Heinrich, Colleagues Reintroduce Impact Aid Bill To Fund School Infrastructure Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and a group of Senate Democrats introduced the Impact Aid Infrastructure Act (IAIA)  which would provide $1 billion in supplemental funding for school infrastructure construction grants in Fiscal Year 2022 through the Impact Aid program. Similar legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

"Every student in New Mexico deserves to go to school in a safe learning environment,” said Heinrich. “I am proud to support this legislation to provide the Impact Aid funding that public schools need to retrofit their campuses, build modern classroom facilities, and replace unsafe air ventilation and filtration systems.”

IAIA builds upon the American Rescue Plan by providing additional funding for K-12 schools for necessary improvements to respond to COVID-19. Specifically, the bill would provide funding for improving school infrastructure through competitive and formula grants for school districts to design, build, improve, renovate and repair school buildings and facilities. Grants would be awarded to school districts with high percentages of military-connected students or students living on Indian lands. 

With this funding, IAIA would provide school districts with flexibility to focus on their specific renovation and repair needs, which could include changes to protect the health, safety, and well-being of students, teachers, school leaders, and school personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 

The Impact Aid Infrastructure Act, led by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), was also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).