December 23, 1981, is a historic moment for technical assistance programs nationwide. That day, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law that officially established the Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP).
The purpose of RTAP was to provide technical assistance, training, and products to counties within the states. By 1991, under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act legislation, the RTAP concept was expanded to include urban areas, and the program was renamed LTAP. In addition, the Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) centers were established. Today, there is an LTAP center in every state and Puerto Rico along with a TTAP center that serves the American Indian Tribal Governments.
—Adapted from the winter 2022 NLTAPA newsletter