After nearly two-year lapse, Congress renews Secure Rural Schools funding

The Secure Rural Schools act provides tens of millions each year to schools and communities across the West

by Alex Baumhardt - Oregon Capital Chronicle December 9, 2025December 9, 2025

After letting funding lapse for nearly two years, Congress voted to renew crucial federal funding that rural counties and schools have counted on for a quarter century.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday evening voted 399-5 to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act through September 2026, and to provide lapsed payments for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. The vote came after a year-long campaign led by bipartisan federal lawmakers from…