After nearly two-year lapse, Congress renews Secure Rural Schools funding
After letting funding lapse for nearly two years, Congress voted to renew crucial federal funding that rural counties and schools have counted on for a quarter century.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday evening voted 399-5 to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act through September 2026, and to provide lapsed payments for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. The vote came after a year-long campaign led by bipartisan federal lawmakers from the West.
The U.S. Senate in June unanimously voted to reauthorize the act. It now goes to the president to be signed into law.
“The Secure Rural Schools program has been a lifeline for rural communities across Oregon since I originally authored the program back in 2000,” Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I’m relieved the House has finally done its job with the long-overdue passage of my bill to return the safety net for critical services to communities that need it the most.”
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/09/repub/after-nearly-two-year-lapse-congress-renews-secure-rural-schools-funding/