Following passage by the U.S. House of the budget reconciliation package, better known as the 'Build Back Better Act', the National Association of Counties (NACo) released an in-depth analysis of key provisions included in the package of significance to county governments.
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KEY PROVISIONS FOR COUNTIES
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- Authorizes the Medicaid Reentry Act, a key priority for counties, which would allow incarcerated individuals to receive services covered by Medicaid 30 days prior to their release from jail
- Permanently extends post-partum Medicaid coverage from 30 days to 12 months, providing additional access to health services for county residents and reducing uncompensated care costs for county health entities
- Raises the cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction from $10,000 to $80,000 and extend this cap through 2030
- New investments in child care and early learning programs with the opportunity for counties to receive direct funding to expand access, quality and affordability for working families
- Establishes new Rural Partnership Program, which aims to enhance rural communities’ access to federal community and economic development funding
- Additional funding to support county efforts in expanding critical nutrition programs aimed at reducing child hunger
- Short-term extension of the Child Tax Credit, which will significantly reduce childhood poverty and lead to significant savings across county health, child welfare, criminal justice, and anti-poverty systems and services
- More than $1 billion in new funding to support counties’ efforts to prevent abuse and neglect of older Americans
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The bill containing $1.75 trillion in spending over 10 years, passed the House on Friday, November 19, 2021, and now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.