Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
MARCH 19, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: FEDERAL AND STATE REPORT
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE March 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 our agency. This report was prepared on March 5, 2026, and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee meeting on March 19, 2026. The status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix, <https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DB_Attachments/3%20-%20March%202026%20-%20Legislative%20Matrix.pdf> which is updated monthly.
Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation
As is our standard practice, 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. Most recently, we have been engaged with all members of our Los Angeles County Delegation on matters related to the recently adopted Fiscal Year 2026 transportation spending bill, the upcoming FIFA 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, among other issues.
Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation Spending Bill
Metro is continuing to work to ensure that federal funds included in the Fiscal Year 2026 transportation spending bill are allocated to our agency. These funds include, but are not limited to, $149.9 million for the Vermont Bus Rapid Transit Project, funding for transit activities tied to the FIFA 2026 World Cup, mobility-related funding for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, funding for safety at the ten largest US transit agencies, $2.6 million for our agency’s Regional Bus Stop Enhancement Program, and for our agency’s Southeast Gateway Line Project.
FIFA 2026 World Cup Transit Funding
On March 3, 2026, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) allocated $100 million to transit systems across the United States that will be moving fans to and from 2026 FIFA World Cup games later this year. This funding was made available by Congress in the recently adopted Fiscal Year 2026 transportation spending bill. Of the $100 million appropriated by Congress for transit systems nationwide and consistent with a formula written into the funding legislation, Metro will coordinate the use of $9.6 million in FTA funding. This will be done in close cooperation with our regional transit partners, to support transit plans for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, which will be held at the Los Angeles Stadium.
Fiscal Year 2027 President’s Budget Request
The President is expected to unveil his Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request in the coming months. Metro and several stakeholders, including the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation, among others, have been consistently encouraging the Administration to include $2 billion for mobility related funding for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the Budget. Staff has and will remain fully engaged with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget to encourage the inclusion of federal funding for transportation needs directly tied to the Games.
This past week, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove authored a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, co-signed by 35 other Members of Congress, in support of the inclusion of $2 billion for mobility initiatives for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request. This letter was written to complement the January 15, 2026, letter from the Metro Board of Directors to Secretary Duffy making the same funding request. As stipulated in this congressional letter and Metro’s Board letter, the lead time needed to plan for an event of the scale and scope of the 2028 Games means that the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request may be the final opportunity to ensure that federal transportation funding can be made available in a timely manner in advance of the Games. The President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request to Congress is expected to be delivered to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives in March or April of this year. Metro is deeply appreciative to Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove for leading this letter and to the many Members of Congress who signed this correspondence, including our two U.S. Senators.
Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation Spending Bill
In the coming weeks, Members of Congress will begin the process of creating their priorities related to the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations cycle. Consistent with our standard practice, Metro will work with Members of Congress to encourage that Congress funds programs and projects, consistent with our Board-approved Federal Legislative Program. This work will include, but not be limited to, encourage specific programmatic requests and efforts related to Congressional Directed Spending requests.
Surface Transportation Authorization Bill
As shared last month, Metro continues to advance our Board-approved USA Build Initiative as Congress prepares to consider a new surface transportation authorization bill in 2026. The current measure, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will expire on September 30, 2026. Metro’s government relations team is working with members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation and key authorizers in the House and Senate to smartly and effectively advance the policy proposals embedded in the USA Build Initiative.
Within the coming weeks, staff expects that the House and Senate will likely move to release the text of their draft surface transportation authorization proposals. As Congress begins to work on a new surface transportation authorization bill, we look forward to keeping the Board fully apprised of all important policy related work in this regard.
Transit Operator Safety
In alignment with Metro’s Board-approved 2026 Federal Legislative Program, staff continue 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 smartly and 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 March 19, 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 our agency. This report was prepared on March 5, 2026, and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee on March 19, 2026. The status of relevant pending legislation is monitored monthly on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix <https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DB_Attachments/3%20-%20March%202026%20-%20Legislative%20Matrix.pdf>.
Budget Update
On February 18, the California Department of Finance released data that indicated revenues in January beat projections for the month by $3.4 billion, or 14 percent. That increase in revenue was driven primarily by income taxes, which came in at $3.1 billion above expectations. This was welcome news, though the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office still foresee deficits of at least $20 billion in future years. States revenue remains volatile, and the higher-than-expected income taxes are largely a result of the growth in the AI sector.
As always, Metro staff remain engaged with partners in the State government as we approach the beginning of the new budget cycle, in order to ensure that transportation is sufficiently funded and we can continue to advance our capital and operating plans. The Senate and Assembly Budget Subcommittees have begun meeting on the initial budget proposal, and these hearings will continue throughout the spring.
February Cap-and-Invest Auction
On February 18, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) held their regular joint carbon credits auction with Québec. The number of allowances sold in the auction was robust, however the pricing was lower compared to recent auctions. In order to reach $400M for TIRCP and $200M for LCTOP, proceeds for each quarter will need to be $1 billion. Total proceeds have not yet been reported. Full results from the auction are expected to be reported in mid to late March.
Legislative Update
The second year of the 2025-26 legislative session resumed on January 5, 2026. The bill introduction deadline was February 20. Between the Senate and Assembly, there were just shy of 1,800 bills introduced, with nearly 600 (33%) of them being spot or intent bills without any substantive language. This represents a 23% reduction from last year, which is typical for the second year in the legislative cycle. However, the overall bill introduction number is the lowest in twenty years. The following is an update on key bills of interest to the agency.
Sponsored Legislation
On February 11, Assemblymember Mark González (D - Los Angeles) introduced AB 1837, which seeks to extend the authorization for the use of front-facing cameras on buses in order to capture parking violations in bus-only lanes. Specifically, the bill would indefinitely extend the authorization for the use of video imaging to enforce parking and stopping violations, and would expand the types of violations to also include double parking and unlawfully stopping or parking in a bikeway. The current legislation that authorizes transit agencies to use front-facing cameras for this purpose will sunset on January 1, 2027. Metro has a Camera Bus Lane Enforcement program in place, and we look forward to being able to continue to improve the speed and reliability of our buses. The primary sponsor of this legislation is the California Transit Association. Per the Board-approved 2026 Legislative Program, we issued a formal letter of co-sponsorship on February 23.
Other Relevant Bills
In January, the Metro Board took an oppose unless amended position on Senator Wiener’s SB 677. Following this, the agency finalized a letter sharing our concerns and distributed it to the author’s office and our legislative delegation. The letter highlights that Senator Wiener’s technical amendments are not sufficient to address LA Metro’s concerns with SB 79 implementation. The letter emphasizes that Metro is a leader in the state for delivering transit-oriented development. To date, Metro has completed 18 joint developments projects totaling nearly 2,600 housing units, of which approximately 45% are affordable. Since the Board took this position, SB 677 was narrowed significantly, and the Senator introduced SB 908, which we understand will be the primary vehicle for any additional SB 79 related legislation.
Staff continue to emphasize that LA Metro believes further amendments are necessary to ensure that SB 79 does not inadvertently compromise transit delivery. Potential amendments could include delaying the effective date to allow implementation issues to be resolved; limiting applicability to transit projects that are already in revenue service; creating an incentive-based framework that leverages state funding rather than mandating density standards linked to transit; or piloting the framework in a limited geographic area. Staff continue to work internally and with our legislative partners on solutions that ensure that Metro can continue constructing high-quality transit without delays.
Metro Government Relations staff continue to coordinate internally with subject matter experts on analyzing the dozens of newly-introduced bills that may be relevant to our agency.
Update on 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Advocacy
On January 21, CEO Wiggins sent a 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games funding request to Senator Ben Allen and Assemblymember Tina McKinnor. This letter was written as a follow-up to the legislators’ visit to the September 2025 Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where they both expressed a desire to work with Metro to advance state investment in the Games. The letter outlines a total state request for $379.29 million, for projects consistent with the Board-approved Mobility Concept Plan. These projects include integrated transportation management, improvements to key rail stations, mobility hubs, light rail improvements, first/last mile improvements, and transportation demand management/mobility wallets. This request complements our robust federal advocacy in Washington D.C. The agency’s advocacy in Sacramento has accelerated in the last few months as Government Relations and the Office of Strategic Innovation have been meeting with crucial administration, legislative and budget committee stakeholders.
On February 27, CEO Wiggins was invited to present to the LA County Delegation regarding our Games budget request. On March 5, the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation, chaired by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D - Inglewood) issued a formal letter to the Assembly Budget Committee and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee for Transportation, requesting that they include $379.29 million in this year’s Budget Act for Metro’s 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games transportation needs. The Delegation included the entirety of Metro’s budget request in their letter. Budget hearings have started and negotiations will continue throughout the spring and summer. Staff are grateful to the entire LA County Delegation for their consideration of our request and look forward to working with the legislature to ensure that our partnership produces a Games experience that the entire State can be proud of.
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 March 19, 2025.
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 federal transportation funding levels enables our agency to advance projects that improve equitable access and mobility for the 10 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
