February 17, 2025 3:50 a.m.

On Friday, Congressman Cliff Bentz joined a bipartisan group of members of the House in introducing the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act.

A release from Bentz said that first enacted in 2000, the legislation provides funding for schools, roads, and essential services in counties with significant amounts of tax-exempt federal land.

Bentz said, “The Secure Rural Schools program provides essential funding to Oregon counties that are dependent upon Federal forests – ensuring their ability to provide critical services”. Bentz said, “These services include infrastructure maintenance, wildfire mitigation, conservation projects, search and rescue operations, fire prevention initiatives, and most importantly money for children’s education”.

The funding will support classrooms, expand opportunities for outdoor education, help retain and hire teachers, and equip students with hands-on learning resources. Bentz said, without it, schools and communities will not be able to maintain these critical programs.

Since its enactment, SRS has provided $7 billion in payments to more than 700 counties and 4,400 school districts across 40 states. However, Congress has repeatedly allowed SRS funding to lapse, creating uncertainty for rural counties as they budget for essential services.

The release said the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act would reauthorize SRS payments through fiscal year 2026, ensuring continued support for rural counties that rely on this funding. Bentz said without reauthorization, these payments will expire, leaving many counties struggling to fund schools, road maintenance and emergency services.