Washington Report – January 12, 2026

January 12, 2026

Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, Jan. 19, the APWA Washington Report will not publish next week. Our next edition will issue Jan. 26. Follow APWA Government Affairs on X and LinkedIn to stay updated.

Latest News

Congress Continues Negotiations on Appropriation Funding

Since returning for the start of the second session of the 119th Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6983, the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for 2026, which funds these agencies’ operations through Sept. 30;
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration, possibly this week, and includes:
- $58B for the Energy Department, Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation
- $38.6B for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Interior and related agencies, and
- $11.1B for the Commerce Department
Only three FY26 appropriations bills were enacted before the most recent recess, and they covered:
- Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies
- Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies
- Legislative Branch
The outstanding FY26 appropriations bills (of which several include funding for public works priorities), include:
- Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD)
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Labor, Health and Human Services, Education
- Defense
- Financial Services
- State, Foreign Ops and National Security, Dept. of State
The House is expected to act on another minibus package, possibly this week, that would include funding for State and Treasury;
The House may also propose an appropriations package that would include funding for T-HUD, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Defense.

APWA Comments on Revised WOTUS Rule

APWA has submitted comments on the EPA/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Updated Definition of Waters of the US (WOTUS);
APWA’s comments center around questions EPA/USACE posed regarding the definitions of “relatively permanent,” “tributary,” “continuous surface connection,” and how “wet season” is measured;
APWA also stated its support of the clearer exclusions of ditches and waste treatment systems included in the proposed rule;
AWPA expects a final rule this spring.

FEMA Releases Updated Procurement Under Gants Fact Sheets

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate has released updated Procurement Under Grants fact sheets in its Resource Library: Purchasing Under a FEMA Award;
The fact sheets support recipients and subrecipients of FEMA grant funding when purchasing under a FEMA award;
They include information about:

On the Horizon

(All times ET)

Jan. 13 at 10 a.m., the House Science, Space and Technology Environment Subcommittee will hold a hearing, From Orbit to Operations – How Weather Satellites Support the National Security Mission;
Jan. 13 at 10:15 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee will hold a hearing, Protecting America’s Energy Infrastructure in Today’s Cyber and Physical Threat Landscape;
Jan. 13 at 1 p.m., FEMA will host a one-hour webinar to help user learn about how to transition to Login.gov, the webinar will also be recorded and posted to FEMA’s Public Assistance YouTube Channel, registration is not required, please use the Meeting ID: 161 698 6350 and Passcode: GP to participate;
Jan. 13 at 2 p.m., the House Energy and Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Examining Legislative Options to Strengthen Motor Vehicle Safety, Ensure Consumer Choice and Affordability, and Cement U.S. Automotive Leadership;
Jan. 14 at 10 a.m., the House Science, Space and Technology Research and Technology Subcommittee will hold a hearing, Assessing America’s AI Action Plan;
Jan. 14 at 10:15 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee will hold hearing on the oversight of the Federal Communications Commission;
Jan. 28 at 10 a.m., the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a second hearing to Examine the Federal Environmental Review and Permitting Process;
Feb. 6 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will host a cybersecurity awareness webinar, Using the CISA Incident Response Playbook at your Organization. The webinar is for a non-technical audience and beginning incident responders.