Hirono leads colleagues in introducing bill to provide construction funding to federally-impacted school districts

US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led 10 of her colleagues in introducing the Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act, legislation that would provide a total of $1 billion over four years for Impact Aid Construction Grants to address the significant backlog of facility needs at federally impacted school districts.

Companion legislation was introduced in the US House of Representatives by Representative John Garamendi (D-CA).

“All students deserve access to a quality education in a safe environment where they can learn and grow, and as a Co-Chair of the Senate Impact Aid Coalition, I am proud to have introduced this bill to fund long-overdue repairs for schools in Hawaii and across the country,” said Sen. Hirono. “Federal Impact Aid provides critical funding for federally-impacted schools. But too often, that funding is not enough to meet maintenance needs. By providing $1 billion for needed upgrades, this legislation will enable schools to address the significant backlog of school construction, repair, and maintenance needs to help our students learn in a suitable learning environment.”

Sen. Hirono said the Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act would ensure that federally impacted school districts have the resources needed to provide every student with a quality education and safe learning environment by authorizing $250,000,000 annually for four years for Impact Aid Construction Grants.

Of this funding, 25% would be made available via formula funding to all eligible school districts. The Department of Education would disseminate the remaining 75% as competitive grants with priority for those school districts with acute emergencies in their facilities.

“I am grateful to Senator Hirono for introducing this legislation in the Senate and for fighting for safe environments for teachers and students,” said Garamendi. “This bill addresses long-overdue repair needs to ensure equitable access to quality education and safe learning environments for students across the country. Every child should have the opportunity to learn and excel in a safe environment. This legislation brings us closer to realizing that goal.”

Administered by the Department of Education, Impact Aid offers federal support for public school districts where federal activity has reduced the available tax base. As federal lands are tax exempt, including military installations, Indian treaty, trust, or Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and federal properties and facilities, federally impacted school districts have significantly less tax revenue and bonding capacity to meet their needs.

Currently, Impact Aid supports over 1,100 school districts, totaling more than 10 million students.

“The importance of safe, modern educational facilities in maximizing student outcomes, both academically and in other important ways, is well documented,” said National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS) Executive Director Nicole Russell. “There has been an Impact Aid Construction program since 1950, but it has been woefully underfunded for decades. School districts that benefit from this program educate some of our nation’s most vulnerable students, including large numbers of military children, Native American children and students residing in low-income housing. This legislation is an important step towards ensuring that these students have access to the resources and opportunities needed to meet their full potential.”

“The ‘Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act’ is an effort to address the documented backlog of need for school construction/renovation and teacher housing in federally impacted school districts,” said Executive Director of the National Indian Impacted Schools Association (NIISA) Brent Gish. “Indian lands, military and federal property districts have limited to no bonding capacity to generate funding for school construction in contrast to the majority of America’s public school districts. The Act would begin to level the playing field by providing construction funding for school facilities and teacher housing to districts with limited to no bonding capacity.” 

The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is endorsed by the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools and the National Indian Impacted Schools Association.

This legislation was cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Tina Smith (D-MN).