Counties Must Act Now: Submit Comments on OMB’s Proposed Overhaul of Federal Grant Rules
Key Takeaways
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed sweeping changes to the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) – the rules that govern how counties receive, manage, and report on federal grants. Spanning 108 pages, the proposed rule touches nearly every aspect of federal grant administration. If finalized as written, it could significantly increase administrative burdens on county governments, reduce flexibility in program delivery, and undermine counties’ ability to effectively serve residents.
What NACo Is Doing
NACo is leading the intergovernmental response. On June 17, NACo joined nine national organizations – including the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors, ICMA, NCSL, and GFOA – in a formal coalition letter to OMB requesting a 45-day extension to the comment period. NACo is also preparing a formal comment letter on behalf of counties and has developed a resource hub with an analysis, webinar and step-by-step instructions to help counties engage.
Take Action Before July 13
With comments due July 13, 2026, every county must go on record. Visit NACo’s Uniform Guidance resource hub for everything you need to submit a strong, timely comment. The more counties that weigh in, the stronger our collective case.
Related News
Supreme Court allows new SAVE citizenship voter verification system to proceed
On Sept. 25, the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the White House to pause a lower court’s ruling blocking its use of a new SAVE system ahead of the midterms.
Supreme Court declines emergency review of USPS mail-in ballot rule, leaving nationwide block in place
The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to allow the Trump administration to move forward with its Executive Order 14399 directing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to compile official U.S. citizenship lists to be used in voter citizenship verification and the U.S. Postal Service to impose new mail-in ballot restrictions.
Census Bureau proposes permanent changes to the 2030 Decennial Census
On September 10, the U.S Census Bureau published a proposed rule to the 2030 Decennial Census that would create two new parts of the 15 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that among other changes would a) define “usual residence” that excludes foreign persons previously counted that are not U.S. citizens or lawful residents, and b) would eliminate any questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation from the census questionnaire used to enumerate the population. The proposed ruling outlines only 30 days for public comments, which are due on October 13.
Resource
OMB Proposed Rule: 2 CFR Part 200 County Resource Hub