[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 78 (Monday, May 6, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2849-H2850]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SPECIAL DISTRICT GRANT ACCESSIBILITY ACT
Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 7525) to require the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget to issue guidance to agencies requiring special districts to
be recognized as local government for the purpose of Federal financial
assistance determinations.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 7525
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Special District Grant
Accessibility Act''.
SEC. 2. AGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GUIDANCE ON SPECIAL
DISTRICTS.
(a) Requirements for Agency Acknowledgment of Special
Districts as Grant Recipients.--
(1) OMB guidance.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue
guidance that clarifies how an agency recognizes a special
district as a unit of local government for the purpose of
being eligible to receive Federal financial assistance.
(2) Agency requirements.--Not later than 1 year after the
date on which the guidance is issued pursuant to paragraph
(1), the head of each agency shall implement the requirements
of such guidance and conform any policy, principle, practice,
procedure, or guideline relating to the administration of the
Federal financial assistance programs of the agency.
(3) Reporting requirement.--Not later than 2 years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall
submit to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report that
evaluates agency implementation of and conformity to the
guidance issued pursuant to paragraph (1).
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the
term in section 552 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
(3) Federal financial assistance.--The term ``Federal
financial assistance''--
(A) means assistance that a non-Federal entity receives or
administers in the form of a grant, loan, loan guarantee,
property, cooperative agreement, interest subsidy, insurance,
food commodity, direct appropriation, or other assistance;
and
(B) does not include an amount received as reimbursement
for services rendered to an individual in accordance with
guidance issued by the Director.
(4) Special district.--The term ``special district'' means
a political subdivision of a State, with specified boundaries
and significant budgetary autonomy or control, created by or
pursuant to the laws of the State, for the purpose of
performing limited and specific governmental or proprietary
functions that distinguish it as a significantly separate
entity from the administrative governance structure of any
other form of local government unit within a State.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth,
territory, or possession of the United States, and each
federally recognized Indian Tribe.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. LaTurner) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kansas.
General Leave
Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7525, which establishes a
definition in law for special districts and clarifies that special
districts are eligible to receive Federal financial assistance.
Many Americans receive essential services through special districts,
units of local government authorized under State law to deliver
specific services to communities. There are approximately 35,000
special districts across the country in every single State.
Some examples of special districts are ambulance service districts,
drainage districts, emergency service boards, and flood control
districts, to name a few. These special districts provide critical
services to mostly rural communities across the Nation.
The Office of Management and Budget already recognizes special
districts as units of local government, similar to townships or
villages, yet special districts often struggle to compete for or access
Federal funding.
The Special District Grant Accessibility Act works to solve this
problem and ensures that special districts are on equal footing with
other units of local government. This bill requires the Office of
Management and Budget to issue guidance to Federal agencies,
emphasizing how special districts should be recognized as a unit of
local government.
This legislation is supported by the National Special Districts
Coalition.
[[Page H2850]]
I thank Representative Fallon and Representative Pettersen for their
work on this important bipartisan bill, which impacts nearly every
congressional district in our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill and
reserve the balance of my time.
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.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate subcommittee Chairman Pat Fallon and
Representative Brittany Pettersen for their excellent bipartisan work
and support of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Fallon), my friend.
Mr. FALLON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. LaTurner), my good friend, for yielding time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7525, the Special
District Grant Accessibility Act, introduced by myself and my
colleague, Representative Pettersen, from the Centennial State of
Colorado.
Mr. Speaker, special districts are a type of local government
authorized by State law, which deliver specialized services to specific
communities that would otherwise not be provided. In rural areas, for
instance, special districts may provide fire protection, mosquito
control, ambulatory services, et cetera. Special districts also occur
in urban areas and can provide airport, road, and transit services.
According to the National Special Districts Coalition, as my
colleague from Kansas (Mr. LaTurner) said, there are about 35,000
special districts in the country, and they are in every State.
In Texas, we have over 3,300 special districts providing all manner
of government goods and services. Yet, as these lesser-known units of
government, special districts have struggled to consistently access
Federal financial assistance.
H.R. 7525 would remedy that and would emphasize that special
districts are units of local government and are, therefore, eligible
for Federal financial assistance by establishing a definition in law
for special districts and requiring the Office of Management and Budget
to issue guidance to Federal agencies, as well as grant-issuing
agencies.
This bill also requires an OMB report to Congress on the agency's
implementation and conformity to the guidance.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Pettersen and the bipartisan
coalition of Members who cosponsored this bill, and I encourage a
``yes'' vote.
Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Ms. Pettersen).
Ms. PETTERSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Special
District Grant Accessibility Act, and I thank my colleague,
Representative Fallon, for his leadership and bipartisan collaboration
on this bill. I also thank the advocates who raised this concern with
our office and give a huge shout-out to my team for doing the work to
get it to this point.
Special districts are local governments that are created by the
people for a community to deliver specialized services. There are
35,000 special districts across the country, and this includes
providing services ranging from drinking water and wastewater
management to healthcare, transit, natural resource conservation, and
much more.
This bipartisan bill will ensure Federal policies better reflect the
complexities of local government by creating a Federal definition. I
didn't realize that there were so many barriers at the local level to
actually drawing down those Federal funds when it comes to community
block grants, childcare services, and even transportation needs.
We also saw significant barriers when it came to the pandemic and the
ARPA funding that was going down to help support communities through
that difficult time. We know that this is a very important and small
step forward, but it is going to make a big difference for people
across Colorado and the Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
prepared to close.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 7525, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
bipartisan bill to emphasize that special districts are eligible for
Federal financial assistance.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bost). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. LaTurner) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 7525.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. LaTURNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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