Legislative Update: $175 Million for ARC Included in Omnibus Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 2020

December 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).