Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
MAY 15, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: FEDERAL AND STATE REPORT
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE May 2025 Federal and State Legislative Report.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Executive Management Committee
Remarks Prepared by Raffi Haig Hamparian
Government Relations, 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 April 30, 2025, and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee meeting on May 15, 2025. The status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix <https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DB_Attachments/5%20-%20May%202025%20-%20LA%20Metro%20Legislative%20Matrix.pdf>, which is updated monthly.
Fiscal Year 2026 President’s Budget
As was shared with the Board during the Executive Management Committee (EMC) held on April 17, 2025, it is anticipated that the White House will release their Fiscal Year 2026 President’s Budget on or around May 20, 2025. On May 2, 2025, the White House did release what is referred to as a skinny budget - the provide broad outlines of the President's spending priorities for Fiscal Year 2026. While this proposal included sharp cuts to may non-defense discretionary programs, the funding levels for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) - as reflected in the document released by the White House - did not reduce federal transportation funding. The skinny budget would increase funding over the enacted Fiscal Year 2025 level by approximately $2.5 billion, providing additional funding for the Federal Aviation Administration and for Rail Safety programs.
We expect that when the White House releases the President’s Budget Fiscal Year 2026 later this month, that it will include, among many other provisions, specific funding recommendations for the USDOT. Metro is planning to carefully review the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 - along with the Fiscal Year 2026 New Start Report that we expect to be issued concurrently with the budget and that outlines how the FTA will spend Capital Investment Grant Program funds for the coming federal fiscal year.
U.S. Department of Transportation - 2026 FIFA World Cup/2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
We are working cooperatively with a number of stakeholders, including transit providers across the United States to seek federal funding to provide transit services directly related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These efforts include, but are not limited to, supporting letters to Congress and the White House asking for funding to be included in both the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and the Fiscal Year 2026 transportation spending bills that will be crafted by Congress later this year. Most recently, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla is in the process of gathering signatures for a letter that urges USDOT Secretary Duffy to support embedding $500 million for mobility-related funding for the Games in the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. This dollar amount would be a strong downpayment towards the full amount we are seeking from the federal government for mobility-related projects tied to the Games.
We continue to advance our request that President Trump include $3.2 billion for mobility projects related to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 White House Budget. The Board formally made this request in a letter shared with the President-elect on November 21, 2024. We continue to secure strong support from the LA County Congressional Delegation on this front including from U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), who recently raised this matter with USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy during a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn - USDOT Secretary Correspondence - 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Metro is very pleased to share that Chair Hahn conveyed a letter on April 30, 2025, to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The correspondence reiterated the full Board’s request that the Trump Administration include $3.2 billion in federal funding in the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget for mobility-related projects critical to the success of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (the Games). The full Board authored a letter on November 21, 2024, to the President-elect outlining Metro’s need for robust federal funding for mobility initiatives tied to the Games. Chair Hahn’s letter has been shared with relevant congressional committees and with members of the LA County Congressional Delegation.
House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure - Reconciliation Bill and Congresswoman Brownley Amendment
On April 30, 2025, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure adopted a measure as part of congressional efforts to pass a reconciliation measure in the coming months. To meet the panel’s deficit reduction goal ($10 billion), a majority on the committee backed a new $250 fee on electric vehicles. The final bill was adopted along partisan lines, with 36 in favor and 30 opposed.
In a welcome development, Congresswoman Julia Brownley offered an amendment to include $3.2 billion in the reconciliation bill for public transportation tied to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. While the amendment was withdrawn by the author, Congresswoman Brownley expressed a high level of interest in working with committee members on this matter in the coming months.
Please find here an excerpt from Congresswoman Brownley’s remarks at the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s markup of their reconciliation bill:
“My amendment would provide 3.2 billion dollars for transportation infrastructure related to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With less than 3 and a half years to go before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the time for Congress to support what will be “America’s Games” is now. The Games, that will be held across southern California and also in Oklahoma, will be the largest sporting event ever held in the United States. As was done for prior Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted in the United States, Atlanta in 1996 and Salt Lake City in2002, I believe Congress and especially this committee - should support the mobility plan for these Games.
I am proud that LA Metro has worked with LA28 -- the organizing committee for the Games --and a number of transportation partners in the region - including the commuter rail provider, Metrolink - to develop a world class mobility experience for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This mobility plan is focused on providing a safe, secure, and exceptional transportation experience. The State of California, the City of Los Angeles, Metrolink, and LA Metro have all contributed and will continue to contribute to the capital and operational costs of the Games. However, their size and scale requires an “all in” approach of every level of government to ensure that the US can successfully host the Games in Los Angeles and the subsequent Games in Salt Lake City in 2034.”
Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant Program - Congressional Support Letter
Metro is proud that Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA) is yet again leading an effort among members of the House of Representatives to express support for the FTA’s Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program. The FTA’s CIG Program is the federal government’s primary means for supporting the construction of new transit lines. Our agency is proud to support Congressman Garcia as he seeks co-authors for his CIG support letter, which will be shared with leading members of the House Committee on Appropriations.
On April 22, 2025, Chair Hahn authored a letter thanking Congressman Garcia for his leadership in supporting the FTA’s CIG Program.
Expanding Federal Advocacy Team
Staff is pleased to share that our agency has added to our federal advocacy team K&L Gates. This firm led by Finch Fulton, a former senior U.S. Department of Transportation official, will be charged with advancing Metro’s 2025 Board-approved federal legislative program with the Executive Branch. Staff looks forward to integrating K&L Gates into our broader federal advocacy team as staff works to strengthen our work across Capitol Hill and with the Executive Branch, including at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation
As we regularly note before the EMC and consistent with our standard practice, our agency is always actively setting up briefings with Members of Congress and/or their aides to see how our agency can continue to work cooperatively with federal officials representing Los Angeles County residents in Washington, DC.
Metro recently participated in a Transportation Roundtable hosted by Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA), where issues related to federal support for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games were discussed. We have been conferring regularly on a whole host of other matters including on Congressionally Directed Funding requests with members of the LA County Congressional Delegation and their professional staffers.
America’s Next Surface Transportation Authorization Bill
Metro’s Government Relations team plans to present to the Board, at the next EMC meeting, the agency’s surface transportation authorization document. This document will outline certain provisions/reforms we would like to see embedded in the next surface transportation authorization bill. The current surface transportation authorization bill, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-59) expires on September 30, 2026. House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over this measure will begin crafting parts of this bill later this year, with the goal of having a final bill ready by next year.
In the past, Metro has successfully embedded several of our surface transportation authorization priorities in multi-year transportation authorization bills that have been passed by Congress and signed into law. For example, Metro’s America Fast Forward reforms related to the TIFIA low interest loan program were included in MAP-21, a surface transportation authorization bill signed into law several years ago. More recently, Metro led the effort, in concert with then-Congresswoman Karen Bass, to include Local Hire reforms in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed into law by President Biden in November of 2021.
Transit Operator Safety
Consistent with our Board-approved 2025 Federal Legislative Program, 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 be expiring in late 2026. This will provide our agency with an opportunity to work with a variety of stakeholders to authorize federal programs to further enhance transit operator safety.
Federal Transportation Grants
Metro continues to aggressively pursue federal grant opportunities to fund Metro projects and initiatives. Consistent with our past practice, we will work closely with members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation and other key stakeholders like the LA/Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council, the LA Area Chamber of Commerce, among others to solicit their support for our current and future grant applications.
Conclusion
Chair Hahn and members of the committee, I look forward to expanding on this report at the Executive Management Committee meeting scheduled for May 15, 2025, with 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 April 30, 2025, and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee on May 15, 2025. The status of relevant pending legislation is monitored monthly on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix <https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DB_Attachments/5%20-%20May%202025%20-%20LA%20Metro%20Legislative%20Matrix.pdf>.
Legislative Update
The following is an update on the status of Metro’s sponsored and monitored legislation.
Sponsored Legislation
On April 22, AB 1237, by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D - Inglewood) passed the Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee on a vote of 6-1. This bill, which Metro is the primary sponsor of, would authorize LA Metro to impose a charge of up to $5 on the purchase of a ticket from a ticket vendor to a sporting event in the County of Los Angeles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup or the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The bill would require Metro to use any revenues collected from that charge to support its transit operations. The bill would require LA Metro, if the agency imposes this charge, to allow any person to use its transit services at no charge on the day of a sporting event in the County of Los Angeles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup or the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games if the person presents a ticket to that sporting event. The bill now goes to a vote of the full Assembly.
Metro is a co-sponsor of SB 71 (Wiener), along with the California Transit Association, the Bay Area Council, and SPUR. SB 71 builds upon previous legislation (SB 288, SB 922) by the Senator that expedites bike, pedestrian, light rail, and bus rapid transit projects by exempting these projects from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). SB 71 removes the SB 922 sunset date and clarifies that transit infrastructure maintenance projects, bus shelters and lighting, and shuttle and ferry service and terminal projects also eligible for the exemption. The bill was heard in and placed on the Senate appropriations suspense file. The bill will be taken up again when all suspense file items are heard in one separate hearing.
AB 939 by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D - Burbank), the Safe, Sustainable, Traffic-Reducing Transportation Bond Act of 2026, has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.. This legislation, sponsored by Metro, originated from Board direction during the December 2024 Board meeting, where staff were directed to explore a transportation bond that would provide agencies with ongoing capital funding from the State. AB 939 would, if passed by the Legislature by a 2/3 vote, be placed on the November 2026 ballot, where it would need a simple majority to pass. If approved, the bond would authorize the issuance of $20 billion in State General Obligation Bonds to finance transit and passenger rail improvements, local streets and roads and active transportation projects, zero-emission vehicle investments, transportation freight infrastructure improvements, grade separations, and other critical safety improvements. Staff recently learned that the bill will not move forward this calendar year. This bill is now also a “two-year” bill, which may be revisited in the future. Metro staff received feedback on the legislation concerning affordability and the state’s debt capacity at a time of economic uncertainty and other State priorities related to housing and fire recovery.
Additional Relevant Legislation
Metro-supported AB 394 by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D - Suisun City) passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on a unanimous vote on April 22. bill would strengthen penalties for assaults against all transit employees that currently exist for bus and rail operators only. The bill would also broaden enforcement against trespassing on transit systems, and empower courts to issue prohibition orders restricting access to individuals convicted of violent offenses against transit workers. Metro has continued to utilize all tools at our disposal to ensure greater safety for all, and AB 394 would be another critical tool in our toolbox. The bill will now go to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 220 by Senator Ben Allen (D - Santa Monica) was substantially amended on March 26th and then further amended on April 9th. SB 220 would, beginning on January 1, 2029, expand the Metro Board of Directors to 18 members (including 1 nonvoting gubernatorial appointee) by adding the County Executive of the County of Los Angeles and 3 public members appointed by the County Executive. The bill also expands the Metro Board to include each member of the Board of Supervisors. Pursuant to County Measure G approved by voters in 2024, the Board of Supervisors will be expanding to nine members in 2032. Therefore, the final proposed composition of the Board under SB 220 will eventually reach 22 members. Metro’s Board-approved state legislative program states that we will oppose any attempt by the State to change the composition of our Board. Metro contends that any change to the Board should be a locally-driven process. Metro opposes SB 220 and staff were on hand to testify at the April 28 Senate Transportation Committee hearing. At the request of the author, the Committee did not take a vote on the bill. This allows for the bill to be worked on as a “two-year” bill, without advancing or being halted completely at this time. During the Committee hearing, a number of Senators expressed their willingness to work with the author on this issue, citing a need to examine the structure of the Board in context of LA County’s Measure G, but with the understanding that the election of the County Chief Executive and the expansion of the Board of Supervisors are still several years away. Though there was no formal testimony for or against the bill allowed during the presentation, Metro staff thanked Senator Allen, expressing a willingness to have a dialogue going forward about issues regarding Measure G and Board governance.
Metro has an oppose position on AB 1070, by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D - San Diego). This bill would require the governing board of a transit district to include 2 additional nonvoting members and 4 alternate nonvoting members, and prohibit a transit district from compensating a member of the governing board unless the member demonstrates personal use of the transit system. AB 1070 was pulled from the Assembly Local Government Committee hearing on April 23. However, the bill may still be heard in a future committee.
AB 861 by Assemblymember Jose Luis Solache (D - Lynwood) was introduced on February 19. This bill would establish the LA Metro Los Angeles Community College GoPass and Student Ambassador Program to promote the use of public transportation by students enrolled at a campus of the Los Angeles Community College District by (1) providing all students with a free transit pass to access the public transportation services provided by Metro, and (2) establishing a student ambassador program within LA Metro where students assist with security, rider assistance, and facility upkeep on LA Metro rail and bus lines serving campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District. The bill would appropriate $2.5 million from the general fund to the Community College District and Metro to develop and implement the free transit pass program and the student ambassador program. Staff have met with the author and sponsors of this legislation and look forward to working with all parties to ensure that our GoPass program is supported and advanced. The bill passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee on April 23, and will now proceed to the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Budget Update
On April 14th, the “Budget Bill Junior” was signed by the Governor. AB 100 amends the current budget and is known as the early action budget bill for this year. AB 100 was primarily concerned wildfire response appropriations and ensuring that MediCal is properly resourced.
The next budget milestone will be in May with the May Revision to the Governor’s budget proposal. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the direct impact of wildfire recovery, along with impacts to tax receipts and deadlines, Metro anticipates that the budget process will extend beyond the June 15 constitutional deadline to pass a budget with subsequent trailer bills through the fall. This delay in receipts, along with significant volatility in the stock market, will require careful monitoring and action by the State.
Metro continues to use our March 12th letter to Legislative leadership, which outlines the agency’s budget priorities for this year and beyond, as the cornerstone of our advocacy. The letter emphasizes the need to allocate the remaining SB 125 funds, the support for additional operating funds in the short term, and the need for long-term funding solutions such as the bond proposed in AB 939, and the extension of cap-and-trade.
LA County Legislative Delegation Coordination
Government Relations staff continue to prioritize new member engagement and updating state Senate and Assembly offices on projects and programs relevant to their districts. CEO Wiggins has been meeting with new members in order to introduce them formally to Metro and gauge their legislative priorities for potential partnerships between the State and our agency.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Government Relations will continue to work with the Office of Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Inclusion in reviewing legislation introduced in Sacramento and Washington, DC, to address any equity issues in proposed bills and the budget process.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through administrative and legislative advocacy activities that will benefit and further encourage transit ridership, ridesharing, and active transportation. Increased state and federal funding received benefits Metro’s projects and programs to reduce VMT. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Michael Turner, Senior Executive Officer, Government Relations, (213) 922-2122
Raffi Hamparian, Executive Officer, Government Relations, (213) 922-3769
Madeleine Moore, Deputy Executive Officer, Government Relations, (213) 922-4604
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Nicole Englund, Chief of Staff, (213) 922-7950
