All about Build America Bonds

All about Build America Bonds

Recovery Act

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Build America Bonds

 

"Increasing state and local funding for capital projects doesn't just help rebuild our aging infrastructure. It gets American's back to work. Build America Bonds is an innovative approach to augment the ailing tax-exempt bond market and shows the Administration's commitment to economic recovery for Main Street." - Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, 4/3/2009

The Obama Administration's Build America Bonds program helps states and localities pursue needed capital projects which build infrastructure and create jobs.

The existing tax-exempt bond market has faced significant challenges over the past two years. Build America Bonds (BABs) address that by providing state and local governments with a new, direct federal payment subsidy for a portion of their borrowing costs on taxable bonds.  BABs provide a deeper federal subsidy to state and local governments (equal to 35 percent of the taxable borrowing cost) than traditional tax-exempt bonds which leads to lower net borrowing costs for state and local governments.

This feature also makes Build America Bonds attractive to a broader group of investors than typically invest in more traditional state and local tax-exempt bonds.

The capital projects these bonds fund include work on public buildings, courthouses, schools, transportation infrastructure, government hospitals, public safety facilities and equipment, water and sewer projects, environmental projects, energy projects, government housing projects and public utilities.

To view the guidance and required forms, please visit 

IRS.gov.

Read the fact sheet on Build America Bonds.
 

Read reviews of the Build America Bonds program from state and local governments.

Updates on the Program

05/16/2011	Treasury Releases New Report on Build America Bonds
01/28/2011	Build America Bonds Data by month, by state, with state detail
12/06/2010	Build America Bonds Data by month, by state, with state detail
11/05/2010	Build America Bonds Data by month, by state, with state detail
10/05/2010	Build America Bonds Data by month, by state, with state detail
09/07/2010	Build America Bonds Data by month, by state, with state detail
08/06/2010	Build America Bonds Data by month, by state, with state detail
07/06/2010	Build America Bonds Data by month, by state, with state detail
06/03/2010	Treasury Releases New Build America Bonds Data
05/06/2010	Treasury Releases New Build America Bonds Data
04/02/2010	Treasury Releases New Report on Build America Bonds
03/04/2010	Treasury Releases Build America Bonds Update
02/08/2010	Treasury Releases Build America Bonds Update
07/20/2009	Treasury Releases Build America Bonds Update

Other announcements

02/11/2010	Treasury Announces $1 Billion in Recovery Act Bond Authority for Tribal Communities
02/19/2010	Assistant Secretary, Tennessee Secretary of State Tout Benefits of Recovery Act
01/06/2010	U.S. Treasurer, Chicago Mayor Tout Benefits of Build America Bonds Program
12/16/2009	Treasury Continues Local Outreach on Recovery Act's Build American Bond Program
10/05/2009	Treasury Chief Economist, Congressman Rangel Tout Benefits of Build America Bonds
09/15/2009	Treasury, Governor Richardson Announce $1 Billion in Recovery Act Bond Authority
09/04/2009	Treasury Highlights Recovery Act Impact
08/20/2009	Secretary Geithner, Governor Strickland Tout Benefits of Recovery Act School Bonds Program
06/29/2009	Treasury Awards $90 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Community Development
06/12/2009	Treasury Announces $25 Billion in Direct Allocations of Recovery Zone Bonds
04/03/2009	Treasury Releases Guidance on Build America Bonds and School Bonds