Human Services & Education Policy Steering Committee

County leaders from 15 states convened this week in Washington for a transportation-focused fly-in hosted by NACo. In 27 meetings on Capitol Hill, visiting leaders emphasized key priorities for counties in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.

On May 22, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 3552/S.1843) was introduced in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives with robust bipartisan support. NACo supports this legislation, which would reauthorize funding for Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) programs through 2030.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently withheld roughly $11 billion in planned disaster reimbursements to 45 states, shifting the payments to fiscal year 2026 and marking a major change in how the federal government is managing disaster relief funding. 

On September 17, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed the bipartisan Digital Coast Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize the Digital Coast program through 2030.

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

A Los Angeles County guaranteed income program, dubbed “BREATHE,” is helping set up low-income residents — including more than 2,000 foster youth aging out of care — for success by providing them with monthly payments, no strings attached.