FAQs: How Does the CR Affect FY 2022 Highway and Transit Funding in the IIJA?

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)—signed into law on November 15, 2021—provided roughly $1 trillion in funding for various forms of infrastructure, including surface transportation, drinking and wastewater infrastructure, energy, broadband, and more.

Some of this funding was provided as advance appropriations for fiscal years (FYs) 2022-2026. No further action is required to make this funding available; appropriated funding will become available at the beginning of each fiscal year. For FY 2022, funding from advance appropriations is currently available to agencies for expenditure.

On the other hand, the bulk of funding for surface transportation programs was provided as contract authority, and access to that contract authority is limited under the FY 2022 continuing resolution (CR) that is in place through February 18. This brief describes limitations on accessing contract authority for highway and transit programs under the CR through a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs).