House passes bipartisan infrastructure bill

On Nov. 5, the House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684), bipartisan legislation that will update the U.S.’ aging physical infrastructure. This legislation was approved by the Senate in August and is expected to be signed into law soon by President Biden.

NRCA has been advocating for this legislation to pass because it provides much-needed funding for the U.S.’ aging buildings, including airport and schools, and programs to increase energy efficiency and resiliency. The inclusion of building-related provisions in this legislation was a cornerstone of Roofing Day in D.C. 2021 advocacy issues, and its passage was made possible in part through the efforts of NRCA members.

The bill also includes numerous provisions that will help ease some of the roofing industry’s supply chain challenges—including a pilot program for 18- to 20-year-olds to receive their commercial driver’s license and funding for ports and intermodal transportation. It passed with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate.

Additional details regarding the legislation include:

• $25 billion for airport and air traffic control construction
• $1 billion for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program at the Federal Emergency Management Agency
• $250 million for a new energy-efficiency grant program to finance energy-efficiency retrofits and energy audits for commercial and residential buildings
• $40 million for the energy auditor training program, which can be used to train individuals to conduct energy audits or surveys of commercial and residential buildings
• $225 million for a grant program within the Department of Energy Building Technologies Office to enable cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes
• $10 million for a grant program for career skills training involving classroom instruction and on-the-job training to obtain an industry-related certification to install energy-efficient building technologies
• $550 million for the existing DOE Energy Efficiency and Conversation Block Grant Program
• $3.5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides funds to low-income homeowners to improve energy efficiency in their homes (some types of roof systems qualify)
• $500 million for a grant program to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements at public schools
• $50 million for a pilot program to award grants to provide nonprofit buildings with energy-efficiency retrofits
• Commercial building energy consumption information sharing among federal agencies
• $550 million for a grant program to fund energy-efficiency upgrades for small and medium-sized manufacturers
• Directing the DOE to provide technical assessments for manufacturers to maximize energy efficiency, prevent pollution, etc., as determined by the secretary of energy
• A prevailing wage standard for projects funded under the legislation

NRCA commends lawmakers in the House and Senate for approving bipartisan legislation to provide badly needed investments in the U.S’ aging and overburdened infrastructure to address supply chain concerns and building-related issues.

Date : Jan. 01, 0001