LOC News
MSA Preservation Act – Possible Fix
As the Trump administration was leaving office in 2020, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) modified the description of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), which effectively reduces funding streams for a variety of federal programs. In Oregon, there are four cities potentially impacted: Albany, Bend, Corvallis and Grants Pass.
This week, Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) introduced the Metropolitan Statistical Area Preservation Act to protect more than 140 MSAs from losing their MSA status. The bipartisan Thune-Kelly bill would prevent the OMB from increasing the minimum population that is currently required to be considered an MSA and ensure these communities retain their classifications.
The National League of Cities (NLC) has been leading this effort, along with Senators Thune and Kelly. In the original language, the OMB’s recommendation was to take the current MSA population threshold from 50,000 to 100,000.
Contacts: Jim McCauley, Legislative Director - jmccauley@orcities.org
Last Updated 6/18/21