Issues & AdvocacyState

Now that President Obama has signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law, the dollars attached to the stimulus will now go directly to the states for allocation and appropriation to local communities. The AIA State and Local Relations team has created a resource center, building on the enormous resources created for the federal Rebuild and Renew effort, to supply our components with as many tools possible to advocate for our members. Included for component and member outreach are a breakdown of what is in the law that directly affects architects, talking points on how the AIA feels the money will best improve communities, messages from AIA Leadership, media outreach, podcasts, and model op-eds, breakdowns of the funding by state, project and program, contact information for Governor’s offices and Procurement and Energy Officials in each state, and issue briefs similar to those developed for the federal grassroots effort.

If you have any questions, please e-mail Renee Wadsworth, manager, State Relations.

Resources for State Components

• How to use this Web site

Overview of the Stimulus

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• AIA’s detailed analysis of the built environment provisions
• RECOVERY.GOV - The White House’s Web site on the stimulus
• Letter from AIA President Marvin Malecha to AIA members
• Summary of the transportation provisions, including funding time frame and maintenance of effort requirements
• State-by-state breakdown of federal highway stimulus funding
• Current list of 18 states that have submitted their project lists to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Detailed information on all DOT programs in economic stimulus package
• Department of Education’s chart of the ARRA with allocations by program
• Employment impact of the ARRA
• Explanation of maintenance of effort requirement for state fiscal stabilization fund
• Further breakdown of stimulus components from the National Conference of State Legislatures

Resources

• Memo From the White House to Federal Department and Agency Heads – Implementing Guidance for the Reports on Use of Funds Pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• Letter From Education Secretary to Pennsylvania Governor on Spending Education Dollars on Education – not to Fill Budget Gaps
• Rapid Deployment Energy Efficiency (RDEE) Planning Guide: This guide is designed to help state and local authorities and energy efficiency program administrators choose successful programs as they advance energy efficiency program funding opportunities through ARRA.
• Education Facilities and Economic Recovery:  A Guide to School Construction and Modernization in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Agenda and Presentation
• AIA Florida’s Rebuild and Renew stimulus plan proposal
• Summary of state usage of AIA Contract Documents. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but is data obtained from an SGN survey conducted in December 2008.  If AIA Contracts Documents are used in your state and not listed here or if this list is incorrect in anyway, please contact us.
• DOE’s funding amounts individual states and localities will receive through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. Scroll down to the map at the bottom and click on your state. Read the instructions to see the amounts by city/locality 
• Op-ed samples: The Right School of Thought for Economic Recovery Projects, A Much Need Transformation for Transportation, and A How-to Guide to Media and Editorial Coverage.
• Sample ad slicks for State Components: Go Green and The Next Step Is Up to You.
• AIA President Marvin J. Malecha asks members to continue their successful outreach efforts at the state and local levels
• STATERECOVERY.org is a service of The Council of State Governments (CSG) designed to help states rapidly decipher potential funding opportunities and share best practices by tracking how the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government are responding to and affected by this historic legislation
• List of "shovel-ready" projects the mayors of each state submitted in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors report
• Contact information for state procurement officials in all 50 states
• Contact information for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Offices and Members Nationwide Web site
• Guide to Federal Procurement
• Architectural Record: How Architects Can Land a Government Job
• Energy Star - Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

Take Action

• Advocate for the use of AIA Contract Documents® on stimulus projects: AIA Contract Documents are used in state and local procurements across the country. The AIA Contract Documents team has worked with state and local components to advance the use of AIA Contract Documents in public procurement. Those efforts include licensing the content of AIA Contract Documents and/or the use of AIA Contract Documents software for state or agency specific applications. The AIA Contract Documents team will be glad to assist you in discussions with state and local officials in advocating for the use of AIA Contract Documents. For assistance, please e-mail Ken Cobleigh, managing director and counsel, AIA Contract Documents content or call 202-626-7321 or e-mail Susan Van Bell, associate counsel, AIA Contract Documents content or call 202-626-7397.
• Send an appointment request letter to your state or local officials. This letter can be modified to fit your needs.
• The AIA asks members of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) how they would like to help the advocacy efforts of the AIA’s Rebuild and Renew program. Listen to the podcast and watch the video with AIAS President JW Blanchard.
• Call-to-action letter from the Association of Collegiate Schools in Architecture to assist state and local components that are working to influence the effective use of stimulus funding.

Talking Points

The AIA believes that by investing in green schools, green affordable housing, transit development, and livable communities, we will not only create many new jobs, but will save Americans money and will modernize our country. Our infrastructure is crumbling and our schools are failing. Investing in them is investing in our future. Below are talking points, facts, and figures aimed to help illustrate these points:

• General Construction Industry Facts and Figures
• Green Schools Talking Points
• Green Housing Talking Points
• Transit/Livable Communities Talking Points

Resources for Local Components

If you have any questions, please e-mail Brooks Rainwater, director, Local Relations.

• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) issue brief
• Template letter for Rebuild and Renew forum for local government leaders
• Stimulus Ready-to-Go Architect Jobs by City
• U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Main Street Economic Recovery
• National Association of Counties’ environmental/energy related stimulus provisions