NACWA Board Member Josh Schimmel, Executive Director of the Springfield, Massachusetts Water and Sewer Commission, is scheduled to testify April 5 on behalf of NACWA before the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water about implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and maximizing the utilization of this historic federal infrastructure investment.  

The Subcommittee led development of the BIL’s water provisions and the hearing will be an initial opportunity for Congressional oversight. It will also provide a chance for NACWA to share early insights and recommendations as the BIL’s implementation gets underway, echoing the discussions that the Association has been having with U.S. EPA regarding BIL implementation.  

NACWA’s testimony will pull from Springfield’s first-hand experience with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Topics will include ensuring disadvantaged communities benefit from this historic investment, prioritizing technical assistance to increase participation of first-time CWSRF applicants by addressing barriers to entry, encouraging innovation in state programs, and the importance that the BIL serve a baseline for continued growth in federal investment moving forward.  

This opportunity comes on the heels on the recent Senate testimony of NACWA’s Board Members Tom Sigmund and Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells on the CWSRF. NACWA’s members are truly taking a leading role in steering the continued Congressional focus on water funding.  

The Committee hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5th at 10:00 AM Eastern. Please check the Committee website to watch live-steam video footage of the hearing. For further information or questions on the hearing, please contact NACWA’s legislative team.