Senate OKs $1 trillion infrastructure bill with benefits for Nevada

WASHINGTON — Federal funds to repair Nevada’s dilapidated roads and bridges, build proposed water projects, prevent wildfires and expand broadband to the entire state are included in a $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday.

Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen joined Democratic colleagues and Republicans in voting for the bill, which was approved by a 69-30 vote. Passage gave President Joe Biden a key victory on compromise legislation his administration helped to broker.

It now goes to the House for consideration.

Rosen called the legislation “the most significant investment in American infrastructure since we built the interstate highway system.”

She was among a bipartisan group of 22 senators who wrote the initial bill aimed at gaining support on both sides of the aisle in the politically divided Senate. Rosen was a chief architect of the broadband provision.

Nevada will receive at least $100 million for broadband coverage across the state, providing access to 123,822 residents who currently lack it, according to White House estimates. About 825,000 Nevadans would be eligible for a separate connectivity benefit.

The broadband funding accounts for about $550 billion in the bill designated for repair of roads, bridges and water infrastructure systems throughout the country.

Nevada has 28 bridges and over 1,090 miles of highway in poor condition, according to White House estimates. Based on funding formulas, the state will receive about $2.5 billion over five years for road projects, and $225 million for bridge repairs and replacements during that time.

Language in the bill added by Cortez Masto also will create $450 million for a grant program for large-scale water recycling projects.

The funds could support a regional recycled water plant being sought by the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to provide water to serve more than 500,000 homes in Nevada and Southern California.

Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., introduced the same bill in the House, citing the need for the project due to drought in the West.

In addition, the Senate bill includes Cortez Masto’s request for $3.4 billion in wildfire prevention activities and $10 million for wildfire detection, including ALERTWildfire cameras for Lake Tahoe.

Rosen was instrumental in inserting $25 billion for airports, including $5 billion intended for projects in states like Nevada that rely heavily on tourism, an industry economically hard hit during the pandemic.