Fri, Dec 17th 2021 09:50 am
Congressman Brian Higgins announced New York state will receive more than $2.223 billion in federal funding in fiscal year 2022 to rebuild the state's roads and bridges thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This represents a 21%-plus increase in federal highway funding for New York over the current year's allocation.
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Thu, Dec 16th 2021 09:30 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins announced $8,771,135 in federal grant funding awarded to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BNIA) and Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG). The funding is provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and awarded to airports across the country through the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Infrastructure Grant program.
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Thu, Dec 16th 2021 09:00 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $40 million is being awarded to 128 nonprofit organizations and local governments to provide services to residents of supportive housing developments in communities across New York.
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Thu, Dec 16th 2021 09:55 am
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced New York state has surpassed its official utilization rate goal for minority-and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) on state contracts with 30.51% - the highest in the country - for the 2020-21 fiscal year. Additionally, more than $3 billion in state contracts were awarded to MWBE firms during the same time period, with more than $21 billion in state contracts awarded since 2011.
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Thu, Dec 16th 2021 09:55 am
Congressman Brian Higgins is leading a push to maximize and expedite U.S. "Buy American" policies as the country prepares to rebuild thanks to the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
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Wed, Dec 15th 2021 11:15 am
Darkness seems to set in so early every evening at this time of year! AAA Western and Central New York has provided each emergency roadside service technician in its Central and Western New York fleet operations with a Guardian Angel Safety Light to increase their visibility on darkened roads.
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Tue, Dec 14th 2021 09:00 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins invites college students and graduate students interested in gaining valuable government experience to apply for an internship with his office. Internships are available in both office locations (Washington, D.C., and Buffalo), begin as early as January and continue through the end of May at the latest.
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Tue, Dec 14th 2021 02:55 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced that state and local law enforcement agencies throughout New York will be stepping up patrols targeting impaired driving during the holiday travel season.
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Tue, Dec 14th 2021 01:50 pm
On Dec. 15, families will receive the final advance Child Tax Credit payment authorized under the American Rescue Plan. Congressman Brian Higgins recently voted to extend the enhanced Child Tax Credit through the Build Back Better Act and is calling on the Senate to do the same.
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Tue, Dec 14th 2021 01:45 pm
New York Attorney General Letitia James has taken action to provide support to New Yorkers still recovering from the financial effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
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Mon, Dec 13th 2021 12:05 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins announced the passage of H.R. 1667, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act. The bill, cosponsored by Higgins, works to promote mental health support for health care professionals by providing $45 million annually from 2022 through 2024 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and improve mental health education and awareness initiatives.
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Fri, Dec 10th 2021 03:50 pm
St. John Grace Episcopal Church in Buffalo welcomes the community to an Indonesian gamelan music show and selamatan celebration with renowned Javanese drummer Pak Wakidi Dwidjomartono. The event begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16.
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Fri, Dec 10th 2021 03:50 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced landmarks would be lit blue today to commemorate International Human Rights Day - which is observed every year on Dec. 10 to commemorate the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This milestone document proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
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Fri, Dec 10th 2021 01:55 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins announced passage of the Responsible Education Mitigating Options and Technical Extensions (REMOTE) Act (H.R. 5545). The bill ensures veterans attending college remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to receive Veterans Affairs Department (VA) education benefits through June 2022.
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Fri, Dec 10th 2021 11:40 am
Congressman Brian Higgins announced the approval of the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act (H.R. 3537). Introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill) and cosponsored by Higgins, the bill provides funding for several initiatives aimed at advancing therapies for ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.
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Thu, Dec 9th 2021 05:05 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed legislation that requires law enforcement and district attorney's offices to advise human trafficking victims of the availability of social and legal services.
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Thu, Dec 9th 2021 03:20 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation (S.02036/A.03237) into law to establish another method of tracking veteran suicides in order to compile more accurate data regarding those suicides to better inform prevention strategies.
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Wed, Dec 8th 2021 02:55 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced New York's annual statewide holiday donation drive to benefit families in need across New York will begin on Dec. 9. Donations of new unwrapped toys, coats and school supplies are being sought to assist community-based organizations during the holiday giving season.
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Wed, Dec 8th 2021 02:55 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins announced the latest milestone in an over 12-year fight to improve airline safety. Effective Dec. 7, pilot records must now be filed through the pilot records database available on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website.
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Tue, Dec 7th 2021 04:10 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins announced the passage of S. 894 (the Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021) and H.R. 147 (the BRAVE Act). The pair of bills are intended to help connect veterans leaving active service to employment opportunities, including medical positions at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and apprenticeships nationwide.
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Tue, Dec 7th 2021 03:30 pm
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the awarding of more than $52 million in Indian Community Block Grant-American Rescue Plan (ICDBG-ARP) grants to 49 Tribal communities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman during a speaking engagement at the National American Indian Housing Council's Legal Symposium.
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Tue, Dec 7th 2021 02:20 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced flags on state buildings will be flown at half-staff Dec. 7, from sunrise to sunset, in observation of the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
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Tue, Dec 7th 2021 02:20 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced New York is the first state in the nation to receive U.S. Department of the Treasury's approval to launch its Homeowner Assistance Fund, a program that will provide up to $539 million to help eligible homeowners avert mortgage delinquency, default, foreclosure, and displacement. Applications will be accepted beginning Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
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Tue, Dec 7th 2021 02:20 pm
U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Congressman Brian Higgins on Monday visited the site of a future Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority charging station in Buffalo, to discuss the opportunities the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ("bipartisan infrastructure law") can deliver to American communities and workers. The NFTA operates bus, light rail and airport transportation in Western New York, supporting 1,600 jobs in the Buffalo-Niagara Region.
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Mon, Dec 6th 2021 04:10 pm
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball encouraged New York state's agricultural industry to apply for the $800 million COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant program. Grants are available for eligible small businesses that have revenues up to $2.5 million and are experiencing hardship due to COVID-19. Additional information and the application are available here.
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Mon, Dec 6th 2021 04:00 pm
U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joined Congressman Brian Higgins for a tour of the Northland Workforce Training Center during a visit to Western New York on Monday. Federal leaders met with students, teachers and administrators to discuss opportunities to prepare workers for the quality jobs of tomorrow.
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Mon, Dec 6th 2021 03:10 pm
The New York State Department of State announced $1 million is available for the Citizens Reorganization Empowerment Grant. The CREG program provides up to $100,000 to local governments to plan for and implement municipal restructuring.
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Mon, Dec 6th 2021 03:10 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday signed legislation (S.1560/A.1994) into law to protect seniors from fraudulent use of personal information by authorizing support services on identity theft through nonprofit agencies and law enforcement. The legislation allows the Office of the Aging and law enforcement to recognize identity theft as one of the many forms of elder abuse, and take appropriate action to help seniors.
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Mon, Dec 6th 2021 11:55 am
A new poll by John Zogby Strategies reveals that overwhelming numbers of New Yorkers are ready to support open primaries, ending a long tradition of "party only" voters in primaries.
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Fri, Dec 3rd 2021 09:55 am
On Thursday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan announced funding that states, tribes and territories will receive in 2022 through the bipartisan infrastructure law. This funding, provided through EPA's State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs, will create jobs while upgrading America's aging water infrastructure and addressing key challenges like lead in drinking water and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.
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Thu, Dec 2nd 2021 04:35 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a new initiative to build upon extensive efforts already underway by the New York State Department of Labor to connect job seekers to the record more than 220,000 available jobs, tools and training resources.
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Thu, Dec 2nd 2021 04:35 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a package of legislation to increase state agency support of small businesses in New York. Legislation S.033/A.3456 will create a small business liaison with the departments of Agriculture and Markets, Environmental Conservation, Labor, Transportation, and Taxation and Finance.
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Thu, Dec 2nd 2021 04:35 pm
The state Office of Mental Health (OMH) has received a $200,000 award to help people with mental illness gain access to healthy, fresh produce. The grant, from the state Health Foundation, will be used to expand the FreshConnect Checks program and bring mobile farmers markets to congregate housing sites for residents with serious mental illness. OMH will also develop a curriculum for residents focused on purchasing, preparing, and consuming healthy foods.
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Thu, Dec 2nd 2021 04:30 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation requiring local social service districts to offer a direct deposit payment option for subsidized child care. Her team said this would modernize and streamline the system for social service payments to child care providers. The Office of Children and Family Services is required to issue these new regulations within one year of the signing of this legislation.
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Wed, Dec 1st 2021 06:05 pm
On Giving Tuesday, the League of Women Voters of NYS (LWVNYS) announced it has received an anonymous $1 million donation to expand and strengthen its "fight to defend democracy and voting rights for all."
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Wed, Dec 1st 2021 03:15 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced an additional $5.7 million in federal funding is available from New York's Marine Fisheries Relief Program, established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, to provide financial relief for New York's marine fishing industry.
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Wed, Dec 1st 2021 03:10 pm
Congressman Brian Higgins announced $2.2 million over three years in federal monies for Evergreen Health. Funding in the amount of $731,362 will be provided to Evergreen annually through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Early Intervention Services Program.
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Wed, Dec 1st 2021 12:40 pm
The New York State Gaming Commission, together with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and the New York Council on Problem Gambling (the Council) - who collectively comprise New York's Responsible Play Partnership (RPP) - have introduced a new public service campaign that asks consumers to take greater responsibility for their Lottery gift-giving decisions.
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Wed, Dec 1st 2021 09:15 am
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced New York's sixth annual "Ending the Epidemic (ETE) Summit" will be held virtually Nov. 30 through Dec. 2, to coincide with World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.
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Tue, Nov 30th 2021 03:20 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation (S.05675/A.4522) into law to protect New Yorkers from lead exposure from Christmas lights and other holiday decorations by requiring a warning label for certain products that use lead-based electrical cord casings. The legislation defines seasonal and decorative lighting products, requires a proper warning label, and mandates a fine for any manufacturer who violates this legislation.
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