HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOARD STANDING COMMITTEES - 11132023 - Legislation Cte Agenda PktMonday, November 13, 2023
1:00 PM
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
1025 Escobar Street, Conference Center Rm 110, Martinez, CA
3361 Walnut Boulevard, Suite 140, Brentwood, CA 94513
AGENDA
Legislation Committee
Supervisor Ken Carlson, Chair
Supervisor Diane Burgis, Vice Chair
https://cccounty-us.zoom .us/j/87434558220
Call in: 1-888-278-0254 access code: 219464
1
Legislation Committee AGENDA November 13, 2023
The public may attend this meeting in person at 1025 Escobar Street, Conference Room 110,
Martinez, CA or 3361 Walnut Boulevard, Suite 140, Brentwood, CA. The public may also
attend this meeting remotely via Zoom or call-in. Zoom:
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.
1 Introductions
2 Public comment on any item under the jurisdiction of the Committee and not on this agenda (speakers
may be limited to two (2) minutes).
3 RECEIVE and APPROVE the Record of Action for the September 11, 2023
meeting of the Legislation Committee, with any necessary corrections .
23-850
Draft Record of Action 09.11.23Attachments:
4 RECEIVE a report on federal matters of interest to the County and PROVIDE
direction to staff and the County's federal lobbyists, as needed.
23-851
The TRP Tip Sheet 11.08.23Attachments:
5 ACCEPT the 2023 Legislative Year in Review and 2024 Preview from the
County's state lobbyists and provide direction and/or input to staff and the
lobbyists.
23-852
Attachment A: 2023 Year-End Report and 2024 PreviewAttachments:
6 The next meeting date is currently scheduled for December 18, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. (Note new date and
time)
7 Adjourn
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Legislation Committee AGENDA November 13, 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 (2) 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.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Staff Report
1025 ESCOBAR STREET
MARTINEZ, CA 94553
File #:23-850 Agenda Date:11/13/2023 Agenda #:3
LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: November 13, 2023
Subject: Record of Action for Legislation Committee Meeting of 9/11/23
Submitted For: Legislation Committee
Department: County Administration
Referral No: 2023-08
Referral Name: Record of Action
Presenter: L. DeLaney
Contact: L. DeLaney
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 the Committee’s September 11,
2023 meeting.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
Staff recommends APPROVAL of the Record of Action for the September 11, 2023 meeting of the Legislation
Committee.
Fiscal Impact (if any): None.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Printed on 11/8/2023Page 1 of 1
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Meeting Minutes - Draft
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Legislation Committee
Supervisor Ken Carlson, Chair
Supervisor Diane Burgis, Vice Chair
https://cccounty-us.zoom.us/j/87434558220
Call in: 1-888-278-0254 access code: 219464
1:00 PM 1025 Escobar Street, Conference Center Rm
110, Martinez, CA | 3361 Walnut Boulevard,
Suite 140, Brentwood, CA
Monday, September 11, 2023
Introductions
Vice Chair Burgis convened the meeting at 1:04 p.m. from her office in Brentwood, noting that Chair
Carlson would be joining the meeting shortly. Chair Carlson joined the meeting at 1:14 p.m. in
Martinez. Also in attendance were:
Lara DeLaney, staff to Committee
Luz Raygoza-G.
Patricia Perez
Paul Schlesinger
Peter Myers
Geoff Neill
Ashleigh Goddard
Call_in_user_1
Michelle Rubalcava
Jennifer Quallick
Brian Balbas
Joseph Greaves
Teresa Gerringer
District IV Supervisor Ken Carlson and District III Supervisor
Diane Burgis
Present:
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.
Public comment was received by Call_in_user_1 who requested that meetings not be held on
September 11 to avoid conflicts with 9-11 ceremonies.
2.RECEIVE and APPROVE the Record of Action for the June 12, 2023
meeting of the Legislation Committee, with any necessary corrections .
23-378
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Legislation Committee Meeting Minutes - Draft September 11, 2023
Attachments:Draft Record of Action 06.12.23
The Record of Action was approved as presented.
Motion:Burgis
CarlsonSecond:
Chair Ken Carlson and Vice Chair Diane BurgisAye:
Result:Passed
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
The County's federal lobbyist, Paul Schlesinger, provided the Committee an oral update
to the written report, noting that the congressional recess was nearing an end; the House
was expected to be back to work on September 12 and the Senate was already back. Paul
noted that the federal fiscal year was ending on September 30, so a Continuing
Resolution would be needed to keep the federal government funded until the budget bills
could be finalized. Paul discussed the status of negotiations, indicating that it was
looking like a shut-down may be coming. He also noted that the County's earmark
requests were tied to the budget bills.
Public comments were made by Call_in_user_1 who disparaged the federal lobbyist.
Chair Carlson responded that Paul does a wonderful job in D.C. representing the
County. Vice Chair Burgis echoed the Chair's comments and indicated the substantial
return on investment from the lobbying services .
This item was received.
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
Attachments:Advocacy Letters 2023
The County's state lobbyists, Michelle Rubalcava and Geoff Neill, provided an oral
update to the written report. They focused their comments on Governor Newsom's and
his administration's priorities on behavioral health reform, including SB 326 and AB
551. These reforms will go to the voters in March, and no further amendments to the
bills were expected before the legislature's final actions though there were rumors about
the size of the bond bill increasing and possibly acute psychiatric beds may be eligible for
funding. The lobbyists also updated the Committee on the status of the County's
sponsored bills, noting that SB 511 was unfortunately held in Appropriations due to
CARB estimates on the cost of the bill. Conversations with CivicWell, the County's
co-sponsor on the bill, were on-going though in an attempt to find another solution to
the problem of preparing individual inventories . AB 592, however, had passed the
Legislature and was expected to be signed by the Governor . The lobbyists also discussed
SB 525, the minimum wage for health care workers, noting that it was progressing
through the Legislature and discussions about tiers of implementation would put Contra
Costa in the second tier.
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Legislation Committee Meeting Minutes - Draft September 11, 2023
Public comments from Call_in_user_1 were disparaging of the level of detail discussed .
Vice Chair Burgis responded that our lobbyists work in an industry requiring "thick
skin."
The Committee accepted the report.
The next meeting is currently scheduled for October 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Note date and time change)
The Committee's scheduled October 2, 2023 meeting was subsequently cancelled .
Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 1:54 p.m.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Staff Report
1025 ESCOBAR STREET
MARTINEZ, CA 94553
File #:23-851 Agenda Date:11/13/2023 Agenda #:4
LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: November 13, 2023
Subject: Federal Legislation of Interest to Contra Costa County
Submitted For: Legislation Committee
Department: County Administration
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 will attend the meeting via Zoom to provide a report
on these and other matters, including:
·Federal FY 2025 Community Funded Projects
·FEMA reimbursement for COVID-related Non-Congregate Shelter costs
·Federal Aviation Administration revisions to regulatory definitions
Regarding the FY 2025 Community Funded Projects, staff have solicited project proposals from County
departments. (Public Works related projects will be discussed by the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure
Committee at their November 13 meeting; John Cunningham of the Department of Conservation and
Development will provide the Legislation Committee an update of the project proposals.)
The following projects have been submitted thus far for consideration:
1.Think Contra Costa: an initiative of the Workforce Development Board, a county-wide professional
network of organizations that will focus on starting, growing and retaining companies within Contra
Costa County.
2.Auto-Focused Crime Elimination (ACE) Task Force Pilot Program (Previously submitted as a
Measure X Proposal, pending decision)
3.Underserved Survivors Support Program (Previously submitted as a Measure X Proposal, pending
decision)
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Printed on 11/8/2023Page 1 of 2
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File #:23-851 Agenda Date:11/13/2023 Agenda #:4
4.Organized Retail Theft Prevention and Prosecution Pilot (Previously submitted to compete for state
grant, pending decision)
5.Healing and Justice for Survivors of Labor Trafficking (Previously submitted as a Measure X
Proposal, pending decision)
6.Political Corruption Investigation (Previously submitted as a Measure X Proposal, pending decision)
7.Community Safety and Violence Prevention (Submitted last year for FY2024 Federal Earmark
consideration but not selected)
8.Gun Violence Restraining Orders (Submitted last year for FY2024 Federal Earmark consideration
but not selected)
9.The Knightsen Wetland Restoration Project
10.The Contra Costa County Sea Level Rise Resilience and Adaptation Plan development
Staff will return with a final list of project proposals for the Committee’s consideration at its meeting in
December.
See Attachment A for additional information about federal matters of interest.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
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):
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Printed on 11/8/2023Page 2 of 2
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The TRP Tip Sheet November 8, 2023
Featuring a daily Capitol Hill update, news clips from our health insiders, and links to
our trove of federal policy resources.
QUICK TAKES
— HOUSE GOP PULLS T-HUD SPENDING BILL. Republicans who represent districts along the Northeast Corridor have been pushing back against proposed funding cuts to Amtrak.
— A LOOK AT YESTERDAY'S ELECTION RESULTS. Voters from several states went to the polls yesterday for pivotal "off-year" elections ahead of the first 2024 presidential primary contests.
— TRP CONGRESSIONAL RETIREMENT TRACKER. Click to view TRP's running tracker of lawmakers who will not return to their current posts next Congress.
— SENATE VOTES TO CONFIRM NEW NIH LEADER. The Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Monica Bertagnolli as head of the National Institutes of Health.
CAPITOL HILL UPDATE
— HOUSE GOP PULLS T-HUD SPENDING BILL. House Republicans have hit another snag in their attempt to pass the fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending bill for Transportation-HUD after a final vote on the measure was cancelled last minute yesterday. The bill faces opposition from several House Republicans who represent districts in or near Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, as the measure proposed roughly $1.5 billion in cuts to the rail service. It is currently unclear if the House will pivot back to the T-HUD measure prior to next week's government funding deadline. This dynamic could also spell trouble for consideration of both the Agriculture-FDA and Labor-HHS-Education bills, as both have faced delays due to lingering disagreements.
•For today... The House will meet today to begin consideration of the spending billfor Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), with votes on pendingamendments anticipated around 2:00 PM ET and 9:15 PM ET. A vote on finalpassage of the FSGG bill is exected during tomorrow's session. Senators willresume consideration of pending judicial nominations after confirming MonicaBertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during yesterday'ssession. Later today, the Senate will also vote on a resolution of disapproval thatwould block the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) rule waivingrequirements that electric vehicle (EV) chargers purchased with federal funds bemostly manufactured in the U.S.
Attachment A
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— A LOOK AT YESTERDAY'S ELECTION RESULTS. Voters from several states went to the polls yesterday for pivotal "off-year" elections ahead of the first 2024 presidential primary contests. Despite President Joe Biden's lagging poll numbers, Democrats, progressives, and abortion rights supporters scored key victories in yesterday's contests, extending their stretch of strong election performances dating back to the 2022 midterms. Notably: (1) Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) won re-election over Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R-KY); (2) Ohioans overwhelmingly voted to add abortion rights to the state's constitution, as well as legalize recreational cannabis; and (3) Virginia Democrats won majorities in the state House and Senate with a campaign centered against Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R-KY) proposed abortion policies. For their part, Republicans scored a victory in the Mississippi gubernatorial race after Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS) won re-election over his Democratic challenger Brandon Presley. The GOP also reclaimed the Louisiana governor's mansion in last month's election after Attorney General Jeff Landry (R-LA) scored an outright victory with 51 percent of the vote.
WHAT WE'RE TRACKING
NEW TODAY...
— HFSC HOLDS SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON GLOBAL FINANCIAL REGS. On November 7, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy held to examine the Biden administration's handling of global financial regulations, specifically the Basel III Endgame proposed rules. Click here to read TRP's hearing summary.
— SENATE COMMERCE HOLDS HEARING ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM. On November 7, the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion held a hearing on sustainable tourism practices. Click here to read TRP's hearing summary.
— BIPARTISAN WILDFIRE CAUCUS PUBLISHES RESOURCES GUIDE. Reps. John Curtis (R-UT) and Joe Neguse (D-CO), the Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, published a guide detailing resources and information about how communities can better prepare for and recover from wildfires.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS...
— MEDICARE, MEDICAID PAYMENT COMMISSIONS HOLD NOVEMBER PUBLIC MEETINGS. The payment advisory commissions for Medicare (MedPAC) and Medicaid (MACPAC) each held their November 2023 public meetings. Click to view TRP's summary of key sessions from MedPAC and MACPAC.
— GAO RELEASES REPORT ON DOT GRANT EVALUATION PROCESS. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report reviewing the Department of Transportation's (DOT) evaluation process for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, finding that the process "did not fully align with federal guidance for discretionary grant programs."
• GAO offered five recommendations to DOT regarding the RAISE program: (1) address applicant challenges with developing a benefit-cost analysis; (2) implement additional oversight of evaluation teams; (3) consistently document specific evaluation decisions; (4) identify all selection factors; and (5) document specific rationales for selection decisions.
Attachment A
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— IAWG ISSUES STAFF REPORT ON TREASURY MARKET RESILIENCE EFFORTS. The Inter-Agency Working Group on Treasury Market Surveillance (IAWG) issued a staff progress report that provides updates on a wide range of activities its members have taken to enhance the resilience of the U.S. Treasury market.
• IAWG is composed of staff from the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
— CMS 2024 FINAL PAYMENT RULES. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is in the process of finalizing its annual payment rules for calendar year (CY) 2024. TRP's summaries of these rules are hyperlinked below.
• Home Health
• End-Stage Renal Disease
• Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center
— TRP SPECIAL REPORT: END-OF-YEAR HEALTH CARE PRIORITIES. TRP's newest special report provides an extensive overview Congress' key health care priorities through the end of 2023.
WHAT WE'RE READING
The Hill: Senate Votes to Confirm New NIH Leader The Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Monica Bertagnolli as head of the National Institutes of Health, marking the first time in nearly two years that the agency has a confirmed leader. Bertagnolli, a cancer surgeon who for the past year has led the National Cancer Institute, was confirmed in a 62-36 bipartisan vote. The top post at the NIH has been vacant since Francis Collins left the agency in December 2021. Lawrence Tabak has served as acting director since. President Biden tapped Bertagnolli in May, but her nomination was stuck in limbo as Senate Health Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) refused to hold a hearing.
Inside Health Policy: FTC Cracks Down on Orange Book Listings, FDA Signals Support ($) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is challenging more than 100 patents as improperly listed in FDA’s “Orange Book,” a move that could require major drug companies to remove their listings for asthma inhalers, epinephrine autoinjectors and other products and allow for generic competition to come to market unless they can prove they complied with regulations. FDA’s commissioner expressed support for the move, despite indecision among FDA officials over what exactly belongs in the Orange Book.
Inside Health Policy: CBO: Finance Bill’s PFS Cuts Mitigation Would Cost $670M, APM
Bonus Extension $680M ($) More than 50 provider groups -- mostly specialists -- are pushing lawmakers to mitigate the entire 3.4% conversion factor cut laid out in the final 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule -- coming as the Senate Finance Committee prepares to take up a partial mitigation policy that the Congressional Budget Office estimates would cost $670 million over 10 years, as well as a partial extension of the alternative pay model bonus that CBO estimates would cost another $680 million. CMS finalized a 3.4% cut to pay under the physician fee schedule on Thursday (Nov. 2),
Attachment A
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hours after Senate Finance Committee leaders released draft legislation that would mitigate an additional 1.25% of that cut and extend the alternative pay model bonuses beyond 2023, though those bonuses would again be cut in half to 1.75%. The measures are part of a broader health package the committee plans to mark up Wednesday (Nov. 8).
Attachment A
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Staff Report
1025 ESCOBAR STREET
MARTINEZ, CA 94553
File #:23-852 Agenda Date:11/13/2023 Agenda #:5
LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: November 13, 2023
Subject: 2023 Year-End Report and 2024 Preview of State Legislation
Submitted For: Legislation Committee
Department: County Administration
Referral No:
Referral Name: Year-End Reports
Presenter: Michelle Rubalcava and Geoff Neill, Nielsen Merksamer
Contact: L. DeLaney, (925) 655-2057
Referral History:
The Legislation Committee receives year-end reports from the County’s state and federal lobbyists each year.
The Committee also provides input and direction on the County’s legislative priorities and policies for the
upcoming legislative session.
Referral Update:
Attached is the report from Nielsen Merksamer.
In addition to the 2024 Preview provided in the report, the Committee may wish to consider and provide input
on the “Advocacy Priorities” for Contra Costa County in 2024.
The Board’s adopted 2023-24 State Legislative Platform includes the following “Advocacy Priorities”:
ü COVID-19 Economic Recovery that supports the goals of Mental Well-Being, Equity in Action,
Healthy Communities, Intergenerational Thriving, and a Welcoming & Safe Community
ü Climate Change
ü Heath Care, including Mental Health, Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services
ü Housing and Homelessness
ü The Delta/Water and Levees
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
ACCEPT the report and provide direction to staff and the County’s state lobbyists.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Printed on 11/8/2023Page 1 of 1
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2023 Legislative Year in Review and 2024 Preview
Contra Costa CountyA Governor in his second term, a widened supermajority for legislative Democrats, new leadership elections in both houses of the Legislature, and inter- and intra-party scuffles over policy and process all left their mark on California’s policy landscape in 2023. The results? A strengthened Governor, significant wins for labor and housing advocates, and several major changes to policies for local government agencies and the communities they serve. Contra Costa County also sponsored two bills this year to help combat illegal dumping and develop its climate action plan.
Contra Costa’s Sponsored Bills Contra Costa County worked with the Legislature and coalition partners to sponsor two bills this year, AB 592 and SB 511. For AB 592, county staff worked with the Nielsen Merksamer team to develop a proposal that would help combat illegal dumping by giving more regulatory authority over non-franchise solid waste haulers. We approached Assemblymember Lori Wilson with the proposal and she agreed to carry the bill. Over the course of the year, the team negotiated with stakeholders and policy committee chairs and staff to amend the bill to assuage concerns that were raised, and our efforts were rewarded with a bill that passed the Legislature with no ‘no’ votes and was signed by Governor Newsom. As a result, beginning in January 2024 Contra Costa, Alameda, and Solano can run a three-year pilot project to require commercial non-franchise haulers of solid waste to obtain a permit county and display tags when hauling solid waste on public roads in the unincorporated areas of the county. SB 511, authored by Senator Blakespear, was a coalition effort that saw Contra Costa County partnering with CivicWell, a nonprofit formerly called the Local Government Commission. SB 511 would require the California Air Resources Board to provide counties and cities with greenhouse gas emissions inventories, to help them in developing data-informed climate action plans. Despite being provided with actual cost information from local agencies that have previous undertaken these efforts locally, including Contra Costa County, the Air Resources Board estimated doing so would cost $18 million annually. Due to that estimate, the bill was not able to pass the Assembly Appropriations Committee and it is now a 2-year bill. County staff, the Nielsen Merksamer team, and our statewide coalition allies are now evaluating whether to amend the bill to reduce those costs or obtain the GHG inventories some other way.
Governor Newsom’s Bully Pulpit In the first year of Governor Newsom’s second term, he found a way of being Governor on his own terms in ways that are having a profound effect on policymaking in Sacramento. The style is
Attachment A
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influenced both by the long shadow of his predecessor, which dominated the first year-and-a-half of his governorship, and by the executive-centered state response to COVID-19. Governor Newsom has retained elements of the fiscal caution that defined Governor Brown, resisting many of the Legislature’s spending proposals and citing budget concerns in many of his veto messages. According to one analysis, cost was by far the most common reason he cited in this year’s veto messages, accounting for 64 of 156 vetoes, more than twice as many as the number of bills he deemed unnecessary or worried would have unintended consequences, the second- and third-most given reasons. The proportion of bills vetoed was in line with most recent governors at about 14%, but among them were a few high-profile measures that would have given striking workers unemployment (SB 799), expanded the ability for public union sympathy strikes (AB 504), and imposed new healthcare coverage mandates (AB 85 and others). Last year’s record budget surplus was mostly dedicated to one-time and multi-year projects–making it fairly simple to deal with this year’s large deficit by pushing these costs into future years–instead of ongoing spending that must be slashed when revenues don’t meet expectations. (The deficit, for what it’s worth, was caused by the ebbing of the massive surge of tax revenue in 2021-22; state General Fund revenues remain over 40 percent higher than they were as recently as 2019-20.) However, the fiscal projections for the coming fiscal year is murky and there are signs revenues could fail to meet expectations again. Governor Newsom has also become adept at persuading the Legislature to adopt his policy priorities, even outside of the budget process where governors have more ability to shape negotiations, and on short timelines. This year, those extra-budgetary tactics were most notable in his push to streamline CEQA for state infrastructure projects and to ask voters to reform the Mental Health Services Act and related bonds (not to mention assuring MHSA reform would be the only statewide measure on the March primary ballot). Those headline efforts were in addition to his success getting significant funding to transform San Quentin State Prison from death row to a European-style rehabilitation facility, as well as deflecting a number of legislative priorities, such as large cash infusions for transit operations.
Meet the New Boss The Senate and Assembly both elected new leaders this year, though the Senate’s path was notably less lengthy and quarrelsome. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas took control of the gavel after a failed effort last year and a contentious Democratic caucus meeting at the beginning of this year. The final result was an agreement for now former-Speaker Rendon to yield the position at the beginning of July. Few changes were made publicly after the change, but new committee chairs are expected to be announced any day and will presumably reward Speaker Rivas’s closest allies with powerful positions, such as Budget and Appropriations.
Attachment A
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Senate President pro Tempore-elect Mike McGuire, on the other hand, was voted into the position he will take at some point in 2024 will little fanfare, almost no advance public notice, and by all accounts with the full agreement of current pro Tem Toni Atkins. Once that transition takes place, both leadership positions will be held for the first time in memory from members representing largely rural districts. And while it’s not that rare in California’s recent history, the relative youth of California’s Governor (56) and legislative leaders (43 and 44) stand in contrast to many of the leaders in DC.
Behaving with Care As mentioned above, one of the Governor’s main initiatives this year was to reform Prop. 63, the Mental Health Services Act, and to pass $6.38 billion of bonds for mental health facilities and housing for homeless veterans. AB 531, the bond component of that proposal, will be paired with portions of SB 326, the reform component, as a single question on the March primary ballot, Proposition 1. The changes SB 326 makes are deep and wide, and beyond the scope of this memo to detail, but the overall effect is to prioritize care for people with the most serious mental and behavioral health issues, including substance use disorder, and especially when those individuals are homeless. It requires nearly a third of MHSA revenue to be used for direct housing supports, leaving less funding for upstream and prevention measures that have been the focus of the law since voters passed it in 2004. SB 326 also directs more funding to the state, including for behavioral health workforce development, and requires counties to provide more detailed data and behavioral health plans to the state. AB 531 will provide bond funds as follows:
• $1.065 billion of loans or grants for permanent supportive housing for veterans or their households who are homeless, chronically homeless, or are at risk of homelessness.
• $922 million of loans or grants for permanent supportive housing for persons who are homeless, chronically homeless, or are at risk of homelessness, and who are living with a behavioral health challenge.
• $1.5 billion of grants to counties, cities, and tribal entities ($30 million) to expand capacity for short-term crisis stabilization, acute and subacute care, crisis residential, community-based mental health residential, substance use disorder residential, peer respite, community and outpatient behavioral health services, and other clinically enriched longer term treatment and rehabilitation options for persons with behavioral health disorders.
• Up to $2.893 billion of grants for the same purposes in the preceding bullet point, but without the restriction that they be awarded to counties, cities, and tribal entities. These changes come amid a quickly changing landscape for mental and behavioral health care in California. A sharp rise in the need for services among many subpopulations, a decline in the
Attachment A
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number of providers, implementation of CARE Courts, and passage of SB 43 (discussed below) are causing an overall reevaluation in services.
Labor’s Labors Despite the vetoes mentioned above, 2023 was a banner year for labor unions, and it’s hard to see how next year will be any different. Bolstered by both national attention in the wake of COVID disruptions and high inflation, as well as by an increased Democratic supermajority in both the Senate and Assembly, labor interests were able to notch several significant wins, including:
• SB 525, increasing the minimum wage for workers at health facilities.
• SB 616, increasing guaranteed sick leave to �ive days.
• AB 1, allowing legislative staff to unionize.
• AB 1228, increasing the minimum wage for fast food workers.
• AB 1484, giving temporary public agency workers union bene�its.
YIMBY’s Homeruns Following on landmark wins in previous legislative sessions, housing advocates had another successful year advancing their agenda in 2023. In addition to many others, some of their notable wins include SB 4, allowing religious institutions and non-profit colleges to build affordable housing on their land despite any zoning to the contrary, and SB 423, expanding and extending by-right affordable and market-rate multifamily housing projects pursuant to SB 35, including in the coastal zone.
The State’s Local Priorities Of course, housing and labor relations are not the only local policy areas the Legislature has opinions about. This year saw new mandates relating to local agency websites (AB 1637, requiring transitions to ‘.gov’ or ‘.ca.gov’ by 2029) and AB 764, making various changes to the local redistricting process. Also, while not explicitly a mandate, SB 43 expands the definition of ‘gravely disabled’ for purposes of conservatorships, likely increasing the use of that last-resort practice. See the accompanying list of bills for more bills of interest to local agencies.
Permission Granted From time to time, the Legislature also grants local agencies operational flexibilities or funding. Some of this year’s highlights include:
• ACA 1 (if approved by voters), reducing the vote threshold for local agency bonds, sales tax, and parcel tax measures to fund public infrastructure, affordable housing, and permanent supportive housing from 2/3 to 55%.
• AB 112, creating the Distressed Hospital Loan Program.
• AB 400, extending through 2030 the authorization to use design-build contracting.
• AB 557, extending the Brown Act’s slightly more permissive teleconferencing provisions during emergencies through 2025, and extending the frequency for �inding it necessary from 30 days to 45.
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• SB 706, allowing local agencies to use progressive design-build contracting for up to 10 public works over $5 million through 2029.
Maybe Later Most bills do not pass. Some are never heard in policy committee, many fail to pass the appropriations committee in one house or the other, and others simply do not get enough votes. The policy local agencies ask about the most, remote participation flexibility for public meetings, continues to face a rocky path in the Legislature. Other notable policy topics where notable bills failed to pass, sometimes after intense debate, include home insurance reform, stiffer penalties for fentanyl offenses, broader use of local independent redistricting commissions (AB 1248), EMS restructuring (AB 1168), foster youth with complex needs (SB 408) and benefits (AB 1512), permanent funding for homelessness programs (AB 799 and AB 1656), and IHSS statewide bargaining (AB 1672). Look for many of these proposals to be revived in the coming year.
Predicting the Future Death and taxes, beyond that it’s all guesswork. But several themes and issues are worth watching for going into 2024. The Legislature itself will undergo massive changes. Speaker Rivas will oversee his first full year as Speaker and pro Tem-elect McGuire will transition into his new role sometime during the session. How will their views, their districts, and their leaderships styles affect the Legislature’s work and the body’s interactions with the Governor? 2024 being an election year will affect the Legislature in several ways. Members will be attuned to their reelection, for those that are eligible, possibly making some controversial policies more difficult to pass. Leadership might be reluctant to take up issues that make keeping close seats less likely, while Republicans will be eager to force action on exactly those issues. Some members are running for Congress or local office, while a near-record number are termed out, perhaps eager to cement their legacies. The IRS has also thrown an additional wrench into the state’s already complicated and contentious budget process by repeatedly delaying the personal and corporate income tax filing deadline. Taxes that would normally have been due as long ago as mid-April are now due mid-November, depriving the state not only of cashflow but of information necessary to predict funding for both the current and subsequent fiscal years. Another election year consideration will be campaigning for or against ballot measures, including the MHSA reform and bond in March. For the citizen initiatives eligible for the November ballot, the Legislature has an opportunity to negotiate with the proponents to replace the measure with
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something similar, or pull it off the ballot entirely. Local agencies will be particularly eager to see if any negotiations take place regarding the Government Transparency Act, which would be an extraordinary expansion of the Public Records Act, and the initiative that would make state and local taxes and fees more difficult to pass. Many expect the Legislature to place at least one and as many as four bonds on the November ballot. Among the top contenders for bond funding are natural resources (including water resilience), climate change (including wildfire preparation and mitigation), housing, and schools. Current data indicates that the long-anticipated recession might be avoided, but voters’ appetite for borrowing is an open question, and several local agencies and regions have bond plans of their own, many for the same uses listed above. What will the Governor’s priorities be, and will they line up with the Legislature’s? Labor and YIMBY interests are unlikely to rest on their laurels after their banner year, unless they’re distracted by ballot measure fights. Fire insurance, to opportunities and dangers of artificial intelligence, more housing mandates, homelessness, substance use treatment, water access, wildfires, single-payer healthcare, gas prices, climate action, limits on social media, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance are all teed-up to be 2024’s issue of the year, but often the biggest issues arise in response to changing circumstances. Those circumstances might be changed by an act of God, a Supreme Court ruling, a presidential campaign, or international events, and the only way to find out is to wait and see.
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End-of-Session Bill Report
Behavioral Health
SB 43 – Eggman (D) - SIGNED Topic: Conservatorship expansion Summary: Expands the definition of "gravely disabled" and the hearsay definition.
SB 326 – Eggman (D) – SIGNED Topic: MHSA reform Summary: Makes significant changes to the Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63), many of which required voter approval. Among many other things, this measure prioritizes services for the most challenging cases instead of prevention, requires counties to spend a quarter to a third of revenues on housing supports, and reduces local reserve levels.
AB 531 – Irwin (D) – SIGNED Topic: Behavioral health facility bond Summary: If approved by voters along with SB 326, authorizes $6.38 billion of bonds for permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals who are veterans or who have behavioral health challenges, and for a variety of behavioral health facilities, including unlocked and acute.
SB 363 – Eggman (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Database for mental health and SUD facilities Summary: Would have required creation of a real-time, internet-based database for information about available for chemical dependency recovery, acute psychiatric, and mental health rehabilitation beds.
SB 717 – Stern (D) - SIGNED Topic: Court notifications for ISTs Summary: Originally would have required counties to prioritize behavioral health treatment for those found incompetent to stand trial. As passed, does very little.
Broadband / IT
AB 414 – Reyes (D) – SIGNED Topic: Digital Equity Bill of Rights Summary: Establishes a digital equity bill of rights, stating that it is the principal of the state that all residents shall have access to broad that is sufficient and reliable, fast, ubiquitous, and affordable, among other things.
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AB 415 – Rodriguez (D) – Not heard in Appropriations Topic: Emergency Fairgrounds Communications Grant Act Summary: Would have established a grant program to build and upgrade internet service on fairgrounds
Elections / Redistricting
AB 764 – Bryan (D) – SIGNED Topic: Redistricting Summary: Makes various changes to the FAIR MAPS Act, governing the local redistricting process, including timelines and meeting and record requirements.
AB 1248 – Bryan (D) – VETOED Topic: Local independent redistricting Summary: Would have required counties and cities over 300,000 residents (and school districts over 500,000) to establish independent redistricting commissions.
SB 532 – Wiener (D) – Not heard in Appropriations Topic: Previously, ballot labels for local taxes Summary: Before being amended to deal with bridge tolls, would have made ballot labels for local bonds and parcel taxes simpler.
SB 798 – Glazer (D) – SIGNED Topic: Local bond measures Summary: Requires the ballot statement for local bonds to provide the estimated tax rate to be expressed as the rate per $100,000 of assessed value, instead of the rate per $100.
Environment / Climate
AB 30 – Ward (D) – SIGNED
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Atmospheric river research and reservoirs Summary: Requires DWR to develop and implement new forecasting methods to improve predictions of atmospheric rivers and their impacts on water supply, flooding, and debris flows, and use that information to operate reservoirs and improve flood protection.
AB 50 – Wood (D) – SIGNED Topic: Timely electrical connections Summary: Requires the CPUC to establish criteria for timely service for electric customers to be energized and requires certain related data to be reported.
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AB 592 – Wilson (D) – SIGNED
Contra Costa position: Sponsor Topic: Illegal dumping Summary: Allows Contra Costa, Alameda, and Solano Counties to regulate the transport of solid waste by commercial nonfranchise waste haulers until January 1, 2028.
AB 1238 – Ward (D) – Not heard in the Senate
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Solar panel lifecycle Summary: Would have required standards for the safe collection, reuse, and recycling of photovoltaic modules.
AB 1423 – Schiavo (D) – VETOED Topic: Synthetic turf Summary: Would have prohibited public agencies from installing a covered surface, such as synthetic turf, containing PFAS.
AB 1548 – Hart (D) – SIGNED Topic: Grants for organics diversion and recycling programs Summary: Expands an existing grant program to include financial assistance for publicly owned facilities to increase reuse, diversion, and recovery equipment and operations.
SB 272 – Laird (D) - SIGNED
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Sea level rise planning Summary: Requires local governments in the coastal zone to develop a sea level rise plan by 2034, and gives those with a plan priority access to related state funding.
SB 410 – Becker (D) – SIGNED
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Timely energization Summary: Requires the CPUC to establish reasonable average and maximum target energization time periods and required electrical corporations to take remdial actions to meet them, along with related reporting requirements.
SB 511 – Blakespear (D) – Held in Assembly Appropriations
Contra Costa position: Co-Sponsor Topic: GHG inventories Summary: Would have required CARB to report on greenhouse gas emissions inventories for local governments that requested it.
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SB 676 – Allen (D) – SIGNED Topic: Synthetic turf Summary: Allows local ordinances to ban synthetic turf, but prohibits them from imposing restrictions on other types of drought-tolerant landscaping.
Government
AB 240 – Kalra (D) – Not heard in committee
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Pet food tax for spay-neuter Summary: Would have imposed a tax on pet food labels to fund local spay-neuter efforts.
AB 452 – Addis (D) – SIGNED Topic: Statute of limitations extension for childhood sexual assault Summary: Eliminates the statute of limitations for recovery of damages suffered because of childhood sexual assault, but only where the assault occurs in 2024 or after.
AB 557 – Hart (D) - SIGNED Topic: Brown Act teleconferencing Summary: Extends the more permissive teleconferencing provisions during emergencies through 2025, and extends the frequency for finding it necessary from 30 days to 45.
AB 595 – Essayli (R) – Held in Appropriations Topic: 72-hour notice of euthanasia for animal shelters Summary: Would have required all animal shelters to provide notice online at least 72 hours before euthanizing an adoptable dog or cat.
AB 817 – Pacheco (D) – Not heard in committee
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Brown Act teleconferencing Summary: Would have allowed easier remote participation for advisory body members.
AB 972 – Maienschein (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Grants to local agencies Summary: Would have created a workgroup to study centralizing local assistance and developing a coordinated system to manage state and federal funding to deliver the maximum number of projects.
AB 1077 – Jackson (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: State and county antiracism audits Summary: Would have required the State Controller to conduct antiracism audits of each state agency and county every five years.
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AB 1637 – Irwin (D) – SIGNED Topic: .gov websites Summary: Requires all local agencies to transition to .gov or .ca.gov website and email addresses by 2029.
SB 769 – Gonzalez (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Local Government: Fiscal and Financial Training Summary: Requires, if a local agency provides any type of compensation, salary, or stipend to a member of a legislative body, or provides reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred by a member of a legislative body in the performance of official duties, all local agency officials, as defined, to receive at least two hours of fiscal and financial training, as described. Requires the training to be received at least once every two years, as provided.
SB 790 – Padilla (D) – SIGNED Topic: Contracts are public records Summary: Declares that all contracts for the purchase of goods or services by a state or local agency, including the price and terms of payment, is a public record.
Health / Human Services
AB 40 – Rodriguez (D) – SIGNED Topic: EMS wall time Summary: Requires local EMS agencies to establish standards for hospitals to accept ambulance patients within 30 minutes 90% of the time, and requires acute care hospitals to develop ambulance offload time reduction protocols.
AB 70 – Rodriguez (D) – SIGNED Topic: Trauma kits Summary: Applies the requirement to place at least 6 trauma kits on the premises of large new buildings to large buildings that are renovated or are tenant improved for assembly.
AB 482 – Wilson (D) – Not heard in committee
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Air ambulance Summary: Would have provided $8 million to augment Medi-Cal reimursement for emergency medical air transportation.
AB 540 – Wicks (D) – Not heard in committee
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Social service transportation Summary: Would increase fees by $10 per vehicle to fund accessible transportation services for seniors and disabled persons.
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AB 1057 – Weber (D) – VETOED
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Home visits Summary: Would have created, but not funded, a home visit program to support pregnant people and parents with young children in disadvantaged communities.
AB 1168 – Bennett (D) – Held on Senate Floor
Contra Costa position: Oppose Topic: Local EMS authority Summary: Would have allowed the City of Oxnard to exit its local prehospital EMS JPA and profide or contract for those services directly.
AB 1325 – Waldron (R) – SIGNED Topic: Microenterprise home kitchens Summary: Increases the number of meals (from 60 to 90) and sales revenue (from $50,000 to $100,000) allowable for a microenterprise home kitchen operation.
AB 1512 – Bryan (D) – VETOED Topic: Foster care payments Summary: Would have prohibited a placing agency from using a child’s benefits to pay for or reimburse the agency’s costs of the child’s care and supervision.
SB 287 – Skinner (D) – Held on Senate Floor
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Social media and children Summary: Would have prhibited social media platforms from using features that cause child users to purchase drugs, inflict harm, develop eating disorders, commit suicide, becoming addicted to the platform, or purchase a gun.
SB 408 – Ashby (D) – Not heard in Assembly Appropriations
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Foster youth with complex needs Summary: Would have established up to 10 regional health teams to provide person-centered care to foster youth and adult caregivers with severe mental illness, SUD, developmental disabilities, or similar conditions.
Homelessness
AB 364 – Bryan (D) – Held in committee Topic: Street furniture data inventory Summary: Would have required Caltrans to develop guidelines for documentation and data sharing of street furniture data (bus shelters, trash cans, benches, toilets, etc.).
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AB 799 – Rivas (D) – Held on Senate Floor Topic: Previously, HHAP funding accountability Summary: In its previous version, would have made HHAP ongoing, required regional homelessness action plans, and changed allowable uses for the funds. After the budget passed, amended to require a statewide plan to solve homelessness by 2035.
AB 1656 – Wicks (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: Homelessness funding Summary: Stated the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to establish an ongoing funding source to address the state's homelessness crisis.
SB 91 – Umberg (D) – SIGNED Topic: CEQA exemption for motel conversions Summary: Indefinitely extends the CEQA exemption for converting motels to supportive or transitional housing.
SB 491 – Durazo (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Public mail for homeless Summary: Would have required counties to give residents without a permanent mailing address have a place to receive and pick up their government-related mail.
SB 742 – Atkins (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: Reporting on results of housing funding Summary: Would have required state agencies that fund anti-homelessness housing programs to report outcome data to the state, and authorized them to ask local agencies for that information, if the funding went to locals.
Housing
AB 510 – Jackson (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: Local land trusts Summary: In its original version, would have required cities and counties to establish a local land trust and hold at least 5% of the total land in the jurisdiction in fee simple, and to develop it for housing of all types, mental health facilities, and daycare facilities.
AB 519 – Schiavo (D) – SIGNED Topic: Streamlining affordable housing applications and review Summary: Creates a workgroup to create a consolidated application for affordable housing developers to use for state housing funding programs and a coordinated review process for the application.
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AB 1630 – Garcia E (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: Student housing projects Summary: Would have required local agencies to classify student and faculty housing as a permitted use everywhere within 1,000 feet of a university campus.
AB 1657 – Wicks (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Affordable housing bond Summary: If approved by voters, would have authorized a $10 billion bond for affordable housing.
SB 4 – Wiener (D) – SIGNED Topic: Housing on church and nonprofit college land Summary: Requires affordable housing projects to be a use by right on any land owned by an nonprofit, nonpublic college or university or a religious institution.
SB 7 – Blakespear (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Obligation to provide housing Summary: Would have required “homeless” to be included for RHNA plans and would require counties and cities to provide housing opportunits for all homeless individuals.
SB 423 – Wiener (D) – SIGNED Topic: Streamlined approval for multi-family housing Summary: Extends and expands by-right approval of both affordable and market-rate multifamily housing projects pursuant to SB 35.
Justice / Safety
AB 78 – Ward (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Grand juries Summary: Would have increased pay for grand jurors to 70% of the county median daily income for each day's attendance and required the presiding judge to add 10 members increase demographic diversity.
AB 505 – Ting (D) – SIGNED
Contra Costa position: Oppose Topic: Local juvenile justice facilities Summary: Increases oversight of, and risk of litigation concerning, local juvenile justice facilities.
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AB 742 – Jackson (D) – Held on Assembly Floor Topic: Use of police canines Summary: Would have prohibited the use of unleased police canines to apprehend a person (with exceptions), to bite, or as crowd control, and would have attributed death or serious injury to the canine’s handler.
AB 763 – Davies (R) – Not heard in committee Topic: Placement of sexually violent predators Summary: Would have prohibited the placement of a sexually violent predator within 1/4 mile of a home school.
AB 862 – Bauer-Kahan (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Recidivism reports Summary: Would have required sheriffs to report to BSCC the educational, rehabilitative, and exercise opportunities they provide, the number of participants, cost, and success rates in reducing recidivism.
AB 958 – Santiago (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: Felon visitation Summary: Would have declared personal visits by intimate partners and family members as a civil right for people convicted of felonies and housed in state prison or county jail.
AB 1090 – Jones-Sawyer (D) – Held in committee Topic: Removing sheriffs Summary: Would have allowed the board of supervisors to remove a sheriff from office for cause (as defined) by a 4/5 vote.
AB 1207 – Irwin (D) – VETOED Topic: Cannabis labeling Summary: Would have prohibited the sale of cannabis products and labels that are attractive to children.
SB 51 – Bradford (D) – SIGNED Topic: Cannabis equity applicants Summary: Authorizes the Department of Cannabis Control to issue provisional licenses to local equity applicants for retailer activities.
SB 402 – Wahab (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: Limiting police response Summary: Would have required 911 operators to dispatch fire, EMS, mental health professional, etc. for calls relating to mental health or homelessness, instead of police.
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SB 519 – Atkins (D) – SIGNED Topic: Local in-custody deaths Summary: Makes records related to investigations into local jail deaths public, and expands BSCC’s mission to promote safe conditions for jail inmates and staff, including a new Director of In-Custody Death Review with related investigatory powers.
Labor
AB 504 – Reyes (D) – VETOED Topic: Sympathy strikes for public employees Summary: Would have allowed public employees to refuse to work on the site of a strike without discipline and prohibited public employers from directing them to do so, with limited exceptions, such as fire department employees.
AB 1156 – Bonta M (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: Hospital employees workers' compensation Summary: Would have created a rebuttable presumption for acute-care hospital employees for infectious diseases, cancer, muloskeletal injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and respiratory diseases, including COVID.
AB 1457 – Ortega (D) – SIGNED Topic: Eligibility workers Summary: Adds the California Food Assistance Program, Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, IHSS, and Adult Protective Services to the list of programs where eligibility work must be done by a merit or civil service employee of the county.
AB 1484 – Zbur (D) – SIGNED Topic: Temporary public employees Summary: Requires public employers to include temporary employees in unions representing employees who perform similar work, promptly bargain employement conditions for newly added temporary employees if not in the MOU, and provide them with information about their wages, benefits, and anticipated length of employment.
AB 1672 – Haney (D) – Not heard in the Senate Topic: IHSS state-level bargaining Summary: Would have established state-level collective bargaining for IHSS workers.
SB 525 – Durazo (D) – SIGNED Topic: $25 minimum wage for workers at health facilities Summary: Provides a path to a $25 minimum wage for all workers at health facilities over the next few years depending on factors such as the type of facility, its location, and share of Medi-Cal patients.
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SB 799 – Portantino (D) – VETOED Topic: Unemployment for striking workers Summary: Would have provided unemployment benefits for striking workers after two weeks.
Revenues
ACA 1 – Aguiar-Curry (D) – Passed Topic: Vote thresholds for local housing and infrastructure taxes and bonds Summary: If approved by voters, will reduce the vote threshold for local agency bonds, sales tax, and parcel tax measures to fund public infrastructure, affordable housing, and permanenet supportive housing from 2/3 to 55%.
ACA 13 – Ward (D) – Passed Topic: Vote thresholds for initiatives Summary: If approved by voters, will require initiatives that increase vote thresholds for ballot measures to pass by that same increased threshold.
Social Services
AB 448 – Carrillo J (D) – VETOED Topic: Family finding Summary: Would have strengthened requirements for social workers and probation officers to find family members of children removed from the custody of their parents.
AB 1387 – Ting (D) – Held in Appropriations Topic: IHSS provider outreach grants Summary: Would have created a grant program to educate and encourage immigrants to become IHSS providers.
SB 9 – Cortese (D) – Not heard in Appropriations Topic: Extending foster care for homelessness Summary: Would have created a pilot program to extend foster care from age 21 to 22 for nonminor dependents who are or at risk of becoming homeless.
SB 47 – Roth (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: Child abuse investigations Summary: Would have required immediate investigations when county welfare departments receive reports of child endangerment.
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Transportation / Public Works
AB 400 – Rubio (D) – SIGNED
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Design-build contracting extension Summary: Extends the authorization for local agencies to use design-build contracting by six years, to January 1, 2031.
SB 706 – Caballero (D) – SIGNED
Contra Costa position: Support Topic: Progressive design-build contracting authorization Summary: Authorizes local agencies to use progressive design-build contracting for up to 10 public works over $5 million through 2029.
SB 751 – Padilla (D) – VETOED Topic: Franchise agreements and strikes Summary: Would have prohibited new franchise agreements for solid waste handling services from including a force majeure provision in the event of a work stoppage.
Wildfires / Emergencies
AB 1108 – Calderon (D) – Not heard in committee Topic: County Emergency Plans Summary: Would have required counties to review and update their emergency plans every 2 years.
AB 1554 – Patterson J (R) – Not heard in committee Topic: CEQA exemption for fuel reduction projects Summary: Would have expressly exempted from CEQA projects to reduce fuels in areas within moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones.
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