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BRIC pause and court injunction leave FEMA applications uncertain; Kansas hub to keep processing requests
Summary
The Kansas Infrastructure Hub told the Build Kansas steering committee that FEMA issued guidance pausing BRIC funding, then a U.S. district court issued an injunction blocking the pause. The hub said it will continue processing BRIC-linked Build Kansas Fund applications rather than hold them until federal guidance clears up.
Matthew Volz, executive director of the Kansas Infrastructure Hub, told the steering committee that in early April FEMA issued an advisory indicating the administration intended to defund the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, but a U.S. district court issued an injunction the same day blocking that action.
"Everything is essentially on pause," Volz said of the FEMA advisory, adding that the court injunction means the pause may not stand and that the matter will have to be resolved through the courts. Volz said the hub will continue to process Build Kansas Fund applications that rely on BRIC or other paused federal programs so that staff are not overwhelmed if the programs resume.
Committee members raised the practical consequence: if the hub held BRIC-related Build Kansas submissions now, a resumption of federal awards later could create a backlog. Volz said moving applications through the state review process preserves capacity to respond quickly once federal programs resolve their status.
Why it matters: As presented, several Build Kansas Fund applications reviewed at the meeting seek to unlock BRIC funding for electric-system resilience measures. Federal awards — and therefore the state match — remain contingent on the ultimate status of the BRIC program and any court rulings.
Volz and committee members urged staff to continue processing BRIC-linked applications and to track the status of federal guidance and litigation so applicants and local legislators can be notified when awards are confirmed.
