County Countdown – March 5, 2024

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

Watch the video above and explore NACo resources below.

1. Legislative Conference Wrap-Up

Thank you to all NACo Legislative Conference participants. We delved into pressing county issues and enhanced our collaborative efforts with federal leaders. Resources and session recordings are now accessible online.

• Engagement and advocacy: The conference facilitated productive discussions on timely topics like broadband, artificial intelligence, administering the 2024 election, disaster preparedness and strengthening intergovernmental partnerships.
• Finding resources: All conference materials and recordings are available on the Legislative Conference landing page.

2. Affordable Connectivity Program

The end of new enrollments for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) underscores the need for immediate legislative action to maintain this critical service, currently set to end in April.

• About the ACP: This program helps ensure more than 23 million households can afford reliable broadband service.
• Legislative action: NACo is advocating for the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act.
• In the short-term, we urge lawmakers to attach funding for this program to the upcoming appropriations legislation that Congress will consider in the coming weeks.

3. Highway Trust Fund

The Congressional Budget Office's projection calls for urgent attention to the Highway Trust Fund to ensure sustainable federal transportation funding.

• Changing dynamics: As gas tax revenues decline due to increased vehicle fuel efficiency and a growing number of electric vehicles, the size of the Highway Trust Fund is diminishing.
• Future planning: With the 2026 surface transportation authorization on the horizon, counties are seeking a comprehensive solution for the fund's longevity.
• County advocacy: Counties urge Congress to reexamine the fund and develop a permanent fix.

4. WOTUS Rule Analysis

NACo's regulatory analysis of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule highlights potential impacts on county water infrastructure management and policy.

• “Waters of the United States” is a phrase used in the Clean Water Act to determine which waters are subject to federal jurisdiction. However, that exact definition has been the subject of decades of litigation and legislation.
• Regulatory insights: Explore the implications of the WOTUS rule for local water policies through our new analysis.

5. Enhancing the 9-8-8 Lifeline

Since its launch in July 2022, the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has received and routed about 8.6 million calls, texts and chats. These millions of residents hope to connect quickly with someone, usually a county service provider, who can help.

• What is geolocation: Unlike calls to 9-1-1, calls to the 9-8-8 Lifeline are routed by the caller's area code, not the caller's actual location. This can result in precious minutes lost when connecting a caller to the right services or simply failing to help that person at all.
• Legislative fix: Counties support the Local 9-8-8 Response Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to expedite the process by connecting callers to their nearest call center.