Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Subject
SUBJECT: STATE AND FEDERAL REPORT
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE the September 2024 State and Federal Legislative Report.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Executive Management Committee
Remarks Prepared by Raffi Haig Hamparian
Government Relations, Deputy Executive Officer: Federal Affairs
Chair Hahn and members of the Executive Management Committee, I am pleased to provide an update on several key federal matters of interest to our agency. This report was prepared on August 23, 2024, and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Board of Directors Meeting on September 26, 2024. The status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix <https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DB_Attachments/9%20-%20September%202024%20-%20LA%20Metro%20Legislative%20Matrix.pdf>, updated monthly.
East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project - Federal Transit Administration: Full Funding Grant Agreement
Metro’s Government Relations team has worked closely with key federal stakeholders, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-CA) to ensure that our agency concludes a $893 million Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for the East San Fernando Valley (ESFV) Light Rail Transit Project. We are very pleased that on September 6, 2024, the Metro Board - joined by Senator Padilla and Congressman Cardenas - among many other distinguished guests - marking the signing of the FFGA for the ESFV at the Marvin Braude Constituent Service Center on Van Nuys Boulevard.
This FFGA is unique - in that LA Metro is the only transit agency in the nation to conclude such an agreement under the FTA’s Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program.
Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation
We continue our active outreach to the professional staff of members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation. This includes congressional aides working in both District offices and Capitol Hill offices.
USDOT/Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Metro was pleased to host a visit this past July by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who held a series of highly successful events and site visits with our agency.
At a major event at Exposition Park and later at Metro Bus Division 13, Secretary Buttigieg and our Chair Janice Hahn and other Board members highlighted a series of federal investments provided to our agency in the last several months. The following day, Secretary Buttigieg and Board member Hilda Solis had the opportunity to visit the Humphries Bridge Crossing Project site - which Metro will be building in partnership with Caltrans and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
Congressionally Directed Spending Requests
In June of this year, I was pleased to update the Board on our agency’s efforts to secure federal funding through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process for our LA Metro Regional Bus Stop Enhancement Program. Metro was encouraged that the following members of Congress submitted CDS requests for the LA Metro Regional Bus Stop Enhancement Program: U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, $5 million, U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, $5 million; Congresswoman Julia Brownley, $1 million; Congressman Tony Cardenas: $1 million; Congressman Jimmy Gomez: $1 million; and Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove: $1 million. As of this report's filing date, it is our understanding that the Senate CDS requests were not included in the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill. Over in the House, several of our House members did have their requests embedded in their version of the Fiscal Year 2025 THUD spending bill.
Likewise, this past June I was pleased to provide the Board with an update concerning our work supporting the Los Angeles Community College District’s effort to secure CDS resources for our successful Go-Pass Program. Metro was encouraged that the following members of Congress submitted CDS requests in support of our Go-Pass Program: U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, $2.46 million, and U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, $2.46 million. Unfortunately, the Fiscal Year 2025 THUD spending bill did not include both spending requests. We will continue to work with our Senators in the future to ensure support for our successful Go-Pass Program.
Notwithstanding some setbacks we have seen with some of our CDS requests, we are deeply appreciative to the Board for supporting these requests and to members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation for their work to advance our funding requests for both the LA Metro Regional Bus Stop Enhancement Program and our successful Go-Pass Program. As Congress considers their spending bills for Federal Fiscal Year 2025, we will keep the Board informed of our efforts on this front.
Transit Operator Safety
As we have consistently reported to the Board, Metro maintains open lines of communication with the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation on federal initiatives to enhance transit operator safety. The current surface transportation authorization measure-the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-will expire in September 2026. This will allow our agency to work with various stakeholders to authorize federal programs to enhance transit operator safety further.
U.S. Department of Transportation/2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
As previously noted, Metro is continuing to work with a diverse number of partners to secure financial support from the federal government for our agency’s efforts related to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This effort is outlined and informed by our Board-approved 2024 Federal Legislative Program. In 2024, we have been working with the appropriate congressional committees to explore how the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development bill might include funding for mobility-related projects and initiatives tied to the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We were pleased that the U.S. Senate’s Fiscal Year 2025 THUD bill included $200 million for Olympics-related mobility projects. Likewise, we are encouraged that Congressman Robert Garcia circulated a letter - signed by 17 members of the House - urging House leaders to include a similar amount of funding in their Fiscal Year 2025 THUD spending measure.
We are continuing to work with the Biden-Harris Administration-including the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)-to discuss how funding for mobility-related projects and initiatives tied to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games might be included in the Fiscal Year 2026 White House Budget, which will be released in early 2025.
Federal Transportation Grants
Metro was pleased that in July of this year, our agency was awarded $77.5 million through the Federal Transit Administration’s Buses and Bus Facilities and Low or No Emissions Grant Program.
In late August, we learned that our agency - in cooperation with LA County - would receive a $15 million Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant. This federal funding will “develop a comprehensive network of publicly accessible, community-based EV charging infrastructure consisting of 18 DC Fast Chargers and 1,263 Level 2 chargers across 15 community facilities, four park and ride multi-modal transportation hubs, and at 1,000 curbside light poles. The charging stations will be strategically located to directly benefit underserved and Justice40 communities and will create an estimated 3,000 high-quality jobs to support installation and maintenance needs.”
Metro is also advocating for funding through the USDOT’s Mega Grant program for our LinkUS Project. This grant announcement has yet to be made by the USDOT.
As we always do with our federal grant requests, we are working closely with members of the LA County Congressional Delegation and other key stakeholders to solicit their support for our pending and future grant applications.
Conclusion:
Chair Hahn and members of the committee, I look forward to discussing this report at the Executive Management Committee meeting on September 19, 2024, and any new developments that may occur over the next several weeks.
Executive Management Committee
Remarks Prepared by Madeleine Moore
Government Relations, Deputy Executive Officer: State Affairs
Chair Hahn and members of the Board, I am pleased to provide an update on several state matters of interest to our agency. This report was prepared on September 6, 2024, and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Board of Directors Meeting on September 26, 2024. The status of relevant pending legislation is monitored monthly on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix <https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DB_Attachments/9%20-%20September%202024%20-%20LA%20Metro%20Legislative%20Matrix.pdf>.
Legislative Update
The legislature returned from summer recess on August 5, for a final month of hearings before the end of the two-year session on August 31. The major milestone in the final month of session concerned bills that were determined to have a fiscal impact to the state and were placed in one file to be considered at a final hearing together. On August 15, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees dispensed with these bills on the suspense file. In the Assembly, 219 of the 315 measures in the file were passed, with a higher-than-average number held in committee. In the Senate, 340 of the 515 measures were passed, with 34% held, also higher-than-average.
Related to Metro’s sponsored legislation this year, AB 3123 is Metro’s bill that would ensure that ethics laws that govern elected officials statewide apply equally to LA Metro’s Board of Directors. AB 3123 also clarifies Metro’s lobbying definitions and strengthens the role of the Ethics Office. On Friday, August 30, the Assembly held a final concurrence vote for AB 3123, with a final vote of 50-14 in favor of passage. The bill is currently on the Governor’s desk, awaiting a signing decision.
Metro-supported AB 761 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D - Glendale)has similarly passed the legislature, with a final concurrence vote of 76-0 in the Assembly, and is awaiting a signing decision. This bill would extend the available Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) tax increment period from 45 years to 75 years for districts intended to fund zero-emission LA Metro transit projects with federal financing through Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans. The Governor has until September 30 to act on both of these bills.
Government Relations will have a full summary of the Legislature’s bill actions and the Governor’s signing decisions at the time of Committee.
LA County Legislative Delegation Coordination
Following the November election, the LA County Legislative Delegation in the Senate and Assembly will undergo a number of changes to its membership. LA Metro is pleased to welcome these new members to the Delegation and will be coordinating with the staff of these new members to meet with CEO Wiggins. At these meetings, members are introduced to key projects in their districts and the overall structure of transportation operations in the County, along with information about the funding and Board structure of the agency. These meetings ensure that we establish good working relationships with everyone who represents a portion of the County, along with any new members of legislative leadership.
Olympics and Paralympics Coordination
Pursuant to March 2024 Board motion 24.1 by Directors Solis, Bass, Hahn, Horvath, Najarian, and Yaroslavsky, Building a Cohesive Approach to Los Angeles’s Legislative Advocacy for the 2028 Mobility Concept Plan (Attachment A) which directed the Chief Executive Officer to develop a framework for and establish a Legislative Advocacy Working Group for the 2028 Games, staff have been in communication with members of the Games Mobility Executives, as well as all local partners, including the County of Los Angeles, to develop and implement a complete state and federal legislative advocacy plan to advance Metro’s 2028 Mobility Concept Plan. This includes planning convenings of local stakeholders and developing an advocacy framework to ensure strong stakeholder coordination. This framework will include recommendations on improving coordination with the entire LA County legislative delegation and other key Games delivery partners. A full report will be presented at the October Ad Hoc 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee meeting.
State Equity Analysis
Government Relations will continue to work with the Office of Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Inclusion in reviewing legislation introduced in Sacramento to address any equity issues in proposed bills and the budget process.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Motion 24.1 - Building a Cohesive Approach to Los Angeles’s Legislative Advocacy for the 2028 Mobility Concept Plan
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Michael Turner, Executive Officer, Government Relations, (213) 922-2122
Madeleine Moore, Deputy Executive Officer, Government Relations, (213) 922-4604
Raffi Hamparian, Deputy Executive Officer, Government Relations, (213) 922-3769
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Nicole Englund, Chief of Staff, (213) 922-7950
