U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) reports a bipartisan bill on Impact Aid she introduced with Sen. John Thune (R-S. Dak.) was signed into law by President Biden.
Smith explains that the bill delves into some complex tax law, but essentially, school districts with large swaths of federal land, such as tribal lands or Army bases, will be able to gain federal funding and eliminate some of the “red tape.”
The program helped districts make up for local property tax revenue lost due to the presence of this federal property.
Under normal circumstances, these schools must conduct a student count as part of their Impact Aid application, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made these counts difficult for many districts.
This week, Smith also introduced bipartisan legislation to expand broadband access.
Listen to the full conversation with Senator Smith below.
