Now that the deal is done, we’re sharing a basic summary from the Associated Press of what the $1 trillion infrastructure plan includes.
But we wanted to delve further into what this plan would mean to NAED members. Below the AP article is a link to the legislation, with some specific sections and page numbers where you can find more information relating to specialized departments and markets that may affect our industry — such as funding for career skills training (page 632) and “Buy America” sourcing requirements (page 867). If you find other sections of the legislation that are specifically pertinent to our industry, please email them to us.
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, AP Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The $1 trillion infrastructure plan that President Joe Biden signed into law Monday has money for roads, bridges, ports, rail transit, safe water, the power grid, broadband internet, and more.
The plan promises to reach almost every corner of the country. The White House is projecting that the investments will add, on average, about 2 million jobs per year over the coming decade.
The bill cleared the House on a 228-206 vote Nov. 5, ending weeks of intraparty negotiations in which liberal Democrats insisted the legislation be tied to a larger social spending bill — an effort to press more moderate Democrats to support both.
The Senate passed the legislation on a 69-30 vote in August after rare bipartisan negotiations, and the House kept that compromise intact. Thirteen House Republicans voted for the bill, giving Democrats more than enough votes to overcome a handful of defections from progressives.
A breakdown of the bill that became law Monday:
ROADS AND BRIDGES
The bill would provide $110 billion to repair the nation’s aging highways, bridges and roads. According to the White House, 173,000 total miles or nearly 280,000 kilometers of America’s highways and major roads and 45,000 bridges are in poor condition. The almost $40 billion for bridges is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the national highway system, according to the Biden administration.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
The $39 billion for public transit in the legislation would expand transportation systems, improve accessibility for people with disabilities and provide dollars to state and local governments to buy zero-emission and low-emission buses. The Transportation Department estimates that the current repair backlog is more than 24,000 buses, 5,000 rail cars, 200 stations and thousands of miles of track and power systems.
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT RAIL
To reduce Amtrak’s maintenance backlog, which has worsened since Superstorm Sandy nine years ago, the bill would provide $66 billion to improve the rail service’s Northeast Corridor (457 miles, 735 km), as well as other routes. It’s less than the $80 billion originally sought by Biden — who famously rode Amtrak from Delaware to Washington during his time in the Senate — but it would be the largest federal investment in passenger rail service since Amtrak was founded 50 years ago.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The bill would spend $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations, which the administration says are critical to accelerating the use of electric vehicles to curb climate change. It would also provide $5 billion for the purchase of electric school buses and hybrids, reducing reliance on school buses that run on diesel fuel.
INTERNET ACCESS
The legislation’s $65 billion for broadband access would aim to improve internet services for rural areas, low-income families and tribal communities. Most of the money would be made available through grants to states.
MODERNIZING THE ELECTRIC GRID
To protect against the power outages that have become more frequent in recent years, the bill would spend $65 billion to improve the reliability and resiliency of the power grid. It would also boost carbon capture technologies and more environmentally friendly electricity sources like clean hydrogen.
AIRPORTS
The bill would spend $25 billion to improve runways, gates and taxiways at airports and to improve terminals. It would also improve aging air traffic control towers.
WATER AND WASTEWATER
The legislation would spend $55 billion on water and wastewater infrastructure. It has $15 billion to replace lead pipes and $10 billion to address water contamination from polyfluoroalkyl substances — chemicals that were used in the production of Teflon and have also been used in firefighting foam, water-repellent clothing and many other items.
PAYING FOR IT
The five-year spending package would be paid for by tapping $210 billion in unspent COVID-19 relief aid and $53 billion in unemployment insurance aid some states have halted, along with an array of smaller pots of money, like petroleum reserve sales and spectrum auctions for 5G services.
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Here’s a pdf link to the actual legislation signed by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021.
Here are some of the top issues that we feel affect our members the most. As we filter through the legislation, we’ll continue to add links or page numbers for your reference. If you find other sections of the legislation that are specifically pertinent to our industry, please email them to us.
DIVISION A — SURFACE TRANSPORTATION (page 15)
~ TITLE I, Sec. 11117 (page 55): Toll roads, bridges
~ TITLE I, Sec. 11130 (page 81): Public transportation
~ TITLE I, Sec. 11401 (page 118): Grants for charging and fueling infrastructure
~ TITLE I, Sec. 11403 (page 127): Carbon reduction program
~ TITLE I, Sec. 11511 (page 150): Reports on emerging alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure
DIVISION B — SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT ACT OF 2021 (page 224)
~ TITLE I, Sec. 21102: Updates to National Freight Plan (page 229)
~ TITLE I, Sec. 21106: Multi-state freight corridor planning (page 231)
~ SUBTITLE C: Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Reforms (page 254)
DIVISION D — ENERGY (page 495)
~ TITLE I, Subtitle A: Grid infrastructure and resiliency (page 495)
~ TITLE I, Subtitle B: Cybersecurity (page 521)
~ TITLE II: Supply chains for clean energy technologies (page 530)
~ TITLE II, Sec. 40207: Battery processing and manufacturing (page 535)
~ TITLE II, Sec. 40209: Advanced energy manufacturing and recycling grant program (page 547)
~ TITLE V: Energy efficiency and building infrastructure (page 622)
~ TITLE V, Sec. 40511: Cost-effective codes (page 630)
~ TITLE V, Sec. 40513: Career skills training (page 632)
~ TITLE V, Sec. 40532: Leveraging existing agency programs to assist small and medium manufacturers (page 641)
~ TITLE V, Sec. 40542: Energy efficiency materials pilot program (page 646)
~ TITLE XI, Sec. 41101: Wage rate requirements (page 702)
DIVISION G — OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS
~ TITLE VI: Cybersecurity (page 839)
~ TITLE IX: Build America, Buy America (page 866)
~ TITLE IX, PART I: Buy America Sourcing Requirements (page 867)
~ TITLE IX, PART II: Make It In America; Regulations relating to Buy American Act (page 873)
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Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe, Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
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Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tagged with government affairs, infrastructure