The White House released a new resource to help identify and apply for funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural Playbook. The League has created a spreadsheet to help communities navigate available funding opportunities.
This playbook is designed to help rural and small communities understand the available funding for infrastructure provided by the BIL and other sources by offering information on the “what, where, and how” to apply for federal infrastructure dollars. It identifies programs and sources of funds set aside for rural communities under the law and provides an overview of key flexibilities and other benefits available to rural communities under the law. The Census Bureau does not actually define “rural.” Rather, rural areas include all geographic areas that are not classified as urban.
During the month of April, Biden Administration officials are meeting with rural and small communities as part of a “Building A Better America” rural infrastructure tour to talk about the impact of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments.
As part of this effort, there are seven accompanying factsheets by key federal agencies that highlight how to leverage agency resources and capabilities to help rural and small communities:
Lastly, the White House recognized the need for more information about the cost-sharing waivers and other flexibilities available for federal matching requirements. These rules and waivers written into the law determine the amount of money a community must pull together to receive federal funding. For the first time, the White House is releasing a list of over 100 programs with cost share or matching requirement waivers and flexibilities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org or 609-695-3481, x110.