Secure Rural Schools & Community Self-Determination Payments
Current understanding
The Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program provides federal payments to states and counties that contain National Forest System and certain other federal lands, as a substitute for declining timber-receipt-sharing revenue. The program funds local schools, roads, and resource advisory committee (RAC) projects and requires periodic congressional reauthorization. The Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 (enacted) extends federal payments through FY2026 and extends county and RAC project authority through FY2028.
Evidence log
- 2026-01-13 — To extend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.: cross-connection with secure-rural-schools-act: Both pages track the same SRS statute — the Act page covers the authorization/extensions (e.g., HR6535 through FY2026/FY2028), while the Payments page tracks the distribution mechanics; they should be consolidated or explicitly cross-referenced. (novelty: 2)
- 2025-12-18 — Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025: cross-connection with federal-fossil-fuel-royalty-valuation: SRS payments and ONRR mineral royalty distributions are two federal-lands revenue streams to counties and states; changes to either affect the composition of non-tax federal-lands receipts flowing to local governments. (novelty: 2)