By the National Conference of State Legislatures
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), aka Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021. This landmark legislation, drafted by a bipartisan group of senators, allocated nearly $400 billion to fund over 40,000 projects across more than 4,500 communities in all 50 states, focused on rebuilding America’s infrastructure. These projects include rebuilding America’s roads, bridges and rails, expanding access to clean drinking water, ensuring every American has access to high-speed internet, tackling the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice, and investing in communities that have too often been left behind.
The legislation has helped ease inflationary pressures and strengthen supply chains by making long overdue improvements for our nation’s ports, airports, rail, and roads. It has driven the creation of good-paying union jobs and will continue to grow the economy sustainably and equitably so that everyone gets ahead for decades to come. Combined with President Biden’s Build Back Framework, it was estimated to add on average 1.5 million jobs per year for the next 10 years.
With change in administration, the future and focus of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a big question mark. “We cannot predict what the major focus and priorities will be until later this year and into early next year,” Jordan Baugh, senior policy advisor for the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, told a session on surface transportation at NCSL’s 2024 Legislative Summit.
The law expires in 2026 so it will need to be reauthorized during the incoming administration. Discussions around its reauthorization will start in 2025.
Read the NCSL article: https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/outcome-of-election-will-decide-future-of-federal-infrastructure-law
For more information on this legislation, read A Guidebook to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (last updated in January 2024) at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/guidebook/