Water and wastewater infrastructure projects would be eligible to compete for funding against a range of transportation, aviation, port and school projects under infrastructure bank legislation reintroduced in the House of Representatives last week. Sponsored by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the “National Infrastructure Bank Development Act” (H.R. 2553) would establish a government-owned corporation to select infrastructure improvement projects for funding after considering economic, environmental and social cost and benefits. The bill is similar to proposals Rep. DeLauro introduced in previous sessions of Congress that did not advance.
AMWA has not taken a position on broad infrastructure bank legislation and has instead chosen to focus on proposals specifically designed to address water sector needs, such as the proposed “Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act” (WIFIA).