2024 NACo Legislative Conference
About the Conference
The 2024 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference brought together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and our residents.
Attendees engaged in second-to-none policy sessions, met the members of the 118th Congress and Iteractedn with federal agency officials.
Conference Videos & Highlights
President stresses partnership with counties
President Biden detailed how the legislation he has championed has relied on counties to make the most of it.
County officials, members of Congress team up to support extension of Affordable Connectivity Program
Several members of Congress teamed up with county officials Tuesday, Feb. 13 at a Capitol Hill press conference to show their support for extending the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides internet access to more than 23 million households across the country.
The Transformative Power of Artificial Intelligence: A Summit Hosted by the NACo AI Exploratory Committee
The NACo Artificial Intelligence summit convened Administration officials, federal agency leaders, and experts to explore generative artificial intelligence's impact.
USDA secretary charts new course for small farms
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities will set small-to-mid-sized farmers up for sustained growth and security.
Future-Proofing County Property Now and Beyond: A Summit on Disaster Preparedness and Insurance
This summit will highlight how the federal government aims to assist counties and provide insights from insurance industry leaders on the state of the market and opportunities to address the challenges we face.
Intergovernmental partnerships offer strategy for mental health crisis
"Drug use is a disease, and stigma isn’t going to get rid of it."
Housing shortage bedevils public lands counties, employers, feds
Restrictions on how the federal government can pay for housing for employees has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to work with a county to develop residential units, thanks to a farm bill provision.
Broadband administrator to counties: ‘I need you to lead on this issue’
Evan Feinman, who is charged with leading the $42.5 billion Broadband, Equity and Deployment (BEAD) program, led county officials through the application process during the Telecommunications & Technology Policy Steering Committee meeting.
HUD, HHS team up to help people with medical needs get stable housing
Housing and health outcomes are “undeniably linked,” and counties can use Medicaid as a way to address both.
2024 Legislative Conference CIO Forum
The theme for this year’s Legislative Conference CIO Forum is “Forward Together: Partnerships in Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Modernization.”
Federal Policy at the Legislative Conference
NACo policy positions are introduced, debated, and voted on by ten policy steering committees with over 1,400 county officials, as well as the NACo Board of Directors and NACo’s full membership.
During the 2024 Legislative Conference, NACo’s ten policy steering committees and Board of Directors consider and vote on proposed interim policy resolutions that help guide NACo’s advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C
Interim Policy Resolutions
Advocacy Resources
Advocacy Hub
Through NACo, advocate for county priorities in federal policy making.
2024 Federal Policy Priorities
NACo supports federal policies and programs that equip county governments with the resources and flexibility needed to serve our residents effectively.
Policy Briefs
Explore the updated legislative policy briefs for NACo's ten policy steering committees.
County Election Administration Federal Advocacy Toolkit
The nation’s 3,069 counties traditionally administer and fund elections at the local level, including overseeing polling places and coordinating poll workers for federal, state and local elections.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Examining Investments in County Infrastructure
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides nearly $1 trillion in funding over five years, including $550 billion in new investments divided between transportation and other core infrastructure sectors like water, broadband, energy and environmental remediation.
Revitalizing Communities Through Redevelopment: County Brownfields Primer
Brownfield properties can come in many shapes and sizes. Often, they are thought of as large abandoned industrial complexes, but it is more common for brownfield sites to be smaller properties like former gas stations, dry cleaners or automotive repair garages.
The County Human Services and Education Landscape
This resource provides a breakdown of the county, state and federal partnership key human services and education programs.
Primer for Counties: The Transformative Power of Artificial Intelligence
This primer will offer an overview of artificial intelligence and generative artificial intelligence, share the work of NACo’s Artificial Intelligence Exploratory Committee, and provide a list of resources that NACo will plan to debut at the NACo 2024 Annual Conference.
Resource
County Economies 2024: Under the Hood of National Economic Trends
Telling the County Story
NACo offers many tools to help tell the county story, inspire community engagement, and educate multiple audiences, including federal policy makers, about county government.
Explore below for many of the engagement tools highlighted at the conference.
Community Engagement Tools
America's County Governments: A Short Primer on Our History, Definitions, Structures and Authorities
An in-depth look into the history of counties, our authority and structure, key county services and responsibilities and the intergovernmental partnership
The Marvelous Adventures of Countyland
The Marvelous Adventures of Countyland is an experimental publication created with generative artificial intelligence (AI). Its objectives are to showcase the capabilities of AI, to stimulate discussions regarding AI's applications in the public sector, and to inspire young people around the role of county government.
Governing on the Ground
Governing on the Ground is an inside look at the complex challenges faced by officials as they strive to strengthen their communities. The book features 30 short chapters contributed by county leaders.
Counties Work Game & Curriculum
NACo, together with iCivics, has created an online game and curriculum to educate students grade levels 6-12 about the important role and functions of county government.
The County Landscape
A detailed look at the role of counties through the lens of national and county-level data
County Governance Project
A comprehensive guide to county government structure, authority, services and finances
2024 NACo Achievement Awards
Apply today for the 2024 NACo Achievement Awards and celebrate your county's successes.
In addition to earning local media coverage, Achievement Award winners are often featured in NACo's County News, congressional testimony and NACo publications.
County News
2024 NACo Legislative Conference Coverage
NACo's County News team is here at the conference providing daily recaps of each day's sessions, and keeping you informed on all the resources being released at the conference.
Featured Speakers
Hon. Xavier Becerra
Hon. Tom Vilsack
Hon. Don Graves
Hon. Marc Molinaro
Hon. Bryan Steil
Major Garrett
Dr. Arati Prabhakar
Rohit Chopra
Conference Schedule
For purposes of travel planning, check out the daily summaries below. Click here to explore full schedule of events and workshops.
Conference Days
Friday
February 9 (Pre-Conference)
Friday's pre-conference events include FEMA's Just-in-Time Recovery Management Training and the CIO Forum.
Saturday
February 10
The first full day of the conference includes an orientation for first-time attendees in the morning, policy steering committee meetings throughout the day, and affiliate and state association meetings and receptions in the evening.
Sunday
February 11
The day begins with standing committee and task force meetings, continues with a range of policy workshops and ends with NACo's Football Watch Party.
Monday
February 12
Regional caucus meetings take place in the morning, followed by the general session. The afternoon includes the NACo Board of Directors Meeting and the conference's policy summits. The day concludes with evening meetings and receptions.
Tuesday
February 13
The final day of the conference starts with the Federal Agency Exposition, followed by the Capitol Hill Day of Action, and concludes with a closing reception on Capitol Hill.
Federal Agency Expo
Tuesday, February 13 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST
NACo's Federal Agency Expo convenes over 100 federal officials representing dozens of offices in one place, ready to engage with conference attendees.
Contact Us
Have a question? NACo is here to help!
Please complete the contact form and NACo staff will reach out to provide assistance. Alternatively, email nacomeetings@naco.org or call 202.942.4292.