Uncategorized Archives - National Association of Regional Councils https://narc.org/category/uncategorized/ The Voice of Regions Fri, 30 Jun 2023 14:10:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://i0.wp.com/narc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cropped-Logo-15.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Uncategorized Archives - National Association of Regional Councils https://narc.org/category/uncategorized/ 32 32 58711745 NARC Presents the 2023 Regional Leadership and Achievement Awards https://narc.org/2023/06/16/narc-presents-the-2023-regional-leadership-and-achievement-awards/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:37:00 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=78531 NARC Presents the 2023 Regional Leadership and Achievement Awards

The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) presented its 2023 Leadership and Achievement Awards on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 during an awards ceremony held at the NARC 57th Annual Conference & Exhibition.    

“As President, I am thrilled and overjoyed to congratulate the exceptional award winners,” said NARC President Jennifer Robinson, Council Member of Cary, NC and board member of Triangle J Council of Governments. “Their remarkable achievements not only inspire us all, but also reinforce the boundless potential of our commitment to regionalism.

Continue reading NARC Presents the 2023 Regional Leadership and Achievement Awards at National Association of Regional Councils.

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They Made a Deal https://narc.org/2023/05/30/they-made-a-deal/ Tue, 30 May 2023 20:19:32 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=78472 Late Saturday, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that they had agreed to a deal that would raise the debt limit.  What emerged appears to be a true meet-you-halfway compromise, with neither side getting all that it wanted.  The President had wanted a clean bill, and the Speaker had wanted significant cuts to domestic discretionary funds while increasing substantially funding for defense.  As more and more information becomes available, what is becoming abundantly clear that If adopted, the bill, entitled the Fiscal Responsibility Act would have a significant impact on states and localities, though not nearly as great as would have been the case had many of the provisions of the House bill, entitled the Limit, Save, Grow Act, had been adopted.  These included a ten-year freeze on domestic discretionary funding based on fiscal year (FY) 2022 appropriations, major changes to fossil fuel energy permitting rules, elimination of student loan forgiveness, expansion of work requirements for food assistance, welfare, and Medicaid recipients, and termination of some of some pieces of the Inflation Reduction Act in exchange for raising the debt ceiling one year. 

Instead, each side got some of what they wanted, but not all.  The president did get the debt ceiling raised until January 1, 2025, and the speaker did get a near freeze on domestic discretionary funding, but only for two years and based on FY2023 spending levels.  The speaker also got expanded work requirements for some food assistance recipients, but not for Medicaid or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).  Significant changes to fossil fuel energy permitting rules were set aside due to time constraints, and the student loan forgiveness program was left intact, though the date on which interest begins to accrue was moved forward. 

For local governments and regions, the biggest impact may come from the rescission of funds previously provided through COVID legislation.

Continue reading They Made a Deal at National Association of Regional Councils.

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USDOT Announce New Guidance and $6.4 Billion to Help States Reduce Carbon Emissions https://narc.org/advocacy/news-and-narc-updates/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 19:21:25 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=76656 Date: April 21, 202

(04/21/2022)
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration today announced a new program that unlocks $6.4 billion in formula funding for states and localities over five years. The new Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), created under the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help states develop carbon reduction strategies and address the climate crisis facing our nation.

Continue reading USDOT Announce New Guidance and $6.4 Billion to Help States Reduce Carbon Emissions at National Association of Regional Councils.

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Your Help Needed to Increase Funding for HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program https://narc.org/advocacy/news-and-narc-updates/ Mon, 18 Apr 2022 17:43:09 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=76637 Date: April 11, 202

Please urge your members of Congress to support HOME in FY 2023 appropriations. Please urge your local, state, and regional partners to support the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program and urge Congress to direct renewed investment of $2.5 billion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 through the National Sign On Letter by COB Friday, April 22.

Continue reading Your Help Needed to Increase Funding for HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program at National Association of Regional Councils.

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NARC and AMPO Submit Public Comments to FHWA on IIJA Implementation https://narc.org/advocacy/news-and-narc-updates/ Mon, 18 Apr 2022 17:36:51 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=76635 Date: April 8, 2022

In a letter to the Federal Highway Administration, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) and the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) write to jointly request consideration of the following comments in response to the Request for Information (RFI) (Docket No. FHWA-2021-0021) that was published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2021.

Continue reading NARC and AMPO Submit Public Comments to FHWA on IIJA Implementation at National Association of Regional Councils.

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Your Help Needed to Increase Funding for the Older Americans Act https://narc.org/advocacy/news-and-narc-updates/ Tue, 12 Apr 2022 21:58:54 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=76535 Date: April 12, 2022

Please call your Representatives and urge them to sign the Bipartisan OAA Funding Letter sponsored by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) calling for increases in OAA funding for this year. Rep. Bonomici, along with Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Ted Deutch (D-FL) and John Katko (R-NY), is sponsoring a “Dear Colleague” letter calling for a doubling of fiscal year 2023 OAA Title III “aging independently”  programs.  Signatures for the Bonamici-Stefanik OAA sign-on letter are due Friday, April 22.

Continue reading Your Help Needed to Increase Funding for the Older Americans Act at National Association of Regional Councils.

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NARC Celebrating American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) One Year Anniversary https://narc.org/2022/03/11/narc-legislative-update-and-analysis-u-s-house-passes-reconciliation-package-2/ Fri, 11 Mar 2022 19:18:14 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=76389 NARC Celebrating American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) One Year Anniversary

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the historic investment in the nation from passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Throughout the week the White House has been celebrating the one-year anniversary by highlighting achievements made possible by the passage of the bill relevant information, fact sheets, and toolkits for communities.

Continue reading NARC Celebrating American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) One Year Anniversary at National Association of Regional Councils.

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Treasury Issues Final Rule: State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program to Support… https://narc.org/advocacy/news-and-narc-updates/ Thu, 06 Jan 2022 19:46:03 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=76066 Date: January 6, 2022

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the Final Rule for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program, enacted as a part of the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), which delivers $350 billion to state, local, and Tribal governments to support their response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The SLFRF program ensures governments have the resources needed to respond to the pandemic, including providing health and vaccine services, supporting families and businesses struggling with the pandemic’s economic impacts, maintaining vital public services, and building a strong and equitable recovery.

Continue reading Treasury Issues Final Rule: State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program to Support… at National Association of Regional Councils.

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Congress Sends Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Biden’s Desk https://narc.org/advocacy/news-and-narc-updates/ Thu, 02 Dec 2021 11:30:48 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=75954 Date: November 05, 2021 

Last week the Honorable Alejandra Castillo U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) testified before the Senate Committee on EnviOn November 4, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) tCongress passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package Friday, approving a signature part of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. It will deliver $550 billion of new federal investments in America’s infrastructure over five years, touching everything from bridges and roads to the nation’s broadband, water and energy systems.

Continue reading Congress Sends Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Biden’s Desk at National Association of Regional Councils.

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OSHA Releases New Rule on COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing https://narc.org/advocacy/news-and-narc-updates/ Thu, 02 Dec 2021 11:29:14 +0000 https://narc.org/?p=75952 Date: November 04, 2021 

Last week the Honorable Alejandra Castillo U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) testified before the Senate Committee on EnviOn November 4, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to require large employers to develop, implement and enforce a COVID-19 vaccination policy or institute a policy to allow employees to choose between vaccination and weekly testing.

Continue reading OSHA Releases New Rule on COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing at National Association of Regional Councils.

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