Oregon Lawmakers Urging Congress to Reauthorize Secure Rural Schools Act

US Senator Ron Wyden and US Representative Suzanne Bonamici are urging Congress to provide long-term, lifeline funding for rural counties in upcoming must-pass legislation.

The Oregon lawmakers -- along with county commissioners from across the country -- have called upon Congress to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program and provide full funding for Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) in legislation that must be passed by March 23rd to keep the government running.

The SRS program funds public schools, public roads and bridges, forest health projects, emergency services, and many other essential services for more than 700 counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico.

The Secure Rural Schools program expired in September 2015 and it has not been reauthorized. Forest counties and schools received their last authorized payment in 2016. Without SRS, residents in rural counties across Oregon have been faced with deep funding cuts to critical services like schools, jails and mental health services.

Wyden wrote the original legislation that created the SRS program in 2001. Since then, it has generated more than $7 billion to rural counties across the country. The PILT program has provided more than $5.5 Billion to counties.

Wyden and Bonamici introduced bipartisan legislation last year in the Senate and House to reauthorize the SRS program for two years.