Meeting_Body
REVISED
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
JULY 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 Butts 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 July 2, 2019 and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee meeting on July 18, 2019. Status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix, which is updated monthly.
Reauthorization/Trump Infrastructure Plan
The prospect of reaching an agreement on an infrastructure plan between Congress and the White House has diminished greatly. The Chair of the House Transportation Committee, Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) commented in late June that they “were making one more run at the White House” to come up with an infrastructure package. It is also possible that the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee will mark-up a bill to reauthorize surface transportation - a separate proposal from the previously mentioned infrastructure package. The current authorization bill - the FAST Act - expires at the end of September 2020.
Federal Budget for Fiscal Year 2020
The U.S. House of Representatives has moved to pass their Fiscal Year 2020 Transportation-HUD Appropriations Bill while the U.S. Senate has not approved a bill at the Committee level as of yet. The U.S. Senate may begin work on appropriation bills in July before leaving Washington for all of August for their summer recess.
The spending measure passed by the House provides $86.6 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation and its programs and projects - a slight increase over Fiscal Year 2019 spending levels and $3.7 billion above the President’s Budget request.
We are encouraged that the House transportation spending bill adopted includes $1 billion for National Infrastructure Investment (BUILD/TIGER) Grants. Our agency has - in the past - been the recipient of numerous TIGER grants, including for the Willowbrook Rosa Parks Station and the Mobility in East LA initiative. The measure provides $48.9 billion for the Federal Highway Administration, which is $1.5 billion below the Fiscal Year 2019 spending level - but $1.45 billion over the President’s Budget request.
Funding for the Capital Investment Grant Program (New Starts) is robust in the bill - with ample funding for our agency’s three transit projects with Full Funding Grant Agreements; $100 million for the Westside Purple Line Extension Section 1, $100 million for Westside Purple Line Extension Section 2 and $100 million for the Downtown Regional Connector Transit Project. The bill includes enough CIG funding for the Full Funding Grant Agreement we expect to conclude later this year for the Westside Purple Line Extension Section 3 Project and also includes $50 million for the Expedited Project Delivery Program - that is a Board-approved priority in our 2019 Federal Legislative Program.
One sticking point that may impede efforts to move a bill forward 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 - making it difficult for negotiations to be favorably concluded on this and other appropriations bills.
Congressional Hearing - Rolling Stock Industrial Park Initiative
As was reported last month - the testimony provided by our CEO at a hearing chaired by the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (Congressman Peter DeFazio) last month bolstered our efforts to establish a rolling stock industrial park in Los Angeles. We continue to work with a diverse number of Members of Congress and their professional aides to advance our CEO’s vision to create in Los Angeles County a one of a kind center for the manufacturing of rolling stock in the United States - as opposed to many facilities in the United States - where rolling stock is simply assembled - not manufactured. We look forward to keeping the Board fully apprised of our efforts in this regard.
INFRA and BUILD Grants for Fiscal Year 2019
As we have previously noted to Board members, Metro submitted two INFRA grant applications for the 57/60 Confluence Chokepoint project and the 105 ExpressLanes project. We continue to engage a broad array of stakeholders to ensure that our grant applications have the best opportunity of being approved by the USDOT. We expect to see awards for this grant program in the coming weeks.
Local Hire Pilot Program
Consistent with our Legislative Program, Metro continues to actively support a change in federal law that will allow Local Hire programs to resume on federally funded projects. On this topic, Representative Karen Bass is working to re-introduce a new bill that would allow for geographic hiring preferences. Government Relations looks forward to bringing this bill to the Board for its consideration.
Conclusion
Chair Butts - 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 Butts and members of the Executive Management Committee, staff is pleased to provide an update on a number of state matters of interest to our agency. This report was prepared on July 3, 2019 and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee meeting on July 18, 2019. Status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix, which is updated monthly.
California State Legislative and Budget Updates
The Governor has approved the State’s FY2019-2020 budget. A number of trailer bills with specific program allocations are still under consideration by the various legislative committees. July 10, 2019 is the fiscal committee deadline for bills that have a fiscal impact. July 12, 2019 is the last day for policy committees to hear bills before they move to the Floor for consideration. The Legislature will be in recess from July 12 until August 12, 2019.
Legislative Updates
Senate Bill 7 (Portantino) - Senator Anthony Portantino recently amended SB 7, which would delete the State Route 710 North segment from the California Streets and Highways Code and provide additional protections for non-profit tenants that currently lease homes owned by Caltrans along the corridor. Metro’s Board of Directors formally voted on April 25, 2019 to support the measure. The bill has been recently amended to remove a sunset on rental protections for certain tenants in properties along the corridor. The bill was approved by the Assembly Committee on Transportation.
SB 664 (Allen) - Senator Ben Allen has authored SB 664, proposing policy changes that would clarify certain provisions in statute related to Metro’s operations of the ExpressLanes. The 2019 State Legislative Program Goals provide staff with the direction to support legislation that enhances Metro’s ability to enforce the ExpressLanes Board adopted toll policy. The bill was approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee with considerable amendments and is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection on July 9, 2019.
SB 277 (Beall) - Senator Jim Beall has recently amended SB 277 to include provisions that would change how the state administers the Local Partnership Program. This program funds road maintenance, rehabilitation and other transportation improvement projects. In 2018, Metro received $80 million in SB 1 funds through the competitive process of the Local Partnership Program for Soundwalls in La Canada-Flintridge and for the Metro Orange Line Improvements Project. SB 277 would shift program funding from a competitive and formula split to a majority formula allocation. The Self Help Counties Coalition has proposed amendments related to the funding formula and has submitted a letter of support for the legislation. Pursuant to the Board-adopted 2019 State Legislative program goals - staff will work to ensure that SB 1 funding for Los Angeles County is preserved.
AB 752 (Gabriel) - Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel has introduced AB 752, legislation that seeks to require that lactation rooms be made available for patrons at certain transit facilities throughout the state. Pursuant to Board direction, staff has worked with the author and the coalition of California Transit Association members to prepare amendments to the legislation to ensure for safety, security and minimal operational impacts. The latest version of the amendments includes a list of stations throughout the state that will be subject to the bill’s provisions. LA Union Station has been identified as a station that would be required to have a lactation facility on the premise. The bill now moves to the Senate Transportation Committee.
AB 1560 (Friedman) - Assemblymember Laura Friedman has recently amended AB 1560, legislation that seeks to clarify the definition of “bus rapid transit” and “major transit stop” in the statute that outlines the state’s CEQA process and protections. Staff has worked with the author and bill supporters to provide technical feedback on the provisions outlined in the bill. The bill was approved in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and now moves to the Senate Housing Committee for consideration on July 2, 2019. Staff will continue to monitor this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.
State Legislative Delegation Update
Staff hosted a number of informational briefings during the month of July with members and their Capitol and District office staff on a number of Metro issues and projects. Staff will be hosting members and staff for briefings around the county in district offices during the summer recess.
Conclusion
This report will be expanded upon 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, Chief Communications Officer, (213) 922-3777
