Special Districts Provide Essential Services Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I reintroduce the ``Special Districts Provide Essential Services Act,'' at the request of the California Special Districts Association and the 237 special districts within California's third Congressional district. I want to thank my original cosponsors for their support of this much-needed legislation. I also want to thank U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) for sponsoring the companion legislation.

Special districts are independent units of local government that provide public services cities and counties do not provide for residents. Those services include first responders, policing, firefighting, public health, and more, making special districts critical to the communities they serve.

To date, Congress has inadvertently excluded special districts from the direct federal financial assistance provided to state, county, and municipal governments during this pandemic for essential services. For example, special districts are currently ineligible for direct federal financial assistance under the ``Coronavirus Relief Fund'' established by the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136).

Our bicameral legislation would ensure that the 2,700 special districts in California and 30,000 special districts nationwide are eligible for any additional assistance provided by Congress to state, county, and local governments to aid in the fight against COVID-19.

The ``Special Districts Provide Essential Services Act'' would also allow special districts access to the Federal Reserve's Municipal Liquidity Facility, which provides states, counties, and municipalities federally guaranteed bridge financing to offset unexpected short-term revenue shortfalls. Like states, counties, and cities, many special districts serve large populations and have the legal authority to issue short-term tax and revenue anticipation notes. However, special districts are not currently guaranteed access to the Municipal Liquidity Facility, even to offset revenue shortfalls caused by this ongoing pandemic

Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to join us in cosponsoring the ``Special Districts Provide Essential Services Act.'' Congress must ensure that all local governments have the federal support needed to deliver crucial quality-of-life services for our communities during this global pandemic, including special districts nationwide.

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