DATE: February 6, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Fresno County Federal Legislative Platform Updates
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Adopt recommended changes to the Fresno County Federal Legislative Platform;
2. Authorize the Chairman to execute letters of support, or opposition, in accordance with the Platform;
3. Authorize the County Administrative Office to work with the County’s Federal Congressional Delegation, federal advocates, and/or other necessary parties to support or oppose legislation in accordance with the Platform; and
4. Receive presentation from Federal lobbyists Carpi & Clay regarding legislative actions.
REPORT
The Legislative Platform is a statement of the goals and priorities of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and establishes the basis for its advocacy efforts with Congress and Federal agencies. The Platform is also used as a guide for support letters related to grant applications. The last recommended action will provide your Board with an update on current Federal legislative activities. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
1. Make changes to the recommendations or language in the Federal Legislative Platform.
2. Postpone updates to the Federal Legislative Platform.
3. Choose not to make changes and continue to work off the existing federal Legislative Platform, last updated and approved by your Board on February 7, 2023.
If your Board chooses to postpone or not make updates to the Platform, staff will need to bring items that are not currently included in the Platform to your Board to be addressed on an individual basis.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions.
DISCUSSION:
The Federal Legislative Platform is used by County officials and staff as policy guidelines for legislative action and to facilitate timely responses to requests from the County’s Federal Congressional Delegation, the County’s federal advocates, and interested citizens. Your Board last updated the Federal Legislative Platform on February 7, 2023 and this is the annual update to the Federal Legislative Platform. All County departments have had the opportunity to review and recommend changes to the Platform.
For letters of support or opposition, the Platform serves as a guide for departments to easily identify if Federal issues they are working on fall within the County’s Federal Platform. Consistent with Administrative Policy 21, any specific federal issues falling outside of the Platform and any letter requesting the signature of all five Board members would require an agenda item for presentation to your Board. It should be noted, if an individual Board member wishes to submit a letter of support or opposition that is consistent with the Platform, may do so under their Office; however, they may utilize the Board’s letterhead.
The proposed Platform contains three sections:
I. Introduction - an explanation of the purpose of the legislative Platform.
II. Major Legislative Issues - identifies significant issues for the County.
III. General Principles - provides positions that will guide County actions and advocacy efforts in specified categories of Agriculture; Community and Workforce Investment; Criminal Justice and Public Protection; Economic Development; Elections; Energy/Air Quality; Environmental Quality/Natural Resources; Federal Lands and Installations; General Government and Finance; Human Resources; Library; Public Health, Behaviroal Health, and Health Care Services; Social Services; Transportation and Infrastructure; and Water.
The primary recommended changes to the Federal Legislative Platform are highlighted in the second attachment and include the following:
Public Health, Behavioral Health and Health Care Services:
• In the bullet to support tobacco-free environments, the phrase “and the reduction of illegal tobacco sales to persons under the age of 21” was added.
Transportation and Infrastructure:
• Move bullet to Support increases in Federal funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) to provide essential infrastructure and housing funds low - and moderate-income rural communities and residents to Social Services subsection.
Approval of the recommended actions will adopt the updated Federal Legislative Platform, authorize the Chairman to execute letters of support or opposition in accordance with the Platform, and allow the County Administrative Office to express your Board’s position on legislation in accordance with the Platform.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
The legislative Platform was developed with input from the County’s Washington lobbyist.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #6, February 7, 2023
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Fresno County Federal Legislative Platform
Fresno County Federal Legislative Platform - Redline
Carpi & Clay Fresno County Presentation Federal Update Feb 2024
CAO ANALYST:
Fine Nai