Special District Grant Accessibility Act Passes Senate Committee

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has considered and passed HR7525/S.4673, the Special District Grant Accessibility Act (SDGAA). This vital legislation mandates that special districts, including public library districts, are recognized as local governments for the purposes of federal grants and financial assistance determinations. We ask the Senate to take up the bill this session to ensure that special districts, including public library districts, can access new sources of federal funding to better serve their communities.  

Special districts include public libraries, fire protection, emergency services, clean water, public transit, hospitals, parks and recreation, airports, and natural resource conservation. Despite their critical role, special districts have long faced challenges securing federal financial assistance due to the lack of a formal federal definition. The bipartisan Special District Grant Accessibility Act will help address this gap by clearly defining special districts in federal law and ensuring their eligibility for appropriate federal funding.

Having already passed the full House, the SDGAA is now only one step away from becoming law. The EveryLibrary Institute is the only national library organizational member of the National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC), which has been a strong advocate for this legislation. "We look forward to working with the Senate and other special district stakeholders to ensure that this critically important legislation passes this session," says John Chrastka, ELI's Executive Director. "We are committed to supporting the passage of the SDGAA to improve the ability of public library districts and other special districts to serve their communities effectively." For more information about the potential impact of the Special Districts Act on public libraries, please see our recent Policy Webinar about HR 7525.