Aug. 17, 2026
**The Washington Report will next publish Sept. 14 following Congress’ August break. For regular updates, follow APWA Government Affairs on X and LinkedIn.
Latest News
Stand Up for Critical Water Legislation Today
- Take 60 seconds to email your members of Congress urging them to fund vital water legislation today;
- The Clean Water and Drinking Water state revolving funds, and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) expire Sept. 30;
- Click here to tell Congress to reauthorize these programs.
APWA Leads Coalition Letter Supporting Water Infrastructure Legislation
- APWA and 36 other water, government, labor, and industry organizations sent a letter to the House and Senate urging passage of the 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA);
- WRDA is a biennial water infrastructure bill that authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs and is typically combined with bills authorizing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water infrastructure programs;
- APWA supports both versions of WRDA
Join the APWA Government Affairs team in Houston at PWX
- See where we’ve been, what’s burning in Washington D.C., and share your local experiences three times at PWX:
- Aug. 31, 8 a.m., Room 372 ABC, “The Voice of Public Works: APWA Government Affairs Update” will provide an overview on federal legislative and regulatory matters impacting public works and APWA’s advocacy resources
- Aug. 31, 4 p.m., Room 371 DEF, Government Affairs Happy Hour Jam. Join the Government Affairs Committee in sharing, learning about public works advocacy in our communities
- Sept. 1, 9:45 a.m., Room 371 DEF, “Roundtable on Shaping Federal Policy through Regulations” is an opportunity to connect with peers on federal regulations affecting the industry
- More details about PWX are here;
- See you in Houston!
Government Affairs Analysis: WIOA
- Originally signed into law by then-President Obama, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a 2014, federal umbrella law that brought multiple workforce programs and initiatives under one roof;
- Five titles comprise WIOA
- Workforce Development Activities
- Adult Education and Literacy
- Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act
- Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- General Provisions
- A five-year law, WIOA has not been reauthorized since its expiration in 2020. Since then, programs have continued to operate through the annual appropriations process, with Congress providing funding to the various agencies tasked with implementing the legislation;
- Upon taking office in 2025, the Trump Administration expressed support for the bill’s reauthorization, but made clear it would use executive authority to rearrange existing programs using what is known as an IAA, or Inter Agency Agreement
- Executive Order 14278, issued in April 2025, directed federal agencies to streamline duplicative programs and to stand up a central coordination hub at the Department of Labor
- Though WIOA came close to passing in the 118th Congress, it still is awaiting legislative action in the 119th Congress;
- In April, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed H.R. 8210, Chairman Walberg’s reauthorization for WIOA. There is no Senate companion
- Despite no legislative movement, various, siloed workforce programs have been included in legislation such as the BUILD America 250 Act
- APWA continues to stress the importance of a fully funded, resilient workforce as a critical component of our nation’s public works and infrastructure systems and is actively working on updating workforce language in the policy process for the 120th Congress, which will be sworn into office in January;
- Click here to read APWA’s Workforce Development Policymaker Primer;
- Legislative passage during the 119th is not likely;
- The House-passed version doesn’t have bipartisan support, and there is no Senate companion, a fact unlikely to change this autumn, which means programs are likely to remain funded via continuing resolution.
Roadshow Showcases APWA Award-Winning South Dakota Project
- The Engineering & Public Works Roadshow championed the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena in Watertown this week;
- Region VI Director Bill Stogsdill spoke on behalf of of APWA;
- APWA Member Heath VonEye served as the emcee of a program that included Watertown Mayor Ried Holien;
- This was the Roadshow’s 30th stop since it formed with the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) four years ago.
U.S. Senate Confirms Hamilton as FEMA Administrator
- Cameron Hamilton has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the next administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);
- Hamilton most recently served as acting FEMA administrator.
FEMA Announces 2026 National Preparedness Month Theme
- FEMA’s Ready Campaign has announced the 2026 theme of “Americans Stand Ready” for September as it marks National Preparedness month;
- The Ready Campaign has recognized National Preparedness Month since 2004 to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies;
- Visit Ready.gov for updated resources.
FEMA Updates Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program
- FEMA has updated the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA);
- URA, as amended, applies to projects funded through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program, which provides funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to assist in developing hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in ways that reduce or mitigate future disaster losses.
FEMA Announces $11.4M for Critical Dam Infrastructure
- FEMA has released $11.4M for states and territories to address critical dam infrastructure;
- Funding is available through the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams grant program;
- For more information, visit Grants.gov and apply before Aug 31.
USGS, FEMA Update Joint Earthquake Loss Report
- The U.S. Geological Survey and FEMA have updated the Hazardous Estimated Average Annualized Earthquake Losses for the United States and its Territories report;
- FEMA and USGS also published an interactive version of the report’s data, allowing officials to easily visualize findings for their specific area, including average annualized earthquake losses for buildings at the state, county, metropolitan, and U.S. Census tract levels.
CISA Releases FY26 Critical Infrastructure Customer Survey
- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is seeking customer feedback through its FY26 CISA Critical Infrastructure Customer Survey, including:
- Feedback on the cybersecurity maturity of critical infrastructure entities that partner with or have an interest in partnering with CISA
- The survey is open through Sept. 11.
Explore APWA’s Member Advocacy Tools:
- Follow on X and LinkedIn
- APWA Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Resource page
- 119th Congress Public Policy Priorities & Policymaker Primers
- APWA Washington Report
- Legislative Action Center
- The Value of Government Affairs Video
- “What is Public Works?”
- Tell Your Story
- Public Works Research