Biden Administration Releases Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Guidebook for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Governments

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January 31st

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the White House released the first edition of its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law guidebook to help state, local, Tribal and territorial governments unlock the benefits from the historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure. The guidebook is a one-stop-shop on the law and contains the most comprehensive information to date on the more than 375 programs included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“This resource is a critical part of our extensive outreach to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to ensure the people of America can benefit from this once-in-a-generation investment,” said Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor & Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator. “Building a better America is a shared endeavor no one can do alone, and investing infrastructure dollars will require significant coordination between the federal government, cities, states, Tribal governments, community members, and other key partners. Our primary goal is to empower people across the country with information, so they know what to apply for, who to contact, and how to get ready to rebuild.”

The guidebook is a roadmap to the funding available under the law, as well as an explanatory document that shows direct federal spending at the program level. To this end, the White House has also published an accompanying data file that allows users to quickly sort programs funded under the law by fields like agency, amount, recipient, or program name. The guidebook contains 12 chapters grouping Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs by issue area. Each chapter contains a cover note explaining how to get ready to receive this funding, and these memoranda also identify additional resources our partners can and should utilize to prepare, while the federal government gets ready to distribute Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds from new and existing programs.

Since President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law more than two months ago, the Biden-Harris Administration has hit the ground running to deliver results. The Administration has made key progress towards implementing the largest long-term investment in America’s infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. More than $80 billion has been allocated to states from formula and competitive programs for roads and highways, bridges, ports, airports, and water systems. Additional programs are being rolled out to deploy high speed internet, electric vehicle chargers, energy grid upgrades and clean energy demonstration projects.

Earlier this month, the White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator sent a letter to Governors recommending a series of preparatory actions, including appointing infrastructure coordinators to manage the flow of funds to their states. Yesterday, he addressed the National Governors Association winter meeting.  Landrieu also outlined steps cities can take to prepare at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and he has begun deeper intergovernmental engagements with Tribal leaders, county officials, and territorial leaders through outreach calls, listening sessions, and Tribal consultations.

The White House also recognizes state, local, Tribal and territorial capacity may be strained due to the pandemic, historic underinvestment, or just the challenges of day-to-day governance. A community’s lack of capacity to apply for federal funds can create significant inequities – and for many communities, this will be their first time applying for funds from a suite of federal agencies. While many funding streams in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law specifically set aside funds for disadvantaged communities, the White House Infrastructure Implementation Team will be engaging states, local governments, Tribal governments, territories, federal agencies, philanthropies, and others to leverage all available resources to quickly deliver the necessary technical assistance and capacity to underserved communities. We intend to use this guidebook is a critical tool to accelerate and amplify the impact of this work.

Future phases of the guidebook will update dates, key timelines for program implementation, best practices, case studies, and links to key resources developed by the White House and key partners.

The historic $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will rebuild crumbling road and bridges, replace lead pipes, help provide high-speed internet to every family in America, and produce concrete results that change people’s lives for the better. These results will create good-paying, union jobs, support domestic manufacturing and supply chains, and position the United States to win the 21st century. As the Administration implements the law, it is following through on President Biden’s commitment to ensure investments advance equity and racial justice, reach communities all across the country – including rural communities, communities of color, and disability communities – and strengthen the nation’s resilience to climate change.