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DATE: |
December 9, 2025 |
29 |
SUBJECT
Title
2026 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 allow the County of San Diego (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 2026 Legislative Program, which provides direction to EDGA staff and to the County’s Sacramento and Washington, D.C. advocates. Additionally, today’s action requests that the Board receive the 2025 Advocacy Report.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Adopt the proposed 2026 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 2026 Legislative Program.
b. Authorize staff to pursue and respond to state and federal legislative efforts as detailed in the Priority Issues section of the 2026 Legislative Program.
c. Authorize staff to advocate as directed in the Policy Guidelines section of the 2026 Legislative Program.
2. Receive the 2025 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 2026 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 2026 Legislative Program reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of 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 4 to September 5, 2025. To bolster community engagement efforts this year, EDGA focused on accessibility and outreach, working to simplify and utilize plain language in our outreach materials and collaborating with other County departments, work groups, and Employee Resource Groups to disseminate materials and information.
Community members were able to submit feedback via the Engage San Diego platform, email, social media, and during the virtual community forum EDGA hosted on August 27. The County recorded 189 comments from individuals and community organizations through these various outlets, which is 2.7 times as many responses as we received in 2024. This strategy also resulted in a higher proportion of these comments representing relevant, informed feedback relative to the previous year. People from across the San Diego region offered feedback on the 2026 Legislative Program; of the 124 commenters who shared their zip code, half represented various parts of North County, followed by nearly 24 percent in Central San Diego, nearly 20 percent in East County, and over seven percent in South County. In addition to individual feedback, the County received valuable input from community organizations such as the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, 211 San Diego, the Children First Collective of San Diego, and SanDiego350. Among the top issues mentioned were affordable housing, climate change and the environment, ensuring safe communities, behavioral health, equity and justice, and the Tijuana River Valley pollution crisis. Notably, the 2026 Legislative Program incorporates updates reflecting many of these top issues.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Today’s proposed adoption of the 2026 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 six state and federal sponsorship proposals. Three state sponsorship proposals aim to make the following changes to state law: allow more types of affordable housing to count toward state housing reporting targets, by updating the State’s definition of a “housing unit”; exempt ambulances from an unenforceable component of state law requiring that private ambulances carry a spare wheel, freeing up space for essential medicines and equipment; and expedite the disbursement of state bond funding for projects in the Tijuana River Valley by exempting the funds from a lengthy rulemaking process and allow regional stakeholders to more rapidly draw down funding for urgent projects.
Two additional federal proposals, both carry over proposals, seek changes in federal law that would provide tax exemptions for home hardening efforts and provide flexibility for mobile pharmacies. A new state and federal sponsorship proposal seeks to enact legislation to advance fiscal stability and funding options to protect essential services, fund strategic investments in key priorities, and preserve the County’s strong financial standing and credit rating.
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 a new section dedicated to safeguarding the social safety net in response to federal changes enacted through such legislation as H.R. 1 and state-level changes made to eligibility for certain services due to recent budget deficits. The structure of the Priority Issues section has also been adjusted to reflect the most urgent issue areas for the Board of Supervisors in the upcoming year around which the County will prioritize legislative engagement, while standing guidance on other important issues continue to be reflected in the Policy Guidelines section.
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 new statements authorizing support for legislation that would enhance access to social services and financial assistance during a disaster, connect opportunity youth with employment and education resources, increase access to child care and promote child protection, combat public health misinformation, and promote access to supportive services for people experiencing homelessness.
2025 Advocacy Highlights
Legislative 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 2025 Advocacy Report. The 2025 Advocacy Report highlights the work EDGA has accomplished throughout the legislative year and the community impacts of that work. In 2025, EDGA took formal positions on 42 bills, including 32 state bills and 10 federal bills. Of these bills, many were signed into law, including:
• State legislation designed to curb gun violence by enhancing restrictions on ghost guns and tools that can turn a pistol into an automatic weapon. Support for new reforms promoting gun safety and accountability for gun manufacturers has been part of the County’s Legislative Program since 2021.
• State bills that allow greater access to affordable home insurance and ensure that policyholders get their fair share when they experience a covered loss. Increasing insurance access and affordability was a new addition to the County’s 2025 Legislative Program.
• Bills from the 2025 Utility Affordability and Accountability Legislative Package, which aim to lower utility costs by capping residential rate increases and providing low-cost financing options for electric infrastructure. The Board of Supervisors directed support for these bills on September 9, 2025.
• State legislation that requires Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans offering services through a field medicine provider to provide these services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Removing barriers to health for people experiencing homelessness was part of the County’s 2025 Legislative Program.
• State legislation requiring the California Department of Social Services to issue guidance on helping foster youth transition between placements and requiring counties to create and submit their transition plan policies.
EDGA advocates for legislation through the authority granted in the Legislative Program and based on direction from the Board of Supervisors. Within the Legislative Program, statements related to Ensuring Safe Communities, Equitable Access to Quality Health and Social Care, and Nutrition Security were the most referenced sections when advocating for legislation. Additionally, the Board of Supervisors directed support for 12 bills in 2025, primarily related to the following priority issues: Ensuring Safe Communities, Climate Change and the Environment, Affordable Housing, and Veterans.
Advocacy for Federal Safety Net Programs
Since H.R. 1 (also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or the reconciliation package) was first introduced, and subsequently signed into law in July 2025, the County has engaged in sustained, high-level advocacy to a multitude of federal government stakeholders to communicate the urgency of allowing uninterrupted access to federal social benefits for San Diego residents. Changes in H.R. 1 include adding work requirements to Medicaid and SNAP, increasing the frequency of benefit eligibility screenings, reducing provider payments, and rescinding eligibility for social safety net programs for immigrants with protected status, among other provisions. These changes are expected to have a direct impact on San Diego County residents, County operations and budgets, and local service providers such as hospitals, health clinics, and food banks.
As EDGA continues to monitor the legislative developments and social impacts related to the passage of H.R. 1, the County has tirelessly engaged our congressional delegation, the White House, and various federal agencies to communicate the local impacts of H.R. 1 and emphasize the need to fund social safety net programs in our communities. This includes multiple letters addressed to Congressional leadership and the Administration highlighting the negative impacts of the program changes to SNAP, Medicaid, and other programs for county residents who rely on these programs to get by. EDGA staff also remained in constant communication with the County’s congressional delegation to provide data on projected impacts to County services as H.R. 1 negotiations were underway. Outside of advocacy efforts related to H.R. 1, EDGA also engaged with members of Congress and the federal administration to support drawing down reserves from the federal SNAP Contingency Fund to pay for SNAP benefits that were curtailed due to the government shutdown.
Budget Advocacy
In addition to our legislative efforts, EDGA actively advocated on priorities and issues in the state and federal budgets. The County sent 15 federal action letters to members of the San Diego Congressional delegation and the federal administration in 2025, with most letters focusing on the County’s budget priorities during the federal budget and reconciliation process. Furthermore, EDGA submitted federal earmark requests totaling approximately $18 million for projects including affordable housing, emergency response, behavioral health, and habitat rehabilitation in the Tijuana River Valley. The County also submitted five letters to members of the State Legislature and Governor’s administration in 2025, advocating on budget priorities which included more funding for the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis through Proposition 4, funding to procure a firefighting helicopter, and action to combat monopolization in the firefighting apparatus industry.
Tijuana River Valley Advocacy
In response to the ongoing sewage crisis in the Tijuana River Valley, EDGA engaged state and federal officials to request funding and resources for our efforts to stop the flow of sewage and to support residents, families, and communities who have been affected by this crisis. These efforts include the County’s support for State Senate Bill 10 (Padilla), which would have authorized toll revenues from the upcoming State Route 11 corridor along the East Otay Mesa Port of Entry to be used for environmental mitigation and restoration projects in the Tijuana River Valley. The County also engaged across several fronts this year to advocate for funding through Proposition 4, a climate-related bond act passed by the voters in 2024, which allocates up to $50 million for cleanup and rehabilitation projects in cross-border rivers, including the Tijuana River. Additionally, following Board direction, the County sent a letter to the Chair of the State Water Board on October 24, 2025, requesting $1.4 million for a comprehensive contamination study of the Tijuana River Valley. At the federal level, the County formally supported House of Representatives Bill 1948, authored by Representative Scott Peters, which would allow the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to accept funding from non-federal sources to support operations at the IBWC water treatment plant in South Bay. The County also formally supported House of Representatives Bill 4357 and U.S. Senate Bill 2260, the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act, introduced by Representative Juan Vargas and Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, which would direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to coordinate all efforts to address transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River. In March 2025, the County sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin offering to continue our partnership with the EPA in addressing the transboundary water pollution in the Tijuana River Valley and to emphasize that the County remains ready and willing to provide the necessary expertise to the EPA to facilitate initial planning and future projects. On April 22, 2025, Administrator Zeldin traveled to San Diego to survey the Tijuana River Valley crisis and tour the South Bay water treatment plant.
In August 2025, following Board direction, the County sent letters to both President Trump and Governor Newsom requesting federal and state-level disaster declarations for the Tijuana River Valley crisis. The letters included academic publications and other impact studies supporting the need for additional resources to address the pollution crisis, as well as results from assessments conducted by the County and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2026, EDGA is seeking authority to sponsor a bill that will expedite the disbursement of Proposition 4 funding by exempting the funds from a lengthy rulemaking process, which would otherwise prevent stakeholders in the region from rapidly drawing down the funding for urgent projects that address public health and safety concerns.
Today’s action is a request for approval of the 2026 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 2025 Advocacy Report with advocacy highlights from the 2025 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 2025-2030 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 - 2026 Legislative Program
Attachment B - 2025 Advocacy Report