The United States House of Representatives has passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025, which aims to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026. The legislation also includes provisions for lapsed payments from 2024 and 2025. Idaho congressmen Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher both supported and cosponsored the bill.
Simpson emphasized the importance of the program for Idaho, stating, “Nearly two-thirds of Idaho is public land, which means a vast majority of rural counties throughout the state depend on the Secure Rural Schools Program. Renewing this critical program will ensure a vital source of funding for Idaho counties and help pay for essential rural community services. I look forward to seeing this lifeline benefit local communities throughout Idaho for schools and infrastructure projects. As a longtime supporter of the SRS program, I was proud to fight for this Idaho funding alongside Congressman Fulcher and support its passage on the House floor. I’m grateful to Speaker Johnson, House Leadership, and my colleagues for supporting this bipartisan program.”
Fulcher added, “Having a majority of Idaho’s lands under federal government control forces our rural counties to rely on federal programs—such as Secure Rural Schools (SRS)—to support infrastructure projects, schools, and critical community services. I am grateful to Speaker Johnson and House Republican Leadership for their collaborative efforts with myself and Congressman Simpson to get this measure on the House floor, and passed. However, a long-term solution is necessary, and I will continue to advocate for one in Congress that ensures Idahoans dictate Idaho affairs—not the federal government.”
Both representatives worked with Speaker Johnson and House Republican Leadership to secure support for SRS reauthorization.
The measure was approved by a vote of 399 to 5 in the House. It now awaits President Trump’s signature.
Mike Simpson has represented Idaho’s 2nd district in Congress since 1999 after succeeding Mike Crapo. Before his tenure in Congress, he served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 1984 to 1998. Simpson was born in Burley, Idaho in 1950 and currently resides in Idaho Falls. He graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1972.