Washington, D.C. – President Trump signed bipartisan legislation U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) supported to reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026. Earlier this year, she reintroduced the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 alongside Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and 18 other Senate colleagues.
“I’m proud that this Congress we were able to come together to reauthorize the SRS program, which is critical to rural communities in Nevada and across the country,” said Cortez Masto. “This program delivers critical dollars to Nevada’s rural schools, teachers, and educators, as well as supports rural roads and public safety.”
The SRS was originally enacted in 2000 to provide critical funding for schools, roads, and other services in rural counties across the country. For the many rural counties in Nevada that contain large amounts of federal land, these SRS payments provide critical funding for schools and infrastructure that would otherwise be paid for by property taxes. In 2023, Nevada counties received $4,975,394.51 in funding from the SRS program.
Senator Cortez Masto is a champion for Nevada’s rural communities, working across the aisle to deliver for families. She ensured rural Nevada communities have better access to federal funds and services through the Rural Partners Network. In the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, she secured funding for rural schools and over $460 million for broadband. She also made sure the law included her legislation to help rural counties with internet access at local schools and streamline federal broadband funding to improve internet access for rural areas. She’s also introduced legislation to provide funds for homeowners to disaster-proof their houses, including by fireproofing, which is particularly important in rural and remote communities.
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