John Cornyn (R-TX)
Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act
A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the ``Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act'', directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to issue new guidance regarding special districts. The goal is to clarify how agencies recognize these districts as units of local government when determining eligibility for Federal financial assistance. Once the guidance is issued, agency heads must implement it and update their specific policies and procedures. Additionally, the Director is required to submit a report to specific House and Senate committees regarding how agencies are complying with this new guidance.
Yes
- Scored +4
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill improves transparency through required reporting to Congressional committees regarding agency implementation.
- Scored +3
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill increases federal oversight by requiring OMB to issue specific guidance and agency heads to implement it.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Clarification of Eligibility for Federal Assistance: Under Section 2(a)(1), the Director will issue guidance to clarify how agencies recognize a special district as a unit of local government. This could provide a clearer path for special districts to be eligible to receive Federal financial assistance.
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Standardized Agency Practices: Pursuant to Section 2(a)(2), agency heads are required to implement the new guidance and conform their policies, principles, practices, procedures, or guidelines. This ensures that all agencies are following the same rules regarding how they handle special districts and federal assistance.
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Accountability through Oversight: According to Section 2(a)(3), the Director must submit a report to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. This report evaluates how well agencies are implementing and conforming to the new guidance.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill improves transparency through required reporting to Congressional committees regarding agency implementation. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases federal oversight by requiring OMB to issue specific guidance and agency heads to implement it.
- 4/30/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/10/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John CurtisRepublican · Utah
Ruben GallegoDemocrat · Arizona
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Bernie MorenoRepublican · Ohio