On June 30, 2010 the House of Representatives passed the conference report of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, HR 4173 and the Senate is expected to take action on the legislation by mid-July.  The bill aims to promote domestic financial stability by increasing accountability measures and improving transparency in the U.S. financial system.  One goal of the legislation is to protect taxpayers form future bailouts of "to big to fail" financial institutions.  The bill also strives to protect consumers from high-cost and abusive financial service practices. 
 
Included in the bill is an additional $1 billion dollars for a third round of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP3).  The Neighborhood Stabilization Program provides emergency assistance to states and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed, vacant, and abandoned properties that have become blight in the community and drive down property values.   
 
As part of their work with a national foreclosure taskforce, Enterprise Community Partners has compiled a summary of the NSP3 language contained in HR 4173.
 
For more information contact Greg Lewis at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the recipients of $293 million in Urban Circulator/Bus and Bus Livability grants.  The program was announced by Secretary Ray LaHood in New Orleans as a program to fund transportation projects that enhance livability in cities of all sizes.  Of the funds $163 million was spent on Bus and Bus Livability projects while the remaining $130 million was spent spent on streetcar projects.  Cities that put up local funds for the projects were more likely to receive federal funding.  Grants of more than $10 million were awarded to the Northeast-Midwest cities of Cincinnati, Chicago, New York, and Stamford.
 
For more information contact Fritz Ohrenschall at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

• Chesapeake Bay Preliminary TMDL
• EPA Fracking Meetings
• Cardin Chesapeake Bill Compromise
• Clean Water Act Violations Bill
• FY11 Commerce/Justice/Science and Agriculture Appropriations

These updates are intended to be timely resources providing brief news clippings, legislative and policy information, and other information relevant to conservation and restoration efforts in the Mid-Atlantic.  All editions will also be available on the NEMWI website.

The fiscal year 2011 THUD Appropriations Subcommittee Markup was released last week.  The bill allocates $67.4 billion for projects a decrease of $500 million compared to FY2010 and $1.3 billion less than the President's request.  You can access the summary table, Chairman Olver's statement, and the earmarks list.

The following is a list of select programs important to the Northeast-Midwest:

Department of Transportation

Program	FY11 Chairman's Mark	FY11 Pres Request	FY10 Enacted
DOT Total	$79,367.02	$77,701.43	$75,699.36
TIGER	$400	$0	$600
Amtrak	$1,788.5	$1,637	$1,583.63
HSIPR (High-speed rail)	$1,400	$1,000	$2,500
FTA Capital Grants	$2,000	$1,822.11	$2,000
Livable Communities	$326.91	$326.91	$0

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Program	FY11 Chairman's Mark	FY11 Pres Request	FY10 Enacted
Tenant-Bases Rent Ass't	17,225.00	17,310.00	16,339.00
Transforming Rent Ass't Demo	0.00	350.00	0.00
HOPE VI	200.00	0.00	135.00
Choice Neighborhoods	0.00	250.00	65.00
CDBG	4,352.10	4,380.10	4,450.00
CDBG-Sustainable Communities	0.00	150.00	0.00
CDBG- Catalytic Investment Grants	0.00	150.00	0.00
Brownfields Redevelopment	17.50	0.00	17.50
Section 108	10.00	0.00	6.00

For more information contact Fritz Ohrenschall at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.