By: @Kyle Packham
Over three-dozen state and national organizations representing thousands of special districts and partners have joined the National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC) in endorsing the Special Districts Grant Accessibility Act (SDGAA, H.R. 7525/S. 4673), which awaits action on the floor of the U.S. Senate when Congress returns to Washington following the November General Election.
The SDGAA will do the following:
- Establish a first-ever, formal definition of “special district” in federal law; and
- Require the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidance to federal agencies requiring special districts to be recognized as local governments for the purpose of federal financial assistance determinations. Federal agencies would have one year to implement OMB’s guidance.
CSDA, a founding member of NSDC, has brought together more than 300 special districts and other organizations to join the California coalition that helped secure 14 Representatives from the California Congressional Delegation to cosponsor H.R. 7525, which passed the House of Representatives with a bi-partisan 352-27 vote. The legislation then passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee 10-1, with California’s Senator Laphonza Butler voting in support.
California special districts and partners can sign-on to CSDA’s Special District Grant Accessibility Act coalition and find a Digital Toolkit to share your support publicly at csda.net/GrantAccessibility.
The primary impetus for H.R. 7525 and its companion measure, S. 4673, was the exclusion of special districts in COVID-19 pandemic-era legislation that provided direct federal financial assistance to local governments for coronavirus relief activities (i.e., CARES Act funding and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Fiscal Recovery Fund dollars). Special districts were essentially left out from these bills despite the fact that districts provided essential public services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – including ambulance/EMS, fire protection, utilities, parks, childcare, and open space services.
A formal definition of “special district” will foster consistency and enhance special districts’ access to federal programs, including those that provide resources for constructing and protecting critical infrastructure. Moreover, having a formal definition of special districts codified in law would help facilitate the inclusion of special districts in future legislative efforts, particularly those that are designed to reauthorize or create new grant programs.
The 118th Congress is expected to return to what is known as its “lame-duck” session on November 12, which will run through January 3, 2025 when the newly-elected 119th Congress will swear-in. The manner in which Congress proceeds will depend largely on results of the November 5 Election, which will shape the balance of power in Washington, D.C. and likely affect how lawmakers approach the federal budget. The Continuing Resolution now funding the federal government is set to expire December 20. Failure to enact another Continuing Resolution or a final Fiscal Year 2025 spending plan by that holiday season deadline would lead to a government shutdown.
If the SDGAA is not passed by this Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, new legislation in the next Congress will need to be introduced. All special districts are encouraged help push this historic legislation across the finish line by signing-on to the coalition and publicly sharing their support using CSDA’s Digital Toolkit.