Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District, a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, announced securing $9,904,700 dollars for local funding projects on behalf of Southern Nevada. All seven of Congresswoman Titus’ Community Funding Project requests received final passage as part of the Omnibus bill to fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2022.

“This bipartisan Omnibus appropriations agreement makes investments in key priorities both at home and abroad. This bill provides assistance for Ukraine as they weather an illegal attack on their sovereignty by Russian forces and unlocks federal funding needed to begin implementation of the historic bipartisan infrastructure here in Nevada,” said Rep. Dina Titus. “I’m pleased this spending package includes $9.9 million in funding for projects I secured for District 1. These projects will help Southern Nevada create jobs, expand regional transportation, boost STEM education opportunities for young women and minority communities, support small businesses and employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and rehabilitate streets, roads, and bike lanes in Las Vegas.

“I’m also glad that legislation I cosponsored to fully fund Brand USA was included. Southern Nevada relies heavily on international tourists who tend to stay longer and spend more. Brand USA is critical for promoting the United States to visitors around the world.

“This bill also includes funding for the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center which provides resources for 1 October survivors and all victims of serious crimes across Nevada, including support groups, mental health and legal services, and referrals for those living out of state. I fought hard to include funding for the Legal Aid Center, a well respected organization led by Barbara Buckley, that does so much for people in Southern Nevada and look forward to working with them to help our community heal.”

Projects Championed by Congresswoman Titus include:

• $3,000,000 for the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, located at 725 E Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104, for the planning and development of the new Vegas Strong Resiliency Center. This project will include design and construction of a new facility to expand the programs and services of the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center supporting the victims of the 1 October shooting and other victims of crime. This project will support redevelopment of a commercial space located in the City of Las Vegas’s Redevelopment Zone 1.

• $525,000 for Opportunity Village to support their network-wide 14(c) Transition Pilot Program. Opportunity Village is a local, not-for-profit organization supporting employment opportunities for nearly 2,000 individuals with intellectual and related disabilities. This pilot program will assist with the transition of these individuals from under the 14(c) program and provide them the structure and resources to gain and maintain employment opportunities.

• $142,500 for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada for the Bike Share Expansion project. This project will add two additional bike stations to the current network in downtown Las Vegas and approximately 60 e-assist bikes to the fleet. The bike share program has been hugely popular, and use has increased to historic levels even during the pandemic. The e-assist bikes have nearly triple the use of the traditional bikes.

• $437,200 for the City of Las Vegas for the Small Business Support Center. The Support Center will help existing businesses and entrepreneurs navigate business planning, financial planning, legal needs, and more. The funds will help provide technology, mentoring, and assistance with code enforcement and business regulations to remove barriers to success. The Center is part of the City of Las Vegas’s Historic Urban Neighborhood Design Redevelopment plan to revitalize the Westside neighborhood and surrounding areas.

• $2,000,000 for the National Atomic Testing Museum in support of their Advancing STEM Education in Southern Nevada project. The funds will support new interactive exhibits and programming focused on students, especially women and minorities, to inspire them to enter STEM fields. The National Atomic Testing Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and welcomes visitors from across the Las Vegas Valley and around the world to educate about the past, present, and future of the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Testing Programs and the National Security Programs being executed at the Nevada National Security Site.

• $3,000,000 for the City of Las Vegas for the Historic Westside Complete Streets Project. This project includes rehabilitation of the pavement, new bicycle lanes, widened sidewalks, street trees, median island landscaping, enhanced, historical street lighting, and other pedestrian-focused upgrades. The project will focus on improvements on Washington Avenue, H Street, and Bonanza Drive in the historic Westside neighborhood of the City of Las Vegas. These improvements are part of the City of Las Vegas’s Historic Urban Neighborhood Design Redevelopment plan to revitalize the Westside neighborhood and surrounding areas.

• $800,000 for Workforce Connections. This funding will support Workforce Connection’s workforce development efforts across Southern Nevada including its highly subscribed Layoff Aversion and Employ NV Business Hub programs. Workforce Connections is Southern Nevada’s Local Workforce Development Board covering Clark, Nye, Lincoln, and Esmerelda Counties. The Las Vegas Metro Area remains among the highest unemployment rates of any major metropolitan area due to the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

• Restoring Brand USA: Representative Titus cosponsored a provision providing $250 million for Brand USA and pushed Leadership for its inclusion. This is critical for promoting the United States to visitors around the world. The fund, which is supported in large part from fees collected by international travelers, has recently experienced a significant decrease in funding due to pandemic travel restrictions.

This government funding legislation includes significant investments to:

• Help Working Families With The Cost of Living: reducing costs by expanding child care and early learning programs to more working families, investing in America’s K-12 public schools, increasing the maximum Pell Grant award by $400, expanding access to homeownership, and bringing the promise of rural broadband to more communities
• Create American Jobs: putting folks to work in good-paying jobs rebuilding our infrastructure, helping small businesses grow and thrive, fostering the green energy jobs of tomorrow, and supporting high-quality job training and apprenticeship programs so every American can contribute and succeed
• Support the Vulnerable: meeting Americans’ basic needs by strengthening nutrition assistance, funding more affordable housing and strengthening the social safety net
• Honor Our Promise to Veterans: funding benefits, bolstering the VA’s health care system and reducing backlogs
• Deliver Justice for Women and Girls: cracking down on gender-based violence with a long-overdue reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act

The legislation also addresses some of our nation’s biggest challenges:

• Protecting Our National Security: with robust funding for defense, diplomacy and global development, a strong focus on cybersecurity, and investments in responsible border and maritime security that keeps us safe and respects the rights and dignity of migrants
• Confronting the Climate Crisis: through a renewed focus on environmental enforcement, pioneering funding for environmental justice, and historic investments in clean energy and climate science
• Strengthening Public Health: by rebuilding our health care infrastructure, establishing funding for President Biden’s new cancer research initiative, and confronting urgent health crises – including maternal health, mental health, substance misuse, and gun violence