Washington Report – April 27, 2026

April 27, 2026

A new round of the Federal Highway Administration’s “Every Day Counts” initiative is underway;
EDC-8 continues FHWA’s approach of promoting proven innovations that can be adopted by state and local agencies to improve how transportation projects are delivered and maintained;
Public works agencies may see increased focus on implementation of these practices as EDC-8 rolls out nationwide.

U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced $1.1B is available in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Crossing Safety program to fund improvements to safety infrastructure at railroad crossings;
The notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) outlines the types of projects for which the funding may be used:
- Build overpasses or underpasses so cars and trains never meet
- Upgrade safety technology at crossings
- Relocate tracks to close a grade crossing
- Educate Americans on how to cross train tracks safely.

APWA has joined two coalition letters calling on Congress to fully fund vital water infrastructure programs in FY27;
The first letter, led by APWA and joined by 23 other organizations, calls on Congress to fund the state revolving funds (SRFs), the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, and other water infrastructure grant programs;
The second letter advocates for the overall Interior and Environment funding bill to have a higher “topline” number
- A “topline” is the total amount that a funding bill is able to spend. By increasing this number, more funding can go to each agency and program within this bill. This letter argues the additional funding should be used for Congressionally directed spending, which would allow more of the SRF’s total funding to go to the program
APWA will continue to work with its partners to advocate for water infrastructure program appropriations and reauthorization.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced updates for certain terms and conditions for grants, cooperative agreements, fixed amount awards, and other types of federal financial assistance, effective April 16;
The update doesn’t apply to every DHS grant program;
Review a specific program’s notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) and/or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) state agreements for additional information.

FEMA announced more than $585M will be distributed through its Public Assistance Grant Program to support 137 disaster recovery projects across the country;
Funds are to be used for road repairs, power grid restoration, rebuilding public infrastructure, and costs incurred during emergencies to protect life and property.

The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce has passed H.R. 8210, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, out of committee;
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) has not been reauthorized since 2014 and expired in 2020;
The version passed out of committee funds the Strengthening Community College Training Grants Program (SCCTG) at $65M annually, increases funding for training through individualized training accounts, and would automatically include Workforce Pell and Registered Apprenticeship programs on the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL);
APWA submitted comments through the Federal Register on Workforce Pell;
There is no companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

EWC welcomed the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) as its two newest members;
“The addition of new organizations to the Engineering Workforce Consortium amplifies our collective reach and commitment to raising awareness of career opportunities in engineering and public works,” APWA CEO Scott Grayson said;
Now at 21 members, EWC brings together diverse voices from government, industry, and academia to attract, retain, and grow the engineering and public works workforce. Read more about EWC on its website.

April 27 at 4 p.m., the House Interior-Environment, Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a hearing on EPA’s proposed FY27 budget;
April 28 at 9 a.m., the House Science, Space and Technology Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing to review the President’s FY27 budget request for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA);
April 28 at 10 a.m., the House Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a hearing, Data Centers, Telecommunications Networks, and Space-Based Systems-Modernizing DHS’s SRMA (Sector Risk Management Agency) Role for the Communications and IT Sectors;
April 28 at 10 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a hearing on EPA’s proposed FY27 budget;
April 29 at 2:30 p.m., the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on EPA’s proposed FY27 budget;
April 30 at 8 a.m., the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee and Legislative Branch Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a joint markup hearing to review the proposed FY27 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies budget, and the proposed FY27 Legislative Branch budget.