ECONOMIC STIMULUS

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Funding the SRF Pipeline

The Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities launched the 2020 S.A.F.E. Water Infrastructure Action Plan to help the nation's economy rebound from the current public health crisis.  

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The 2020 S.A.F.E. Water Infrastructure Action Plan combines relief from federal requirements and potential stimulus funding to keep projects moving through the SRF Project Pipeline. Print the Action Plan and SRF Project Pipeline.

 

Enacting the 2020 S.A.F.E. Water Infrastructure Action Plan would:

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• SAVE projects currently in the SRF Project Pipeline by:

  • Waiving state match to allow federal funding to flow immediately,

  • Increasing access to WIFIA for SRFs (SWIFIA) as an alternative to volatile public finance markets, and

  • Providing total flexibility on how to use any increased funding for additional subsidization (grants and principal forgiveness).

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• ACCELERATE projects moving through the SRF Project Pipeline by waiving 2014 federal requirements, including: 

  • Waiving Cost-and-Effectiveness Analysis and Fiscal Sustainability Plan on all water treatment projects in the Clean Water SRF and return decision-making on these requirements to the SRFs.

  • Waiving the requirement that federally funded projects use the federal procurement process for architectural and engineering services and allow communities to use their state and local procurement procedures.

  • Visit www.MoreProtectionLessProcess.org for more information. 

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• FILL the SRF Project Pipeline with new projects by providing stimulus funding and total flexibility on what projects to fund.

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• EXPEDITE construction of projects in SRF Project Pipeline by streamlining compliance procedures for Davis Bacon, while maintaining the requirement to pay the federal prevailing wage to workers, including: 

  • Requiring the U.S. Department of Labor to adopt state prevailing wages for heavy construction (water projects), just like they do for highway construction. ​

  • Consider states with prevailing wage laws to be considered in compliance with Davis Bacon.

  • Allow states without prevailing wage laws to develop their own compliance procedures for Davis Bacon, just like they have done for NEPA since the programs were established.

  • Visit www.MoreProtectionLessProcess.org for more information. 

 

Letters to Congress about Coronavirus Response and Economic Recovery

• CIFA Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives about H.R. 2 (June 30, 2020)

• CIFA Letter to Congress (March 23, 2020)

• Water Sector Coalition Letter (May 14, 2020)

• Water Sector Coalition Letter (March 23, 2020)

• Public Finance Network Letter to Congress (March12, 2020)

• Public Finance Network Letter to the U.S. Treasury (March 20, 2020)

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Letters to the Administration about Coronavirus Response and Economic Recovery

• Letter to the U.S. Department of Labor (June 24, 2020)

• Letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (June 24, 2020)

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