Washington Report – March 4, 2024

FY 2024 Appropriations Update

• Congress passed another continuing resolution (CR) last Thursday night to fund six appropriations bills through March 8
  • The goal of passing a FY24 consolidated appropriations bill to provide funding for the remainder of the fiscal year (through Sept. 30) is by the end of this week
• The federal departments included in this latest CR include Transportation, Energy, Justice, Commerce, Veterans Affairs, and Agriculture, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Admin.;
• Federal entities not included in last week’s deal have funding through March 22 from a previous CR;
• For full details on the appropriations measures, both majority and minority takes, check out House Appropriations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee.

Interior Department Seeks Applicants for Water Funding Opportunities

• The Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant program is seeking applicants for an array of different project types, including:
  • Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects which conserve and use water more efficiently, mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict, and accomplish other benefits that contribute to water supply reliability in the western U.S. Applications due July 9
  • Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects for Western States/Tribes to leverage dollars and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on the planning, design, and construction. Applications due Sept. 30
  • Desalination Construction Projects under the WIIN Act cost-share eligible for funding include planning, design, and construction of facilities to desalinate ocean or brackish water, including groundwater. Applications due Sept. 30
  • Title XVI Congressionally Authorized Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects sponsors may request cost-shared funding for the planning, design, and/or construction of those projects. Applications due Sept. 30
  • Title XVI WIIN Act Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects may receive financial and technical assistance for the planning, design, and construction of those projects by local water agencies. Applications due Sept. 30
  • Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Projects for FY 23/24 Funding for study, design, and construction of projects that are collaboratively developed, have widespread regional benefits, and result in improvement of the health of fisheries and aquatic habitat. Application due date to be determined.

Reminder: Tell Your Elected Officials to Support the WIPPES Act and Protect Water Infrastructure from Non-Flushables

• Take a minute to contact your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act;
• The legislation is an important step in making sure non-flushable wipes are accurately labeled so consumers appropriately dispose them, and help avoid more fatbergs that obstruct systems;
• The legislation is consistent with APWA policy priorities supporting coordination with the federal government, industry, and localities on care for water infrastructure;
• As a public works professional and APWA member it is vital Congress hears from you about legislation impacting infrastructure
  • If you have already participated thank you and please share and encourage others to do the same
• If you aren’t receiving APWA action alerts, text PWX to 52886.

APWA Free Webinar on Public Works Opportunities for Hiring Veterans

• Tune in March 14 at 11 a.m. ET for a free webinar by the APWA Workforce Development Committee and the Veteran’s Employment and Training Service (VETS);
• Learn more about the VETS program and how you can meet your workforce development challenges while helping those who served our country;
• Click here to register.

Port Infrastructure Development Program Applications Open—Due April 30

• The Maritime Admin. announced a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) from its Port Infrastructure Development program to provide $450M in grants from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in FY24;
• Federal funds per project is a maximum of 80% and can be used for improving safety, efficiency, and reliability of goods movement;
• This is a competitive grant program, and eligible entities include state and local governments, public agencies, or a special purpose district with a transportation function.

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin. Grants Available

• Federal funding is available to Support Hazardous Materials Transportation and Transportation and Pipeline Safety Activities;
• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin. (PHMSA) has $18M available to support state and local governments, universities, and non-profits for improving community and environmental safety to projects that support training first responders, educating the public, and encouraging new pipeline technologies;
• To submit an application, follow the NOFO links supporting the purpose of the grant request as the application dates and funding amounts vary. For additional information, reach out to PHMSAPublicAffairs@dot.gov.

White House Releases Report on Root Cause of Cyber Attacks

• The White House has released a report on Back to the Building Blocks: A Path Toward Secure and Measurable Software;
• The report emphasizes two strategic approaches:
  • Reducing the attack surface in cyberspace that our adversaries can exploit by preventing entire classes of vulnerabilities from entering the digital ecosystem
  • Anticipating systemic security risk by developing better diagnostics that measure cybersecurity quality.

FEMA Seeking Comments on Efforts to Streamline Homeland Security Grant Program

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting comments to help streamline the information collection process for funding through Homeland Security Grant Programs (HSGP);
• HSGP’s include the following:
  • State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)
  • Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)
  • Operation Stonegarden (OPSG)
• HSGP’s provide funding for projects that build, sustain, and deliver the 32 core capabilities designated as essential to achieving the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient nation;
• HSGP supports core capabilities across the five mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery;
• Submit comments here and select “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments”;
• The deadline to submit comments is March 25.

NIST Releases Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

• The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released its Cybersecurity Framework 2.0;
• This revised version provides industry, government agencies, and other organizations with recommendations to manage cybersecurity risks
  • This also includes links to online resources with additional guidance on practices and controls that could be used to meet those outcomes.

On the Horizon

All times ET.

• March 6 at 10 a.m., the House Science, Space and Technology Environment Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Winning in Weather-U.S. Competitiveness in Forecasting and Modeling;
• March 7 at 10 a.m., the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Dept. of Transportation Discretionary Grants: Stakeholder Perspectives;
• March 13 and and March 19 at 1 p.m., FEMA will host two webinars about its Resource Typing Library Tool, a web-based catalog that serves as an authoritative source for all FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) and National Qualification System (NQS) resources
  • The webinars will cover the basic capabilities and functions of the tool plus explore new features.

Explore APWA’s Member Advocacy Tools:

• APWA Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Resource page
• APWA Government Affairs LinkedIn
• 118th Congress Public Policy Priorities and Policymaker Primers
• Legislative Action Center
• “What is Public Works?”
• Tell Your Story
• Public Works Research