Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
MAY 21, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: FEDERAL AND STATE REPORT
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE May 2026 Federal and State Legislative Report.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Executive Management Committee
Remarks Prepared by Raffi Haig Hamparian
Government Relations, Executive Officer: Federal Affairs
Chair Dutra and members of the Executive Management Committee, I am pleased to provide an update on several key federal matters of interest to the agency. This report was prepared on May 5, 2026, and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee meeting on May 21, 2026. The status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix <https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DB_Attachments/5%20-%20May%202026%20-%20Legislative%20Matrix.pdf>, which is updated monthly.
Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation
Metro’s government relations team continues to provide timely and accurate information about our agency’s initiatives and projects with members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation, our two U.S. Senators, and with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
We are continuing to work to explore opportunities to secure mobility-related funding in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Mindful that the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request did not include any funding for Games-related mobility initiatives, staff are engaged with an ongoing dialogue on Capitol Hill with both Republicans and Democrats to see whether our need for funding could be addressed in their Fiscal Year 2027 transportation spending bills, which will be crafted in the months ahead.
APTA Legislative Conference
Metro’s government relations team was pleased to participate in the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) 2026 Legislative Conference. Agency staff could hear from and interact with key elected officials across Capitol Hill and confer with professional staff members of congressional committees with jurisdiction over transportation matters. At the APTA Legislative Conference, many transit agencies expressed deep concern about the transit cuts proposed in the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, released last month.
Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation Spending Bill
Members of Congress are advancing spending bills for Fiscal Year 2027, including the transportation spending bill that provides funding for the agency. Staff is in close communication with all members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation to ensure that any final transportation spending bill reflects the Board-adopted priorities as reflected in the Board-approved 2026 Federal Legislative Program.
Surface Transportation Authorization Bill
Within the coming weeks, staff expect the House and Senate to release the text of their draft surface transportation authorization proposals. As Congress begins to work on a new surface transportation bill, staff will keep the Board informed of the important policy related work in this regard, including the work to promote the Board-approved USA Build Initiative.
Transit Operator Safety
In full alignment with Metro’s Board-approved 2026 Federal Legislative Program, staff continues to prioritize transit operator safety and maintain active communication with the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation on this issue. The upcoming reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs presents an important opportunity to advance enhanced protections for transit operators nationwide.
Federal Transportation Grants
Metro remains committed to aggressively pursuing competitive federal grants to advance a wide range of transit projects and programs. In alignment with this effort, staff continue to work closely with the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation and key regional partners-including the LA/Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce-to build support for both current and future grant applications.
Conclusion
Chair Dutra and members of the Committee, I look forward to providing further updates and expanding on this report during the Executive Management Committee meeting scheduled for May 21, 2026.
Executive Management Committee
Remarks Prepared by Madeleine Moore
Government Relations, Deputy Executive Officer: State Affairs
Chair Dutra and members of the Board, I am pleased to provide an update on several state matters of interest to the agency. This report was prepared on May 5, 2026, and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee on May 21, 2026. 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%202026%20-%20Legislative%20Matrix.pdf>.
Budget Update
The next major milestone in the FY 26-27 State budget process is the May revision to the Governor’s January budget proposal. This is expected by mid-May. As always, Metro staff remain engaged with partners in the State government as the budget cycle continues, in order to ensure that transportation is sufficiently funded and Metro can continue to advance its capital and operating plans. The Senate and Assembly Budget Subcommittees have been meeting on the initial budget proposal, and these hearings will continue throughout the spring.
Legislative Update
Sponsored Legislation
Metro is the sponsor or co-sponsor of two bills this year, SB 1361 (Durazo) and AB 1837 (M. Gonzalez).
On April 21, the Senate Housing Committee, chaired by Senator Jesse Arreguín (D - Berkeley) heard and subsequently passed SB 1361, a Metro-sponsored bill by Senator María Elena Durazo (D - Los Angeles) to support both transit and housing in the State. The bill passed on a vote of 9-1. SB 1361 was amended during committee to substantially change the bill. The amendments delete the whole of the previous bill, and now include provisions that specify a local government with an existing or planned transit-oriented development stop cannot request that the transit agency reduce service to that stop so that SB 79 does not apply, condition approval of a project on the basis of the impacts of increased height or density required by SB 79, or withhold support of an application for federal funding of a transit project on the basis of the additional height or density required by SB 79. The amendments will also apply these provisions statewide.
At the Committee hearing, Chair Arreguín asked to be added as a bill co-author. Additionally, comments from committee members and SB 79 sponsors alike acknowledged that SB 79 has already had unintended consequences for transit delivery. On April 29, the Senate Local Government Committee passed SB 1361 on a vote of 5-2. At the time of this writing, the bill is awaiting a vote on the floor of the Senate.
On April 21, the Assembly Privacy Committee heard and then passed Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez's AB 1837 on a vote of 13-2. AB 1837 would extend AB 917 (2021, Bloom), which authorized Metro and other agencies to install front-facing cameras on our buses to capture parking violations in bus-only lanes. Metro is a formal co-sponsor of the bill. The bill now moves to the floor of the Assembly for a full vote.
Other Legislation
On April 22, SB 1411 by Senator Henry Stern (D - Los Angeles) was heard in and subsequently passed by the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality on a vote of 7-0. SB 1411 would lift the High-Speed Rail Authority’s $500 million funding commitment cap for additional activities outside the Bakersfield-Merced segment. This would allow additional investment in projects on both sides of the Central Valley alignment, including in LA County. Metro provided lead witness testimony in support of the bill. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Conclusion
Chair Dutra and members of the Committee, I look forward to providing further updates and expanding on this report during the Executive Management Committee meeting scheduled for May 21, 2026.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Government Relations will continue reviewing legislation introduced in Sacramento and Washington, DC, to address any equity issues in proposed bills and the budget process. Securing levels of federal transportation funding allows our agency to advance projects that improve equitable access and mobility for the ten million individuals who live, work, and travel throughout Los Angeles County.
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
Alex Amadeo, Senior Manager, Government Relations, (213) 922-2763
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Nicole Englund, Chief of Staff, (213) 922-7950
