Legislative Update: $175 Million for ARC Included in Omnibus Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 2020December 2019 |
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2020, appropriating a record of $175 million for ARC funding. The legislation provides new funding for work regarding substance use disorder and continued funding for the POWER Initiative. It also allocates $10 million to continue broadband deployment in distressed counties in Central Appalachia, $5 million for a program of broadband deployment in distressed counties in North Central and Northern Appalachia broadband, $16 million for a program of basic infrastructure improvements in distressed counties in Central Appalachia infrastructure, and $16 million for a program of industrial site and workforce development in Southern and South Central Appalachia focused on the automotive and aviation sectors. Furthermore, $100 million of the Appropriations Act is for dedicated funding at the Federal Highway Administration for the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS).