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Blaire Bryant

Legislative Director, Health | Large Urban County Caucus

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America’s 3,069 counties are integral to America’s behavioral health system. Counties annually invest $83 billion in community health systems, including behavioral health services. Through 750 behavioral health authorities and community providers, county governments plan and operate community-based services for persons with mental illnesses and substance use conditions. County-based behavioral health systems exist in 23 states that represent 75% of the US population.

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USDA and HHS release new dietary guidelines

On January 7, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveiled the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030.

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House passes legislation to increase the Crime Victims Fund

On January 12, the House passed the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act (H.R. 909) by a voice vote.

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SAMHSA cancels, reinstates thousands of behavioral health grants

Late on Wednesday, January 14, the Administration announced that thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants that had been terminated just one day earlier would be reinstated.

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House passes three-year extension of ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits

On January 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits (EPTCs) for three years, sending the measure to the Senate as lawmakers work to negotiate a bipartisan compromise. 

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CMS requires state Medicaid suspension upon arrest versus termination

Effective January 1, 2026, federal law now requires states to suspend, rather than terminate, Medicaid coverage when an individual is incarcerated.

Canyon County, Idaho Sheriff Kieran Donahue swears in new recruits to his office in 2022.
County News

ICE hiring surge challenges county law enforcement

Local governments hope that their law enforcement personnel will favor the familiarity of the communities they serve when weighing potentially lucrative immigration enforcement recruitment bonuses, which may require them to uproot their lives.