The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, is a United States federal statute enacted by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021. The act was initially a $715 billion infrastructure package that included provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs of the Department of Transportation.

After congressional negotiations, it was amended and renamed to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to include funding for broadband access, clean water, electric grid renewal in addition to the transportation and road proposals of the original House bill. This amended version included approximately $1.2 trillion in spending, with $550 billion being newly authorized spending on top of what Congress was planning to authorize regularly. The amended bill was passed 69–30 by the Senate on August 10, 2021. On November 5, it was passed 228–206 by the House, and ten days later was signed into law by President Biden.

Latest Update

President Biden Signs Executive Order That Requires Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects Over $35 Million. Click for the more info.

What's In It for Me?

Over the next five years, each state in the SECRC jurisdiction will benefit greatly from the IIJA. Take a look at the state-by-state funding each state is expected to received:

Federal Highway Apportioned Programs
Georgia - $8.8 billion
South Carolina - $4.6 billion

Bridge Replacement and Repairs
Alabama - $225 million
North Carolina - $457 million

Public Transportation Improvements
Alabama - $450 million
South Carolina - $4.9 billion

EV Charging Network Expansion
Georgia - $135 million
South Carolina - $70 million

Broadband Expansion
All states - $100 million

President Biden believes that we must invest in our country and in our people, by creating good-paying union jobs, tackling the climate crisis, and growing the economy sustainably and equitably for decades to come. The Bipartisan Infrastructure deal will deliver progress towards those objectives for working families across the country.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure deal:

• Makes the largest federal investment in public transit ever
• Makes the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak
• Makes the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system
• Makes the largest investment in clean drinking water and waste water infrastructure in American history, delivering clean water to millions of families
• Ensures every American has access to reliable high-speed internet
• Helps us tackle the climate crisis by making the largest investment in clean energy transmission and EV infrastructure in history; electrifying thousands of school and transit buses across the countr
• Creates a new Grid Development Authority to build a clean, 21st century electric grid.

The President promised to work across the aisle to deliver results for working families. He believes demonstrating that democracies can deliver is a critical challenge for his presidency. Today’s agreement shows that we can come together to position American workers, farmers, and businesses to compete and win in the 21st century.

Union Carpenters are Ready to Build Back Better

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) commends the Biden-Harris Administration, Speaker Pelosi, and the bipartisan group of elected officials who passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

"The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes the largest investment in our nation's infrastructure in a century as well as a realistic pathway to building that infrastructure," said Douglas J. McCarron, General President of the UBC. "This is an historic bill which unites workers, employers, Democrats, and Republicans, to grow our economy from the middle out and build the country we all deserve."

"By passing the infrastructure bill first, state and local governments can begin the process of allocating that money and contractors can prepare to bid those projects. At the same time, Congress can get back to work to support the other priorities of American workers, like affordable childcare and affordable medical care."

The UBC represents 500,000 skilled workers throughout North America. For more information on the UBC, please visit www.carpenters.org.

This Website Details Worker Protections via the Infrastructure Bill

Here’s a good website from the U.S. Department of Labor  which has lots of great resources that explain worker protections in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. This website offers links to detailed information, FAQs and online training, and provides easy access to information that contracting agencies, contractors and workers need to know about the requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act. It also identifies projects that are subject to David-Bacon, including: Roads and bridges, airports, ports and waterways, water, infrastructure and power grid, passenger rail, and more. Check it out: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/protections-for-workers-in-construction.