America's nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees are on the frontlines of the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic. As the country emerges from the pandemic and grapples with the toll it has taken on our citizens, counties are responding and rebuilding. At the same time, many counties are still confronting significant workforce shortage pressures at a time with growing, critical resident needs.

With American Rescue Plan funds, counties are strengthening America's workforce, addressing the nation's behavioral health crisis, expanding broadband access, improving housing affordability and building prosperous communities for the next generation.

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House Natural Resources Committee considers the Endangered Species Act Amendments Act of 2025

On March 6, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) introduced the Endangered Species Act Amendments Act of 2025, which makes several important changes to the Endangered Species Act and addresses key county concerns. 

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Advocacy

USFS begins disbursement of revenue sharing payments amid lapse in SRS funding

On April 11, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service began distributing funds to support public schools and roads in counties containing national forest lands.

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Advocacy

NACo offers new Medicaid resources as Congress advances Budget Resolutions with major Medicaid reform implications

On April 10, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to adopt a Senate-passed budget resolution, marking the next step in the budget reconciliation process. The proposed funding levels therein represent significant potential cost shifts to counties, particularly in the area of Medicaid financing. To help county leaders understand what’s at stake, NACo has developed two new resources.

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Advocacy

County Countdown – April 21, 2025

Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership. This week features the ARPA reporting deadline, a budget reconciliation update and more

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Advocacy

U.S. House reintroduces legislation to address the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy

Two bipartisan bills aimed at addressing the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) were recently reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Advocacy

House E&C Committee advances SUPPORT Act reauthorization

On April 9, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bipartisan bill aims to reauthorize critical programs that target overdose prevention amid the renewal of the opioid crisis Public Health Emergency declaration.