News Flash

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 ...

Federal Debt Ceiling Negotiations Update

After a meeting earlier this week between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, White House, and House Republican negotiators have met to resolve the debt ceiling standoff, when the government will no longer be able to pay its bills, on or...

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Opportunity Webinars

The fiscal year (FY) 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Safe Streets and Roads for All grants is now open through July 10. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is hosting informational webinars for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (S...

Latest on Debt Ceiling Negotiations

While the administration and congressional leaders continue to work on an agreement, the League’s federal partner, the National League of Cities has a detailed blog post on the latest negotiations on the federal debt limit and the effects of som...

NLC Offering Grant Bootcamps

NLC will host a new bootcamp series beginning in June focused on additional funding opportunities made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. These five bootcamps are open for registration and programming will run...

USDOT Hosts Discretionary Grant Opportunities Webinar

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is hosting a webinar on May 22 at 4 p.m. to discuss upcoming discretionary grant opportunities, including Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES), the Federal Highway Administra...

USDA Rural Development Grant Deadline Approaching on June 15

The application process for USDA Rural Development New Jersey Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program is open for public-body entities and nonprofits seeking financing to improve essential community facilities projects in rural areas. The deadline to ...

House Passes Debt Limit Bill

On Wednesday night, the House passed  Representative Jodey Arrington (R-TX) Limit, Save, Grow Act, by a vote of 217-215. The bill, which raises the debt ceiling and includes spending cuts, repeals parts of the Inflation Reduction Act, and imposes...

ARP SLFRF Project & Expenditure Report Due April 30

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) State and Local Fiscal Recovery (SLFRF) Project & Expenditure Report is due to U.S. Treasury on April 30. We strongly encourage you to file as early as possible. The U.S. Treasury has to process more than 30,000 repo...

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 ...

USDOT Opens FY23 Safe Streets For All Grant Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced the FY23 Safe Streets and Roads For All (SS4A) funding opportunity is now open. Applications are due by July 10. 

SS4A provides funding for two main types of grants: Planning and Demonstratio...

ARPA SLFRF Reporting Deadline Approaching

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery (SLFRF) Project & Expenditure Report is due to U.S. Treasury on April 30. We strongly encourage you to file as early as possible. The U.S. Treasury has to process more than 30,000 rep...

League Participates in National League of Cities CCC Fly In

Earlier this week, League President and Millstone Borough Mayor Raymond Heck; Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver; Lori Buckelew, NJLM Deputy Executive Director and Director of Government Affairs; and Paul Penna, NJLM Senior Legislative Analyst ...

USDA Community Facilities Application Processing Webinar

USDA’s Rural Development is hosting a webinar on March 30 at 10 a.m. for Community Facilities Program funding. This program helps build essential services within your community or for your non-profit! This live webinar allows y...

EECBG Grant Application Webinars

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) Program will be hosting webinars about vouchers option, and the DOE technical assistance available to support eligible entities. All eligible entities are encourag...

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...

President Biden Proposes FY24 Budget

During a speech in Philadelphia, President Joe Biden unveiled the proposed $6.8 trillion Federal Fiscal Year 2024 budget spending blueprint which includes a 7% increase in nondefense discretionary spending, a 3% boost in national security funding, and red...

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...

Blog Post: Available Federal Grants

Please read the League’s recent blog post for newly announced and application instructions for various competitive federal grants that are available to municipalities.  Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ...

Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022: A Costly Unfunded Mandate for Municipalities

As Congress prepares to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), municipalities should be aware of a provision that may have a negative impact on their operations through the imposition of a new unfunded mandate. Senators Mark Warner (D-...

ARP Project & Expenditure Reporting to DLGS

If you are among the municipalities that have yet to file your American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Project and Expenditure Report that was due on April 30, please be advised that the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) has ...

President Signs CHIPS and Science Act

On Tuesday, August 9, President Joe Biden signed H.R. 4346, the CHIPS and Science Act, into law. In addition to authorizing funding for research and innovation programs, the law appropriates a total of $54.2 billion to support domestic semiconduc...

Inflation Reduction Act Activity

This past weekend, the U.S. Senate utilized the chamber’s reconciliation rules to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, along a party-line vote of 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. On Wednesday...

U.S. Treasury Releases ARPA SLFRF Affordable Housing Guidance

The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently announced How-to Guidance on increasing the ability of state, local, and tribal governments to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local Recovery Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) payments to boost the...

Ground Broken on Portal North Bridge

Earlier this week, Governor Murphy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and other officials broke ground on the Portal North Bridge, a critical link in the congested territory between New Jersey and New York. Replacement of the 111-year-old b...