The Senate Appropriations Committee provided a major boost to the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) on Thursday by allocating $75 million in its fiscal 2020 Defense spending bill for funding critical off-base infrastructure projects.
The pilot program, which was originally authorized in the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, would receive the Appropriations Committee’s proposed funding through DOD’s Office or Economic Adjustment (OEA).
The Defense spending bill now moves to the full Senate for approval in the coming weeks.
The program would provide critical funding for off-base community infrastructure projects that support mission readiness and resilience, including transportation, schools, hospitals, police, fire, emergency response, water, wastewater, telecommunications, electric, gas, or other utility infrastructure that is owned by a state or local government.
“DCIP was an idea developed and championed by ADC and its members who recognize the importance of investing resources in our nation’s most critical infrastructure through a partnership that will leverage state, local and private sector resources,” said ADC President Joe Driskill.
“Led by our Defense Communities Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), we appreciate the congressional support from many states this initiative has received and thank the program’s champions, including Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama for his ongoing support,” he added.
If the GOP-led Senate approves the Defense appropriations bill containing the DCIP funding, the next action would be in House-Senate Defense Appropriations conference committee negotiations to reconcile the different spending bills.
 
The House currently has not dedicated funding to DCIP, but its fiscal 2020 Defense spending bill did allocate $30 million for the Office of Economic Adjustment “for community programs that support military installations.”

If the Senate Appropriations Committee’s proposed $75 million in DCIP funding is included in the final House-Senate Defense conference committee bill, the reconciled spending measure would then face approval in the House and Senate.
 
Once both chambers approve the full Defense spending bill, it would be sent to the White House for the president’s signature.