Introduction to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Resource Collection

President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) on November 15th, 2021. BIL is the largest ever long-term investment in America’s infrastructure, allocating $1.2 trillion over ten years to more than 350 distinct programs. BIL aims to “rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails; expand access to clean drinking water; ensure every American has access to high-speed internet; tackle the climate crisis; advance environmental justice; and invest in communities that have too often been left behind,” according to the White House.

Local Infrastructure Hub Initiative Kickoff

The Local Infrastructure Hub is a national program designed to connect cities and towns with the resources and expert advice they need to access federal infrastructure funding in order to drive local progress, improve communities, and deliver results for residents.

Workforce Development Provisions

BIL includes more than $800 million in dedicated investments for workforce development, as well as significant additional funds that may flexibly be used for that purpose. The Biden Administration is ensuring that workforce development is an allowable use of infrastructure funds wherever possible, while providing technical assistance and guidance to states, localities, and other stakeholders to ensure these funds enhance equity in infrastructure jobs.

Justice40 Initiative

The Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative seeks to address this challenge by working to ensure that 40 percent of the benefits of federal climate investments are targeted towards disadvantaged communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change.

Federal Assistance e311

This collaboration between Bloomberg Philanthropies and the U.S. Conference of Mayors helps cities identify, obtain, and retain federal funding for COVID recovery and response efforts and infrastructure investments, by providing access to many resources.

Communicating Your City’s Infrastructure Vision to Residents

In this webinar recording, Tom Perez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs discussed advancements made possible by BIL and shared insights on how to share infrastructure successes with your residents. City leaders including Mayor Justin M. Bibb of Cleveland, OH; Mayor James Hovland of Edina, MN; Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson of Riverside, CA; Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird of Lincoln, NE; and Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston, TX also participated in a panel to discuss best practices for sharing BIL projects with residents and how the projects will positively impact their communities! Access the webinar summary!

Grant Application Strategies for Capacity Constrained Communities

In this webinar recording, Michelle Thomas and Jennifer Cecil of Thomas Consulting Group shared strategies for how cities and towns can overcome capacity constraints, and make their Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act grant applications more competitive. Michael Close, Transportation Policy Analyst for the ROUTES Initiative from the US Department Transportation, also shared resources that the DOT is doing to help capacity constrained communities and previewed how the DOT dashboard works.