Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that she will introduce a bill that clarifies the District of Columbia's authority to enter into public-private partnerships (P3s).  The District recently began the procurement process for its first-ever P3s.

Although Congress has provided significant funding to reduce risk in areas affected by last year's hurricanes, these reactive, one-time efforts fall short and leave localities without the resources they need to shift from the status quo to cost-effective mitigation before disaster strikes again.

Sen. Wyden's bill would create a middle-income housing tax credit (MIHTC) aimed at sparking the development of rental homes affordable to Americans with moderate incomes. S. 3365 builds on the LIHTC model, allocating funds to states based on population with state housing authorities.

Private activity bonds issued to finance water and sewer infrastructure projects would be exempted from state PAB volume caps under a bipartisan bill introduced this week by two Senators. The "Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act" (S. 3358) was introduced by Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.

Governor Phil Murphy has signed a bipartisan bill that enables local governments, school districts, public authorities and state colleges to enter into P3s for capital projects. P3 opportunities in New Jersey previously only applied to public colleges and universities.

In a revamp of Louisiana's public financing laws, state legislators strengthened the statutory lien on local governmental bonds, a move prompted by high-profile municipal bankruptcies such as Detroit's. Clarifying the lien was the result of a comprehensive effort to modernize and consolidate financing regulations.

The Main Street Employee Ownership Act will make Small Business Administration (SBA) section 7(a) loans more available to employee-owned businesses, support smooth transitions to employee ownership, and provide education and technical assistance to business owners.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has been critical of the EB-5 program in its current form and has called for the elimination of loop holes and potential for graft. Grassley argues that "as interest in the EB-5 Regional Center Program has grown, so have cases of fraud, corruption and threats to national security."

The Restoring Tax Credits for Affordable Housing Act will restore the 235,000 affordable housing units projected to be lost over the next ten years as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Act increases the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) allocation and improves the credit percentage formula to promote affordable housing. 

Reps. Jason Smith, a Missouri Republican, and Terri Sewell, an Alabama Democrat, in late July introduced legislation dubbed the Rural Jobs Zones Act. Their bill would provide $500 million annually in 2018 and 2019 in additional New Markets Tax Credit authority, specifically aimed at rural areas.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) on its website inviting public comment on ways to transform or modernize the regulations that implement the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). 

Under amendments recently adopted by the SEC, municipal bond issuers and obligated persons will soon see additions to their continuing disclosure undertakings related to Rule 15c2-12. Also, broker-dealers will need to have systems in place to ensure compliance with those new undertakings.

This document is the 2017 Annual Report from the U.S. EPA regarding the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. It contains recent highlights, future opportunities, infrastructure fund activity, set-asides activity, a 2017 financial statement, and success stories.

The U.S. EPA has issued a $699 million loan to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to help finance its innovative Southeast Treatment Plant Biosolids Digester Facilities Project. The loan has been issued through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program.

USDA is investing more than $124 million to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure in 23 states through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. It can be used to finance drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency received 62 letters of interest collectively requesting $9.1 billion in loans from a wide range of prospective borrowers in response to the WIFIA program's 2018 NOFA.

While it's clear that Opportunity Zone communities are in dire need of investment to help fuel their revitalization, there is no guarantee that investors will materialize. State and local leaders need to quickly implement policies to make their zones more attractive to investors.

The USDA has issued a Notice of Solicitation of Applications prior to passage of a final appropriations act to allow potential applicants time to submit applications for financial assistance under Rural Energy for America Program for FY 2019.

Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett recently announced a major commitment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to upgrade and rebuild rural water infrastructure. Eligible rural communities and water districts can apply online for funding to maintain, modernize or build water and wastewater systems. 

The ITC provides a credit to taxpayers equal to a percentage of the basis of qualifying energy property, which percentage varies depending on the type of such property, the year in which construction begins, and the year in which the property was placed in service. In general, the ITC Notice is similar to guidance provided for wind facilities qualifying for the ITC.

The CDEs that applied under the 2018 round are headquartered in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These applicants requested an aggregate total of $14.8 billion in NMTC allocation authority, over four times the $3.5 billion in authority available for the 2018 round.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that $4 billion of grants and low-cost loans are available for the improvement or development of rural water infrastructure. Rural communities and water districts can apply online for the funding assistance to maintain, modernize or build water and wastewater programs.