The U.S. House of Representatives is expected this week to discuss the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act, which would expand the eligible uses of federal funding to include infrastructure, disaster relief, housing, community development and other investments with long-term economic return.
Specifically, localities may use funds for emergency relief from natural disasters and associated negative economic impacts of natural disasters. In addition, a portion of their COVID-19 relief funds may be used for designated infrastructure projects, such as nationally significant freight and highway projects. Furthermore, the bill allows recipients to expend COVID-19 relief funds on these types of infrastructure projects.
Filed as Senate Bill 3011, if passed, the bill:
- Permits eligible government entities to spend the greater of $10 million or 30% of their total fiscal relief funding on infrastructure and other new categories, some of which would be created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Does not increase spending and does not place mandates on state or local governments.
- Includes language to ensure spending supplements existing funding obligations instead of supplanting them.
- Requires the Treasury and Transportation secretaries to report to Congress on the use of relief funds to ensure accountability.
- Clarifies existing allocations set aside at Treasury for tribal governments and ensures they receive funding delayed by legal barriers during the last year.
NPCA supports passage of this bill. It would open up additional opportunities for construction projects involving precast concrete.
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