County Countdown – April 21, 2025
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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.
New Orleans Real-Time Crime Center saves thousands of police hours
With access to more than 2,000 cameras across the city, the New Orleans Real-Time Crime Center pulls footage from cameras near incidents and sends it to law enforcement, making personnel better informed en route and cutting response times.
Counties turn to universities, hard data to gauge opioid settlement impact
Evaluating the efficacy programming is often the hardest and most neglected piece of allocating opioid settlement funds.
Supreme Court Review for Local Governments: 2025-2026
Hosted by the Local Government Legal Center (LGLC), join legal experts in a discussion of the Supreme Court’s important decisions of the term impacting local governments.
Strategic Cloud Adoption in the Public Sector: Insights from Fulton County
Fulton County’s journey to the cloud is reshaping how government delivers services at scale. In this webinar, the county’s CIO will share how Fulton County is leveraging cloud platforms and modern technologies to improve operational efficiency, break down silos, and better connect services across departments. Attendees will gain insight into the strategy, challenges, and lessons learned from driving digital transformation in one of the nation’s largest county governments—and how technology is enabling more responsive, resilient, and resident-centered services.
Leading Without Blame: How Psychological Safety Strengthens County Cyber Resilience
The most damaging breaches in county government rarely begin with a sophisticated exploit. They begin with a person — someone who is stressed, overloaded, or afraid to raise a hand. For counties defending elections, courts, emergency services, and water systems, with lean teams and tight budgets, the way leaders build culture and trust is one of the highest-leverage security controls they own.
This panel brings county leaders together to explore how psychological safety, authentic leadership, and a culture of belief — not box-checking — drive real cyber resilience. Panelists will share candid, on-the-ground perspectives on moving from performative compliance to operational commitment, treating people as the strongest control rather than the weakest link, and using AI to sharpen human judgment rather than replace it.
Doing More With Less: How Counties Can Successfully Address Behavioral Health Crisis Response Needs
Join Bamboo Health for a practical discussion on strategies county health departments can use to maximize resources and improve care outcomes.
Funding Your Future: Mapping County Technology to Grant Opportunities
Ready to turn your communications modernization plans into funded reality? This webinar provides a practical roadmap for aligning technology initiatives with available grant funding in justice reform, rural health, mental health, and public safety.
We will share firsthand experience navigating the funding landscape and successfully securing support for technology investments and break down specific funding sources and demonstrates how to position Zoom solutions within grant applications.
2026 Fall Board of Directors Meeting and Building Better Futures: A County Leaders' Symposium on Youth Outcomes
Hosted by NACo Incoming 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.