Join CDFA for our upcoming Bond Finance Week! The Intro Bond Finance Course will take place on March 13-14 followed by the Advanced Bond Finance Course on March 15-16. Register for one or both of these courses to learn from experts about how to bring economic growth to your community by utilizing the vast resources of the bond finance industry.

The Department of the Interior is set to allocate nearly $580M toward settlements of Indian water rights claims through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund. According to the Department of the Interior, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gives more than $13B in funding to Tribal communities across the country, which includes $2.5B to the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed the U.S. Department of the Treasury's implementation of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and found that Treasury has taken longer than expected to disburse SSBCI funds. The GAO recommends that Treasury should fully incorporate certain best practices around reliable project scheduling as it continues implementing the Capital and TA programs and disburses the remaining SSBCI funds.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) announced the full roster of the House Ways and Means Committee for the 118th Congress. He stated that the Committee has a storied history of rising to the occasion to tackle America's biggest challenges and that members of the Committee will not compromise their values but must all work in good faith to find areas of common ground to deliver for working families.

The EPA announced that a "historic investment" for water infrastructure projects in Puerto Rico has been approved. A total of $23M in funds will go towards projects in five municipalities. The approved projects in Coamo, Jayuya, Naranjito and Orocovis involve the design and construction of sanitary sewer systems, while the project in Caguas will focus on transforming a wastewater treatment facility into a wastewater pump station.

The Federal Transit Administration announced the availability of nearly $1.7B to support state and local efforts to modernize aging transit fleets with low- and no-emission buses, renovate and construct bus facilities, and support workforce development. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for two programs that help transit agencies improve transit affordability and reliability and contribute to the President's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the approval of broadband projects in four additional states under the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund : Alabama, Kentucky, Nevada, and Texas. Together, these states will use their funding to connect over 292,000 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet--a key priority of the Capital Projects Fund program.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is awarding more than $285M of investments to improve the reliability and service of Alaska's ferry system, which serves more than 30 communities across 3,500 miles of coastline. The funding is designated to replacing an aging vessel, upgrading ferry dock infrastructure in rural communities, modernizing four vessels, procuring an electric ferry, designing a new mainliner vessel, and for generating sustainable operations.

The Biden-Harris Administration has focused on helping the nation's businesses recover from the economic impact of the pandemic and grow. The Census Bureau released data that showed that over the last two years Americans have applied to start 10.5 million new businesses, making 2021 and 2022 the strongest two years on record for new business applications. 

Missouri announced that the Department of Economic Development has awarded a total of $261M through the ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program to 60 recipients for projects that will expand and improve internet access statewide. Projects receiving funds are expected to create more than 55,000 connections in locations that previously lacked adequate internet access.

The Minnesota House of Representatives unanimously passed HF26, which would appropriate $315.5M from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to the MN Department of Transportation. The amount reflects federal funds currently accessible for, in part, the state's roads, bridges and transit purposes. The bill now goes to the Senate.

Tennessee announced $447M in grants for the expansion of internet access across the state. The grants will provide broadband access to more than 150,000 unserved homes and businesses across 58 counties. Funding comes through the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund – American Rescue Plan, which utilizes a portion of the state's federal American Rescue Plan funds to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and work toward a strong recovery.

Pennsylvania announced the investment of $236M for 25 drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). The funding for these projects originates from a combination of state funds approved by voters, Growing Greener, Marcellus Legacy funds, the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, federal grants to PENNVEST from the EPA, and recycled loan repayments from previous PENNVEST funding awards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $100M for projects that advance environmental justice in underserved and overburdened communities across the country. This funding, made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act marks the largest amount of environmental justice grant funding ever offered by the Agency.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened a $40M grant opportunity for recycling infrastructure projects for Tribes and intertribal groups. The grant marks the third funding opportunity made available by the new Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant program, which is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that includes $375M in funding for new recycling, reuse, and waste prevention programs and initiatives.

CDFA launched the 2023 SSBCI Learning Series to help you stay informed and navigate the implementation and operations of State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) capital and technical assistance programs. The first event - Compliance: Program Reporting Requirements - is on February 16 at 2:00 PM ET where speakers will discuss processes and systems for maintaining program compliance, resources for reporting, and expanding transparency through data insights. Register today!

Mountainburg, AR, has received the money it needed to provide drinking water to about 625 households. Mayor Susan Wilson told residents at a public meeting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development awarded the town $7.4M for its proposed water infrastructure project. This includes $5.7M in grants and $1.7M in loans.

Two rural Colorado electric cooperatives will receive $48.5M in loans from the USDA to modernize electric grids and increase security. The loans are part of a $2.7B federal program to assist 64 electric cooperatives and utilities serving more than 2 million people. The funds also include $613M for rural utilities and cooperatives to install or upgrade smart grid technologies, which can enable broadband and other telecommunications services in unserved and underserved rural areas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $340M financing commitment to upgrade Philadelphia's aging drinking water infrastructure. This Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) low-interest loan of nearly $20M will modernize critical drinking water infrastructure by replacing approximately 160 lead service lines and 15 miles of watermains.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing in 64 projects through the Electric Loan Program. The loans include $613M to help rural utilities and cooperatives install and upgrade smart grid technologies. This funding will benefit nearly 2M rural people and businesses and nearly half of the awards will help finance infrastructure improvements in underserved communities.

A solar array project at Stonyfield Farm's yogurt plant in Londonderry is receiving funding through the federal Electric Infrastructure Loan program. The USDA announced the funding as part of a $15.2M award for projects in Maine and New Hampshire. The electric program makes insured loans and loan guarantees to nonprofit and cooperative associations, public bodies, and other utilities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Urban League announced a Memorandum of Understanding to reaffirm and strengthen the relationship between USDA and the historic civil rights organization. Through this strategic partnership, USDA and National Urban League will work collaboratively to promote nutrition and food security, increase access to healthy foods, and ensure equitable service delivery of USDA programs in underserved communities across the country.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Service will invest $1M to improve access to El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico. This investment is part of the commitment to ensure rural communities have equitable access to the infrastructure and economic opportunities they need to grow and thrive. Those engaged with this project envision a park-and-ride system to shuttle visitors into El Yunque.

The U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA) announced a $500M loan to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to modernize wastewater and drinking water systems throughout the state. This is the first loan issued through the State Infrastructure Financing Authority Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (SWIFIA) program, which provides loans exclusively to state infrastructure financing authority borrowers, commonly known as state revolving fund programs.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $2.4M in grant funds to Mahoning County to support the Mahoning Avenue Industrial Corridor Project. The project will provide roadway upgrades, bridge replacements, drainage enhancements and other necessary improvements to spur job growth and business expansion. The grant is expected to create and retain over 140 jobs and generate $5M in private investment according to grant estimates.