Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
AUGUST 20, 2020
Subject
SUBJECT: STATE AND FEDERAL REPORT
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE August 2020 State and Federal Legislative Report.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Executive Management Committee
Remarks Prepared by Raffi Haig Hamparian
Government Relations Senior Director, Federal Affairs
Chair Garcetti and members of the Executive Management Committee, I am pleased to provide an update on several federal matters of interest to our agency. This report was prepared on July 17, 2020 and will be updated, as appropriate, at the Executive Management Committee meeting on August 20, 2020. Status of relevant pending legislation is monitored on the Metro Government Relations Legislative Matrix, which is updated monthly.
The HEROES Act
With only weeks before both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate begin their summer recess, congressional leaders and the White House are discussing a new COVID-19 aid package. As our agency did prior to the adoption of the CARES Act, our Chief Executive Officer will be communicating with members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation details of the ongoing impact the pandemic is having on our agency with respect to our operations and capital projects. Specifically, our CEO is informing our U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators that as a consequence of the pandemic and revenue shortfalls due to, among other things, a precipitous drop in sales tax revenue and renewed state-wide COVID-19 closures, we are anticipating an overall shortfall of anywhere between $1.6 billion to $1.9 billion for the coming fiscal year.
The HEROES Act that was adopted by the House earlier this year would, according to our best estimates, provide approximately $725 million to our agency - primarily through two existing federal formula programs (Section 5307 and Section 5337). The Government Relations team looks forward to keeping...
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