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What Counties Need to Know When a Government Shutdown Happens

Counties are calling on our federal partners to work in a bipartisan way to keep the federal government fully operational. As intergovernmental partners, any budget uncertainty at the federal level creates uncertainty at the local level as counties administer federal programs on the ground.

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Advocacy

House passes clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government through November 21

On September 16, the U.S. House passed the text of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 to extend government funding at current levels through November 21. 

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Advocacy

CMS releases Rural Health Transformation Program funding opportunity

On September 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released additional details on the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, overviewing program goals, requirements and timelines. 

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Advocacy

NACo testifies on the county role in administering SNAP

On September 9, Franklin County, Ohio Deputy County Administrator Joy Bivens testified on behalf of NACo before the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture at a hearing titled “Exploring State Options in SNAP.”

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Advocacy

U.S. Forest Service announces recission of Roadless Rule in National Forests

On August 29, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will repeal the 2001 Roadless Rule, which prohibited road construction, reconstruction and logging on almost 45 million acres of U.S. Forest Service land. 

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Advocacy

USDA and DOI announce major actions to streamline federal wildfire response

On September 15, the U.S. Departments of the Interior (DOI) and Agriculture (USDA) announced major joint directives to change how the agencies will coordinate and provide wildfire response, including the creation of a new U.S. Wildland Fire Service within Interior. 

2025 Large Urban County Caucus Symposium

The LUCC Symposium, from Oct. 8–10, is the premier event to amplify the voice of urban counties, drive national policy priorities and equip county leaders with the knowledge and networks needed to tackle pressing urban issues.

Advocacy Updates

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Policy Platform

American County Platform & Policy Briefs

All NACo's federal policy priorities are detailed in the American County Platform, NACo’s permanent policy document. NACo's policy briefs provide additional details by issue.

Download Platform Explore Policy Briefs

Policy Analysis

Longer-form legislative analysis highlighting policy impacts for counties

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2025 Appropriations Tracker

The NACo 2025 Appropriations Tracker provides counties with a comprehensive overview of the federal appropriations process, tracking the progress of key spending bills and offering insights on how these will impact county funding and services.

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Federal Reforms to Medicaid Financing: What Counties Should Know

Learn about proposed federal reforms to Medicaid financing and their potential implications for county budgets and service delivery.

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From Crisis to Solutions: Policy Catalysts for Improved Outcomes

As leaders of America’s counties, we call for urgent action – a new vision – on how we, as a prosperous and creative nation, promote the mental health and wellbeing of our communities and people, especially those who need more access to quality care and treatment.

Open field

Legislative Analysis for Counties: Farm, Food, and National Security Act

After months of negotiations, lawmakers on the House Committee on Agriculture advanced their version of the 2024 Farm Bill, dubbed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, after a committee markup on May 23. The bipartisan legislative package passed 31-22 with full support from committee Republicans and four Democratic votes.

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Advocacy

Legislative analysis for counties: P.L. 118-63, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024

Legislative analysis for counties: P.L. 118-63, the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 2024. 

Accessibility

NACo Analysis: U.S. Department of Justice Final Rule on Web Accessibility for State and Local Governments

NACo Overview of the U.S. Department of Justice Final Rule on Web Accessibility for State and Local Governments

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Legislative Analysis: Impact of PFAS Regulations on Counties

NACo's analysis provides an in-depth examination of current and proposed regulations on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their implications for county governments.

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Implementing Infrastructure Investments at the County Level: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58)

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a major victory for counties, who worked closely with our partners in Congress throughout the legislative process to ensure county priorities were included. NACo's implementation tracker highlights the latest information critical for counties.

Dive Deep

Access toolkits and resources to drive your own advocacy efforts on today's pressing issues.

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American Rescue Plan Resource Hub

State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund provided $65.1 billion in direct, flexible aid to every county in America. In this resource hub, find stories of counties investing these resource to support our residents, technical assistance in implementing these programs in your county and our latest analysis and research.

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Farm Bill Reauthorization Resource Hub

Explore NACo resources, stay up-to-date on the state of play and advocate for key county priorities in the Farm Bill.

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Supreme Court Advocacy Hub

Through our partnership with the Local Government Legal Center, NACo works to raise awareness of the importance of Supreme Court cases to county governments and help shape the outcome of cases of significance at the Supreme Court through persuasive and effective advocacy.

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Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) Advocacy Toolkit

Find resources designed to help county officials educate Congress, the administration and the public on the importance providing access to federal health benefits for those awaiting trial and verdict decisions.

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Waters of the U.S. Resource Hub

The definition of WOTUS directly impacts county governments as owners and operators of local infrastructure.

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Payments in Lieu of Taxes Resource Hub

PILT provides payments to counties and other local governments to offset losses in tax revenues due to the presence of substantial acreage of federal land in their jurisdictions.

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Get Involved

Policy Steering Committees & Regional Caucuses

NACo's policy steering committees cover the full array of domestic policy issues impacting county governments and our local communities. These committees meet at least twice each year to review and make recommendations on public policy issues and legislation. The policy development process initiated by the steering committees is the foundation for the American County Platform.

Learn More