Washington Report – June 22, 2026

June 22, 2026

Latest News

Take Action to Protect Vital Water Infrastructure Funding

Major federal programs, including the Clean Water and Drinking Water state revolving funds (SRFs) and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), are expiring Sept. 30;
With Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding ending, water infrastructure is facing a financial cliff with a potential 90% decrease in federal funding;
APWA is calling on you to ACT NOW and tell your representative to reauthorize the SRFs and WIFIA today.

APWA Joins Partners at EPA Stakeholder Meeting

APWA and other water associations joined high-ranking U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water (EPA-OW) staff for a stakeholder roundtable last week;
APWA staff shared with Assistant Administrator Jess Kramer and four EPA-OW deputy assistant administrators our water resilience priorities and discussed ways to streamline existing processes to ensure federal funding can get out the door faster, and projects can go smoother.

APWA Participating in Homeland Security Consortium Summer Conference

APWA Region V Director Mike Millette of South Elgin, Illinois, and Sr. Government Affairs Manager Marty Williams are attending the National Homeland Security Consortium (NHSC) annual summer conference in Orlando, Florida;
APWA is a member of NHSC, comprised of 22 organizations and is a forum for public and private sector homeland security leaders to share expert experience and perspectives for a more resilient nation.

FEMA Announces $420M to Support Emergency Management

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced $420M in federal funding:
- $337M in funding is available through the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) program, and will provide funding to state, local, tribal nation and territorial governments to invest in training and equipment for emergency response personnel
- $83M in funding is available through the Emergency Operations Center Grant (EOCG) program
The funding is intended to assist state emergency operations centers that serve as centralized hubs to coordinate information, resources and decision making during a crisis;
The application period for both grant programs closes on July 10;
Applicants can review the full funding opportunities for both programs at www.grants.gov.

DHS Reassigns CBRN Preparedness, Response Role

FEMA will now oversee the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) readiness and detection programs from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office;
The programs are designed to help communities prepare for and respond to potential CBRN threats by providing intelligence, equipment, training, exercises and other support including:
- The Threat Intelligence team, which analyzes CBRN info and provides strategic and operational guidance to enable federal, state, local, tribal nation and territorial law enforcement officials to plan for, detect and protect against threats
- BioWatch offers 24/7 bio detection operations in more than 30 major metropolitan areas across the country, and provides training to help state and local officials learn how to respond if a threat is detected
- Securing the Cities provides equipment, technical and exercise support, training and planning guidance to 14 high-risk designated urban areas to enhance their ability to detect and prevent terrorist attacks using radiological or nuclear materials
- The Mobile Detection Deployment Program deploys detection and monitoring capabilities across the country to ensure state and local law enforcement agencies have what is needed to address chemical, radiological and nuclear threats, typically requested to help secure special events such as concerts, marathons, parades, festivals and college and professional sports events
- ChemPREP helps state, local, tribal nation and territorial partners prepare to respond to a chemical incident by providing tailored training and exercises, relevant to each local jurisdiction’s unique chemical risks and vulnerabilities
- The Training and Exercises team develops and supports exercises, including national-level exercises with interagency partners as well as state and local exercises
- The Test and Evaluation team conducts independent assessments of detection technologies to verify and validate technical and operational capabilities.

On the Horizon

(All times ET)

June 24 at 10 a.m., the U.S. Dept. of Transportation is hosting a meeting on beautification of transportation infrastructure. Register to join here;
June 24, at 10:15 a.m., the House Committee on Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development is scheduled to hold a hearing, Workforce Rewired: Modern Apprenticeships for a Modern Economy;
June 25 at 10 a.m., the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a hearing to review the FY27 DHS appropriations request;
June 25 at 10 a.m., the Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to hold a markup of its FY27 appropriation bills including the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act;
June 25 at 1 p.m., CISA is hosting an informational webinar, Safeguarding America’s 250th Anniversary From Public Venues to First Response.