Special Notice / Hearing: None
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Connie Juarez-Diroll, Chief Legislative Officer
Subject: 2023 Legislative Session Program
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution approving the San Mateo County 2023 Legislative Session Program.
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BACKGROUND:
The 2023 Legislative Session Program for San Mateo County details state and federal legislative priorities for the County in the new legislative sessions. In combination with standing positions and policies taken by your Board, these priorities guide the County’s legislative advocacy efforts. The County Executive’s Office develops the County’s Legislative Session Program with direction from your Board and in collaboration with County departments, the County Executive, the County’s state associations, our state and federal legislative advocates, and community partners.
The County’s Legislative Coordination and Advocacy Policy, approved by the Board on June 4, 2019, sets out the County’s processes for conveying official Board positions and coordination of actions between the Board of Supervisors, County Executive’s Office, County departments/agencies and the County’s legislative advocates in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
DISCUSSION:
In 2023, the County’s state advocacy will be focused on: 1) actively seeking state support for ongoing services to be provided at the new Navigation Center and supporting proposals that advance its efforts to combat homelessness, including additional funding for homeless prevention services and funding specifically dedicated to permanent housing and supportive/wrap-around services to help the unhoused achieve more permanent housing solutions; 2) advocating for laws, policies, and funding to help persons with serious mental illness and addictions receive voluntary and involuntary treatment, supportive services, and housing; 3) engaging in stakeholder discussions on clean-up legislation to SB 1338 (the CARE Act), and supporting adequate, flexible, and sustained funding for long-term, statewide implementation of the CARE Act framework; 4) seeking $32.8M in FY 21-22 in-lieu Vehicle License Fee (VLF) shortfall funding due to the County and its 20 cities via the state budget process; 5) supporting legislative efforts to allow counties to design local rules regarding the safe and efficient use of remote meeting options by elected and appointed officials, including members of our County’s 30+ Boards and Commissions to promote increased participation, reduce travel barriers, and increase equity and inclusion; 6) supporting increased investments to aid the County workforce and policies that can help the County more effectively recruit, hire, and retain qualified and talented workforces; 7) continuing to advocate for flexible funding at the local level to help prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and build for climate readiness; and 8) advocating for state and federal policies and funding that provide essential, needed services to the farmworker community, including expanded funding and streamlined requirements for the development of farmworker housing on the coast, increased mental health support, and improved working conditions and protections.
At the federal level, 2023 advocacy efforts will be focused on: 1) continuing to support advancing infrastructure investments, including new funding that was made available by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58) and the Inflation Reduction Act (Public Law 117-169) and working with the State’s congressional delegation to pursue additional investments and reforms to various disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response programs; 2) supporting additional investments in federal housing programs and administrative flexibility to effectively manage programs that offer housing assistance to residents with limited means; 3) continuing to support and preserve essential county-administered safety net programs as federal lawmakers consider the possibility of a wide-ranging budget and debt-ceiling package; 4) supporting federal policies that incentivize private investment in broadband infrastructure in historically underserved and rural areas and utilizing innovative short-term and long-term strategies to provide free or low-cost high speed internet and related devices to disadvantaged communities; and 5) continuing to support immigration reforms that offer lawful immigration status, and increased visa opportunities for farmworkers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries.
The proposed 2023 County Legislative Program includes major and minor revisions to last year’s program's standing policies. All policy revisions are redlined in the attached version of the Legislative Program. The significant changes include:
• The creation of a new chapter titled “Firearms Safety,” which includes policy statements supportive of state funding and legislation to curb gun violence in our state further.
• The addition of a new chapter titled “Reproductive Rights,” which reflects the policies outlined in the County’s “Women’s Reproductive Freedom and Healthcare Privacy Advocacy Agenda” passed on August 2, 2022.
• The creation of a new chapter titled “General Government,” which includes policy statements on broad, county-wide issues, such as the Ralph M. Brown Act and the California Public Records Act.
• Substantial revisions to “Climate Change and Sustainability” to clarify the County’s policies on reducing greenhouse gases, waste management, Community Choice Aggregation programs, and more.
• The creation of a new chapter titled “Homelessness,” which enumerates the County’s policies related to combatting the homelessness crisis and reflects collaborative, interdepartmental efforts to address homelessness.
• The creation of a new “Planning and Building” chapter outlining the County’s policies related to planning, zoning, land management, and more.
• The creation of a new “Probation” chapter, separating policies from the “Public Safety and Justice” chapter and adding additional policies specific to the work of the Probation Department.
• The creation of a new “Treasurer-Tax Collector” chapter, adding policies specific to the work of the County’s Treasurer-Tax Collector.
• The addition of relevant information to the background section of the Legislative Program, including information on our state and federal delegations, the County’s profile, and the County’s values around resident experience and equity.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Unknown.