Support the Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act
This landing page provides important information for special districts and stakeholders to learn more and take action in support of efforts to set special districts on a level playing field for federally-sourced funding opportunities.
What is the Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act?
Congressman Pat Fallon (R-Texas), Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), lead the Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act (H.R. 2766, S. 2014)
The bipartisan bill directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to require all federal agencies to adopt a formal definition of “special district” within six months of enactment. This underscores that special districts are federally recognized as units of local government.
The Problem: Special Districts are not Defined in Federal Law.
Despite more than 38,000 special districts providing critical infrastructure and essential community services to millions of Americans in all 50 states, federal law lacks a definition of what a special district is.
Not having a "special district" definition has had clear consequences on the most common form of local government in the country. Ambiguity over what special districts are leads to unintentional exclusion from special districts or greater hardship for their access to federal grant and finance programs that general units of local government can access to develop or enhance their infrastructure and community programs.
Further, the federal government does not consider special districts to be geographic units of government, leading to challenges associated with certifying federal population and household data for many special districts. As a result, federal agencies may not certify population or household figures for special districts - which leads some districts, such as rural water districts, to expend resources going door-to-door for salary surveys to understand their eligibility. Unfortunately, special districts are further excluded from population-based formula programs that other general governments (e.g. cities and counties) leverage to fund projects such as community facilities.
Work to address this public policy issue began when many special districts were denied access, at all levels, to federal pandemic response and recovery funding intended for local governments - simply because special districts were not defined as a unit of local government, rendering them ineligible for direct funding. To this day - many special districts providing ambulance, fire, and certain health services have not and are unlikely to ever receive a penny of this aid.
Federal advocacy to define special districts is now aimed to broadly address funding access issues across federal programming.
The Bipartisan Solution
The bipartisan Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act would set the cornerstone to tackle this public policy problem once and for all, setting in motion the ability for special districts to be placed on a level playing field for federal funding.
The Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act would set in federal statute the following definition for "special district:"
"Special District" - A political subdivision of a State, with specified boundaries and significant budgetary autonomy or control, created by or pursuant to the laws of the State, for the purpose of performing limited and specific governmental or proprietary functions that distinguish it as a significantly separate entity from the administrative governance structure of any other form of local government unit within a State.
Federal agencies would be required to adopt the definition. Doing so would underscore that special districts are, indeed, local governments for the purposes of relevant program opportunities.
Get Your Resources for Action Here
Download your resources for advocacy below.
Special District Strategies Download subcribers receive regular updates, tempate letters, talking points, and more.
S 2014_Cornyn_Special Districts Fairness_Text (pdf)
DownloadH.R. 2766 (Fallon), Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act - Text (pdf)
DownloadOne Pager: Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act Background - Problem & Solution (pdf)
DownloadSpecial District Fairness and Accessibility Act_TPs_SDS (pdf)
DownloadSpecial District Fairness and Accessibility Act
Supporting Districts & Organizations
Special District Strategies, L.L.C. thanks the Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act's supporting special districts and organizations:
National Organizations
- American Association of Special Districts
- International Association of Fire Chiefs
- National Association of Emergency and Fire Officials
State Organizations
- Arizona Fire Districts Association
- Arizona Special Districts Alliance
- Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts
- Rural Water Association of Arizona
- Tennessee Association of Utility Districts
- Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts (SAFE-D)
- Texas Water Association
Individual Special Districts
- Arizona: Arizona Fire. & Medical Authority
- Arizona: Drexel Heights Fire District
- Arizona: Mezcal J-6 Fire District
- California: Stallion Springs Community Services District
- Colorado: Apex Park & Recreation District
- Louisiana: Carter Plantation Community Development District
- Louisiana: Iberia Parish Mosquito Abatement District
- Louisiana: Lakeshore Villages Master Community Development District
- Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish Drainage District No. 2
- Missouri: Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District
- Montana: Choteau Volunteer Fire Department
- Montana: Hamilton Rural Protection District
- Montana:: Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Service Area
- Ohio: Great Parks of Hamilton County
- Texas: Benbrook Library District
- Texas: North Texas Municipal Water District
- Texas: Northeast Texas Municipal Water District
- Texas: Rolling Plains Groundwater Conservation District
- Texas: Trinity River Authority of Texas
Local Organizations and Stakeholders
- California: Association of San Miguel Firefighters local 1434
Join the Bill's Supporting Alliance
Add your special district, business, or organization to the Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act's list of supporters, receive individual assistance, and get more resources for your advocacy.
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