Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
APRIL 18, 2019
Subject
SUBJECT: STATE AND FEDERAL REPORT
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE State and Federal Legislative Report.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Executive Management Committee
Remarks Prepared By Raffi Haig Hamparian
Government Relations Senior Director, Federal Affairs
Chair Kuehl and members of the Executive Management Committee, I am pleased to provide an update on a number of federal matters of interest to our agency. This report was prepared on April 2, 2019 and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee meeting on April 18, 2019. Status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix, which is updated monthly.
Reauthorization/Trump Infrastructure Plan
As we have discussed for the better part of two years, discussions in Washington, DC about moving forward with an infrastructure plan have yet to materialize. The causes for inaction are diverse - but the bottom line is that there is a lingering hope that Congress will overcome a series of hurdles to generate a meaningful infrastructure plan that will be supported by the White House. Because there is hope, however slim, of adopting an infrastructure plan - we are moving forward with our Board-approved Rebuilding America initiative. This initiative - as we discussed in an Oral Report to the full Board last month - clearly lays out substantial policy goals that we believe should guide any new federal efforts to bolster mobility across America.
On a brighter note - Congress does appear to be moving forward with plans to replace the FAST Act - the surface transportation authorization bill adopted by Congress and signed into law on December 4, 2015. Likewise, our agency is offering our Rebuilding America initiative as a template to strengthen the next surface transportation authorization bill - which may be voted on in Congress as early as next year.
Last month, we circulated to the Board a series of fact sheets on a diverse array of federal issues - including the FTA’s Expedited Project Delivery Program.
We look forward to advancing our Board-approved Federal Legislative Program aggressively for the balance of the 116th Congress.
Federal Budget for Fiscal Year 2020
Last month, the White House released its Fiscal Year 2020 budget request to Congress that included an 18% cut to discretionary transportation programs that are funded outside of the Highway Trust Fund. The budget request did support a small amount of funding ($500M) available for new transit rail projects that are in the Capital Investment Grant pipeline. Lastly, the White House did request an increase in funding for the INFRA and BUILD grant programs - an additional $1 billion for INFRA and $250 million for BUILD above Fiscal Year 2018 levels.
On the Congressional side, only the Senate has held a hearing on the FY2020 budget request thus far. We expect the House to hold their hearing this month and for both Chambers to hold mark ups in the coming months. One potential sticking point that may impede the ability of the relevant congressional committees to mark up a transportation spending bill is the lack of a two-year budget agreement that allows for defense and non-defense budget caps to be set. Without this agreement, which expired this year, the House and Senate will use different top line numbers, which would make it difficult for bi-cameral negotiations to happen on final passage of any appropriations bill.
INFRA Grants for Fiscal Year 2019
As we noted to Board members last month, Metro submitted two INFRA grant applications for the SR 57/60 Confluence Chokepoint Project and the I-105 ExpressLanes Project.
We have - as we always do - engaged a broad array of stakeholders to ensure that our grant applications have the best opportunity of being approved by the USDOT. We do not expect to see the award for this grant program to occur in the near future - with a final decision from the USDOT expected sometime late this summer.
Local Hire Pilot Program
Consistent with our Board-approved Federal Legislative Program - we will continue to seek a productive dialogue with Congress and the USDOT to urge them to restore the Local Hire Pilot Program.
Conclusion
Chair Kuehl - This concludes my report. I look forward to expanding on this report at the Executive Management Committee meeting with any new developments that occur over the next several weeks.
Executive Management Committee
Remarks Prepared by Michael Turner
Deputy Executive Officer, Government Relations
Chair Kuehl and members of the Executive Management Committee, this is an update on a number of the state matters of interest to our agency. This report was prepared on April 2, 2019 and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee meeting on April 18, 2019. Status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix, which is updated monthly.
California State Legislative Process Update
May 31, 2019 is the upcoming deadline for each house of the Legislature to advance fully developed legislative proposals through its respective house. The “spot bill” amendment deadline has passed and proposals are being assigned to their respective policy committees for consideration.
Staff is reviewing all bills that are introduced in the 2019-2020 Legislative Session for impacts to the agency. Our process includes reviewing all introduced bills, identifying potential impacts to the agency, working with agency staff to review proposals and then bringing bills to the Board for consideration of a position if not otherwise outlined in our Board-approved State Legislative Program Goals. We will keep the Board apprised on key legislative actions in Sacramento as they develop.
State Legislative Proposals Update
Assemblymember Chris O’Donnell has recently amended AB 1262, legislation that would provide a continuous appropriation of funding for California’s Clean Fuel, Truck, Bus and Off-Road Vehicle and Equipment Technology Program. The dedicated cap-and-trade funding from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) would provide multi-year allocations to develop and deploy new technology for zero-emission vehicles (including buses) and charging infrastructure. The bill is set to be heard in the Assembly Committee on Transportation on April 8, 2019 and, if approved, will move to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources.
Metro previously supported AB 1204 (Lara) which created the Clean Fuel Truck, Bus and Off-Road Vehicle and Equipment Technology Program. Support for legislation that allocates dedicated funds to this program would be consistent with our Board approved legislative program goals of increasing funding for zero-emission fleet conversion. Staff will communicate Metro’s support for the legislative proposal through a coalition letter of support to the author and policy committees.
Assembly Member Mark Stone has introduced Assembly Bill 1198, legislation that would retroactively exempt certain public transit employees from the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA). The bill would exempt certain employees hired after January 1, 2016. Staff is reviewing the bill for potential impacts to Metro’s contract and non-contract employees and will keep the Board apprised as the bill’s provisions are developed. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement. As of the drafting of this report, the Committee hearing date has not yet been set.
Staff is also reviewing a number of proposals impacting policies related to transit stations, regional transportation plans, transportation network companies, autonomous vehicles, the State’s clean air goals, and SB 1 transportation funding. Our Board-approved 2019 State Advocacy Program Goals have set the aggressive and comprehensive approach to a number of policy issues that are under consideration in Sacramento at this time. Staff will keep the Board apprised of bills and legislative actions throughout the balance of the legislative session.
High Speed Rail Update
As a follow up to the Joint Hearing of the Senate Transportation Committee and Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee #2 on the status of the high speed rail project held in March, Metro is poised to support the Los Angeles County State Senate and Assembly delegation in their efforts to ensure the funding agreement for the Southern California “book end” connectivity projects is executed as expeditiously as possible. Link Union Station, through this funding agreement, will access over $400 million in HSR funding to expand capacity and complete a number of operational upgrades at Union Station.
Conclusion
Staff will expand on this report at the Executive Management Committee meeting with any new developments that occur over the next several weeks.
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Michael Turner, DEO, Government Relations, (213) 922-2122
Raffi Hamparian, Senior Director, Government Relations, (213) 922-3769
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Yvette Rapose, Interim Chief Communications Officer, (213) 922-3777
