Policy Insider – March 16, 2026

Topline of the Week

Major federal developments affecting counties

Elections: Senate poised to vote on the SAVE America Act this week

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this week on the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act (S.3752). If enacted, the legislation would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections – introducing significant new administrative requirements for counties responsible for election administration. The bill would impose new unfunded duties on county election offices, expand compliance and enforcement responsibilities without authorizing additional staffing or resources and introduce new criminal penalties for election administrators. NACo has sent a letter to Congress outlining key county concerns and will continue to engage the Senate ahead of the vote. Read NACo's analysis.

Housing: Senate passes the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act – NACo urges conference

Last week, the Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by a vote of 89-10, advancing a bipartisan housing package that incorporates key elements of both the Senate's original ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651) and the House-passed Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644). The legislation includes provisions critical to counties, including the institutionalization of CDBG-DR and additional HOME program flexibility. NACo is urging the House and Senate to go to conference and advance a final bipartisan bill, while highlighting county concerns about potential impacts on CDBG funding related to the Senate's Build Now Act provision (Section 205). Read NACo's analysis.

Technology: DOJ anticipated to release Interim Final Rule on ADA web accessibility

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to release an Interim Final Rule reassessing compliance requirements under its 2024 Final Rule on web-based accessibility standards for state and local governments. The 2024 rule established WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards for county websites, applications and online tools – with compliance deadlines of April 24, 2026 for counties serving populations of 50,000 or more, and April 24, 2027 for smaller counties. Nationwide implementation costs are estimated to exceed $1 billion. NACo supports all efforts to reduce the regulatory cost burden on counties while maintaining accessibility for residents with disabilities and will provide members with updated guidance as the rule is released. Read NACo's policy update.

Cybersecurity: White House releases new Cybersecurity Strategy and Executive Order

On March 6, the White House released its Cyber Strategy for America and President Trump signed Executive Order 14390 on Combating Cybercrime, Fraud, and Predatory Schemes Against American Citizens. The strategy outlines six policy pillars — including securing critical infrastructure, modernizing federal networks and building cyber workforce capacity — and notably recognizes state, local, Tribal and territorial governments as essential partners in national cybersecurity efforts, not substitutes for federal action. The Executive Order instructs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to prioritize training, technical assistance and resilience-building support for state, local, Tribal and territorial partners. Counties continue to advocate for robust federal cybersecurity resources and direct funding to support local-level implementation. Read NACo’s policy update.

Public Lands: LASSO Act preserves county revenue sharing, directs public lands funds to Social Security

The Land and Social Security Optimization (LASSO) Act (H.R. 34), introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), would direct ten percent of revenues generated from public lands activities – including leasing, royalties from timber, energy and mineral projects, and outdoor recreation fees – into accounts funding retirement and survivors' benefits under the Social Security system. Critically, the bill explicitly protects existing federal revenue-sharing payments, meaning no county or state would see their payments reduced. NACo continues to monitor the legislation and any proposals that could affect federal lands revenue payments to counties. Read NACo's policy update.

NACo in Action

Transportation: NACo leadership speak to Senate staff about county priorities in surface transportation bill

On March 12, NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase joined representatives from other key stakeholder groups, including the American Public Transportation Association and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, to speak with Senate Democratic staff about the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill.

As part of the panel discussion, Chase highlighted the key role counties play in maintaining our transportation network and shared ideas for how Congress can support counties in the next reauthorization bill. Visit NACo’s Surface Transportation Reauthorization Hub.

NACo launches Transforming Human Services Initiative to prepare counties for H.R. 1 changes

H.R. 1 introduced significant new requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – including increased county cost-sharing, stricter work requirements and financial penalties tied to payment error rates – with federal funding reductions for administrative costs set to take effect this October. To help counties respond, NACo launched the Transforming Human Services Initiative, supported by the Kellogg Foundation, to develop a national blueprint for benefits IT modernization and create a peer network where county leaders can share best practices, explore AI and automation tools, and build strategies to reduce error rates before the October deadline. Read more via StateScoop.

NACo meets with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to discuss cost concerns related to Department of Justice’s (DOJ) rulemaking on web-based accessibility for state and local governments

Counties are concerned that the current Final Rule is overly costly and the timeline for compliance did not account for elevated costs and budgeting realities. Counties are calling for a deadline extension to July 1, 2027 and an exemption for small counties. The DOJ is expected to put out a new Interim Final Rule soon which will seek to reduce the implementation cost of the Final Rule. Read more on NACo’s OMB meeting here.

County Impact & Action Needed

Take action now on key county priorities

Housing and Section 205 — engage your Senators and Representatives

With the Senate having passed its housing package, both chambers must go to conference to reconcile differences. Section 205 of H.R. 6644 would impact, and potentially reduce, certain county Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocations, which would be tied to growth rates.

County Action: Contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives to urge support for a House-Senate conference and exclusion of Section 205 in the final bill.

BASICS Act – action needed now

Congressional negotiations are underway on surface transportation reauthorization, which will determine five-year federal funding levels and policies for roads, bridges, public transit and more.

County Action: Use NACo's template letter to contact your U.S. Representative and urge support for the bipartisan Bridges And Safety Infrastructure for Community Success (BASICS) Act (H.R. 7437), which advances county priorities and should be included in the final surface transportation package.

What's Next

• SAVE America Act: NACo will continue to engage the Senate ahead of the vote and monitor any amendments that could affect county election administration. NACo will keep members updated on the outcome and next steps.
• ADA Web Accessibility: NACo will review the DOJ's Interim Final Rule upon release and provide members with updated compliance guidance. Counties with populations of 50,000 or more face an April 24, 2026 compliance deadline.
• Housing: NACo will continue engaging both chambers on the path to a House-Senate conference and will advocate for a final package that excludes Section 205, CDBG-DR institutionalization, HOME program flexibility and other critical county housing priorities.
• Transportation reauthorization: NACo will continue advocating for inclusion of the BASICS Act (H.R. 7437) in the broader surface transportation reauthorization package as negotiations move forward.