§2. Preservation of Federal financial assistance for infrastructure and transportation development
This section prohibits absolute liability claims by covered persons (i.e., workers or affiliates performing work on a project) against property owners or contractors for injuries from elevation or gravity-related risks (i.e., falls due to height differences) on infrastructure or transportation projects receiving federal financial assistance (i.e., grants, loans, tax credits, or similar), benefits from federal tax incentives, or subject to federal permitting. It preempts state absolute liability laws, mandates a comparative negligence standard where worker negligence proximately causes injury, and provides exclusive federal court jurisdiction over such claims (while preserving state workers' compensation laws). The section applies to claims arising from projects where a state or local government accepts federal financial assistance on or after January 1, 2026.