Gallego Cosponsors Bill to Fund Federally-Impacted School District Construction

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has cosponsored legislation for funding construction in federally impacted school districts.

"Federally impacted" means these school districts are on or near non-taxable federal lands, such as military bases, Indian treaty-held areas, Treaty and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act lands, national parks, and other areas.

Thus, because these areas have a lower tax base, schools in them are funded via Impact Aid and the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS).

Sen. Gallego's Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act thus authorizes $1 billion over four years ($250 million per year) for Impact Aid Construction Grants. 3/4 of each $250 million will be in the form of competitive grants, prioritizing schools with acute emergencies. The remaining 25% will be available via formula funding for all eligible school districts.

After all, much of Arizona is federal land, be it military bases or Tribal reservations, and the Grand Canyon State alone receives over $200 million per year via Impact Aid.

"Investing in our schools is investing in the future of Arizona. Schools throughout the state rely on Impact Aid and need additional funding for long overdue repairs at their facilities," said Sen. Gallego in his press release, adding, "By securing this critical funding for construction and modernization, we ensure that every child has a safe, innovative, and inspiring place to learn while building a brighter future."

At the end of March, the Arizona Senator cosponsored the bipartisan Mining Schools Act of 2025 introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY). The act establishes a grant program for mining schools at colleges and universities, such as the University of Arizona, one of the 14 institutions in the country, to offer mining engineering degrees to boost recruitment, research projects, and demonstrations of mineral production.

Similarly, in the House of Representatives, Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) reintroduced the Creating Opportunities for New Skills Training at Rural and Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools (CONSTRUCTS) Act in February. This act creates a grant program to fund and develop residential construction education and certification programs in trade schools, junior colleges, and community colleges.