By @Kyle Packham
With NSDA's national leadership and coordination, CSDA strongly supports the reintroduction of federal special district definition legislation. While no public announcements have been made, Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) - and Representatives Pat Fallon (R-TX) and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) - have signaled their commitment to sponsoring the bill and are busy developing their strategy and timeline for formal introduction.
On the heels of bipartisan action on H.R. 7525, developed by NSDA during the 118th Congress and approved by the full House, NSDA has high hopes for passage in the 119th Congress.
While NSDA is eager to aggressively push passage of this historic legislation, the association is closely coordinating with the Congressional offices sponsoring the bill as they continue to develop their plans and future public announcements.
What Can You Do Now?
The most important thing is for individual special districts and state associations to express support for the forthcoming bill to your members of Congress. In conveying the message, we encourage you to tell your story and to make it as local as possible. See the NSDA talking points for your communication.
NSDA continues to ask for your support - please sign on to the National Support Team as soon as possible: https://www.nationalspecialdistricts.org/support-our-efforts-to-define-special-districts-in-federal-law
What we aren't doing yet
NSDA is not pushing for a formal letter-writing campaign at the moment. The association is waiting for our bill sponsors to give us the green light to formally engage in the process. When that moment comes, NSDA will provide a resource tool kit with content and visuals for a broader push.
When the opportunity arises, NSDA and CSDA will encourage you to use the tool kit and ask your Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor (and provide you with a Bill Number).
Save the date for your 2025 NSDA federal advocacy briefings
As a founding member of NSDA, CSDA and its members receive access to all NSDA advocacy, training, and other benefits. To inform and equip our members, NSDA will host two Federal Advocacy Briefings in 2025. Save the dates and keep an eye out for your complimentary registration:
- Tuesday, July 8 at 11:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, November 4 at 11:00 a.m.
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