The National Association of Counties (NACo) is an organization that represents

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

governments in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

.NACo , Introduction to NACo
It is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States. Founded in 1935, NACo provides services to the nation's 3,069 counties. NACo's membership totals more than 2,350 counties, representing more than 80 percent of the nation's population. With its headquarters on

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...

, NACo is a full-service organization that provides services to its members. These include legislative, research, technical and public affairs assistance, as well as enterprise services. The association acts as a liaison with other levels of government, works to improve public understanding of counties, serves as a national advocate for counties. NACo is involved in a number of special projects that deal with such issues as homeland security, drug abuse, and broader access to health care. County officials and their staffs also participate through NACo's affiliates. These organizations are composed of officials who share similar responsibilities, interests, or knowledge areas. To keep county officials informed, NACo publishes a biweekly newspaper, ''County News,'' with a circulation of 29,000, that focuses on issues and actions in Washington, D.C. and throughout the country. NACo's committees, whose members include county officials from every region of the country, are charged on an annual basis with evaluating issues and policies. The policy development process leads to the publication of the American County Platform, which NACo uses as a guide to deliver county government's message to the

Administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

and the American public. NACo is considered part of the " Big Seven", a group of organizations that represent local and state government in the United States.

Advocacy

National Association of Counties and National League of Cities doorway

NACo strongly supported the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act (H.R. 2919; 113th Congress), a bill that would require the

Administrative Conference of the United States The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) is an independent agency of the United States government that was established in 1964 by the Administrative Conference Act. The conference's purpose is to "promote improvements in the eff ...

(ACUS) to prepare a report each year on the amount of fees and other expenses awarded by federal courts to nonfederal entities when they prevail in a case against the United States. The bill would amend the

Equal Access to Justice Act In the United States of America, the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) authorizes the payment of attorney's fees to a prevailing party in an action against the United States absent a showing by the government that its position in the underlying lit ...

. NACo stated that it supported the bill because it "strives to create a balance between ensuring access to courts for individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in suits against the federal government and preventing abuses of the system." According to NACo, the "legislation provides necessary transparency in an effort to stop EAJA abuses," but allows "veterans, social security claimants, individuals, and small businesses" to "still enjoy full access to EAJA funds." NACo supported the Stopping Tax Offenders and Prosecuting Identity Theft Act of 2013 (H.R. 744; 113th Congress), a bill that would increase the penalties on identity thieves in the United States and change the definition of identity theft to include businesses and organizations instead of just individuals. NACo placed on their agenda their intention to "urge Congress to pass legislation supporting action to reduce tax crimes and identity theft" such as H.R. 744.

Notes

{{Authority control * 1935 establishments in the United States Counties of the United States Organizations based in Washington, D.C. Organizations established in 1935 Supraorganizations

Advocacy

See also

Notes