A State shall develop a risk-based asset management plan that describes how the NHS will be managed to achieve system performance effectiveness and State DOT targets for asset condition, while managing the risks, in a financially responsible manner, at a minimum practicable cost over the life cycle of its assets. The State DOT shall develop and use, at a minimum the following processes to prepare its asset management plan:

(a) A State DOT shall establish a process for conducting performance gap analysis to identify deficiencies hindering progress toward improving or preserving the NHS and achieving and sustaining the desired state of good repair. At a minimum, the State DOT's process shall address the following in the gap analysis:

(1) The State DOT targets for asset condition of NHS pavements and bridges as established by the State DOT under 23 U.S.C. 150(d) once promulgated.

(2) The gaps, if any, in the performance-of the NHS that affect NHS pavements and bridges regardless of their physical condition; and

(3) Alternative strategies to close or address the identified gaps.

(b) A State DOT shall establish a process for conducting life-cycle planning for an asset class or asset sub-group at the network level (network to be defined by the State DOT). As a State DOT develops its life-cycle planning process, the State DOT should include future changes in demand; information on current and future environmental conditions including extreme weather events, climate change, and seismic activity; and other factors that could impact whole of life costs of assets. The State DOT may propose excluding one or more asset sub-groups from its life-cycle planning if the State DOT can demonstrate to FHWA the exclusion of the asset sub-group would have no material adverse effect on the development of sound investment strategies due to the limited number of assets in the asset sub-group, the low level of cost associated with managing the assets in that asset sub-group, or other justifiable reasons. A life-cycle planning process shall, at a minimum, include the following:

(1) The State DOT targets for asset condition for each asset class or asset sub-group;

(2) Identification of deterioration models for each asset class or asset sub-group, provided that identification of deterioration models for assets other than NHS pavements and bridges is optional;

(3) Potential work types across the whole life of each asset class or asset sub-group with their relative unit cost; and

(4) A strategy for managing each asset class or asset sub-group by minimizing its life-cycle costs, while achieving the State DOT targets for asset condition for NHS pavements and bridges under 23 U.S.C. 150(d).

(c) A State DOT shall establish a process for developing a risk management plan. This process shall, at a minimum, produce the following information:

(1) Identification of risks that can affect condition of NHS pavements and bridges and the performance of the NHS, including risks associated with current and future environmental conditions, such as extreme weather events, climate change, seismic activity, and risks related to recurring damage and costs as identified through the evaluation of facilities repeated damaged by emergency events carried out under part 667 of this title. Examples of other risk categories include financial risks such as budget uncertainty; operational risks such as asset failure; and strategic risks such as environmental compliance.

(2) An assessment of the identified risks in terms of the likelihood of their occurrence and their impact and consequence if they do occur;

(3) An evaluation and prioritization of the identified risks;

(4) A mitigation plan for addressing the top priority risks;

(5) An approach for monitoring the top priority risks; and

(6) A summary of the evaluations of facilities repeatedly damaged by emergency events carried out under part 667 of this title that discusses, at a minimum, the results relating to the State's NHS pavements and bridges.

(d) A State DOT shall establish a process for the development of a financial plan that identifies annual costs over a minimum period of 10 years. The financial plan process shall, at a minimum, produce:

(1) The estimated cost of expected future work to implement investment strategies contained in the asset management plan, by State fiscal year and work type;

(2) The estimated funding levels that are expected to be reasonably available, by fiscal year, to address the costs of future work types. State DOTs may estimate the amount of available future funding using historical values where the future funding amount is uncertain;

(3) Identification of anticipated funding sources; and

(4) An estimate of the value of the agency's NHS pavement and bridge assets and the needed investment on an annual basis to maintain the value of these assets.

(e) A State DOT shall establish a process for developing investment strategies meeting the requirements in §515.9(f). This process must result in a description of how the investment strategies are influenced, at a minimum, by the following:

(1) Performance gap analysis required under paragraph (a) of this section;

(2) Life-cycle planning for asset classes or asset sub-groups resulting from the process required under paragraph (b) of this section;

(3) Risk management analysis resulting from the process required under paragraph (c) of this section; and

(4) Anticipated available funding and estimated cost of expected future work types associated with various candidate strategies based on the financial plan required by paragraph (d) of this section.

(f) The processes established by State DOTs shall include a provision for the State DOT to obtain necessary data from other NHS owners in a collaborative and coordinated effort.

(g) States DOTs shall use the best available data to develop their asset management plans. Pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 150(c)(3)(A)(i), each State DOT shall use bridge and pavement management systems meeting the requirements of §515.17 to analyze the condition of NHS pavements and bridges for the purpose of developing and implementing the asset management plan required under this part. The use of these or other management systems for other assets that the State DOT elects to include in the asset management plan is optional (e.g., Sign Management Systems, etc.).