In preparation for the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2023 Legislative Conference, held in Washington, D.C. on February 11-14, NACo members are invited to submit interim policy resolutions.

The NACo resolutions process provides members with the ability to participate in national policy decisions affecting county governments. During the Legislative Conference, NACo’s 10 policy steering committees and Board of Directors consider legislative and policy resolutions that will guide NACo advocacy until the NACo Annual Conference in July 2023.

Interim policy resolutions provide an opportunity for members to address policy issues at the Legislative Conference that were not discussed at the previous Annual Conference. Interim resolutions may not overturn existing policy resolutions, and will expire at the 2023 Annual Conference in Travis County, Texas.

The American County Platform and the association's policy resolutions are carefully considered statements of the needs and interests of county governments throughout the nation. These policy statements serve as a guide for NACo members and staff to advance the association's federal policy agenda before Congress, the White House and federal agencies. Please refer to the comprehensive overview of NACo's policy resolution process here.

HOW TO SUBMIT AND FORMAT RESOLUTIONS

When submitting resolutions and platform changes, please work with the appropriate steering committee staff liaison to adhere to the following guidelines:

All resolutions and platform changes must be submitted electronically (preferably as a Word document) via email to resolutions@naco.org by January 11, 2023. Submissions MUST identify the title and issue area in the email subject line (e.g. Social Services Block Grant, Human Services and Education).

CLICK HERE FOR A SAMPLE RESOLUTION

Resolutions should be concise and no more than one page in length. The standard format includes:

• Title of proposed resolution
• Issue: Short sentence stating the purpose of the resolution and how the issue impacts counties
• Proposed Policy: Concise statement specifying a position or action by NACo and/or other entities
• Background: 1–2 paragraph statement clearly outlining the county interest in the particular issue
• Fiscal/Urban/Rural Impact: Short statement addressing the potential impact(s) for counties in the specific issue area
• Sponsor: Name and contact information of NACo member sponsoring the resolution. It is important to include contact information so that the NACo staff can follow up if there are any questions or additional information required

IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you plan to submit a policy resolution, you (or a designated representative) must appear in-person at the steering committee meeting at the 2023 Legislative Conference to introduce and explain the resolution.

PLATFORM CHANGES AND EXISTING RESOLUTIONS

Platform changes are considered only at the Annual Conference and will not be accepted if submitted for the Legislative Conference. Interim resolutions cannot be used to overturn or modify existing resolutions or language in the platform.

QUESTIONS

Please contact NACo's Director of Government Affairs Eryn Hurley at ehurley@naco.org or the appropriate steering committee liaison with additional questions or concerns. Click here to see NACo's Government Affairs staff contact list.

*Please also refer to the comprehensive overview of NACo's policy resolution process here.

2023 NACo Legislative Conference

2022-2023 American County Platform

NACo's Policy Resolution Process

Sample Resolution