RECEIVE update on state and federal legislative issues and APPROVE the draft 2021 legislative program for distribution to Committees for comment.

Each year, the Agency prepares a legislative program to guide its positions on state and federal proposals.  The Executive Committee provided input on the draft 2021 legislative program. The draft, once released, will be circulated to committees for review and input, then a final version will be brought back to the Board for adoption.

The 2020 legislative program focused on preserving and securing funding for transportation priorities, which continues in the 2021 program.

Of the bills signed into law this session, the TAMC-sponsored bill Senate Bill 1231 (Monning) will allow Caltrans and TAMC to move forward with the next steps of the State Route 156 project and will avoid losing purchasing power of the secured funds due to delays. SB 288 (Wiener) will help Monterey-Salinas Transit expedite their bus transit projects by simplifying the environmental review process. SB 1459 (Caballero) will empower Salinas to take control of State Route 183 within their City limits and make improvements to the corridor to support their adopted downtown vibrancy plan.

The federal continuing resolution signed on October 1, 2020 extends transportation funding appropriations through December 11, 2020 and extends transportation authorizations for spending through September 30, 2021.

On October 7, 2020, the Executive Committee received an update on state legislative activities and provided input on priorities for the Agency for 2021. Agency legislative analyst Gus Khouri will present an end-of-session report at the meeting. The legislature adjourned on August 31 but members are still available for a late session until November 30, should the Governor call a special session to discuss the budget. The Governor had until September 30 to sign or veto legislation.

Web Attachment 1 is the final bill list as of October 2. Bills signed into law include:

• Senate Bill (SB) 146 (Beall), which will provide an exemption from in-person Sustainable Community Strategy meetings as required by the Brown Act, through January 1, 2023.
• SB 288 (Wiener): California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Exemptions for Transit, which may assist Monterey-Salinas Transit in their SURF! busway project.
• TAMC's SB 1231 (Monning) that enables the Department of Fish and Wildlife to authorize a permit for the take of the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander in order to empower Caltrans to move forward with the State Route 156 project. (See Herald article, web attachment 2.)
• SB 1291 (Committee on Transportation), which suspends the submittal requirement for a Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) in 2020.
• SB 1459 (Caballero), which authorizes the California Transportation Commission to relinquish a segment of State Route 183 to the City of Salinas.

The Governor has signed two executive orders that are relevant to transportation. Executive Order No. 19-19 (web attachment 3) creates a "Climate Investment Framework" that directs the state's transportation funding into modes that support a reduction in vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. Executive Order No.79-20 (web attachment 4) orders that "100 percent of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks will be zero-emission by 2035" and accelerates "deployment of affordable fueling and charging options for zero-emission vehicles, in ways that serve all communities and in particular low-income and disadvantaged communities". Both Executive Orders will play a large role in the 2021 legislative session.

At the federal level, H.R. 8337, the “Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and other Extensions Act”, was signed into law on October 1 to extend transportation appropriations through December 11, 2020 and extend the "Fixing America's Surface Transportation" authorization act through September 30, 2021.

Web Attachment 5 is the draft 2021 legislative program, showing changes from the adopted 2020 legislative program; attachment 1 accepts the changes for a cleaner look. Staff recommends the Board approve this draft program for distribution to the Rail Policy Committee, Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Advisory Committee, and Technical Advisory Committee in November. Staff will also meet with partner agencies locally and statewide to discuss items for the program. The Executive Committee will then receive an update and discuss the final draft program in January 2021, followed by presentation to the Board in January for adoption.

1. State bill list
2. October 8, 2020 article in the Monterey Herald, "Salamander habitat legislation allows Highway 156 interchange to go ahead: Salamander habitat had been holding back interchange work"
3. Executive Order 19-19
4. Executive Order 79-20
5. Draft 2021 Legislative Program, showing changes from Final 2020 Legislative Program