Should the statutes and internal regulations that govern the information practices of state agencies also be applied to all local agencies? AB 2677 would do just that in regard to how personal information is stored and shared, without regard to the many differences between state agencies, counties, school districts, cities, and all manner of special districts. In doing so, it would impose tremendous costs, both upfront and ongoing, new civil liabilities, and would even threaten termination for employees that make mistakes in how the information is handled.

April is always a busy month in the Legislature, and this year is no different. Tomorrow, April 29, marks the deadline for policy committees to hear and report all fiscal bills introduced in their house of origin. As the vast majority of bills are keyed fiscal, policy committees have heard thousands of bills over the last few months. Below you will find an update on key bills the CSAC Government Finance and Administration team are currently tracking.

Broadband:

CSAC will be co-hosting a webinar with the California Emerging Technology Foundation (CETF) next Friday, April 29 at 9:00 am focused on how counties can help increase enrollment in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Created through the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, ACP provides a $30-per-month service subsidy for low-income households. This webinar will highlight a successful case study that counties can replicate and build on to increase participation among eligible households.

The state and federal governments will both be presenting webinars in the coming days for local agency technical assistance.

The CPUC will host the first of two webinars on the Local Agency Technical Assistance Program this Tuesday, April 5 from 10-11 a.m. The program dedicates $50 million in reimbursable grants to local agencies and Tribal governments for pre-construction work on last-mile broadband connections to unserved and underserved areas.  Of this $50 million, at least $5 million is set-aside for Tribes.

SB 1100 by Senator Dave Cortese passed out of Senate Governance and Finance Committee today with a 4-1 vote. The bill, which is co-sponsored by the CSAC and the Urban Counties of California, seeks to give local boards tools to curb the increase in disruptive and threatening behavior seen in many local public meetings across the state.

At its meeting last Thursday, the CSAC Board of Directors voted overwhelmingly to oppose a proposed initiative designed to make it harder for the state, counties, and other local agencies to approve or collect taxes and other revenues. The measure has not collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, but its proponents are attempting to qualify it for the November ballot.

Building on last year’s historic $6 billion investment in broadband infrastructure, CSAC is currently evaluating a package of bills that seek to increase data collection, expand connectivity, and increase affordable broadband options for Californians. The bills below are generally in line with the broadband portion of CSAC’s 2022 Policy Priorities, as approved by the Board of Directors in December.

Several newly introduced bills would change the requirements for local Brown Act meetings and state Bagley-Keene meetings. The bills follow two years of changes to public meetings caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing hostility and incivility exhibited in many communities.

This week, the Senate approved SB 213 (Cortese) to move off the Senate floor and over to the Assembly with a final vote of 21 senators, narrowly allowing its move into the Assembly.  At its core, this bill will impose significant financial burdens on employers in the health care industry who are already struggling under the effects of labor shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic.  For California Counties, this means costs to taxpayers. 

Following the release last week of their final rule for use of ARPA’s local recovery funds, the U.S. Department of the Treasury held a webinar on multiple dates to provide an overview of the rule’s provisions. The hour-long webinar recording is now available online  on YouTube, along with the PDF of the slide presentation.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will host broadband grant program public virtual listening sessions in connection with the five new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program; the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program; and the Digital Equity Act Programs, which include the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, and the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. These publi

November 18, 2021

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is developing the Clean California Local Grant Program as part of a two-year program through which approximately $296 million in funds will go to local communities to beautify and improve local streets and roads, tribal lands, parks, pathways, and transit centers to clean and enhance public spaces.

October 21, 2021

Governor Newsom met the October 10 deadline to take action on measures approved by the Legislature and delivered to his desk. To keep Counties informed of new laws that impact them, CSAC will be publishing a series of articles to spotlight those laws in each policy area. This week, the Government, Finance, and Administration (GFA) policy area provides information on new laws impacting broadband, elections, labor relations, and more.

October 14, 2021

Governor Newsom had until October 10, 2021 to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature last month. Following is an update on major bills of interest or concern for the Government, Finance, and Administration policy area, including victories broadband access and public meeting requirements. For additional questions, please contact Geoff Neill, Ryan Souza, or Danielle Bradley.

Broadband:

September 30, 2021

September 16, 2021

Both chambers of the Legislature adjourned before 9 p.m. last Friday night, bringing an end to the 2021 session. Following is an update on major bills of interest or concern for the Government, Finance, and Administration policy area that are now among the 800+ bills awaiting action by Governor Gavin Newsom. CSAC staff will continue to monitor and advocate for County priorities during the signing period, which ends October 10, 2021.

Broadband:

September 9, 2021

September 2, 2021

One week remains before the Legislature reaches its deadline to pass legislation for the year and the fate of two bills that amend the Brown Act remain uncertain. AB 339 (Lee) and AB 361 (Robert Rivas) are both currently pending on the Senate Floor at the time of this writing.

August 27, 2021

SB 594 (Glazer), which aligns the elections calendar for the June 7, 2022 primary with the new statewide redistricting deadline, was passed out of Assembly Elections Committee earlier this week with unanimous support.

August 19, 2021

August 5, 2021

Save the date of Thursday, August 26 for a webinar presented jointly by CSAC, California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), and Valley Vision about practical things county officials can do to plan for, facilitate, and incentivize broadband in their communities.

July 15, 2021