Washington Report – December 15, 2025

December 15, 2026

The Washington Report will be published next on Jan. 5, when the House and Senate return to session following the holidays. APWA Government Affairs wishes everyone in the public works family a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season. Be sure to check out our social media channels on X and LinkedIn for updates in the meantime.

Latest News

House Expected to Vote on SPEED Act

The U.S. House is expected to vote on the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act this week;
The SPEED Act would amend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to clarify ambiguous provisions and facilitate a more efficient, effective, and timely environmental review process;
Through APWA advocacy, additional language emphasizing the importance of cooperating agencies and local government voice in the environmental review process has been incorporated into the final language;
The SPEED Act passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in November.

U.S. House Passes the PERMIT Act

The House passed the PERMIT Act with bipartisan support last week;
This bill is a compilation of 15 Clean Water Act permitting amendments, including provisions that would:
- Extend the maximum period for NPDES permits from five to 10 years
- Change how EPA develops water quality criteria and issues water quality and discharge permits
- Codify the Sackett v. EPA and San Francisco v. EPA Supreme Court decisions, and
- Require the cost of commercial availability to be considered when developing effluent limitation guidelines.
The Senate is expected to take up permitting reform in early 2026.

Federal Court Rules FEMA must reinstate BRIC Grant Program

A Dec. 11 ruling by a U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, State of Washington, et al. v Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), et al., orders FEMA to reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities (BRIC) grant program;
Judge Richard Stearns ruled the Trump administration cannot terminate the BRIC grant program or redistribute its money for other purposes;
Earlier this year, FEMA said that it would end the BRIC program, which was created to help fund infrastructure upgrades to prepare communities for extreme weather;
The suit was brought by 20 states, and the District of Columbia, following FEMA’s announcement to discontinue BRIC on grounds that the cancellation of BRIC would cause the disruption of projects nationwide to include:
- Projects that would harden infrastructure and improve resiliency
- Improve stormwater drainage
- Relocate households in areas that are highly susceptible to disasters.

CISA Announces Industry Engagement Platform

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has launched the Industry Engagement Platform (IEP);
The IEP enables two-way communication between CISA and companies developing innovative and security technologies;
It is intended for use by non-profits, academia, and government partners to interact with CISA subject matter experts to describe new technologies and capabilities.

APWA Co-Hosted Water Infrastructure Briefing on Capitol Hill

APWA, in conjunction with 18 water and government associations and nonprofits, co-hosted a panel on Capitol Hill about the importance of water infrastructure funding and financing programs;
More than 65 people attended the Dec. 10 event, held in the Capitol Visitor Center;
The panel included representatives from state and local government, water utilities, and the construction industry;
Many vital water infrastructure programs, including the Clean Water and Drinking Water state revolving funds, are expiring in the coming year;
The briefing gave Congressional staff an opportunity to learn more about these programs, how different groups utilize them, and the important role they play in protecting public health, affordability, and the environment.

On the Horizon

(All times ET)

Dec. 15 at 10 a.m., the House Small Business Committee held a hearing on the American Resilience-Examining the SBA Disaster Assistance Program;
Dec. 15 at 4 p.m., House Rules Committee will meet to discuss the SPEED Act;
Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. the House Financial Services Committee has a mark-up of many legislative bills scheduled, including H.R. 5577 to extend the National Flood Insurance Program to Sept. 30, 2026;
Dec. 16 at 10:15 a.m., the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications & Technology will hold a hearing on Legislative Improvements to Public Safety Communications in the United States;
Dec. 17 at 10 a.m., the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee is holding a hearing on the Water Resources Development Act of 2026: Stakeholder Priorities;
Dec. 17 at 10 a.m., the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee is scheduled to hold an oversight hearing of the Federal Communications Commission;
Dec. 17 at 10:15 a.m., House Energy and Commerce Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee will hold a hearing, Examining Biosecurity at the Intersection of AI and Biology;
Dec.18 at 10 a.m., House Energy & Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on Examining the Impact of EPA’s CERCLA Designation for Two PFAS Chemistries and Potential Policy Responses to Superfund Liability Concerns.