Special District Grant Accessibility Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7525.
The Special District Grant Accessibility Act is a bipartisan measure that takes a positive step forward toward ensuring that Federal policy better reflects the complexities of local governments and how they work.
Congress confronted these complexities when it acted to send aid to local governments during the coronavirus pandemic. This included committee Democrats' historic work with the Biden-Harris administration to provide $350 billion in direct financial assistance to more than 30,000 governments across the country, the vast majority of which were small local governments, and many of whom received significant assistance for the first time.
This bill would provide further clarity around special districts, a special unit of local government. According to the National Special Districts Coalition, there are roughly 35,000 such special districts across the Nation that play an important role in delivering essential government services, like wastewater treatment and fire protection, to millions of Americans.
Special districts have reported challenges when trying to access Federal funding opportunities and have indicated that a unified Federal definition of ``special district'' would help clarify how entities can best assist local communities through Federal assistance programs.
To address these concerns, H.R. 7525 would codify a definition of the term and direct OMB to clarify how Federal agencies can recognize special districts as units of local government for the purpose of being eligible for Federal grants and other Federal assistance.
Congress and the Federal Government must continually work to ensure Federal assistance programs are authorized, funded, and implemented to best address the needs of local communities. This should include careful consideration of the intricacies of local governments and a rigorous commitment to ensuring Federal assistance promotes equal opportunity for everyone.
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Ms. NORTON. Pettersen).
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 7525, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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