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Receive an update on the April 15, 2024 Legislative Committee meeting, including a verbal update from Paragon Government Relations, the County’s Federal Legislative Advocates and Karen Lange, the County’s State Legislative Advocate on legislative matters of interest to the County including AB 2265, AB 2561, and AB 3259 and consider taking a position; and Receive an update from staff on SB 1057, SB 1124, SB 1159, AB 2079 and AB 2882 and consider taking a position
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Published Notice Required? Yes _______ No ___X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes _______ No ___X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors receive an update on the April 15, 2024 Legislative Committee meeting, including a verbal update from Paragon Government Relations, the County’s Federal Legislative Advocates and Karen Lange, the County’s State Legislative Advocate on legislative matters of interest to the County including AB 2265, AB 2561, and AB 3259 and consider taking a position; and Receive an update from staff on SB 1057, SB 1124, SB 1159, AB 2079 and AB 2882 and consider taking a position.
SUMMARY:
Staff will provide an overview of items discussed at the Board’s Legislative Committee meeting on April 15, 2024. The County’s federal Legislative Advocates at Paragon Government Relations will give a verbal update on developments taking place in Washington D.C. and key legislation of interest to the County. The County’s State Legislative Advocate, Karen Lange of SYASL Partners, Inc., will provide a verbal update on developments at the State Capitol and key legislation of interest to the County. Staff will provide updates on bills that were presented at the April 15, 2024 Legislative Committee meeting and seek Board direction, all of which are presented in detail below in the Discussion section of this report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The legislative program is designed to result in additional funding and cost avoidance relative to Solano County. The cost of preparing this report is nominal and is included in the County Administrator’s FY2023/24 Working Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The County’s Legislative Committee Members, Supervisor Erin Hannigan and Supervisor Monica Brown, met on Monday, April 15, 2024 to discuss both federal and State issues. Joe Krahn and Hasan Sarsour of Paragon Government Relations, the County’s federal legislative advocacy team, and Karen Lange of SYASL Partners, Inc., the County’s state legislative advocate, all participated in the meeting as well.
The County’s April 15, 2024 Legislative Committee agenda packet can be accessed at the following link: <https://www.solanocounty.com/legislation/agendas.asp>
The April 15, 2024 Solano County Legislative Committee meeting agenda included the following bills as action items which are discussed below, and the committee is recommending the Board of Supervisors consider taking a position:
SB 1057 - Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council
SB 1057 was introduced into the California State Senate on February 8, 2024 by Senator Menjivar. Existing law requires a juvenile justice coordinating council to consist of certain members, including, but not limited to, the chief probation officer, as chair, and a representative from the district attorney’s office, the public defender’s office, and the sheriff’s department. This bill, among other things, would revise and recast those membership provisions, and instead require each county juvenile justice coordinating council (JJCC) to, at a minimum, consist of at least 50 percent community representatives with the remainder of the seats allocated to representatives from governmental agencies, as specified. The bill would also require the council to include an at-promise youth, as defined, and either a person with experience in the juvenile court system or a system-impacted family member. The bill would require a council to select two cochairs from amongst its members, at least one of whom shall be a community representative.
Following a presentation by Dear Farrah, Interim Chief Probation Officer at Solano County, the Legislative Committee is recommending an OPPOSE position on the bill. SB 1057 seeks to expand the JJCC membership, which could make it more difficult to move items forward as a council, change the definition of a juvenile, raising it from 17 to 25, which could widen and dilute the JJCCs ability to focus and provide intervention services, and changes reporting requirements, potentially making it easier for the public to identify victims and/or offenders involved in the County justice system.
SB 1124 - Deceptive Practices, Service Members and Veterans
SB 1124 was introduced into the California State Senate on February 13, 2023 by Senator Menjivar. This bill would, except as provided, prohibit a person from, in connection with any transaction or any sale of goods or services, directly or indirectly soliciting, contracting for, charging, or receiving, or attempting to solicit, contract for, charge, or receive, any fee or compensation with respect to the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of any claim for benefits under the laws administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill would also make void a contract performed in violation of these provisions. The bill would make violations of these provisions a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Following a presentation by Alfred Sims, Director of Veteran Services at Solano County, the Legislative Committee is recommending a SUPPORT position on the bill. The bill, sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office, is intended to ensure that veterans are aware they do not need to pay a for-profit entity to gain access to their Veterans Association (VA) benefits, and that they are treated equally and fairly during the process. As the bill states, County Veteran Service Offices and VA regional offices can both file claims for veterans for free and the services are guaranteed to veterans as part of their military service. This bill would make it a misdemeanor for any non-VA accredited for-profit agency to charge for any of these kinds of benefit services.
SB 1159 - California Environmental Quality Act, Roadside Wildfire Risk Reduction Projects
SB 1159 was introduced into the California State Senate on February 14, 2024 by Senator Dodd. Currently, brush clearing for fire-prevention purposes is exempt from provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) if it is conducted within 30 feet of a structure. That distance can be extended to 100 feet of a structure if extra-hazardous fire conditions exist. This bill would require the Natural Resources Agency to consider granting a CEQA exemption to roadside vegetation management projects undertaken solely for wildfire risk reduction. Expediting these projects could reduce the possibility of roadside fires and improve evacuation routes, among other benefits.
Following a presentation by Charlie Born, Legislative Aide for Senator Dodd, the Legislative Committee is recommending a SUPPORT position on the bill. The bill is intended to expedite fuel reduction projects by making it easier for firefighters to clear vulnerable land and remove flammable materials, reducing the possibility of roadside fires and improving evacuation routes. Additionally, the bill aims to help decrease costs to treat roadside areas that currently present a financial burden to small agencies and under-resourced communities.
AB 2079 - Groundwater Extraction, Large-Diameter, High-Capacity Water Wells, Permits
Existing law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires groundwater basins designated as high-or medium-priority by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) be managed under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) through a groundwater sustainability plan or coordinated plans. This bill would require a local enforcement agency, as the well permitting agency, to perform specified activities in groundwater basins defined in the DWR Bulletin 118 at least 30 days before determining whether to approve a permit for a new large-diameter, high-capacity well, as defined. Additionally, the bill would require, upon notice, a groundwater sustainability agency for the basin where the high capacity well is to be located, to provide specified information to the local enforcement agency, including the name of the applicable groundwater sustainability agency, the agency manager and contact information, and the applicable sustainable management criteria related to groundwater levels, including the groundwater level measurable objectives and minimum thresholds. The bill also requires a local agency not approve a permit for a large-diameter, high-capacity well if the well is proposed to be located within one-quarter mile from a domestic supply well. By imposing additional requirements on a local enforcement agency, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Following a presentation by Trey Strickland, Environmental Health Manager for Solano County, the Legislative Committee is recommending an OPPOSE position on the bill, as it would permanently expand the current executive order issued by the Governor to place additional requirements on the permitting large diameter, high capacity (agricultural) water wells in non-SGMA regulated groundwater basins throughout the state. This bill also aims to prescribe certain standards the local agency needs to follow in the approval or denial of the permit of high capacity, large diameter wells, including the location of the proposed well and specified geological and water supply considerations, taking away from local County jurisdictional controls, and placing unnecessary additional mandates on staff, all while not providing any funding for the additional duties.
AB 2882 - California Community Corrections Performance Incentives
AB 2882 was introduced into the California State Assembly on February 15, 2024 by Assemblymember McCarty. Existing law authorizes counties to establish a Community Corrections Performance (CCP) Incentives Fund to receive money to provide community corrections, supervision and rehabilitation of adult felony offenders subject to supervision. Existing law also requires CCP plans to be voted on by County Board of Supervisors, as well as one department representative for the head of the County departments of social services, mental health and alcohol and substance abuse programs. This bill would add representatives from the community, as well as give the department heads of the three represented departments voting powers based on the number of departments they represent. Additionally, the Board would be required to produce and maintain a Community Corrections Outcomes, Accountability, and Transparency report, available through the County Board of Supervisor’s website.
Following a presentation by Dear Farrah, Interim Chief Probation Officer at Solano County, the Legislative Committee is recommending an OPPOSE position on the bill, as it would dilute the makeup of the CCP, make it harder to establish a quorum, give unequal voting power to department leadership that oversees multiple divisions represented on the CCP, and creates additional workload on Probation, Behavioral Health and County Information Technology services staff to collect, manage, publish and maintain a Community Corrections Outcomes, Accountability, and Transparency Report. Additionally, Probation is concerned the bill focuses too much on behavioral health outcomes determined by the State and misses the critical components the Probation and Sheriff’s departments roles, taking away local jurisdictional control to manage CCP programming and services.
Board Update / Provide Staff with Direction - AB 3259
Just after the publishing of the April 15, 2024 Solano County Legislative Committee meeting agenda, the County received a request from Assemblymember Wilson’s office that the committee receive and update on her bill, AB 3259, Increase the Sales Tax Cap in Solano County to 9.75 percent, and consider taking a position.
Karen Lange of SYASL Partners provided Legislative Committee members with an update on the bill, and, following a discussion, it was recommended that the full Board of Supervisors receive an update and consider providing direction.
Update on Bills of Interest to the County / Consider Taking a Position
Karen Lange of SYASL Partners, as part of her State report-out, gave updates on AB 2265 (McCarty) - Animals, Spaying, Neutering and Euthanasia, and AB 2561 (McKinnor) - Local Public Employees, Vacant Positions.
It is recommended the Board of Supervisors receive an update on these bills and consider taking a position. A description of each bills is listed below:
AB 2265 - Animals, Spaying, Neutering and Euthanasia
AB 2265 was introduced into the California State Assembly on February 8, 2024 by Assemblymember McCarty. Existing law prohibits a stray dog or cat impounded by a public or private shelter from being euthanized before 6 business days after the stray dog or cat is impounded, not including the day of impoundment, and requires that the stray dog or cat, except those irremediably suffering, be released to a nonprofit animal rescue or adoption organization before the scheduled euthanasia of the stray dog or cat if requested by the organization. This bill would declare that no animal be euthanized by a public animal control agency, shelter or private entity that contracts with a public animal control agency for animal care and control services. This bill would also require agencies to post a daily list of any cat or dog scheduled for euthanasia on their public internet website or public Facebook page and to post a physical notice on the kennel of a dog or cat scheduled to be euthanized up to 72 hours before a scheduled euthanasia of a dog or cat but no later than 24 hours before a scheduled euthanasia of a dog or cat. The bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
AB 2561 - Local Public Employees, Vacant Positions
AB 2561 was introduced into the California State Assembly on February 14, 2024 by Assemblymember McKinnor. This bill requires local agencies with bargaining unit vacancy rates exceeding 10% for more than 180 days (approximately 6 months) to produce, implement, and publish a plan to reduce their vacancy rates to 0% within the subsequent 180 days. The bill also requires the public agency to present this plan during a public hearing to the governing legislative body and to publish the plan on its internet website for public review for at least one year. By imposing new duties on public agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to receive the legislative updates or consider taking positions on any of the presented State legislative bills; however, this is not recommended as the Board’s Legislative Committee has recommended the update and the review of legislative bills.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Staff consulted with Solano County Department Heads, Paragon Government Relations, SYASL Partners, Inc. to compile this legislative report.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION