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July 15, 2022
Clocking in at over 1,000 pages, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58), which was signed into law in November 2021, is an expansive document. The law, often referred to as the IIJA, contains many provisions that, if implemented effectively, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate impacts. However, given the law’s length, it can be a daunting document to parse. As these federal dollars begin to flow, it is important to have resources on hand that can serve as a guide to understanding the law.
Luckily, the White House, federal agencies, Congressional offices, and nonprofits have created a plethora of tools for this purpose, which we outline for you here.
If you are looking to dive into a comprehensive guide to the IIJA, plenty of resources exist to provide an overview of all the law’s sections. First, the White House has put out a lengthy and detailed roadmap to all the funding specifications of the Act. A page of the guidebook is dedicated to each program that is receiving funding from the law and includes information about funding amounts, mechanisms, and durations, as well as eligible recipients and uses. The Brookings Institution created a Federal Infrastructure Hub that is another great place to start; it features an interactive graphic that breaks down how the IIJA money is allocated.
In addition, the BlueGreen Alliance has put together “A User Guide to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” which provides a simplified reference guide to the law and its funding. Finally, members of Congress have put together their own guides to the law. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) has released an IIJA section-by-section summary that simplifies and explains the sections of the law. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) has published a reference guide for communities on Connecticut’s second district that provides links and funding information to help communities identify target programs (the information is relevant for districts throughout the United States).
You may also be curious to find exactly what the IIJA means for your city, locality, or state. Luckily, the White House and several nonprofits have put together guides specifically tailored to different areas. For example, the National Association of City Transportation Officials has put together an IIJA Overview for Cities, while the White House’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural Playbook provides detail on specific opportunities available to rural communities.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has put together state-by-state fact sheets that discuss how much funding each state should expect to receive, while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a memorandum and fact sheet discussing the implementation of the law’s provisions for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. The White House’s fact sheet on infrastructure funding opportunities for local governments may also be particularly helpful in helping community leaders identify opportunities. Meanwhile, The New Localism’s “A Guide for Local Leaders” provides a short list of helpful strategies to effectively capitalize on the IIJA.
Much of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is dedicated to transportation—about 68 percent of the IIJA’s total spending will go toward transportation programs, according to Brookings. Plenty of resources have already been created to help navigate the IIJA from a transportation perspective. DOT has released the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program Guidance, as well as a memorandum on the Highway Safety Improvement Program and the IIJA, both of which provide further background and eligibility information for its programs.
DOT has also released a guide to the Bridge Formula Program, which details the program’s goals and requirements for projects that build new bridges or improve existing bridges. Finally, a Federal Highway Administration policy memo identifies how the agency will prioritize projects for funding, while the American Public Transportation Association’s “Smart Guide to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” provides funding summaries for transportation provisions of the law.
Many questions have been raised about how the IIJA can ensure its provisions are implemented equitably, especially for communities that may lack sufficient capacity to apply for funding. Those seeking to learn more about the environmental justice and equity implications of the bill can find helpful information in the National Wildlife Federation’s summary report of the IIJA with an environmental justice lens. Headwaters Economics has also put together a Rural Capacity Map to identify communities that are particularly in need of additional resources and capacity in order to effectively compete for federal funding. Bloomberg’s Local Infrastructure Hub, which launched on July 12, provides guidance on how leaders can access IIJA funding opportunities for their cities and towns, with a focus on underserved communities.
Meanwhile, the Office of Management and Budget has released interim implementation guidance for the Justice40 initiative. While this resource does not discuss the IIJA in particular, it does outline the Administration’s Justice40 initiative, which can be applied to the investments made under the IIJA.
For those looking for more details on how the IIJA will be implemented, DOT has put together a number of helpful resources. The National Infrastructure Project Assistance program, created by the IIJA, has provided project evaluation and selection criteria to help guide the reader through the eligibility criteria for so-called “Mega Projects,” while implementation guidance from the Federal Highway Administration details the specifics of the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program, which relates to multimodal transportation projects.
In addition, the Office of Management and Budget’s memorandum, “Advancing Effective Stewardship of Taxpayer Resources and Outcomes in the Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ” provides detailed information on the IIJA’s implementation, developed for federal agency and executive department heads. The business association, Advanced Energy Economy, has produced Advanced Energy Infrastructure: A Roadmap for Implementation to guide the reader through the IIJA’s funding streams, while The Ferguson Group has put together a special report, Grant Programs through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which also highlights how existing grant programs have been changed.
Outside of the previous categories, there are even more niche resources for professionals across industries. The International Code Council has put out industry-specific guidance in its document “Key Programs in Infrastructure Legislation for Code Officials and the Construction Industry,” while the American Public Works Association has put out a webinar on what public works professionals should know about the IIJA. Finally, the Natural Resources Defense Council has created a presentation, “Federal Water Infrastructure Legislation Implementation,” detailing the role of states and the EPA in implementing the water infrastructure funding of the IIJA.
Authors: S. Grace Parker and Molly Brind’Amour
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