Legislative Update: President Trump Signs FY 2017 Omnibus Appropriations Legislation May 2017

On May 5, President Donald Trump signed compromise legislation (the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017) funding the federal government through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2017. The measure, P.L. 115-31, provides $152 million for ARC, a $6 million increase from the Commission’s FY 2016 funding level. The total figure includes:

• $70 million for ARC’s base program;
• $50 million for the POWER Initiative to help communities that have been adversely impacted by changes in the coal industry and power sector;
• $10 million to continue a program of high-speed broadband deployment in economically distressed counties in Central Appalachia that have been most negatively impacted by the downturn in the coal industry;
• $16 million for a program of industrial site and workforce development in Southern and South Central Appalachia focused primarily on the automotive supply sector and the aviation sector, with up to $13.5 million of that amount provided for activities in Southern Appalachia; and
• $6 million for a program of basic infrastructure improvements in economically distressed counties in Central Appalachia.

The legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate on May 4 and by the House of Representatives on May 3.