News Flash

Deadline to Obligate ARP SLFRF Funds Nears One-Year Countdown

The American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program provided funds to every municipality in the country to mitigate the damage caused by the pandemic. New Jersey received $10.2 billion including $1.74 billion split among all mun...

BPU Opens Broadband Access and Deployment Plan to Public Comment

The Office of Broadband Connectivity (OBC) within the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has published its draft Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) implementation plan and is accepting public comments until November 29. 

The National Te...

BPU Opens Broadband Access and Deployment Plan to Public Comment

The Office of Broadband Connectivity (OBC) within the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has published its draft Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) implementation plan and is accepting public comments until November 29. 

The National Te...

Urge Congress to Oppose Local Franchise Authority Legislation

Working with our federal partner, the National League of Cities, the League urges you to reach out to your Member of Congress and oppose H.R. 3557.  

Please read NLC’s recent blog post for more information, as well as the joint letter fr...

Federal Government Shutdown Averted

This past weekend, hours before a shutdown of the federal government, Congress passed H.R. 5860, which funds the government at current levels through November 17, 2023. Shortly thereafter President Biden signed the bill. This extension includes funding th...

Mayor Bollwage Testified Before Congressional Committee

Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage, NJLM Past President, testified on Wednesday on reauthorization of the Brownfields Program on behalf of the League’s federal partner, the National League of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayo...

DLGS Issues ARP LFRF Funds Local Finance Notice

On Thursday, the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) issued Local Finance Notice 2023-16, which summarizes U.S. Treasury’s new 2023 Interim Final Rule, which expands the categories for which ARP LFRF Funds may be used. This information ...

FEMA Local Elected and Appointed Officials Guidebook Blog Post

Published last year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “Local Elected and Appointed Officials Guide: Roles and Resources in Emergency Management” is an important resource for municipal officials. For more information, plea...

Civil Rights Division Accessibility Standards Proposed Rulemaking

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to require certain accessibility standards for state and local government services, programs, and activities offered via web or mobile apps and i...

State Offering Free ARP SLFRF Compliance Consulting

The Governor’s Disaster Recovery Office (GDRO) is offering municipalities free American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) compliance consulting. The GRDO is utilizing four separate consulting firms to offer ARP SLFR...

U.S. Treasury Releases Interim Final Rule on ARPA Flex

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Treasury released its long-awaited Interim Final Rule on ARPA Flex and an Overview of the Interim Final Rule. ARPA Flex was a provision passed by Congress in December 2022. 

This rule cr...

NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid Restarts Eligibility Review

Since March of 2020, NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid has followed special rules related to the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). These rules have allowed most NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid members to keep their health coverage, even if they no longer qualif...

Congress Moves to Reauthorize National Flood Insurance Program

The National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization (NFIP-RE) Act of 2023 (H.R.4349/S.2142) has been introduced in both the House and Senate with bipartisan support in both chambers. 

The National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization (NFIP Re)...

Senator Menendez's Federal Automotive Task Force

Addressing Catalytic Converter Thefts: Senator Menendez's Forthcoming Federal Task Force

In response to the growing incidence of Catalytic Converter thefts across the country, Senator Bob Mendez has introduced a bill titled the Federal Catalytic C...

Bill Preempting Local Control of ROW Advancing in Congress

A bill was recently passed out of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, that would impose new restrictions on local authorities to regulate local land use and zoning issues related to the deployment of telecommunications equipment.

The Ame...

House Advances Wireless and Cable Preemption Bill

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up 19 bills, including H.R. 3557, the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023. This bill is of particular interest to local governments because it would codify in statute two relatively recent ac...

Congress Passes Fiscal Responsibility Act

On Wednesday night the House passed H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 by a margin of 314-117 and on Thursday the Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 63-36 after a series of amendments were not agreed to. President is expected to imme...

SCOTUS Decision Could Impact NJ Property Tax Laws

This week, SCOTUS issued a unanimous decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County, Minnesota, a case where a property owner argued that the Minnesota state law allowing Hennepin County to retain a $25,000 surplus following the auction sale of her home for unpaid ...

NLC Urges Congress to Pass Rail Safety Legislation

Earlier this week, the National League of Cities (NLC), the League’s federal partner, hosted a webinar with Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (WA), and Senators Sherrod Brown (OH) and J.D. Vance (OH) who, in light of the train derailment and chemical s...

U.S. Senate Passed a Clean Version of S.870, the Fire Grants & Safety

After attempting to attach an amendment that would claw back unobligated American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, the U.S. Senate passed a , the Fire Grants and Safety Act, without any amendments on Thursday. There is not yet a House co...

Congress Attempts to Claw Back Unobligated ARP SLFRF Funds

On Wednesday, by a vote of 47-49, the U.S. Senate failed to amend S.870, the Fire Grants and Safety Act. The amendments offered by Sen. Scott (FL) would redirect unobligated American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to fund ...

League Hosts USDA Rural Development Webinar

On Thursday, the League hosted a Lunch and Learn with Jane Asselta, USDA Rural Development New Jersey State Director who discussed available funding and loans for municipalities.

Among the programs highlighted where grants and/or loans that are available f...

Reminder: SLFRF Project and Expenditure (P&E) Report Due April 30

As a reminder, the annual ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Plan (SLFRF) Project and Expenditure (P&E) Report is due on April 30. The portal will open on April 1. 

Working with the National League of Cities (NLC), the League’s fed...

Treasury Contact Center Reopens in Advance of ARP P&E Deadline

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced that the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) contact centers will reopen on February 21. This is helpful because municipalities will have to file their annual American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local F...

Prepare for FY 2024 EPA Brownfield Grants

New Jersey Institute of Technology recently hosted an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brownfield grant webinar in preparation for the FY2024 Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund (RLF), and Cleanup (MARC) application process.&nb...

League Seeking Information on LIHWAP Participation

The League continues to work with legislators and the administration to better understand the scope of municipal utility and local authority participation in the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), and to develop an agreeable solution ...

USDOE Announces Funding for EECBG Program

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program is designed to assist states, local governments, and tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency. The U.S. Departmen...

FY2023 Federal Omnibus Budget Passed

In the final week of December, the House and Senate passed, and President Biden signed a $1.7 trillion FY2023 federal budget through September 30, 2023. For provisions of state and local interest, please read the League’s two blog posts, the fir...

SHBP Update: No Relief In New Year

Earlier today the Joint Budget Oversight Committee (JBOC) met to consider items including the transfer of Federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds. The transfers, which were already outlined in the State budget, included:

• $300 million for various ca...

White House Releases Inflation Reduction Act Clean Energy Guidebook

Last week, the White House released the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Guidebook of Clean Energy provisions in the law. This guidebook provides an overview of the clean energy, climate mitigation and resilience, agriculture, and conservation-relat...

Federal Budget Update

On Thursday, the Senate, by a vote of 68-29 passed the FY2023 federal budget. As of this writing on Friday morning, the House is expected to pass the budget bill. The $1.7 trillion document funds all governmental departments through September 202...

RAISE Grant Funding and Upcoming Webinars Set

The next round of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program is now open. $1.5 billion in competitive grant funding is available for a broad range of infrastruct...

Call your Member of Congress TODAY for ARPA Flexibility

Congress' last task before the holidays is the FY2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and as of Friday, the ARPA Flexibility provisions that the League’s federal partner, the National League of Cities (NLC), has been advocating wa...

Federal Budget Update

This week, the House and Senate passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government through next Friday, December 23, and sent it to President Joe Biden for his signature. This allows them time to complete the federal budget next week. Had the f...

Rep. Sherrill Introduces Auto Theft Prevention Act

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) has introduced the bipartisan Auto Theft Prevention Act with U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), which would dedicate funding to local law enforcement agencies for resources to combat auto thefts under the U.S. Departmen...