On July 31, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) finalized four rules that expand agencies’ ability to conduct Reductions in Force (RIFs), while also transferring authority over RIF-related employee appeals from the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to OPM itself. The rules were published in the Federal Register on Monday, August 3, and are set to take effect 30 days after publication.
On June 23, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) introduced the Senate version of the 2026 Farm Bill, the Agricultural Act of 2026. Major portions of the Senate discussion draft are similar to the House version that passed back in April. For Regional Development Organizations (RDOs), this bill represents an opportunity to influence federal policy that shapes everyday life in rural America.
America has a shortfall of over four million housing units, the product of more than a decade of construction falling to meet household demand. Additionally for renters, the US is facing a shortage of seven million rental units for the lowest-income renters. For Regional Development Organizations (RDOs), housing is not a marginal concern. When families can’t afford to live where jobs are located, when rural communities can’t maintain an aging housing stock, and when localities lack the necessary planning capacity to zone for growth, regional economies are negatively impacted. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is the most significant federal housing legislation in decades, seeking to address these challenges at a national scale.
On May 29, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced a proposed rule for a sweeping revision of government-wide federal financial assistance rules (2 CFR), covering grants, cooperative agreements and related awards across dozens of agencies. The rule would require conforming changes by agencies including the departments of Agriculture, State, Energy, Treasury, Transportation, Commerce, Interior, Labor, Education, Environmental Protection Agency and others.
Rural Energy Academy In partnership with the National Association of Counties (NACo) and Mana Group Consulting, NADO’s Rural Energy Academy serves as a national resource
The Business of Nuclear: Communities & Industry Working Together NADO Attends 2026 Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) Forum In April 2026, Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) hosted their fifth
2025-2030 Strategic Plan This report presents a strategic plan designed to guide the future organizational development of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO). The
2026-2028 NADO Board of Directors The NADO Board of Directors oversees the association’s budget and operations and develops policy on issues affecting Regional Development Organizations
On June 3, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on “The Federal Highway Administration’s Proposed FY2027 Budget.”
On May 19, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) released the BUILD America 250 Act, a five-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal covering highways, transit, safety, freight and passenger rail. The bill authorizes approximately $580 billion over fiscal year (FY) 2027 through FY 2031.