Blogs

Coalition Supports Federal Legislation to Reform Wildfire, Natural Disaster Response

By Cole Karr posted 18 days ago
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The National Special Districts Coalition supports recently introduced legislation that would improve federal response and interagency collaboration in addressing wildfires as well as enhance public assistance and mitigation programs for natural disasters in communities in need. Senator Alex Padilla, D-Calif., leads two bills focused on these issues. S. 3092 , the FEMA Improvement, Reform, and Efficiency (FIRE) Act , would broaden Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preparedness and mitigation programs to better accommodate wildfires and the devastating impacts on communities. NSDC supports provisions within the FIRE Act that would amend the Robert ...
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Update: Infrastructure Bill Sent to Biden, OSHA Vaccine Mandate Hits Roadblock

By Cole Karr posted 19 days ago
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The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday evening passed,  228-206 , the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package while the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit halted Saturday the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace vaccine mandate. House Democrats resolved their differences on the  Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act  and agreed to the Senate's full amendment to the bill, with 13 Republicans voting in favor and six Democrats voting against. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation in the days ahead. Once signed, the package will provide a five-year reauthorization of various surface ...
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The Federal Workplace Vaccine Mandate Has Arrived. Here are the Details.

By Cole Karr posted 22 days ago
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The Federal Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published Friday its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on workplace vaccinations for employers with more than 100 employees. Twenty-two states operating OSHA-approved state plans will have 30 days to adopt the standard that is the same or more stringent, which would affect state and local agency employees – including special districts. Access the Federal OSHA ETS here. Click here for an OSHA FAQ document covering the standard . OSHA’s ETS pre-empts laws and regulations in states that restrict public agencies and organizations from implementing employee vaccination or masking mandates. ...
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Nation’s Special Districts Support Transit, Disaster Use of ARPA Recovery Funds

By Cole Karr posted 23 days ago
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The National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC) expressed Thursday support to House Leadership for legislation that would expand the use of state and local government recovery funds to include transit infrastructure and response to natural disasters. The two bipartisan bills – S. 3011 (Cornyn) and H.R. 5735 (Johnson, S.D.), State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act – would allow the greater of $10 million or 30 percent of a governments Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF) to be used on at least 20 categories of surface transportation infrastructure and the ...
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Federal Vaccine Mandate Details Released, to be Published Friday

By Cole Karr posted 24 days ago
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The Biden Administration has announced two major, pending workplace vaccine requirements, which officials said will be published Friday. According to a  White House Fact Sheet , the federal Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will both require employers to comply with the requirements by January 4, 2022. The deadline for federal employees and contractors to comply with previously announced vaccine mandates has been delayed from December 8 to match the OSHA and CMS deadlines of January 4. While OSHA's rule will apply at the federal level to all ...
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29-Member Coalition Presses for Infrastructure Finance Flexibility in Build Back Better

By Cole Karr posted 25 days ago
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NSDC joined the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and 27 other national organizations in a letter to Congressional leadership calling for flexibility for infrastructure financing and the exclusion of tax-exempt municipal bonds in the Build Back Better Act’s proposed Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) on corporations. In its current form, the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act would impose a 15 percent corporate AMT without excluding interest earned on municipal bonds. Of concern is what this means for entities that currently hold approximately one-quarter, or $1 trillion, of all outstanding tax-exempt bonds – primarily banks and insurance companies. ...
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NSDC Seeks IRS Clarification on Tax Treatment of Utility Arrears Assistance

By Cole Karr posted 26 days ago
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The National Special Districts Coalition sent Monday a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seeking clarity on how the agency intends to treat customer utility relief funded under the American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF). Special districts across the county can access CSLFRF through state, county, and city government transfers. Districts may utilize the funds to assist customers with water, wastewater, electricity, and home heating arrears. Districts leveraging this assistance need a firmer understanding on the implications of their customers’ accepting utility payments and whether the district will ...
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U.S. EPA Announces 'Strategic Roadmap' to Address PFAS

By Cole Karr posted 10-18-2021
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday its  plan   to address per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminants impacting water and air quality  across the country .  As EPA continues to study PFAS, the plan establishes a timeline to achieve benchmarks to better understand PFAS and issues regulations for its use and for water quality. The agency intends to more immediately develop guidelines for further research on the chemical as well as monitoring for PFAS in drinking water systems by the end of 2021. EPA plans to draft by fall 2022 a national primary drinking water regulation for PFOA and PFOS chemicals that would "set enforceable ...
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NSDC Welcomes South Carolina’s Special Purpose Districts

By Cole Karr posted 10-05-2021
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The South Carolina Association of Special Purpose Districts (SCSPD) has formally joined the National Special Districts Coalition. SCSPD’s board of directors voted during its 2021 Educational Conference on September 29 to fund Coalition dues for its 2022 budget, becoming the sixth association broadly representing all types of special districts in their state to do so. There are only seven states with special districts associations like South Carolina. The associations’ district members will continue to enjoy federal legislative advocacy services, grants and earmarks assistance, and best practices sharing with special districts stakeholders from across the country. ...
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In Review: Congress Punts on FY22 Appropriations, Stalls on Infrastructure Amidst Intra-Party Differences

By Cole Karr posted 10-04-2021
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President Joe Biden signed on September 30 Congress’ continuing resolution, just hours ahead of a midnight deadline, as the House twice missed its self-imposed deadlines to pass a landmark bipartisan infrastructure package. The continuing resolution, entitled Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act , ensures federal government agencies are funded through December 3, before which Congress will need to pass all 12 appropriations bills or craft a new continuing resolution. The bill signed last week also provides emergency appropriations totaling $28.6 billion for federal response to the slough of recent disasters and $6.3 billion ...
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NSDC Joins Coalition Focused on Federal Solutions for Western Water, Drought

By Cole Karr posted 09-30-2021
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The National Special Districts Coalition has joined the Western Water Infrastructure Coalition, adding an additional special districts voice to advance sound water and drought policies in the Western U.S. According to Western Water Infrastructure Coalition leaders , the group includes organizations from 15 states that collectively represent $120 billion in agricultural production—nearly one-third of all agricultural production in the country—and many of the local and regional public water agencies that supply water to more than 75 million urban, suburban, and rural residents. “Thousands of special districts provide drinking water, irrigation, wastewater, ...
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Bipartisan Infrastructure Package at Risk of Stalling in U.S. House

By Cole Karr posted 09-28-2021
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NSDC is monitoring the progression of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act , which appears to be losing momentum in the U.S. House of Representatives. At issue is an intra-party disagreement between progressive and moderate House Democrats over the trajectory of both the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package containing the Build Back Better plan– including policies such as universal preschool, two-years paid community college, and efforts to combat climate change – and $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. Progressive Democrats are beginning to line up in opposition to pass the bipartisan “hard” infrastructure package at ...
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NSDC Applauds Texas Special District Stakeholders’ Joint Efforts for State COVID Relief

By Cole Karr posted 09-27-2021
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NSDC proudly supports Texas special districts' joint efforts to access a portion of the state's $15.8 billion State Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund allocation. The state coalition’s action comes as the Texas state legislature considers how it will program the federal dollars. The advocacy coalition represents more than 1,000 special districts providing millions of Texans with fire protection and emergency services, water, wastewater, and hospital services. Nine organizations banded together to convey special districts' needs in a letter sent to Governor Greg Abbott and state legislative leadership ahead of the special legislative session. If granted access ...
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NSDC Adds Washington Hospital Districts, Texas Fire Districts into Growing Coalition

By Cole Karr posted 09-07-2021
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The National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC) welcomes the Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts and the Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts (SAFE-D) as members of its burgeoning organization. NSDC’s Executive Board voted to approve the two state stakeholders as associate members following its formal adoption of a membership structure. “This is an exciting moment for the Coalition as we add our first two associate members,” said Cole Karr, NSDC Federal Advocacy Coordinator. “NSDC has enjoyed the opportunity to have worked over the past year and a half with the Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts and SAFE-D ...
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Nation's Special Districts Support, Urge Congress to Pass Infrastructure Package

By Kristin Withrow posted 08-31-2021
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Nation's Special Districts Support, Urge Congress to Pass Bipartisan Infrastructure Package By Cole Karr The National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC) sent a letter on Tuesday to Congressional leadership outlining its support for the Senate-passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act , highlighting major policies that would benefit special districts and the services they provide. “More than $1.2 trillion in much-needed investments would, in part, aid special districts’ ability to boost regional economies, better serve disadvantaged communities, and continue improving the quality of life in communities across the country,” the Coalition wrote. ...
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NSDC Leadership Formally Sets Stage for Future Organization and Growth

By Cole Karr posted 08-30-2021
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MONTEREY, Calif. – The National Special District Coalition’s (NSDC) Executive Board adopted Sunday amendments to its memorandum of understanding to formally expand its mission and organization. The NSDC Executive Board convened ahead of the California Special Districts Association's conference in Monterey, Calif., to adopt and sign the update, which formalizes its national advocacy and lobbying program and officially establishes a national membership structure . The actions taken are aimed to further coalition growth and strengthen special districts’ voice on policy matters in Washington, DC.   The National Special Districts Coalition ...
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House Passes $3.5T Budget Resolution, Deadline Set for Infrastructure Passage

By Cole Karr posted 08-25-2021
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The U.S. House passed Tuesday, by a 220-212 party line vote, a resolution that adopts the Senate-approved FY2022 budget resolution passed August 11 to officially set the stage for budget reconciliation to pass the President Biden’s $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” package. Both chambers’ adoption clears a path for Senate Democrats to skirt Republicans to pass the expansive social spending and tax agenda, which includes significant portions of Biden’s proposed American Jobs and Families Plans. The resolution passed only after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., struck a deal with moderate House Democrats who threatened to vote ...
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Special Report: District Highlights of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act

By Cole Karr posted 08-20-2021
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The National Special Districts Coalition published a special report highlighting provisions of interest for special districts in the Senate-passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure package. The 48-page report outlines selected programs of the 2,702-page Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act . Spotlighted are titles and sections of the legislation authorizing major federal investments in water and wastewater infrastructure, transit and highway programs, power generation and electric grid reliability, broadband expansion, cybersecurity, western water infrastructure and drought programs, wildfire mitigation and federal land management, and more. NSDC Members ...
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Senate Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Package, Faces Uncertain Future in House

By Kristin Withrow posted 08-11-2021
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The U.S. Senate passed, 69-30 , on Tuesday the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which would authorize $1 trillion in a range of infrastructure investments.   The package includes the Senate’s transportation reauthorization legislation along with funding for water, power, airports, ports, waterways, electric vehicles, broadband, and more. Nineteen Republican Senators joined all Democrats to pass the measure.   After the infrastructure vote, the Senate immediately took up the second portion of President Biden’s domestic agenda, a $3.5 trillion budget resolution that would set the guidelines for a reconciliation package in order to bypass ...
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$1T Bipartisan Infrastructure Package Making Moves in Senate This Week

By Cole Karr posted 08-02-2021
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A bipartisan group of senators working closely to craft a long-awaited infrastructure bill over the past several months released Sunday evening the 2,702-page text of their five-year Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act . The proposal includes full reauthorization of the surface transportation bill in addition to investments in the power grid, broadband, water infrastructure, resiliency and western water storage, environmental remediation, and more. The legislation totals near $1 trillion, including an estimated $548 billion in new federal spending with the balance sourced from existing, planned investments in roads, highways, and bridges. ...
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