2008 Legislative Priorities
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) serves as the national voice for regionalism by advocating for regional cooperation for members – metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), regional councils (RCs), councils of governments (COGs) and rural planning organizations (RPOs) – and providing the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities. In doing so, NARC develops and firmly roots legislative priorities for each congressional session. NARC works to improve regionalism through increased funding and authority for local governments that serve American communities – large and small, urban and rural.
Transportation
- Support full funding of the nation’s transportation system, including highways, aviation and transit through the reauthorizations of SAFETEA-LU, the Federal Aviation Administration and Amtrak.
- Promote authorization proposals for purposes of bolstering marine and freight movement.
- Identify, include and support RC and MPO opportunities in all applicable legislative efforts.
- Expand infrastructure funding and financing options and alternatives. •
- Provide for increased planning and construction for areas that will impact all modes of transportation. •
- Establish “Regional Infrastructure Improvement Zones” (RIIZs). •
- Create and implement a rural transportation planning bill for rural planning organizations (RPOs).
- Establish an incident management bill to help balance regional congestion.
Learn more about NARC's narc.org/activities/transportation.htmltransportation policy and programs!
Economic & Community Development
- Support full funding for current economic and community development programs that are authorized through the Economic Development Administration (EDA).
- Encourage increases in the Housing and Urban Development Department’s (HUD) “Community Development Block Grant” and HOPE VI programs.
- Seek increased rural development opportunities in the 2007 Farm Bill reauthorization to enhance public services available to rural communities through additional and streamlined funding.
- Promote passage of legislation authorizing new regional commissions, including fully funding the Appalachian Regional Commission reauthorization.
Learn more about NARC's economic and community development policy and programs!
- Homeland Security
- Increase funding and expand development of aging and workforce resources.
- Support enhancing and increasing emergency preparedness and response resources, federal aid and guidance for regional planning, coordination and communications.
- Encourage establishment of a federal grant program to assist multi-jurisdictional planning organizations in emergency preparedness and response – both urban and rural.
- Promote the development of regional case studies on homeland security planning and response.
Learn more about NARC's homeland security policy and programs!
Environment
- Seek expanded communications between all levels of governance – federal, state, regional and local.
- Promote and build local/regional environmental programs and tools to create safe and sustainable communities through legislative proposals and improved program delivery.
- Support increased funding and authority for RCs for brownfields redevelopment, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and green infrastructure development and implementation.
- Encourage clean air and water efforts that improve environmental conditions through usage of regional planning and development.
- Support exploration of alternative and creative financing options to fund increased water resources and infrastructure, such as a Water Trust Fund.
Learn more about NARC's environment policy and programs!
Click here for a PDF of NARC's "2008 Legislative Priorities"