HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOARD STANDING COMMITTEES - 09112023 - Legislation Cte Agenda PktMonday, September 11, 2023
1:00 PM
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
1025 Escobar St., Room 110, Martinez, CA
AGENDA
Legislation Committee
Supervisor Ken Carlson
Supervisor Diane Burgis
https://cccounty-us.zoom .us/j/87434558220
Call in: 1-888-278-0254 access code: 219464
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Legislation Committee AGENDA September 11, 2023
Meeting Location: 1025 Escobar Street, Conference Center Rm 110, Martinez, CA |
https://cccounty-us.zoom.us/j/87434558220 | Call in: 1-888-278-0254 access code: 219464
Agenda Items: Items may be taken out of order based on the business of the day and preference of the
Committee.
Introductions
1.PUBLIC COMMENT: Persons who wish to address the Legislation Committee during public comment
on matters within the jurisdiction of the Legislation Committee that are not on the agenda, may comment
in person, via Zoom, or via call-in. All public comments will be limited to two minutes.
2.RECEIVE and APPROVE the Record of Action for the June 12, 2023 meeting of
the Legislation Committee, with any necessary corrections .
23-378
Draft Record of Action 06.12.23Attachments:
3.RECEIVE a report on federal matters of interest to the County and PROVIDE
direction to staff and the County's federal lobbyist, as needed .
23-379
4.ACCEPT the report on the State bills of interest to Contra Costa County and
provide direction and/or input to staff and to the County's state lobbyists, as
needed.
23-380
Advocacy Letters 2023Attachments:
The next meeting is currently scheduled for October 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Note date and time change)
Adjourn
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Legislation Committee AGENDA September 11, 2023
General Information
This meeting provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities planning to attend a the
meetings. Contact the staff person listed below at least 72 hours before the meeting. Any disclosable public
records related to an open session item on a regular meeting agenda and distributed by the County to a majority
of members of the Committee less than 96 hours prior to that meeting are available for public inspection at 1025
Escobar St., 4th Floor, Martinez, during normal business hours. Staff reports related to items on the agenda are
also accessible on line at www.co.contra-costa.ca.us.
HOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT:
Persons who wish to address the Committee during public comment on matters within the jurisdiction of the
Committee that are not on the agenda, or who wish to comment with respect to an item on the agenda, may
comment in person, via Zoom, or via call-in. Those participating in person should offer comments when invited
by the Committee Chair. Those participating via Zoom should indicate they wish to speak by using the “raise
your hand” feature in the Zoom app. Those calling in should indicate they wish to speak by pushing *9 on their
phones.
Public comments generally will be limited to two minutes per speaker. In the interest of facilitating the business
of the Board Committee, the total amount of time that a member of the public may use in addressing the Board
Committee on all agenda items is 10 minutes. Your patience is appreciated.
Public comments may also be submitted to Committee staff before the meeting by email or by voicemail.
Comments submitted by email or voicemail will be included in the record of the meeting but will not be read or
played aloud during the meeting.
For more information, contact:
Lara DeLaney, Committee Staff
Phone (925) 655-2057, Fax (925) 655-2066
lara.delaney@cao.cccounty.us
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Staff Report
1025 ESCOBAR STREET
MARTINEZ, CA 94553
File #:23-378 Agenda Date:9/11/2023 Agenda #:2.
LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: September 11, 2023
Subject: Record of Action for Legislation Committee Meeting
Submitted For: Legislation Committee
Department: County Administrator
Referral No: 2023-08
Referral Name: Record of Action
Presenter: L. DeLaney
Contact: L. DeLaney, (925) 655-2057
Referral History:
County Ordinance requires that each County body keep a record of its meetings. Though the record need not be
verbatim, it must accurately reflect the agenda and the discussions made in the meetings.
Referral Update:
Attached for the Committee's consideration is the draft Record of Action for its June 12, 2023 meeting.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
Staff recommends APPROVAL of the Record of Action for the June 12, 2023 meeting of the Legislation
Committee, with any necessary corrections.
Fiscal Impact (if any): None.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Printed on 9/6/2023Page 1 of 1
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D R A F T
LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
RECORD OF ACTION FOR
June 12, 2023
Supervisor Ken Carlson, Chair
Supervisor Diane Burgis, Vice Chair
Present: Ken Carlson, Chair
Diane Burgis, Vice Chair
Staff Present:Lara DeLaney, Senior Deputy County Administrator, staff to Committee; Monica Nino,
County Administrator; Julie Enea, Senior Deputy County Administrator; Teresa
Gerringer, Chief of Staff, District III; Abigail Fateman, Executive Director, ECCCHC;
Kristin Connelly, Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters; Michael Kent, Hazardous
Materials Ombudsman; Tamina Alon, EHSD staff; Peter Myers, District III
Communications
Attendees:Geoff Neill, Paul Schlesinger and Jim Davenport, See Attachment
1.Introductions
Chair Carlson convened the meeting at 1:02 p.m., introducing himself and Vice Chair Burgis.
2.PUBLIC COMMENT: Persons who wish to address the Legislation Committee during public comment
on matters within the jurisdiction of the Legislation Committee that are not on the agenda, may comment
in person, via Zoom, or via call-in. All public comments will be limited to three minutes.
Call_in_user_1 requested advocacy from the Committee so they could exercise their civil rights and not
be treated as a "second-class citizen."
3.Staff recommends APPROVAL of the Record of Action for the May 8, 2023 meeting of the Legislation
Committee, with any necessary corrections.
The Record of Action was approved as presented.
AYE: Chair Ken Carlson
Vice Chair Diane Burgis
4.Receive a report on federal matters of interest to the County and provide direction, as needed.
5
The County's federal lobbyists, Paul Schlesinger and Jim Davenport from Thorn Run Partners, provided
a recap of the resolution of the federal debt limit crisis, noting appropriations were lower than
anticipated. They also indicated that an enforcement provision was included that would force a 1% cut
to all appropriations bills if not completed by December 31. They also spoke about federal earmark
projects and the uncertainty of their fate because of the debt ceiling deal impact and the majority party
in the House. They noted the House and Senate were moving forward on the budget bills, which could
be finished before the August recess or would resume after the Labor Day return.The Committee
requested updates, as they were available. Public comments included gratitude to Speaker McCarthy
for his "advocacy for taxpayers." Vice Chair Burgis inquired about a calculation of cost for public
comments, advocating for the efficient use of tax dollars to conduct the public's business.
AYE: Chair Ken Carlson
Vice Chair Diane Burgis
5.CONSIDER recommending to the Board of Supervisors the adoption of the proposed changes to the
County's 2023-24 State and Federal Legislative Platforms, as recommended.
The County's state and federal lobbyists indicated they had no concerns with the proposed changes to
the County's adopted State and Federal Legislative Platforms. Vice Chair Burgis noted she was in the
Clerk-Recorder's office the prior week, and she found staff "amazing." She was able to observe some
of the work of the Office and its safety needs. She thanked them for the work they do and indicated her
support for the policy additions. Chair Carlson agreed with Vice Chair Burgis' comments and noted the
Office was increasing confidence in the voting system and in public engagement while navigating the
challenges of misinformation and disinformation. Call_in_user_1 suggested their rights were violated.
AYE: Chair Ken Carlson
Vice Chair Diane Burgis
6.CONSIDER finding AB 1238 (Ward) Hazardous Waste: Solar Panels consistent with the County's
adopted 2023-24 State Legislative Platform or CONSIDER recommending a position of "Support" for AB
1238 to the Board of Supervisors on their consent agenda.
Michael Kent provided the Committee with a brief recap of the bill, noting it was a straight-forward bill to
address the issue of the recycling of solar panels after their 25-40 years of useful life. He noted that
some panels are designated as hazardous waste and obtaining a permit to dispose is difficult.
Therefore, the Department of Toxic Substances Control needed to develop "alternative management
standards," a similar process for dealing with treated wood waste. Chair Carlson asked if we could
anticipate a similar situation with lithium ion batteries, and Mr. Kent responded that recommendations
would be coming forward in the near future. Call_in_user_1 suggested that this should have been
thought of before. Chair Carlson indicated a "Support" position was consistent with the adopted State
Legislative Platform, and Vice Chair Burgis agreed.
AYE: Chair Ken Carlson
Vice Chair Diane Burgis
7.CONSIDER finding AB 50 (Wood) Public Utilities: Timely Service: Customer Energization and SB 410
(Becker) Powering Up Californian Act consistent with the County's adopted 2023-24 State Legislative
Platform or CONSIDER recommending a position of "Support" for AB 50 and SB 410 to the Board of
Supervisors on their consent agenda.
Chair Carlson provided a recap of the bills. Vice Chair Burgis expressed concerns with the capacity of
PG&E to fill employee positions and meet the requirements of AB 50. Geoff Neill indicated that AB 50
was supported by many local agencies who had real concerns from residents and businesses about the
time it takes to energize projects. He noted that RCRC also supports the bill. Vice Chair Burgis asked
CAO Nino about County impacts; CAO Nino responded that she would check with Public Works and
the Department of Conservation and Development. Vice Chair Burgis indicated her support for a
recommendation to the Board of "Support" on SB 410 but wanted to hold off on AB 50. Call_in_user_1
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asked about the impact to her PG&E bill. Staff sent SB 410 to the Board on its July 11 consent
calendar for support.
AYE: Chair Ken Carlson
Vice Chair Diane Burgis
8.CONSIDER providing input on AB 764 (Bryan and Cervantes) and AB 1248 (Bryan, Muratsuchi,
Arambula, Berman, Newman, Bennett, Bonta, Jackson, Lowenthal, Pellerin, Menjivar, and Allen) or
RECOMMENDING a position on the bills to the Board of Supervisors.
The County's state lobbyist, Geoff Neill, provided a brief recap of AB 764 and AB 1248. Chair Carlson
indicated he was in line with the position of CSAC and UCC, and Vice Chair Burgis agreed with an
Oppose Unless Amended recommendation to the Board. Call_in_user_1 noted she supported Vice
Chair Burgis' position.
AYE: Chair Ken Carlson
Vice Chair Diane Burgis
9.ACCEPT the report on the State Budget and State Bills of Interest to the County and provide direction
and/or input to staff and the County's lobbyists, as needed.
The County's state lobbyist, Geoff Neill, provided an update on the status of AB 592, noting that
amendments were being made to scale back the pilot project to three counties for three years: Contra
Costa, Alameda, and Solano. The bill was to be heard that week in committee and stood an excellent
chance of passing. SB 511 would also be heard soon in Assembly Natural Resources. Mr. Neill also
provided a recap of the Governor's infrastructure streamlining proposals. The County's water lobbyist,
Audrey Ratajczak, discussed the potential impact on the Delta tunnel/conveyance project in terms of
judicial streamlining, quorum changes, and fully protected species. Vice Chair Burgis noted there were
efforts underway to undermine the processes, and she noted that "before we take away anything, we
need to understand the impacts on our system." She inquired about alternatives for the quorum
changes. Chair Carlson shared his "vehement opposition" to the tunnel project. Audrey suggested the
references to the Delta Tunnel would come out of the infrastructure streamlining proposals.
Call_in_user_1 wanted more information about Progressive Design Build authority for Caltrans.
AYE: Chair Ken Carlson
Vice Chair Diane Burgis
10.The next meeting is currently scheduled for Monday, July 10 at 1:00 p.m.
The July 10 and August 14 meetings of the Legislation Committee were subsequently cancelled.
11.Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 2:21 p.m.
For Additional Information Contact:
Lara DeLaney, Committee Staff
Phone (925) 335-1097, Fax (925) 646-1353
lara.delaney@cao.cccounty.us
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Legislation Committee Meeting Participants Start Time End Time Participants
6/12/2023 12:57 6/12/2023 14:21 16
Name
District 3 ‐ Brentwood
Kristin Connelly (she/her)# Clerk‐Recorder‐Registrar (Kristin Connelly)
Geoff Neill
Michael Kent# Contra Costa Health
Audrey Ratajczak
Peter Myers
LARA DELANEY
Paul Schlesinger
Supervisor Burgis
MONICA NINO
Call_in_user_1
Jim Davenport
JULIE ENEA
Tamina Alon# EHSD
Teresa Gerringer (she/her)
Abigail Fateman
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Staff Report
1025 ESCOBAR STREET
MARTINEZ, CA 94553
File #:23-379 Agenda Date:9/11/2023 Agenda #:3.
LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: September 11, 2023
Subject: Federal Legislation of Interest to Contra Costa County
Submitted For: Legislation Committee
Department: County Administrator
Referral No: 2023-07
Referral Name: Federal Update
Presenter: Paul Schlesinger and Jim Davenport, Thorn Run Partners
Contact: L. DeLaney, (925) 655-2057
Referral History:
The Legislation Committee regularly receives reports on federal legislation and budget matters of interest to the
County and provides direction to staff and the County’s federal lobbyists.
Referral Update:
The County’s federal lobbyists from Thorn Run Partners, Mr. Paul Schlesinger and Mr. Jim Davenport, will
attend the Committee meeting via Zoom to provide a report on these and other matters, including FEMA
reimbursement for COVID-19 related Non-Congregate Shelter costs.
House Considering Local Authority Preemption Bill for Broadband Development Projects
As we have frequently described over many years, efforts to preempt local authority frequently crop up in
Congress or during a particular Administration. Most recently, the House Energy and Commerce Committee
passed the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023 (H.R. 3557 <https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-
congress/house-bill/3557?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+3557%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1>) out of
committee this summer. Among other things, H.R. 3557 would enact new restrictions on a variety of state and
local land use and zoning authorities pertaining to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure,
including both wireless deployment and wireline deployment, as well as impose limitations on the ability for
local governments to negotiate and renew cable franchise agreements. The bill passed on a party-line vote of 27
-23.
This legislation continues the long-term trend in state and federal preemption impacting local governments on a
wide range of issues. With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, permitting streamlining has seen
increased focus for lawmakers from both parties and created an opportunity for further business-driven
preemption. Therefore, some members of Congress have raised concerns that local government oversight will
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slow or increase the cost of infrastructure deployment and have introduced legislation to preempt that oversight.
The following provisions in H.R. 3557 are of concern for local government entities:
·Preemption of state and local zoning authority over the placement of wireless technologies, including
towers, equipment, and small cells;
·Elimination of state and local government authority to manage public rights-of-way (ROW) by
collecting fair market compensation for their use and management, and limiting ROW fees to ”actual,
objectively reasonable costs";
·Enactment of shot clock rules and “deemed granted” provisions which place timelines for the review
and approval of telecommunications projects; and
·Prohibition of state and local governments from revoking cable franchises.
It is unclear when H.R. 3557 may be scheduled for a floor vote by the full House. However, another bill that
passed the markup with bipartisan support, the Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 3565
<https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3565>), will likely become a vehicle for other
communications legislation.
WHERE THINGS STAND ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING.The Senate returns for legislative business on
September 5 to kick off what is shaping up to be a hectic September session, headlined by the September 30
government funding deadline. While leadership has acknowledged that Congress needs to pass a continuing
resolution (CR) to avert a shutdown, House and Senate leaders are not on the same page with respect to a
number of issues in this year's government funding process. Notably, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is
aiming to assuage some concerns raised by members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus by offering a
stopgap funding bill into mid-November - earlier than the original target frame of early December that has the
support of Senate Leaders Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Meanwhile, reports out of Capitol Hill suggest that the Senate could move first on a CR this month given some
of the uncertainty as to how things will play out in the House. (See below.) Barring a flash of bipartisan
cooperation between the two chambers, some form of government shutdown - either full or partial - cannot be
ruled out at this time.
SENATE LOOKS FOR LEG UP ON HOUSE OVER GOVERNMENT FUNDING. Senate Democratic
and Republican leaders are moving forward on a bipartisan plan for government funding with the hopes of
placing pressure on House lawmakers to fall behind this approach. According to reports from Capitol Hill,
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) plans to call up a "minibus" that would contain some of the more
noncontroversial bills out of the Senate Appropriations Committee, including the measures for Agriculture-
FDA and Military Construction-VA. Notably, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also offered
support for addressing the Biden administration's supplemental funding request to shore up disaster relief aid,
border security, and Ukrainian military and economic assistance.
•Context. These latest developments come as conservatives of the House Freedom Caucus continue to
reiterate their demands for policy and spending concessions in exchange for their votes on government funding
bills and a forthcoming continuing resolution (CR). As such, bipartisan cooperation will be needed in both
chambers to ensure that the government is funded and that discretionary spending for fiscal year (FY) 2024 is
not subject to a one percent cut - a dynamic that could further imperil Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA)
standing with Freedom Caucus conservatives. The House will gavel back in next week with hopes of taking up
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additional FY 2024 spending bills, but it remains to be seen whether GOP leadership has the votes it needs
within the scant four-seat majority.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE SEPTEMBER WORK PERIOD. In addition to keeping the
government funded past September 30, Congress must address a number of "must pass" policies and programs
that expire at the end of the month, including reauthorization measures for the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), the 2023 Farm Bill, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, and the National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP), among others. Lawmakers will also look to reach a compromise on a supplemental
appropriations package to shore up disaster relief aid, border security, and economic and military aid for
Ukraine, but the size and scope of this extra funding remains to be seen given some of the strong disagreements
from House conservatives. Additionally, Leader Schumer reiterated
<https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/dear_colleague_9123.pdf> his desire to advance legislation
on several key issues, including: (1) artificial intelligence (AI); (2) prescription drug costs and insulin pricing;
(3) cannabis banking legislation; (4) the fiscal year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA);
(5) bank executive accountability; (6) rail safety legislation; and (7) kids' online safety.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
CONSIDER finding an “Oppose” position on H.R. 3557 consistent with the Board’s adopted 2023-24 Federal
Legislative Platform policy “SUPPORT preservation of local government ownership and control of the local
public rights-of-way and ensure reasonable compensation for their use,” or recommend a position of “Oppose”
on H.R. 3557 to the Board of Supervisors.
ACCEPT the report on federal matters of interest to Contra Costa County and provide direction to staff and the
County’s federal lobbyists, as needed.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Staff Report
1025 ESCOBAR STREET
MARTINEZ, CA 94553
File #:23-380 Agenda Date:9/11/2023 Agenda #:4.
LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: September 11, 2023
Subject: State Legislation of Interest to the County
Submitted For: Legislation Committee
Department: County Administrator
Referral No: 2023-01
Referral Name: State Legislation
Presenter: L. DeLaney and Nielsen Merksamer
Contact: L. DeLaney (925) 655-2057
Referral History:
The Legislation Committee of the Board of Supervisors regularly receives reports on State legislation of
interest to the County and provides input and/or direction to staff and its state advocates from Nielsen
Merksamer.
Referral Update:
The County’s state lobbyists from Nielsen Merksamer, Michelle Rubalcava and Geoff Neill, will attend the
meeting via Zoom and provide the Committee with an update on progress of the County’s sponsored bills as
well as other significant bills of interest including:
AB 505 (Ting) <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB505>
AB 592 (Wilson) <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB592>
SB 511 (Blakespear) <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB511>
ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry) <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240ACA1>
ACA 13 (Ward) <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240ACA13>
SB 326 (Eggman) <https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB326>:
Amendments to the bill do not significantly address county concerns. Key concerns identified by CSAC
include:
·Mitigate significant impact to funding for core services by expanding the definition in the
housing interventions category to include onsite services.
·Provide greater flexibility and clarity to shift a percentage of funds between program categories
to allow counties the ability to meet the unique needs of their communities and unexpected
changes in the economic landscape.
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·Secure county fiscal protections, including but not limited to clarifying that SUD-only is
permissive outside of the Medi-Cal entitlement, and added due process for sanctions.
·Simplify what goes to the voters. New requirements outside of MHSA can and should be
considered separately and with additional time to work through unintended consequences.
·Address volatility and a reasonable reserve level.
The Legislature has returned from their summer recess, and there are only two weeks left in the 2023 legislative
session, which concludes on September 14. Below is a non-exhaustive list of Suspense File results on bills of
interest, provided by the Urban Counties of California.
Passed (As is or with amendments; moves to a floor vote)
AB 7 (Friedman) - Would require specified state transportation programs to incorporate Climate Action Plan
for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) principles into their guidelines and planning processes. The bill was
passed with amendments to increase flexibility for implementation and to align with the recent infrastructure
permitting package.
AB 41 (Holden) - Would make comprehensive changes to existing state law enacted by the Digital
Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 (DIVCA), which this bill renames the Digital Equity in
Video Franchising Act of 2023 (DEVFA).
AB 338 (Aguiar-Curry)- Would expand the definition of public works, for which prevailing wage must be
paid to workers, to include publicly funded fuel reduction work that is done under contract as part of a fire
mitigation project and falls within an apprenticable occupation in the building and construction trades.
AB 366 (Petrie-Norris) - Would require the CDSS to create the Building Diversity in Human Services
Workforce Program to establish education and training grants in human services programs. The measure was
amended coming out of Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 386 (Nguyen) - Would expand the type and amount of financial records that must be provided during law
enforcement investigations of suspected financial elder abuse.
AB 426 (Jackson)- Would increase enforcement and penalties for unlicensed residential facilities for foster
youth. The bill would allow the state to place a “temporary manager” over a residential foster care facility and
fine county staff. The measure increases penalties on counties for unlicensed placements from $200 to $5,000
per day. Additionally, AB 426 would also allow the state to impose civil penalties on a person that fails to
“locate appropriate placements for all of the foster children and youth residing in an unlicensed facility within
60 days after receiving the formal statement of allegations.”
AB 504 (Reyes) - Would establish and protect the right of public employees, except certain “essential
employees” to engage in sympathy strikes. Amendments will clarify the definition of “essential employee.”
AB 505 (Ting)- Would revise several key provisions negotiated in SB 823 (2020), the measure that enacted
realignment of Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) responsibilities from the state to counties, including: (1)
changing the leadership structure of the local planning body, (2) revising the local planning process and the
process by which the Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) reviews local plans in ways that
could impede the flow of funds to support new responsibilities, and (3) expanding the scope of OYCR’s role.
Additional amendments are forthcoming.
AB 531 (Irwin) - Would place the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act of 2023 on the March 2024
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primary ballot, which would ask the voters to authorize $4.68 billion in general obligation bonds for specified
behavioral health infrastructure and housing.
AB 764 (Bryan) - Would update the procedures local agencies must follow when adjusting the boundaries of
the districts used to elect members of their governing bodies and establishes a procedure for legal challenges
when a local jurisdiction does not comply with redistricting requirements.
AB 799 (L. Rivas)- Would require the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to develop a financing
plan to solve homelessness by the year 2035, establish and update statewide performance metrics by January 1,
2025, and create a streamlined funding application for specified state housing and homelessness programs.
AB 1057 (Weber) - Would give additional flexibility to local health jurisdictions to administer more Home
Visiting Programs that address the unique needs of their communities and provide support to families who need
it most. The bill was amended coming out of Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 1085 (Maienschein) - Would require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to seek any
necessary federal approvals for a Medi-Cal benefit to cover housing support services, under specified
conditions.
AB 1148 (Bonta)- Would extend the automatic suspension of the obligation to pay child support when a
person ordered to pay support is released from custody unless they have the means to pay support during that
time.
AB 1168 (Bennett)- Would overturn an extensive statutory and case law record that has repeatedly affirmed
county responsibility for the administration of emergency medical services and with that, the flexibility to
design systems to equitably serve residents throughout their jurisdiction. Specifically, the bill would abrogate
the City of Oxnard v. County of Ventura decision.
AB 1171 (B. Rubio) - Would create would authorize licensed cannabis businesses to seek injunctive relief and
seek damages for actual harm resulting from unlicensed operations.
AB 1207 (Irwin) - Would strengthen provision barring the advertisement or marketing of cannabis or cannabis
products that are attractive to children, as defined.
AB 1248 (Bryan) - Would require a city or county with over 300,000 residents and a school district or
community college district with over 500,000 residents to establish an independent redistricting commission
(IRC).
AB 1448 (Wallis) - Would strengthen local enforcement mechanisms against unlicensed cannabis activities,
including the application of civil penalties.
AB 1484 (Zbur) - Would require inclusion of temporary employees in the same bargaining unit as permanent
employees upon request of the recognized employee organization to a local public employer. Amendments will
clarify the terms in which temporary employees have access to the grievance process, among other changes.
AB 1637 (Irwin) - Would require a local agency (with the exception of special districts and school districts)
that maintains a website and email addresses accessible to the public to utilize a “.gov” or “.ca.gov” domain no
later than January 1, 2029.
ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry) - Would authorize California voters to consider lowering the voter approval threshold
from a two-thirds supermajority to 55% to approve local general obligation bonds and special taxes for
affordable housing and public infrastructure projects.
ACA 13 (Ward) - Would require any constitutional amendment proposed by initiative that increases a voter
approval threshold for future measures be approved by the same proportion of votes cast as the measure would
require.
SB 4 (Wiener) - Would create a streamlined by-right approval process for housing on lands owned by churches
and qualifying higher education institutions. The bill was passed with amendments to clarify the definition of
industrial uses and make other technical changes.
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SB 10 (Cortese) - Would - upon an appropriation - require the state Department of Education, in collaboration
with the Health and Human Services Agency, to establish a working group on fentanyl education in schools and
develop informational materials on opioid overdose prevention, as specified; would also requires local
educational agencies to notify parents and guardians of the materials annually. Amendments are forthcoming.
SB 43 (Eggman)- Would expand the definition of “gravely disabled,” for purposes of involuntarily detaining
an individual, to include a condition in which a person, as a result of a severe substance use disorder (SUD) or
co-occurring mental health disorder with severe SUD, is unable to provide for their personal needs. Includes
personal safety and necessary medical care as “personal needs.” The bill was amended coming out of
Appropriations Committee to allow a county to opt in and to clarify the hearsay section.
SB 75 (Roth) - Would authorize the creation of 26 new superior court judgeships, subject to an appropriation,
which would be distributed to courts - once funded - based on the Judicial Council’s biennial Judicial Needs
Assessment. Additional amendments are forthcoming.
SB 343 (Skinner)- Would change the way child support payments are calculated and make procedural changes
to conform California’s child support laws to federal requirements.
SB 567 (Durazo)- Would revise the no-fault just cause eviction provisions of the Tenant Protection Act of
2019 and provide additional enforcement mechanisms for violations of restrictions on no-fault just cause
evictions and residential rent increases.
SB 423 (Wiener) - Would extend and expand the by-right approval process for eligible housing projects created
by SB 35 (2017). The bill was passed with amendments modifying provisions related to the Coastal Act, public
meeting requirements, the eligibility of projects in San Francisco, and fire hazard severity zones, and to make
other clarifying and technical changes.
SB 519 (Atkins) would establish a new, independent Office of the Local Detention Monitor within the Board of
State and Community Corrections with oversight over in-custody deaths and delivery of medical and mental
health care at local detention facilities; would also subject local records relating to the investigation of in-
custody deaths to disclosure under the Public Records Act.
SB 525 (Durazo) - Would require beginning June 1, 2024, a health care worker minimum wage of $21 per hour
for hours worked in covered health care employment, increasing to $25 per hour beginning June 1, 2025. No
amendments were announced. In a slightly unusual move, Chair Holden noted that progress was being made on
discussions on this bill, and he thought they were “close” to an agreement. The Speaker’s Office has been
convening discussions between the sponsor and opposition groups this week; those conversations are
anticipated to continue over the weekend.
SB 548 (Niello) - Would authorize a county and a trial court that have a joint contract with the California Public
Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) for the provision of retirement benefits for their employees to
voluntarily separate the contract into two individual contracts.
SB 551 (Portantino) - Would require a county mental health board (MHB) with five to eight members to
include at least one local educational agency (LEA) employee who has experience providing mental health
services to students and one person age 25 years or younger. This bill also requires a MHB with more than eight
members to include two or more LEA and youth members, as specified. SB 551 also would require counties to
give a strong preference to LEA employees who have experience providing mental health services to students
and states the intent of the Legislature that youth appointments to an MHB represent vulnerable, underserved,
and marginalized communities.
SB 747 (Caballero) - Would make numerous changes to the Surplus Land Act (SLA) including expanding the
definition of exempt surplus land, modifying SLA procedures, defining disposals of surplus land to include
leases of longer than 15 years, in addition to other changes. While the Chair did not explicitly note that
amendments were forthcoming, stakeholders have been actively negotiating on all SLA-related measures.
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File #:23-380 Agenda Date:9/11/2023 Agenda #:4.
SB 770 (Wiener)- Senator Wiener’s single payer effort would direct the Secretary of the California Health and
Human Services (CHHS) Agency to pursue discussions with the federal government to obtain a waiver to
enable creation of a comprehensive health care system with unified financing (UF).
Held in Committee (Dead)
AB 687 (Hart)- Would have required the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to grant local agencies, as
defined, read access to electronic track and trace data and ensure that - if the cannabis products are delivered --
ZIP code information of the delivery address also is captured.
AB 1092 (Wood)- Would have required a health plan that intends to acquire or obtain control of an entity
through a change of governance or control of a material amount of assets of that entity to give notice to, and
secure prior approval from, the director of the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC).
AB 1324 (Bryan)- Would have required the Department of Child Support Services on or before January 1,
2025, to identify specified child support referrals, ceased enforcement of arrearages assigned to the state for the
reimbursement of foster care placements, and directed Local Child Support Agencies to seek modification of
support orders when necessary to eliminate ongoing obligations, as specified.
AB 1568 (Wood)- Would have required the Department of Developmental Services to revise and implement a
rate setting process for Independent Living Services and specified services that must be offered.
AB 1713 (Gipson) - Would have required a local agency that receives federal funds subject to an expiration
date that has recurrently and persistently failed to spend a substantial amount of those federal funds to submit a
written report to the local agency’s legislative body, respectively, no later than one year before the funding
expiration date, with a summary of the reasons funds were returned and an analysis of operational
improvements that will allow federal funds to be expended fully.
SB 45 (Roth) - Would establish the California Acute Care Psychiatric Hospital Loan Fund to provide zero-
interest loans to qualifying county applicants for the purpose of constructing or renovating acute care
psychiatric hospitals or psychiatric health facilities, or renovating or expanding general acute care hospitals in
order to add or expand an inpatient psychiatric unit.
SB 282 (Eggman) - Would have required federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health centers
(RHCs) to receive Medi-Cal reimbursement for two visits on the same day at the same location under the
following circumstances: the patient suffers from illness or injury that requires additional treatment and
diagnosis after the first visit; or, the patient has a medical visit and a mental health or dental visit on the same
day.
SB 418 (Padilla) - Would, subject to an appropriation, establish the California Prison Redevelopment
Commission, specify its composition, and set forth its responsibilities with respect to developing
recommendations on creative uses for repurposing closed state prison facilities.
SB 491 (Durazo) - Would have required each local county entity that administers public benefits to implement
a program to ensure homeless residents of the county without a permanent mailing address can receive
government-related mail, addressed to them, at county office locations.
Designated Two-Year Bills
AB 4 (Arambula) - Would authorize Covered California to administer a program to allow undocumented
individuals to enroll in health insurance coverage.
AB 247 (Muratsuchi) - Would place a $14 billion general obligation bond for Transitional Kindergarten
through community college public education facilities on an unspecified 2024 statewide ballot.
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File #:23-380 Agenda Date:9/11/2023 Agenda #:4.
AB 408 (Wilson) - Would enact the Climate-resilient Farms, Sustainable Healthy Food Access, and
Farmworker Protection Bond Act of 2024, which would place a $3.65 billion general obligation bond before
voters on the November 2024 ballot.
AB 551 (Bennett) - Would delay the requirement that the county of original jurisdiction retain responsibility to
arrange and provide specialty mental health services (SMHS) for foster children placed out of the county of
original jurisdiction in short-term residential therapeutic programs, community treatment facilities, group
homes, or children’s crisis residential programs, from July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024.
AB 1331 (Wood) - Would require, on or before January 1, 2024, and subject to an appropriation in the annual
Budget Act, the Center for Data Insights and Innovation (CDII) to take over establishment, implementation, and
all the functions related to the data exchange framework, including the data sharing agreement and policies and
procedures, from CHHS.
AB 1657 (Wicks) - Would enact the Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2024, which would place a $10 billion
general obligation bond before the voters on the March 2024 ballot.
SB 28 (Glazer) - Would place a $15 billion bond measure for preschool through college public educational
facilities before the voters on the March 2024 ballot.
SB 408 (Ashby)- Would require DHCS, in consultation with the CDSS, to establish up to 10 regional health
teams (RHTs) to serve foster youth and youth who may be at risk of entering foster care, using the Medicaid
Health Home Option established in federal law.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
ACCEPT the report on the State legislation of interest and provide input and/or direction to staff and
the County’s state lobbyists as needed.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
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Contra Costa County Advocacy Letters 2023STATE LEGISLATIONSubjectPosition1AB 1168 (Bennett) Emergency Medical Services (EMS): Prehospital EMSOPPOSE2AB 1057 (Weber) California Home Visiting Program Support3AB 482 (Wilson) Air Ambulance Services Support4AB 240 (Kalra) Dogs and Cats: California Spay-Neuter Fund Support5AB 30 (Ward) Atmospheric Rivers: Research, Mitigation, Climate Support 6AB 400 (Rubio) Local Agency Design-Build Projects: Authorization Support7AB 540 (Wicks) Social Service Transportation Improvement Act SPONSOR8AB 592 (Wilson) Vehicles: Waste Hauling SPONSOR9AB 817 (Pacheco) Open Meetings: Teleconferencing: Subsidiary Body Support10SB 1121 (Gonzalez) Request of Senate Transportation Committee regarding accessible transportation issuesComments11SB 287 (Skinner) Features that Harm Child Users: Civil Penalty Support12SB 408 (Ashby) Foster Youth with Complex Needs: Regional Health Teams Support13SB 511 (Blakespear) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories CO-SPONSOR14SB 272 (Laird) Sea Level Rise: Planning and Adaptation Support15SB 706 (Caballero) Public Contracts Progress Design Build Support16AB 120 IHSS Fiscal Penalty in Budget Trailer BillOPPOSE17SB 867 (Allen) Drought, Flood, and Water Reslience Sign-on: Support if Amended18AB 1567 (Garcia) Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Prep Sign-on: Support 19AB 1238 (Ward) Hazardous Waste: Solar Panels Support20AT HOME Resolution of Support Support21SB 410 (Becker) Powering Up Californians Act Support22AB 764 (Bryan) Local RedistrictingOppose unless Amended23AB 1248 (Bryan) Local Redistricting: Independent CommissionOppose unless Amended24ACA 5 (Low) Marriage Equality Support25AB 505 (Ting) The Office of Youth and Community RestorationOPPOSEGRANT SUPPORT LETTERS1Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's UPGRADE project Support California Energy Commission2CCTA Application for 2023 Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program: 680 Express Bus PSupport California State Transportation Agency3Contra Costa County Behavioral Health Services’ BHCIP Applications Support Department of Health Care Services4City of Hercules’ Grant Proposal for Federal Rail Administration FSP for Intercity PassengSupport US Department of Transportation5BART and CCC 2023 Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program ASupport Federal Highway Administration6BART application for "Reliable, Equitable, and Accessible Charging for Multi-Family HouSupport California Energy Commission7ABAG Next-Generation Solid-State Battery Technology Innovation Hub Support U.S. EDA9/6/202319
STATE BUDGET REQUESTS1Governor’s Proposal to Cut $49.8 Million in Public Health Workforce Development and Training Programs--OPPOSE2Governor’s Proposal to Provide $35.8 million to Child Support Services--SUPPORT3$30 million allocation from an existing funding source to support continuity of the CalBridge BehavioralHealth Navigator program, as well as require the Medi-Cal Community Health Worker benefit to beoffered in hospital settings.4$140 million for Emergency Services and Disaster Response for County Human Services Agencies5$2 million for Bay Point Library & Community Resource Center, $2 million for Byron Airport Sewer Improvements6$43.7 million ($63M on-going) to support Foster Youth and Youth at Risk of Foster Care with Unmet Complex NeedsFEDERAL1Bipartisan Call to Fund Local Election Departments2Non-Congregate Shelter Reimbursement by FEMA3H.R. 2665, the Supporting Safety Net Hospitals Act [essentialhospitals.org]sign-on support4H.R. 1458 Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics co-sponsor request9/6/202320