RCRC continues to advocate for passage of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization bill, a top priority for rural counties in California and around the nation. The last SRS reauthorization was a 3-year extension in 2021 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. That extension expired in September of 2023, and Congress has yet to reauthorize this funding that is crucial for rural counties. SRS reauthorization bills were reintroduced at the start of the 119th Congress. The latest reauthorization measures contain language that would authorize retroactive payments for Fiscal Year 2024 and Fiscal Year 2025. The Senate has passed the reauthorization bill by Unanimous Consent but, as was the case in the 118th Congress, the measure remains held up in the House of Representatives, where rules require that if the bill were to move independently, it must have a “pay for” to ensure that any new spending is offset by savings or revenue increases elsewhere in the budget.
Recently, House Republicans have found unobligated IRA funds from programs not reauthorized in the last version of the House Farm Bill, which has been suggested as the way to “pay for” the reauthorization. Sources indicate that language is being reviewed by Leadership in both parties, as well as by members of the House Committee on Agriculture. If found acceptable by the parties, that compromise might then be attached to the “next moving vehicle” which could be the disaster relief bill. RCRC continues to convey the severe impact these delays have on county resources, and to press the need for immediate passage of the SRS Reauthorization bill.
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Staci Heaton.