City of Chino
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE (Attachment 1)
As of January 14, 2026 (January 20, 2026 City Council Agenda)
FEDERAL UPDATE
Schedule for Congress
The House and Senate are currently in session this week. The Senate will be in recess January 17-25. The House will be in recess January 24 to February 2. The President’s State of the Union speech to Congress will be on February 24.
Federal Budget
A continuing resolution (CR) is funding the government through January 30. Three appropriations bills have been signed into law: Agriculture, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch. On January 8, the House passed a measure combining the following spending bills: Commerce, Justice, and Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior-Environment Appropriations. The vote was 397-28. The measure was sent to the Senate for a vote this week.
Appropriators had been aiming to combine the Homeland Security (HS) spending bill with the Financial Services and State-Foreign Operations measures in a three-bill package that the House could consider this week. But the federal actions in Minnesota and Oregon may delay the inclusion of the HS bill. Resolving details on the final three bills, Labor-HHS-Education, Defense, and Transportation-HUD (THUD), is continuing. Typically, Appropriators combine the Defense and Labor-HHS-Education bills into a single package to garner more support. The addition of the THUD bill sweetens the pot as it contains many earmarks for roads, transit, and community development projects.
Update on City of Chino Earmark Requests for Federal FY 2026 Chino Valley Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center Project (EPIC) - The earmark for EPIC is still pending. There is $2,000,000 for EPIC in the FY26 Transportation Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill under the Economic Development Initiatives account from Congresswoman Torres. However, the THUD bill is still pending, and there has been no action on it for some time. There has been activity in the House and the Senate on other appropriations bills since the start of the new year, and they may move the remaining appropriations bills before January 30, when the continuing resolution (CR) that is temporarily funding the federal government expires. We are optimistic that this appropriations bill will be passed before the CR expires.
Benson Water Treatment Facility Emergency Power Generator Project (Benson Generator) - $1.092 M for Chino’s Benson Generator moved to the Senate for a vote. The House of Representatives passed HR 6938, the Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026, with a vote of 397 to 28. $1,092,000 for Chino's Benson Generator Project is included in the FY 26 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill under the State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) Drinking Water SRF account, at Congresswoman Torres' request, so it appears the earmark will be funded. Below is a screenshot of the earmark. The Senate is expected to pass the bill this week.
Chino Youth Museum (CYM) ADA and Exhibit Upgrades - The CYM earmark is dead for FY 26. The $2,000,000 requested by Senator Alex Padilla in the FY 26 Transportation Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill was NOT included. That request is no longer active for FY 26 earmarks, but it can be resubmitted for FY 27.
Affordable Care Act
The House passed legislation on Thursday that would extend lapsed Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for three years, after 17 Republicans bucked leadership to advance Democrats’ preferred health bill. The vote was 230-196. The bill was considered on the floor only after a discharge petition reached 218 signatures. It will now go to the Senate, where it is expected to be modified to maybe two years and increase oversight and income requirements.
STATE UPDATE AND TRACKED STATE LEGISLATION REPORTS
City Tracked Bill Reports
There are no tracked bill reports this month. City staff are reviewing bills that are being introduced; however, many are spot bills with no substantive language. The number of bills the City will review and track will increase as the February 20 deadline to introduce bills approaches. Staff also continues to track last year's pending bills.
Update from Gonsalves & Son
New Members
On January 6, 2025, the Legislature reconvened for its 2025-26 legislative session. This year, the Assembly has 23 new members (1 vacancy) and the Senate has 12 new members (1 vacancy), for a total of 35 new Legislators. Of the 12 new members in the Senate, 8 have previously served in the Assembly.
Legislation
This year’s Legislative session began on a subdued note, with minimal activity around the introduction of bills. The ongoing impact of widespread fires across the state has understandably shifted many legislators' focus, leading to fewer bills being introduced at this early stage of the session. The Assembly has reduced its initial bill count from 50 to 35, while the Senate has similarly trimmed its slate from 40 to 35. There are 2 critical upcoming deadlines to introduce new legislation this year:
January 24, 2025: The final date to submit proposed bill language to Legislative Counsel for drafting.
February 21, 2025: The deadline for bills to be formally introduced.
POSITION LETTERS & MAJOR ISSUES
No letters on legislation or regulatory issues have been submitted since the October 15, 2025, report on the City Council agenda.
STATE LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR – Recent and Upcoming Legislative Deadlines Jan. 1 - Statutes take effect.
Jan. 5 - Legislature reconvenes for second year of the 2025-26 Regular Session.
Jan. 10 - Budget must be submitted by Governor.
Jan. 16 - Last day for policy committees to hear and report to fiscal committees fiscal bills introduced in their house in the odd-numbered year.
Jan. 19 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Jan. 23 - Last day for any committee to hear and report to the Floor bills introduced in that house in the odd-numbered year. - Last day to submit bill requests to the Office of Legislative Counsel.
Jan. 31 - Last day for each house to pass bills introduced in that house in the odd-numbered year.
Feb. 16 - Presidents’ Day.
Feb. 20 - Last day for bills to be introduced.
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