State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act

State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act

This bill allows states, tribes, territories, and localities to use certain COVID-19 relief funds for new categories of spending, including for natural disasters and infrastructure projects. It also makes changes to expenditure deadlines and other aspects of this funding.

Specifically, recipients may use funds for emergency relief from natural disasters and associated negative economic impacts of natural disasters. In addition, recipients may use a portion of their COVID-19 relief funds for designated infrastructure projects, such as nationally significant freight and highway projects. Furthermore, the bill allows recipients to expend COVID-19 relief funds on these types of infrastructure projects until September 30, 2026. Under current law, recipients must expend the funds by December 31, 2024.

Other changes in the bill include (1) modifying eligibility and allocation requirements for funding set aside for counties and Indian tribes that are near public lands, (2) allowing Indian tribes an additional year to expend their COVID-19 relief funds, and (3) establishing a process for government entities to decline COVID-19 relief funds and requiring any declined funds to be used to reduce the federal deficit.

Bill 117 hr 5735, also known as the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The main goal of this bill is to provide financial assistance to states, local governments, tribal nations, and territories in order to help them recover from fiscal challenges, invest in infrastructure projects, and respond to natural disasters.

The bill aims to give these entities more flexibility in how they can use federal funds, allowing them to address their specific needs and priorities. This includes providing funding for infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and public transportation systems, as well as disaster relief efforts in the event of emergencies like hurricanes, wildfires, or floods.

Additionally, the bill seeks to streamline the process for accessing and using federal funds, making it easier for states, local governments, tribal nations, and territories to receive the assistance they need in a timely manner. This is intended to help these entities recover more quickly from financial challenges and natural disasters, ultimately benefiting the communities they serve. Overall, the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act is designed to provide much-needed support to states, local governments, tribal nations, and territories as they work to overcome fiscal challenges, invest in infrastructure projects, and respond to natural disasters.