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LEGISLATION COMMITTEE

Meeting Date:	02/06/2023
Subject: Federal Legislation of Interest to Contra Costa County
Submitted For:	LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Department:	County Administrator
Referral No.:	2023-02
Referral Name:
Presenter:	L. DeLaney and Thorn Run Partners	Contact:	L. DeLaney, (925) 655-2057

Information

Referral History:

The Legislation Committee regularly receives reports on federal legislation and provides direction to staff and the County's federal lobbyists.

Referral Update:

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors adopted the 2023-24 Federal Legislative Platform at its meeting on January 17, 2023. (C.16)

The 2023-24 Federal Legislative Platform includes federal funding needs of the County.

1. Secure funding for the Army Corps’ annual maintenance dredging of the federal channels along the County’s borders
that maintain the ship channel to the authorized depth of -35 feet.
2. Advocate for and support the San Francisco to Stockton Navigation Improvement Project that proposes to deepen the ship channel to realize transportation efficiencies.
3. Mount Diablo Mercury Mine. Support legislation in the Water Resources Development Act that would give authority to the Army Corps of Engineers to build remediation projects in the Remediation of Abandoned Mine Sites program.
4. Buchanan Field and Byron Airports: Secure funding for Master Plan/Business Plan Implementation.

The Platform also includes the following Surface Transportation Funding Needs:

Vasco Road Safety Improvements: Project components (barriers, shoulders, passing facilities) will eliminate cross median collisions, wildlife undercrossing/overcrossing will preserve migration patterns.
North Richmond Community Supportive Transportation Improvements: Alternate truck route/regulations, trail/school access improvements to address community safety, public health and livability needs, and general transportation improvements to support job growth and priority development area access.
Eastern Contra Costa Multi-use Trail Network: Active mode access improvements for planned and existing mass transit stations, schools, and activity centers.
Brentwood Intermodal Transit Center: Multimodal station access improvements and the extension of mass transit from the Antioch BART station.
Iron Horse Corridor Enhancement Program: Improvements to trail access (to/from activity center and other regional trails), additional facilities for different active modes, overcrossings, and at grade intersection improvements.
State Route 4 / Old River Bridge Study: The existing structure is narrow; improvements would address safety and traffic flow.
West Contra Costa High Capacity Transit: Implementation of the WCCTAC High Capacity Transit Study.
Kirker Pass Truck Climbing Lane (southbound) and Turn Channelization: Needed for improved traffic flow and safety.
Vasco Road – Byron Highway Connector: Connection between two major arterials improving connectivity while removing through/truck traffic from the Byron community.

The latest update from Thorn Run Partners on the federal budget for FFY 2024:

"President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) are slated to meet February 1, 2023 to kick off negotiations on the debt ceiling and the federal budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024. According to a memo penned by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young and National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese, the White House will call on Speaker McCarthy to release a FY 2024 budget that outlines potential spending cuts to reach a debt limit deal, as well as their plan for balancing the budget. Meanwhile, intel from Capitol Hill suggests that Republican leadership is floating the idea of a short-term debt limit extension that would align the "X date" with the September 30 government funding deadline, but it is too early to tell whether the entire GOP conference would get behind this approach.

Context & Next Steps. This meeting will mark the first of several leadership-level meetings on these pressing budgetary issues. As detailed in a recent letter by Secretary Janet Yellen, the Treasury Department estimates that it can deploy "extraordinary measures" to prevent a default until late June or early July. As such, both sides will likely remain entrenched within their respective positions up until summer, at which point a bipartisan solution will be needed. However, it remains to be seen whether House conservatives — especially those who originally opposed Speaker McCarthy's nomination — will come to the table absent a budget agreement or commensurate fiscal reforms to reduce spending."

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

ACCEPT the report and provide direction to staff and the County's federal lobbyists on the goals and priorities of the Committee for 2023.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.