On November 18, 2025, RCRC wrote a letter to U.S. House leadership, urging the swift consideration of the Secure Rural Schools Act (S. 356). This bipartisan measure was approved by the Senate on June 18, 2025, and has since been stalled in the House.
Also this week, a bicameral, bipartisan letter, led by Senator Crapo (R-ID), Senator Wyden (D-OR), Representative LaMalfa (R-CA), and Representative Neguse (D-CO), was being circulated among lawmakers urging House Leadership to include the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 in any end-of-year funding packages or as a standalone bill.
To help ensure the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, House members need to hear from local leaders about SRS’s importance for rural communities.
RCRC requests that counties reach out to House leadership to urge passage of SRS reauthorization legislation as soon as possible. A template letter is available here.
The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, also known as Secure Rural Schools or SRS, was passed in 2000 to provide financial stability for counties with large acreages of USDA Forest Service (USFS) land. SRS represents Congress’s acknowledgement that county revenues from timber harvest, grazing and special use permits no longer provide a sufficient substitute for the lost tax base from public lands, and the commitment to provide payments for rural schools, roads, and forest management projects on USFS lands.
SRS has disbursed more than $7 billion in payments to more than 700 counties across 40 states and territories since its inception, including most recently in April 2023. The authorization for this program lapsed in September 2023, with diminished payments distributed to counties in April 2025 due to the missed deadline.
RCRC continues to vigorously advocate for SRS passage on behalf of our member counties. Special thanks to ACG, RCRC’s federal lobbying firm. For additional information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Staci Heaton.