Wait is over: Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act passes House
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, December 10th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 356, which reauthorizes Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding to counties that are timber dependent. Once the bill is signed into law it’s estimated it will bring about $50 million a year for three years to county coffers.
The Senate had passed the act unanimously several months ago. A bipartisan group of senators, including Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon issued a call to the House of Representatives to follow their example soon. According to House records, only five members of congress voted against it.
Republicans omitted SRS funding from the federal spending bill they approved earlier this year and many Oregon counties feared there would be numerous crises without it. A Republican rep. Doug La Malfa, of northern California, moved to fast trace the bill and send it to the president’s desk without amendments. That motion was supported by Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz and Democrat Rep. Val Hoyle.
Secure Rural Schools funding was created in 2000 to help counties that used to rely on steadily decreasing timber taxes to stay afloat since much of their land was federally owned. There has been no indication about when President Donald Trump will sign it.
