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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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

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

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

On September 16, the U.S. House released 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

MAHA Commission releases federal strategy outlining next steps in childhood chronic disease prevention

On September 9, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s new Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy, following the earlier MAHA Report published in May 2025. The strategy builds on the assessment’s findings regarding four key drivers of childhood chronic disease: poor diet, chemical exposure, lack of physical activity and chronic stress and overmedicalization.

Prairie County, Mont. Commissioner Todd Devlin and Fremont County, Colo. Commissioner Dwayne McFall prepare for their Capitol Hill visits during the PILT Fly-In Sept. 10. McFall is the Western Interstate Region first vice president. Photo by Charlie Ban
County News

Record high Capitol Hill meeting schedule pushes public lands funding

More than three dozen public lands county officials conducted 80 meetings with congressional staff to advocate for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes and Secure Rural Schools programs.