County Countdown – April 21, 2025
Upcoming Events
Related News
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
ARPA reporting deadline next week
Next Wednesday, April 30, is the deadline for counties to submit Project and Expenditure Reports for the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
- Required for all counties: To remain in compliance with the reporting requirements, all counties must submit a report, including counties that have already spent their entire ARPA allocation.
- Detail is key: When submitting the Project and Expenditure Report, provide as much detail as possible to ensure Treasury officials have a clear picture of how funds were obligated to support communities and residents.
- NACo is here to help: If you have received a notice of noncompliance, please reach out to NACo for support.
Congress moves forward on reconciliation
Both the House and Senate have adopted budget proposals. Counties are closely monitoring the potential impacts of the reconciliation process on local priorities, including the preservation of tax-exempt municipal bonds.
- Support for county priorities: Last week, 12 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to House leadership expressing concerns over major cuts to Medicaid, and a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter also in the House shared support for preserving the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds.
- Timeline: Congress is looking to move quickly on this reconciliation process, with the goal of delivering a reconciliation bill to President Trump by the end of May.
FEMA announces cancellation of disaster mitigation funding
On April 4, FEMA announced it will not allocate $750 million this year for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. The cancellation follows a broader review of FEMA grants and a recent executive order by President Trump emphasizing state and local responsibility for disaster preparedness.
- What is BRIC: Counties are directly eligible for BRIC, which funds hazard mitigation projects aimed at reducing long-term disaster risks and costs.
- County impact: The cancellation of BRIC funding could lead to disruptions to or cancellation of county projects, additional costs for counties and reduced capacity for long-term risk reduction.
- NACo action: While FEMA continues to evaluate its overall grant portfolio and priorities, NACo and our Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force remain committed to modernizing federal disaster policies; strengthening intergovernmental partnerships; and enhancing local disaster mitigation, response and recovery capacities.
HHS terminates funding for mental and behavioral health programs
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has terminated funding for at least five county-eligible federal health programs previously set to run through September 2025.
- Impacted programs: The Community Mental Health Services Block Grant Supplement and the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Supplemental Grants – both of which counties rely on to provide critical prevention and treatment services for substance use disorders – are examples of impacted programs.
- Impact on local public health: The abrupt loss of funding affects the stability of local public and behavioral health systems, including 988 crisis call centers, prevention initiatives and community health worker programs.
Congress considers reauthorization of county cybersecurity program
Authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the State and Local Cybersecurity Program (SLCGP) provides critical funding to state and local governments to enhance cybersecurity readiness and protection. The $1 billion program is set to expire on September 30, 2025 unless it is reauthorized by Congress.
- Benefits to counties: The SLCGP requires state recipients to pass through 80% of funding to local governments, strengthening counties’ cybersecurity readiness and ability to respond to and protect against cybersecurity threats.
- Take action: County leaders should reach out to their members of Congress to urge them to reauthorize the program and ensure continuity of funding for critical cybersecurity efforts.
What Counties Need to Know: ARPA SLFRF Reporting Deadline
As counties continue to implement projects under the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program, accurate and timely reporting remains critical. To support counties in preparing their 2025 Annual or Q1 Project and Expenditure (P&E) Reports – due April 30, 2025 – NACo has developed the below frequently asked questions (FAQs) guide.
U.S. Congress begins work on budget reconciliation process: What this means for counties
The House and Senate Budget Committees have marked up Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget resolutions to initiate the budget reconciliation process to enact policy priorities without garnering bipartisan support, although the two chambers differ in their approach to drafting the legislation.
Federal judge temporarily halts BRIC grant program termination
August 6, 2025 Update: A federal court has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from reallocating funds from FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program after 20 states sued to halt the move, arguing it would endanger communities by undermining disaster preparedness efforts.
HHS issues termination notices for health grant funding
On March 25, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent letters to state authorities and counties with direct grant funding announcing the immediate termination of several pandemic-related grants, which was previously set to run through September 2025.
U.S House Subcommittee Considers Reauthorization of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
The SLCGP provides critical funding to state and local governments to enhance cybersecurity readiness and protection but is set to expire on September 30, 2025.
Diversion programs, peer support and quick response teams form opioid strategy
Since 2019 the Ulster County, N.Y. Sheriff's Office has combined the authority of law enforcement with the deep empathy of peer advocates and medical professionals when addressing substance use disorder.
NACo's Public Promise Procurement Awards National Cooperative Contract to Amazon Business
Competitively awarded contract gives counties and public agencies nationwide streamlined access to the Amazon Business marketplace, plus the opportunity to unlock category price ceilings after savings analysis.
Counties reassess license plate surveillance amid privacy concerns
Counties across the country are grappling with how to address mass public backlash against local governments’ use of Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers.
Supreme Court hears county climate case
Boulder County, Colo.'s brief to the Supreme Court contends that ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy “intentionally misled the public” about the impacts of climate change and should pay for damage they say is caused by fossil fuels’ contribution to it.
Orange County, N.C. youth justice efforts eye productive outcomes
Rather than moving them deeper into the juvenile justice system, the Youth Deflection Program “deflects” first-time offenders and youth who commit low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors toward appropriate, community-based services.
Secure & Responsible AI: Building Trust and Cyber Resilience in Local Government
As artificial intelligence transforms how local governments deliver essential services, county leaders face a critical challenge: how can they embrace AI innovation while protecting sensitive data, managing cybersecurity risks, and maintaining public trust?
Transforming Public Defense Operations for the Digital Evidence Era
Learn how the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office tackles surging digital evidence and case workloads using Box to achieve functional parity, automate document lifecycles, and securely query unstructured discovery.
Better Prompts, Better Results: Using GenAI Efficiently and Responsibly in County Government
County staff are being asked to do more with limited time and resources, and generative AI can help, but only if you know how to use it well and responsibly. This practical session will start with a quick AI prompting primer and then spend time on how better prompts translate into real efficiencies, from cutting the time it takes to draft communications, summarize policies, and prepare meeting notes, to responding to constituents faster and with greater clarity and accuracy.
2026 Fall Board of Directors Meeting and Building Better Futures: A County Leaders' Symposium on Youth Outcomes
Hosted by NACo President George Dunlap as part of his presidential spotlight, in partnership with NACo’s Board of Directors and Large Urban County Caucus, the event will focus on practical strategies and collaborative approaches that counties can advance at the local level—from proven prevention and early intervention models to cross-sector partnerships that align resources and expand opportunity.
Ready for El Niño: County Strategies for Preparation, Response, and Recovery
This webinar equips county officials with practical guidance to prepare for, respond to and recover from the impacts of El Niño.