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DATE: |
December 10, 2024 |
37 |
SUBJECT
Title
2025 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
In accordance with Board of Supervisors Policy, each year the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) adopts a Legislative Program containing statements and guidance that allows the County, through the Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs (EDGA), to take positions and advocate quickly in response to state and federal legislation that impacts the County or is of interest to the Board. The Legislative Program contains state and federal legislative proposals, legislative priorities, and policy guidelines for the upcoming calendar year.
Today’s action is a request for approval of the 2025 Legislative Program, which provides direction to EDGA staff and to the County of San Diego’s Sacramento and Washington, D.C. advocates.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Adopt the proposed 2025 Legislative Program (Attachment A, on file with the Clerk of the Board) by taking the following actions:
a. Authorize staff to seek the legislative proposals summarized in the Sponsorship Proposals section of the 2025 Legislative Program.
b. Authorize staff to pursue and respond to state and federal legislative efforts as detailed in the Priority Issues section of the 2025 Legislative Program.
c. Authorize staff to advocate as directed in the Policy Guidelines section of the 2025 Legislative Program.
2. Receive the 2024 Advocacy Report (Attachment B, on file with the Clerk of the Board).
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Authority to proactively advocate for legislation that ensures equity, transparency, and access for all residents is a central component of the 2025 Legislative Program. By advancing these efforts through legislative advocacy at the state and federal levels, we are pursuing policy change and financial resources for programs and services that benefit and uplift the residents we serve.
The 2025 Legislative Program reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of all the clients, customers, and constituents we serve in our region. The community was invited to comment and share feedback on the Legislative Program through a public comment period stretching from August 1 to October 6, 2024. The County received comments from 70 individuals and community organizations in total, which came from the Engage San Diego platform, email, social media, and a virtual community forum EDGA hosted on October 2. People from across the San Diego region offered feedback on the 2025 Legislative Program-nearly 39 percent of respondents lived in various parts of North County, followed by 26 percent in East County, nearly 23 percent in Central San Diego, and 13 percent in South County. In addition to individual feedback, the County received valuable input from community organizations such as the Downtown San Diego Partnership, the Children First Collective, San Diego for Every Child, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Among the top issues mentioned were homelessness, affordable housing, climate change and the environment, public safety, and behavioral health. Notably, the 2025 Legislative Program incorporates updates reflecting many of these top issues.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Today’s proposed adoption of the 2025 Legislative Program supports many of the County of San Diego’s Sustainability Goals, including: engaging the community; providing just and equitable access; transitioning to a green, carbon-free economy; and protecting the health and wellbeing of everyone in the region by providing staff in EDGA, as well as the County’s Sacramento and Washington, D.C. advocates, guidance on advocacy efforts on behalf of the County at the state and federal levels.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with these recommendations. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
Per Board Policies M-1, Legislative Proposals - Sponsored by the Board of Supervisors, and
M-2, Legislative Policy: Legislative Advocacy, the Legislative Program provides policy direction to the County of San Diego (County) Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs (EDGA) staff and to the County’s Sacramento and Washington, D.C. advocates for legislative priorities on the County’s behalf. This direction allows timely input regarding legislation and issues that may impact the County and is of interest to the Board of Supervisors (Board).
The Legislative Program consists of the following three components:
• Sponsorship Proposals - Policy issues for which the County will be seeking a legislator to author a bill on our behalf.
• Priority Issues - Individual issues the Board has identified as being the highest priority for the year.
• Policy Guidelines - Specific, standing policy statements that give EDGA the authority and guidance to proactively respond to bills that are introduced by legislators.
Sponsorship Proposals
Each legislative year, the County sponsors legislation that will have a significant impact on operations. EDGA coordinates with departments to propose sponsorship legislation to the Board. EDGA works with the County’s Sacramento and Washington, D.C. advocates to seek members of the California State Legislature or the United States Congress to author legislative proposals.
Today’s action recommends County sponsorship of four state and federal sponsorship proposals related to health and human services and wildfire preparedness. Two state sponsorship proposals seek to improve dental care access for vulnerable populations and create a regionwide street health initiative. Two additional federal proposals seek changes in federal law that would provide tax exemptions for home hardening efforts and provide flexibility for mobile pharmacies.
Priority Issues
The Legislative Program includes information regarding the Board’s Priority Issues. These are subject areas that the Board has determined are top priority policy areas to focus on in the coming year. EDGA will seek both legislative and budgetary opportunities to support these issue areas.
Proposed changes to the Priority Issues include the addition of new sections devoted to the Tijuana River Valley and Insurance Accessibility and Affordability, as well as updated language related to the implementation of Proposition 1, data infrastructure, nutrition security, and reproductive health.
Policy Guidelines
There are a number of proposals of interest to the County that may be introduced or sponsored by legislators in Sacramento or Washington, D.C. or by other interest groups and associations. The Policy Guidelines authorize EDGA staff to work with other interested parties if legislation on these policy issues is introduced by someone else.
Proposed changes to the Policy Guidelines include updated language and new statements that address disaster response, broadband internet access, housing development, substance use disorder treatment, stormwater infrastructure, community-wide access to arts and culture, safe smartphone and social media use for youth, support for families and children, and protection of fundamental rights for all Californians.
2024 Advocacy Outcomes
Reflecting the importance of data as an indicator of our efforts to reflect County values in state and federal legislation, today’s action receives the 2024 Advocacy Report. The 2024 Advocacy Report highlights the work EDGA has accomplished throughout the legislative year and the community impacts of that work. In 2024, EDGA took formal positions on 67 bills, including 41 state bills and 26 federal bills. Of these bills, many were signed into law, including all four County-sponsored proposals:
• State Assembly Bill 2429 (Alvarez) - Adds information about the dangers of fentanyl to health education in California public schools.
• State Assembly Bill 2871 (Maienschein) - Allows counties to establish inter-agency Overdose Fatality Review Teams to review data surrounding overdose deaths and collaborate to prevent future overdose deaths.
• State Senate Bill 946 (McGuire) - Provides a tax exemption for home hardening efforts by excluding wildfire loss mitigation payments from a household’s gross annual income.
• State Senate Bill 1257 (Blakespear) - Makes a change in state law to better align the Healthy San Diego Joint Advisory Committee to achieve CalAIM goals.
EDGA advocated for legislation through the authority granted in the Legislative Program. Within the Legislative Program, statements related to Equity and Justice, Ensuring Safe Communities, Climate Change and the Environment, and Behavioral Health were the sections most referenced when advocating for legislation, which aligns with the County’s priorities for 2025.
Outside of the annual Legislative Program review drafting process undertaken by EDGA, the Board of Supervisors may add statements to the Legislative Program throughout the year. Since 2021, the Board has added a total of 19 statements to the Legislative Program. District Three added seven statements, District Four added six statements, Districts One and Two added five statements each, and District Five added three statements.
In addition to our legislative efforts, EDGA actively advocated on priorities and issues in the state and federal budgets. The County sent three advocacy letters on priority issues for the state budget and one letter advocating on the federal budget. Furthermore, EDGA submitted federal earmark requests totaling approximately $27 million for projects including affordable housing, roadway safety, mobile libraries, and infrastructure in the Tijuana River Valley.
Today’s action is a request for approval of the 2025 Legislative Program, which provides direction to the EDGA staff and the County of San Diego’s Sacramento and Washington, D.C. advocates. In addition, today’s action receives the 2024 Advocacy Report with advocacy highlights from the 2024 Legislative Program.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed action supports the Sustainability, Equity, Empower, Community, and Justice Strategic Initiatives in the County of San Diego’s 2024-2029 Strategic Plan by providing staff in EDGA, as well as the County’s Sacramento and Washington, D.C. advocates, guidance on advocacy efforts on behalf of the County at the state and federal levels. These advocacy efforts include seeking funding to sustain important programs or more flexibility in the delivery of services to the residents of this region.
Respectfully submitted,
ebony n. shelton
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - 2025 Legislative Program
Attachment B - 2024 Advocacy Report