy can affect everything from funding formulas to material specifications embedded in federal project requirements.

The retirement of Chairman Graves adds another layer of uncertainty. Committee leadership transitions can slow the reauthorization process or shift its priorities. A new chair brings different relationships, different constituent pressures, and potentially different views on how highway funding should be structured. For contractors who have built their business development around the federal infrastructure cycle, this is a variable that deserves attention.

What It Means for Subcontractors

• Watch the reauthorization calendar closely. IIJA expiration creates a potential funding gap. If Congress does not pass a new highway bill on time, state DOTs may slow project awards while they wait for clarity on federal funding levels. That slowdown shows up in your bid pipeline.

• Follow NSSGA’s advocacy positions. The association is actively shaping the next highway bill. Their public positions on funding formulas, project types, and material standards will give you early signals about what the next authorization cycle will prioritize.

• Factor committee leadership changes into your planning. Chairman Graves’ announced retirement means the T&I Committee will have new leadership. That transition can delay or redirect reauthorization. Build flexibility into your 2026-2027 project forecasts.

• Engage your state DOT contacts now. State transportation agencies are already planning for IIJA expiration. Understanding how your state DOT is preparing, what projects are funded through existing obligation authority versus future authorizations, will help you assess actual near-term bid opportunity versus projects at risk.

• Don’t assume the funding level holds. IIJA represented a historically elevated investment in surface infrastructure. The next bill may be structured differently. Contractors who have scaled to IIJA-era volume should model scenarios where federal highway funding comes in lower or is delayed.