Thompson Statement on Passage of Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Glenn "GT" Thompson issued the following statement after the House passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025:
“Today’s House passage of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 is a major victory for communities settled in an around federal forests and lands. Reauthorizing this program is overdue and we must immediately provide vital support for schools, roads, emergency services, and other essential local needs.
“Since the program’s expiration in 2023, many communities across the country, including within Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District, have faced uncertainty and been forced to stretch already limited resources. I am pleased to see such strong bipartisan support for this legislation and look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to continue delivering wins for rural America.”
The Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 now heads to President Trump's desk to be signed into law.
ABOUT SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS
Since 1908, federal law has required that 25% of the revenue generated through timber sales in national forests is returned to the local county to support services, including education, transportation infrastructure, and other community needs.
In the late 1980s, timber harvesting in national forests reached its peak then dramatically declined in the early 1990s. This decline led to significantly reduced payments to counties, notably impacting rural schools.
In 2000, Congress created the Secure Rural Schools Program to offset this lost revenue. The program expired in the fall of 2023, resulting in county payments reverting to the rate under permanent law, which equates to a nearly 70% reduction. Today’s legislation extends Secure Rural Schools for three years and makes adjustments to payments already made for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025.