Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Extend Secure Rural Schools Funding

Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Extend Secure Rural Schools Funding October 1, 2026 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., today were joined by their colleagues Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both R-Idaho, in introducing legislation that would extend funding for the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program for three years, and clarify congressional intention for distribution of funding for counties in Oregon with Bureau of Land Management lands. Funding for the program expired yesterday, September 30, 2026. “ Secure Rural Schools is a lifeline for rural Oregon ,” Wyden said. “ I’ll be working as hard as I can to get this bill across the finish line, but the well-being of rural America shouldn’t be dependent on Congress getting its act together to renew this funding every few years. It’s past time to get rural communities off the financial rollercoaster and deliver a permanent funding solution .” “ The SRS program provides crucial payments that are a lifeline for rural communities here in Oregon and across America—keeping schools open, maintaining roads, restoring watersheds, and providing funding for police officers and firefighters to keep families safe ,” said Merkley.  “ A three-year extension of the program and these common-sense updates are critical to ensuring the federal government upholds its promise to our communities and that local governments can reliably access these important resources .” Wyden co-authored the SRS law in 2000, and it has brought nearly $4 billion to Oregon counties since then. Funding for the program lapsed in September 2023 and resumed two years later in September 2025, depriving rural counties across the country of critical funding for schools, law enforcement, and infrastructure projects. Legislative text of the three-year extension is here . Legislative text of the clarification act is here . ###