Washington Report – November 9, 2026

November 9, 2026

Latest News

House and Senate back in Session this Week

Both chambers return to DC this week and, with the changed dynamics resulting from the Nov. 3 election, what may be achieved in this lame duck session is murky;
First, no FY27 appropriations bills have been passed by Congress, and the current continuing resolution expires Dec. 11;
- Included in the CR is an extension of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that expired Sept. 30, and delayed implementation of the Office of Management and Budget proposed rule to change the federal grant review process
Also of note, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) was introduced by four Senators (Capito, R-WV; Lee, R-UT; Whitehouse, D-RI; and Heinrich, D-NM);
The Senate is expected to vote on the bill this week, and BAAJA includes several permitting provisions that align with APWA’s current public policy priorities, though with the election results and mixed support expressed for the bill since its introduction, a substitute package was introduced over the weekend to address some of the critiques;
In September, the House passed its bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill, H.R. 9497;
The Senate Environment and Public Works committee unanimously passed its WRDA bill, S. 4949, in the summer, though a vote by the full Senate has not happened;
The Senate is likely to pass its bill in the lame duck session, and the next step would be to reconcile differences with the House bill;
A summary of WRDA was provided in the July 27, Washington Report;
Leadership elections and new member orientation will happen this week with other new Congress organizing activities to happen in January after the 120th Congress is sworn into office;
Keep up with developments and opportunities through the APWA Government Affairs social media accounts on X and LinkedIn and reach out to your APWA Government Affairs team if you need assistance.

APWA Submits Comments to FCC

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a proposed rule, Build America: Eliminating Barriers to Wireline Deployments;
The proposal would eliminate state and local requirements seen as constraining the deployment of high-speed wireline infrastructure;
With the potential to pre-empt local authority and significantly impact public works, APWA submitted comments to the FCC;
Read the full letter here.

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APWA Participates in Crash Responder Safety Week

November 2-6 was Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW), and the public was educated and reminded of the key message of this year’s theme “Slow Down. Move Over. Lives are on the Line”;
APWA President Robert Garland released a video speaking to the important role public works professionals have in keeping our roadways and the traveling public safe;
APWA is a longtime member of the Executive Leadership Group for Traffic Incident Management (TIM), which focuses on coordination and key roles of incident responder groups like public works, police, fire, tow operators, and emergency medical services;
Former APWA President Dominick Longobardi traveled to DC to participate in the TIM meeting and attend a CRSW event at US Dept. of Transportation headquarters with Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster, members of the TIM leadership group, and federal transportation officials;
With a goal of reaching 1 million trained responders in TIM practices by the end of this year, the participating organizations are working together to lead this effort and save lives.

FEMA Updates Agency Priorities and Strategic Direction

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a memo with proposed updates on how it will focus on federal and state responsibilities, disaster resilience, and agency operations;
FEMA included the following policy updates for disasters occurring on or after Oct. 1, 2026:
- The countywide per capita impact indicator under the Public Assistance (PA) program for disasters will increase to $5.03
- $1,130,900 is the new threshold for any small project subgrant made to state, tribal, and local governments or to the owner or operator of an eligible private nonprofit facility under section 422 of the Stafford Act
- An increase to $4,300 for the minimum amount that will be approved for any Project Worksheet under the Public Assistance program
- The statewide per capita impact indicator will be increased to $2.01
- FEMA will annually adjust the award amount for Serious Needs Assistance (SNA) provided under the Individuals and Households Program for any single emergency or major disaster by $820
- The maximum amount of Individual and Households Program (IHP) financial assistance provided to an individual or household under section 408 of the Stafford Act for any single emergency or major disaster is $46,400 for housing assistance and $46,400 for other needs assistance.

FEMA Announces $400M for Community Flood Damage Mitigation

FEMA said the funds will help communities reduce or eliminate flood risk and better prepare for floods, the most common and costly natural disaster in the U.S.;
Eligible projects include building acquisitions and elevations, drainage improvements, and stabilizing soil to eliminate or reduce flooding effects;
Eligible applicants include states, territories, federally recognized Tribal Nations and the District of Columbia
- Applicants must also have a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood insurance policy
The application period is open until Feb. 26.

FEMA Webinar on Public Assistance Reporting Changes

FEMA will host a webinar to assist Public Assistance (PA) recipients and subrecipients prepare for new quarterly reporting requirements
- To register for the Nov. 10, 10:30 a.m. ET webinar, click here
Beginning in January, recipients must submit a quarterly progress report for each large PA project through the Grants Portal to improve visibility on disaster recovery progress;
Each report must be submitted within 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter.

CISA Releases Advisory Urging Hardening Monitoring Systems

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an Industrial Refrigeration and Cold Chain Monitoring Systems advisory warning that malicious cyber actors are targeting vulnerable electronic temperature and commercial refrigeration controllers used across the transportation systems, healthcare and public health, chemical, and food and agriculture critical infrastructure sectors;
Successful exploitation may result in temperature manipulation, fire hazards, inventory loss, impacts to the service life of the system and disrupted operations.

November is Critical Infrastructure and Resilience Month

CISA leads the federal government’s efforts in recognizing November as Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (CISR) Month;
This year’s theme is “Resolve to be Resilient”;
Nov. 12 at 11:30 a.m. ET, CISA will host a Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (CISR) Month webinar to provide a firsthand look at a CISA tabletop exercise;
Each November, CISA emphasizes the importance of preparing for and adapting to changing conditions that can disrupt the essential services communities rely on day and day out.

On the Horizon

(All times ET)

Nov. 17 at 2:20 p.m., FEMA and the FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to assess how participating broadcasters and other communications providers receive and relay a national test message to the public.