SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE NORTHERN BORDER REGIONAL COMMISSION REAUTHORIZATION PASSES; INCREASING FUNDING AND EXPANDING NORTH COUNTRY’S & UPSTATE NY’S FED GRANT PROGRAM FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTHCARE AND CHILDCARE
New NBRC Bill Increases Funding & Expands Program That Has Delivered Millions For Econ Dev & Infrastructure Across Upstate NY To Bolster Healthcare And Childcare Access, Invest In Workforce, New Businesses And More; Also Makes Wyoming And Schoharie County Eligible For Inclusion
Legislation Ensures NBRC Will Be Reauthorized For The Next 5 Years So North Country & Upstate NY Can Continue To Tap This Vital Program
Schumer, Gillibrand: NBRC Will Continue To Deliver For North Country & Upstate NY For Years To Come!
After years of advocacy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced they have successfully reauthorized the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) for another 5 years, increasing funding and expanding the critical grant program that has delivered tens of millions of dollars for the North Country and Upstate NY. The legislation is now headed to the president’s desk where it will be signed into law.
“The Northern Border Regional Commission has played a unique and pivotal role in spurring economic development, upgrading infrastructure, improving quality of life and creating jobs in communities across Upstate New York. After months of work, I’m proud that my bill reauthorizing the NBRC with increased funding is included in the bipartisan package that just passed the Senate and is headed to the president’s desk to be signed into law,” said Senator Schumer. “This bill will continue support for communities across Upstate NY to tap into millions in federal funding for addressing childcare and healthcare needs, boosting infrastructure projects, supporting workforce training, helping to launch and retain businesses, and more. I look forward to seeing this legislation signed into law so we can deliver much-needed resources for Upstate NY.”
“The Northern Border Regional Commission has a proven track record of supporting projects that create jobs, develop our workforce, modernize our infrastructure, and catalyze economic growth across Upstate New York. I’m thrilled to have passed the bipartisan Northern Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act to reauthorize the Commission so that it can continue to provide tens of millions of dollars for our north border communities for years to come,” said Senator Gillibrand.
"We worked with Senator Schumer and then-Congressman John McHugh on the original creation of the Northern Border Regional Commission and it has become an important program providing support for a range of economic and community development projects that often can't fit into other federal funding silos," said Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. "It will now continue to make a real difference in our region for at least another five years and we thank Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for their steady support. Onward and upward!"
In addition to reauthorizing the NBRC for an additional 5 years, the bill would also increase funding for the program from $33 million to $40 million. The bill makes critical enhancements to the range of projects the NBRC is able to support to foster growth in the region, including a new program focused on addressing childcare and healthcare needs, increasing support for addiction treatment, and new support for capacity building for business retention, job training, and job creation.
The bill also will make Wyoming County and Schoharie County in NY eligible for inclusion to the program. The NBRC reauthorization was included as part of the Economic Development Administration reauthorization in the bipartisan, bicameral Water Resources Development Act, which is now on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
From 2010-2024, the NBRC has invested in over 78 projects, totaling more than $48 million in federal funding for Upstate New York. The senator explained that in addition to reauthorizing the NBRC for an additional 5 years, the bill increases the annual appropriation cap from $33 million to $40 million. Schumer introduced the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Reauthorization Act of 2023 which paved the way for these key changes.
Schumer has a long history of championing the Northern Border Regional Commission and its positive economic impacts on Upstate New York. In 2021, the senator successfully secured $150 million for the NBRC, over triple its funding from previous years, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act.
Established in 2008, the NBRC is a federal-state partnership focused on the economic revitalization of communities across the Northern Border region, which includes New York, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The Commission is composed of the governors of the four Northern Border states and a federal co-chair and provides financial and technical assistance to communities in the region to support entrepreneurs, improve water, broadband, and transportation infrastructure, and promote other initiatives to improve the region’s economy. The northern border region of New York State currently includes 28 counties: Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Washington, Warren, Wayne, and Yates. Passage of the senators’ bill into law means that Schoharie and Wyoming Counties can now be included as well.
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