{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-begich-applauds-passage-secure-rural-schools-reauthorization-act", "Congressman Begich Applauds Passage of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Nicholas J. Begich III", "B001323", "begich.house.gov", "begich", "https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Dec. 10, 2025 \u2013 Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) applauded the House passage of S. 356, the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that extends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) through 2026. Rep. Begich, a proud co-sponsor of the House companion bill, celebrated the legislation\u2019s advancement, highlighting its importance to Alaska\u2019s rural communities and school districts that rely on these funds for essential services.\n\n\u201cFor more than two decades, Secure Rural Schools funding has been an important lifeline for Alaska\u2019s rural boroughs and school districts,\u201d said Congressman Begich. \u201cThis reauthorization ensures that students in remote areas have access to quality education and that borough governments can continue maintaining critical infrastructure despite limited local revenue options. The Secure Rural Schools program demonstrates what bipartisan, practical policy looks like. I\u2019m grateful to my colleagues in both chambers for working together to get this done.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nAlaska is home to over 22 million acres of national forest lands, predominantly in the Tongass and Chugach National Forests. Because these federal lands cannot be taxed, communities in Southeast Alaska and the Copper River region face structural revenue challenges that are unique in the nation.\n\nThe Secure Rural Schools program helps close that gap by providing annual payments to eligible boroughs and school districts\u2014particularly in communities such as:\n\nWrangell, Petersburg, and Ketchikan, where SRS supports classroom resources, teacher retention, and extracurricular programming.\n\nThe Tongass-region boroughs, which rely on SRS funds for essential road maintenance and emergency response services.\n\nRural school districts statewide, which face some of the highest transportation and operational costs in the country.\n\nThe bill extends Secure Rural Schools payments through FY2026, ensuring stability for the communities that depend on these funds, while maintaining support for local resource advisory committees that guide federal land management projects. Additionally, the legislation continues support for federal land projects\u2014including forest health, habitat restoration, and wildfire mitigation.\n\nThe Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 now heads to the President\u2019s desk for signature. Once enacted, SRS payments for FY2024 and FY2025 will be distributed within 45 days, offering immediate support for Alaska\u2019s rural communities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-begich-applauds-passage-secure-rural-schools-reauthorization-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3298599515110254, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}