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I have seen powder coating suggested as a preferred alternative to weathering steel in several places, including this question response from 2020 and the RSI FAQ page. Do you feel it would be appropriate for an agency to take the position that powder coating will not affect MASH performance and can be used on metal components of any non-proprietary barrier system or any proproprietary system where the manufacturer allows it? Or do you feel in-depth analysis (component testing or even full-scale crash testing) would be required to show this and your prior statement from 2020 simply meant you think it shows promise as something that may perform adequately?

Do you have any information available on industry best practices for specifying powder coating requirements to achieve maximum longevity and to avoid creating any system assembly issues?

Powder coating may certainly be a viable option. For longitudinal barriers, we would expect very little if any difference in safety performance for a powder coated rail versus a galvanized rail. Other applications such as terminals or crash cushions may be more senstive to friction of the rail element during operation. Galvanization lowers friction. Thus, powder coated rails may act differently in those applications. However, it would be up to the designers of that hardware to evaluate that potential. 

We have typically recommended that the powder coating for aesthetics be done on top of galvanzied rail to ensure proper corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance of powder coating alone may not be sufficient to prevent degardation over the life of the hardware.