HEADLINES NSTA Behind Lobbying for Continued DERA Funding
By Sylvia Arroyo Tis month, RFPs are due for $20 million in federal clean air
grants under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Program (DERA). Te remaining $9 million goes directly to states to administer, with a small amount reserved for new technology. Yet, federal legislators are already negotiating DERA funding for the 2013 fiscal year. Tis is the time when lobbyists representing various industries
eligible to apply for DERA funds are advocating to retain the same amount of funding, if not more. “DERA lobbying activity has its peaks and valleys, and we are
hitting a peak right now,” said Gabe Rozsa of D.C. lobbyist Prime Policy Group, which represents the NSTA and its members in D.C. NSTA members have applied for funding since 2003 under the
previous Clean School Bus program, which has since been rolled up under the DERA program as part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign. Private contractors are eligible for DERA funding if they part-
ner with a school district or through an eligible non-profit group, such as NSTA, that is involved in public health issues or transpor- tation policy on behalf of its membership.
“Under DERA, we’re part of a much larger group of eligible en-
tities, and there is a lot of diverse competition for the funding,” Rozsa said. “But school buses continue to be a part of that effort.” Rozsa is part of a loose coalition group on Capitol Hill that
supports DERA and monitors the progress being made in Con- gress on the next appropriations bill. At this writing, he said the bill was in a House Appropriations subcommittee, so his lobby- ing efforts are again underway, as he shares program benefits with subcommittee members in an attempt to secure at least the same $30 million in total DERA funding next year. Meanwhile, Rozsa communicates his progress to NSTA mem-
bers through the monthly NSTA newsletter. He also reaches out to the school bus community whenever the DERA coalition group seeks support on, for example, letters of support ad- dressed to congressional members. “We’ve been fortunate that, overwhelmingly, everyone in the
school bus community has supported these coalition efforts,” he said. “Te majority of NSTA members have felt the DERA pro- gram has been worthwhile.” ■
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32 School Transportation News Magazine June 2012
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