On December 9, the House of Representatives passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S.356) after a multi-year effort to gain Congressional approval. This measure reauthorizes Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments to rural counties in California and across the country. It also restores the unpaid 2024 payment as well as authorizes payments for 2025 and 2026. Passed by a vote of 399-5, the measure now heads to the President’s desk for signature.
This win comes after months of bipartisan advocacy by lawmakers and stakeholder groups representing rural counties, including the active engagement of RCRC-member counties and other local government leaders throughout the country. RCRC has remained a steadfast advocate on this issue, by way of in-person meetings in Washington D.C., letters of support, and regular engagement with House and Senate Leadership, Members of Congress, and the Trump Administration.
A recent Bloomberg Government analysis identified RCRC as a leading organization backing the bill, stating:
“The American Association of School Superintendents, National Association of Counties, Small School Districts’ Association, and the Rural County Representatives of California SUPPORT the bill.
‘Failure to reauthorize the SRS program would prove devastating to rural communities across the nation, including those in California,’ RCRC wrote in a Nov. 18 letter to lawmakers.”
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Staci Heaton.