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By: National Special Districts Coalition

After a short recess, Congress returns to action this week. It should be noted that both chambers were in session briefly last week to clear a foreign aid package that will provide a total of $95 billion in military assistance for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, as well as funding for humanitarian aid. This week, the House will consider over a dozen bills on the suspension calendar (requires 2/3 majority for passage), including legislation – the Fire Weather Development Act (H.R. 4866) – that would improve fire weather forecasting, detection, and collaboration.

Later in the week, the lower chamber will consider a number of bills that take aim at the Biden administration’s conservation policies, including one (H.R. 764) to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act. The full House agenda is available here. Across Capitol Hill, the Senate will look to advance several of President Biden’s judiciary nominees.

House Appropriations Committee Releases FY 2025 Community Project Funding Guidance

Last week, newly minted House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) released long-awaited guidance governing the fiscal year 2025 Community Project Funding (CPF)/earmark submission process. Pursuant to the directive, the committee will continue to ban community projects under the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, as well as the Financial Services spending measure. The committee's guidance also bars non-profits from receiving earmarks through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Economic Development Initiative (EDI). Local governments will continue to be eligible to receive HUD EDI funds. Members of the House are required to submit all earmark requests to the Appropriations Committee by Friday, May 3. Furthermore, Members will need to post their CPF requests to their official website by Friday, May 17.

Lawmakers Reach FAA Reauthorization Agreement

After months of delay, House and Senate lawmakers announced a bipartisan deal on a final Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. With the latest FAA extension slated to expire on May 10, lawmakers may need to approve another short-term funding patch in order to provide the House and Senate with sufficient time to schedule final votes on the package. The bicameral agreement would reauthorize both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for a period of five years. Under the final deal, the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) - which provides funds for local airport construction and safety-related projects - will be funded at $4 billion annually (compared to $3.35 billion under current law).

In an effort to address the nation's pilot shortage, which continues to impact a number of regional airlines, the bill includes a number of provisions aimed at boosting the supply of certified airline pilots. For example, the final deal would establish a competitive grant program within DOT to enable flight training schools to recruit and train veterans to become commercial pilots and certified flight instructors. The package also includes a number of provisions aimed at providing consumer protections, including language that would create a first-ever Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, as well as provisions that would provide clear standards in law for refunds when an airline cancels or significantly delays a flight.

A section-by-section summary of the final FAA rewrite can be found here.

Legislation Introduced to Improve Long-Term Drought Conditions in the West

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) recently introduced legislation – the Drought Resilient Infrastructure Act (S. 4172) – that would provide new resources and authorities through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support communities experiencing long-term drought conditions. Specifically, S. 4172 would enable the Army Corps to prioritize water conservation or storage efforts at Corps facilities. It also would direct the Corps to prioritize these conservation efforts above other key mission areas (like flood control or combating invasive species) during times of drought. In addition, the bill amends and funds existing authorities and programs to increase water supply, reduce the risk of floods and other natural hazards, and support Tribal communities. 

Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA) have also introduced separate legislation – the DROUGHT Act (S. 4134; H.R. 8030) – that aims to alleviate long-term drought conditions in the West. Specifically, the bill would allow federal government loans to take on a greater share of the rising cost of water infrastructure projects. Currently, projects receiving assistance from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program cannot accept assistance from the federal government for more than 80 percent of project costs. The DROUGHT Act would raise the limit from 80 percent to 90 percent for projects in areas experiencing extreme drought or serving historically disadvantaged communities. The DROUGHT Act would allow drought-impacted and underserved communities to both draw down additional federal funds and remain eligible for long-term, low-interest WIFIA loans. It does not affect the obligation of borrowers to repay their loans, the timeline for repayment, or interest rates of applicable loans. Full text of the bill is available here.

Relevant Hearings and Markups

House Oversight – On Tuesday morning, the panel will conduct oversight of the Office of Management and Budget. OMB Deputy Director Jason Miller will testify. More details on the hearing can be accessed here.

House Transportation and Infrastructure – On Tuesday morning, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will review fleet electrification efforts across the country. On Wednesday morning, the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management will meet to review the effectiveness and costs of FEMA’s resilience programs. Additional information on the committee’s schedule is available here.

House Ways and Means – On Tuesday morning, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will appear before the committee for a general hearing with lawmakers. A live webcast of the event will be available here, beginning at 10am ET.

House Natural Resources – The committee will host several hearings this week. On Tuesday morning, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing titled “Examining the Influence of Extreme Environmental Activist Groups in the Department of the Interior.” On Wednesday morning, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will appear before the panel to defend the administration’s fiscal year 2025 budget request for the department. More information on these and other hearings before the committee can be accessed here.

House Appropriations – There are a number of budget hearings before the various subcommittees this week. Lawmakers are expected to hear from administration officials representing the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and others. A full list of hearings is available here.

House Education and the Workforce – On Wednesday morning, the committee will meet to examine the policies and priorities of the Labor Department. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su will testify. More information on the hearing can be found here.

Senate Appropriations – Like their House counterparts, there will be a number of budget hearings before the various subcommittees this week. Lawmakers will hear from DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg, EPA Administrator Michael Regan, and HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman, among others. A full list of hearings is available here.

Senate Commerce – On Thursday morning, the Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband will hold hearing on the future of broadband affordability, with a particular focus on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The panel will examine the state of broadband affordability programs, the impact of a potential lapse or end of ACP, and ways to address existing shortfalls in broadband affordability programs. More information on the hearing can be accessed here.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources – On Thursday morning, senators will hear from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on the president’s fiscal year 2025 budget request for the Interior Department. A livestream of the event will be available here, beginning at 10am ET.