America's nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees are on the frontlines of the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic. As the country emerges from the pandemic and grapples with the toll it has taken on our citizens, counties are responding and rebuilding. At the same time, many counties are still confronting significant workforce shortage pressures at a time with growing, critical resident needs.

With American Rescue Plan funds, counties are strengthening America's workforce, addressing the nation's behavioral health crisis, expanding broadband access, improving housing affordability and building prosperous communities for the next generation.

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Advocacy

Congress introduces Second Chance Act reauthorization

On April 16, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2024 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives with robust bipartisan support. NACo supports this legislation, which would reauthorize funding for Second Chance Act programs for five years. 

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Advocacy

HRSA offers funds to aid care transitions for justice-involved individuals

On April 10, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the availability of $51 million in funding opportunities open to HRSA-funded health centers. HRSA-funded health centers, which serve over 30 million patients, play a crucial role in county healthcare systems emphasizing equity and accessibility in healthcare. This new initiative focuses on supporting individuals leaving incarceration by providing health services during the critical 90 days before release, assisting justice-impacted individuals with their return to the community by expanding access to primary healthcare—including mental health and substance use disorder treatment. 

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Advocacy

House Passes Historic Outdoor Recreation Legislation

The U.S. House passed the bipartisan EXPLORE Act (H.R.6492) on April 9 to boost outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands and aid local economies

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Advocacy

County Countdown – April, 22, 2024

Every other week, NACo’s County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.

Betsy Keller, El Paso County, Texas’s chief administrator, and Irene Gutierrez, executive director of the county’s Community Services Department, in March introduce members of the NACo Immigration Reform Task Force to El Paso County Migrant Support Services Center. Photo by Charlie Ban
County News

El Paso County, Texas helps migrants on their way

Though they don't often stay more than a day, asylum seekers receive care and services from El Paso County, Texas before they leave for their next destination.