Unlock the Power of CJCCs: Enhancing Your County's Justice System

On July 1, the U.S. Senate narrowly passed their version of sweeping budget reconciliation legislation.

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 the Senate reconciliation debate, transparency on sanctuary designations and more.

NACo, along with the National League of Cities, and the International Municipal Lawyers Association, requested additional clarification on the methodology used to create the list, and noted concerns around the legal challenges that localities face when complying with ICE detainers. As of this time, NACo has yet to hear of a county receiving a formal notification that they were included on the list.

On June 20, NACo submitted formal comments to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to help shape the development of its 2026 National Drug Control Strategy. This strategy serves as the nation’s blueprint for reducing illicit drug use, and the ONDCP plays a central role in coordinating federal drug policy across government agencies.

On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision in Trump v. Casa, Inc. limiting federal district court judges' ability to issue universal injunctions to prevent federal policies from going into effect nationwide.

On June 20, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act in the U.S. House of Representative. This bill aims to improve access to behavioral health care nationwide by removing long-standing Medicaid funding restrictions for behavioral health treatment in certain facilities, providing new flexibility for states and counties to meet growing behavioral health needs.