H.R. 3258: Parity in Engineering Act

H.R. 3258, the Parity in Engineering Act, is a short targeted bill in the 119th Congress, 1st Session, introduced on May 7, 2025, by Mr. Stauber for himself and Ms. Craig, with 3 cosponsors. It was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Despite the broad-sounding title, the bill does one narrow thing: it amends section 112(b)(2)(F) of title 23, United States Code.

The exact legal change is simple but important. The bill strikes the phrase "the States of West Virginia or Minnesota" and replaces it with "the State of West Virginia." In plain English, Minnesota would no longer be listed in the existing exclusion tied to contracting requirements for engineering and design services under title 23, while West Virginia would remain in that exclusion.

That means Minnesota would lose a special status it currently shares with West Virginia. The practical effect is not the creation of a new program, grant, age rule, deadline, or penalty. Instead, it changes which state is carved out from existing federal contracting rules. For agencies, contractors, and engineers working on title 23 transportation work in Minnesota, that could alter procurement expectations and compliance obligations on future engineering and design contracts.

The politics are also notable. The bill was introduced by a Minnesota member, Mr. Stauber, and also names Ms. Craig, another Minnesota lawmaker, suggesting bipartisan in-state interest in changing Minnesota's treatment under federal law. But because the text provided contains no funding authorization, no dollar amount, and no implementation deadline, the bill's real impact will depend on whether Congress advances it and how transportation agencies interpret the revised title 23 language.