WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) applauds Representatives Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI) and Robert Bresnahan (R-PA) for their introduction of bipartisan legislation, The Bridges and Safety Infrastructure for Community Success (BASICS) Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday February 9, 2026.
This legislation, if passed, would update federal surface transportation programs to strengthen rural and regional planning, empowering local decision-making and increasing funding for local and regional transportation priorities. Specifically, if passed, the bill would provide $300,000 annually to each Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) at 100% federal share, addressing the longstanding issue of RTPOs being unfunded at the federal level.
In surface transportation reauthorization, it is critical to address the disparity between the transportation planning resources that are available to rural areas, as compared to urban ones. While Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) receive dedicated transportation funding in the form of Metropolitan Planning (PL) funds, Rural/Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs) do not reliably receive any source of dedicated transportation planning funding. This funding imbalance leaves roads in disrepair, delays critical safety improvements, and forces local agencies to stretch inadequate budgets across mounting infrastructure needs. The BASICS Act seeks to address this gap by directing federal investment toward the regional and local agencies that inherently understand the unique needs of their transportation systems and are ultimately accountable for maintaining them, ensuring federal dollars support the infrastructure most critical to our communities.
“The BASICS Act is a critically important piece of legislation that will ensure that local and rural transportation stakeholders have sufficient resources to guide transportation planning and project implementation within their communities. This bill will strengthen the voice of rural transportation stakeholders, allowing them to have a more meaningful role in recommending enhancements to rural road safety, along with overseeing other rural transportation and infrastructure projects within their communities,” said Joe McKinney, Executive Director, National Association of Development Organizations.
The BASICS Act is supported by the Local Officials in Transportation (LOT) Coalition, which represents more than 25,000 individual counties, cities, towns, planning agencies, and regional economic development organizations across the United States.
Coalition members include the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), the National Association of Counties (NACo), the National League of Cities (NLC), and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM). The bill reflects months of collaborative work and incorporates extensive input from member organizations and stakeholders.
View the one pager, section-by-section summary, and full text of the BASICS Act.
The National Association of Development Organizations represents regional development organizations across America that promote regional strategies, partnerships, and solutions to strengthen the economic competitiveness and quality of life across rural communities.