Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
By House Appropriations Committee Staff , | 3 years ago
On November 5, 2021, Congress passed H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and President Biden is expected to sign the legislation. This extensive legislation will increase federal funding in several areas over the next five years, including: highway, bridge and surface transportation programs; mass transit; broadband infrastructure; drinking and wastewater programs; airports; waterways; and more.
The act incorporates reauthorizations of current baseline funding, increases funding for existing programs, and creates new programs. Nationally, the legislation invests $1.2 trillion in American communities over the next five years with near $550 billion in new funding allocated to target specific areas and programs.
Included within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are:
- Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021
- Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021
- Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021
- Energy Infrastructure Act of 2021
States are one of the primary funding recipients under the bill. Pennsylvania will receive billions in formula allocations and will be able to apply for competitive grants in other programs.
Sector Highlights for Pennsylvania
Roads and Highways - Pennsylvania has one of the nation’s largest network of roads, many of them aging. The IIJA is estimated to provide the commonwealth with $11 billion over five years -- $1.9 billion above the previous baseline funding.
Bridges - According to the American Road & Transportation Builder’s Association (ARTBA), Pennsylvania’s bridges rank 2nd worst in the nation. The commonwealth is projected to receive $1.6 billion to address bridge replacement and repairs, as well the ability to compete for more funding under the Bridge Investment and Major Projects programs.
Mass Transit - Public transportation serves citizens in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania and the goal of providing equitable transportation opportunities for all is supported by the IIJA. Pennsylvania is projected to receive $2.8 billion in funding over a five-year period, an estimated $690 million over the previous baseline.
Water Infrastructure - The IIJA is projected to provide $1.4 billion over a five-year period for Pennsylvania for water infrastructure. As a preliminary estimate, with guidance not yet available, this projection represents a $1.2 billion increase over the previous baseline. Such investment in drinking water infrastructure for commonwealth families would not only expand access to clean drinking water, but also help eliminate lead water lines.
Broadband - The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted Pennsylvania’s inequitable access to reliable internet. The IIJA provides a minimum infusion of $100 million for the commonwealth to greatly expand access to high-speed, reliable internet, with significant additional funds likely to come based on formula allocations within newly created grant programs.
Restrictions on Infrastructure Funding and Appropriations
Similar to the restrictions placed on certain federal dollars provided for pandemic relief, the General Appropriations Act of 2021 (Act 1A) includes language affecting the use of federal infrastructure funding.
Funding for “infrastructure projects” provided to existing programs and funding for which the distribution formula is dictated in federal law are automatically appropriated and can be spent. Funding that does not meet either criteria must be deposited into a new Federal Infrastructure Project Account and must be appropriated by the General Assembly.
