Congress Passes Secure Rural Schools Act With Funds for Area Counties

WASHINGTON — The Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act is headed to the President’s desk for signature following a bipartisan 399-5 vote in the House of Representatives on December 9.

The bill was introduced earlier in the year by District 1 Congressman Doug LaMalfa (Republican, Richvale) and co-sponsors from both parties to restore funding that Congress allowed to lapse after 2023. The Secure Rural Schools Act was created by Congress in 2000 to assist localities with large tracts of federally owned land that are exempt from local taxes.

If signed into law, the reauthorization will restore missed funding for 2024 and authorize payments for 2025 and 2026. Rep. LaMalfa said in a press release, “These payments help keep schools open, keep roads maintained, and help ensure sheriff, fire, and emergency services remain in place when federal timber revenues fall short.”

First District State Assemblymember Heather Hadwick (Republican, Alturas) cheered passage of the act in a mailing to constituents; she described Secure Rural Schools (SRS) as “a promise made to rural, forested counties across America,” especially in the First Assembly District, which accounts for 60% of California’s SRS funding. She noted that all 11 counties in the district, which include Lassen, Nevada, Plumas, and Sierra Counties, will receive funds through the measure. The President is expected to sign the bill.