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Receive an update from County staff and the County’s State Legislative Advocate on the status of legislation that is of interest to the County and items discussed at the Board’s Legislative Committee on February 3, 2020
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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 from County staff and the County’s State Legislative Advocate on State and Federal legislation of interest to the County and items discussed at the Board’s Legislative Committee on February 3, 2020.
SUMMARY:
Staff will provide an overview of items discussed at the Board’s Legislative Committee on February 3, 2020. The County’s Legislative Advocate, Karen Lange of SYASL Partners, Inc., will provide a verbal update on developments at the Capitol and key legislation of interest to the County. The informational items before the Board were reviewed by the County’s Legislative Committee and are discussed individually in the discussion section below.
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 and compiling the information is a General Fund cost covered in the County Administrator’s FY2019/20 administration budget.
DISCUSSION:
The County’s Legislative Committee Chair, Supervisor Erin Hannigan met on February 3, 2020 to discuss both Federal and State issues. Supervisor John Vasquez was unable to attend the meeting. Joe Krahn, Hasan Sarsour, and Tom Joseph 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 February 3, 2020 Legislative Committee agenda packet can be accessed at the following link:
<http://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=31606>
The meeting agenda included one local state-action item which is discussed below:
SB 793 - Flavored Tobacco Products
On January 6, 2020, Senator Jerry Hill (D-CA) introduced SB 793, a bill that would prohibit tobacco retailers from selling, offering for sale, or possessing with the intent to sell or offer for sale, a flavored tobacco product. The bill would make a violation of this prohibition an infraction punishable by a fine of $250 for each violation. The bill was first read on January 6, 2020 and has been referred to the committee on health. The bill is attached to this item as Attachment A and can also be found at the following link:
<http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB793>.
Following a discussion, the Legislative Committee, by request of Solano County Health and Social Services Director, Gerald Huber and Public Health Officer, Dr. Bela Matyas, M.D., M.P.H., agreed to recommend the County Board of Supervisors consider supporting the proposed bill, and to write letters to Senator Hill and the County’s legislative advocates, urging them to support the bill banning flavored tobacco products, helping diminish the risk of life-long addictions, including cigarette smoking and vaping among youth in Solano County.
This staff report also includes a federal legislative update from Paragon Government Relations, (ATTACHMENT B) a state legislative update on bills Solano County has been following during the 2019-2020 legislative session from Karen Lange of SYASL Partners, Inc., (ATTACHMENT C).
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Staff consulted with Solano County Department Heads, Paragon Government Relations, SYASL Partners, Inc. to compile this legislative report.