City of Chino
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE (Attachment 1)
As of October 8, 2026 (October 20, 2026 Legislative Committee Meeting)
FEDERAL UPDATE
Congressional Calendar - Congressional Fall Session Continues Congress is now in pre-election mode, with the House and Senate both having adjourned until after the November 3 midterm elections as members return to their districts for the final weeks of campaigning.
Upon their return, Congress will enter the final weeks of its fall session, with the House and Senate working through the remainder of their 2026 legislative calendars toward a target adjournment date of December 18, 2026. The two chambers are following separate schedules, with periods of active legislative business occurring throughout the remainder of the session. As the session winds down, lawmakers are continuing to address key budget-related deadlines before adjourning for the year.
Federal FY 2027 Budget - Funding Continues as Congress Works on Appropriations Federal government operations remain funded through December 11, 2026, under a continuing resolution while Congress works to complete the twelve annual FY 2027 appropriations bills that provide funding for federal agencies and programs for the remainder of the fiscal year. The House has passed three of the twelve FY 2027 appropriations bills, while the Senate continues consideration of its versions. After Congress returns to Capitol Hill on November 9, following the mid-term elections, the House and Senate will have roughly five weeks to finish the FY 2027 Appropriations bills to keep the government afloat through September 30, 2027.
TRACKED STATE LEGISLATION REPORTS
Two versions of the report on tracked state legislation, sorted by subject and measure, are included in Attachment 2. Staff has identified the bills included in the report as potentially relevant to the City and meeting the necessary legislative deadlines to date. Bills are also added and removed from tracking based on lists provided by associations, such as the League of California Cities, staff input, and current bill language.
The positions noted on bills reflect the City Council's adopted Legislative Policy. Additional positions may be taken, or existing positions may be modified based on direction from the Legislative Committee or City Council. Bills sponsored by the League of California Cities are noted in the reports.
POSITION LETTERS & MAJOR ISSUES
The City submitted the following letters to Governor Newsom (Attachment 3):
State
AB 1198 (Haney) Public Works: Prevailing Wages – Veto Request AB 1383 (McKinnor) Public Employees’ Retirement Benefits – Veto Request AB 1537 (Bryan) Peace Officers: Secondary Employment – Veto Request AB 1821 (Pacheco) California Public Records Act: Agency Response – Sign Request AB 2257 (Hart) Corrections: Jail Administrators – Veto Request SB 342 (Umberg) Contractors: Unlicensed Work – Veto Request SB 1004 (Wiener) Law Enforcement: Masks – Veto Request
SB 1117 (Cervantes) Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units – Veto Request SB 1187 (Durazo) Open Meetings – Sign Request
SB 1414 (Reyes) SB County Citizens Redistricting Commission – Veto Request Regional
OmniTrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Application – City submitted letter in support of OmniTrans’ application Active360: SBCTA’s Integrated Active Transportation Framework – City submitted letter in support of SBCTA’s application
STATE UPDATE
Legislative Calendar – Recent and Upcoming Legislative Deadlines Sept. 30
Last day for Governor to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature before Sept. 1 and in the Governor’s possession on or after Sept. 1.
Nov. 3
General Election.
Nov. 30
Adjournment at midnight.
Dec. 7
12 Noon convening of the 2027-28 Regular Session.
2027 Jan. 1
Statutes take effect.
Priority Bills: Status Update
As the legislative session ends, the Governor has acted on several measures affecting local governments and public services. Most notably, he vetoed AB 1383 (McKinnor), preserving the key provisions of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act that the bill would have rolled back. He also signed AB 1821 (Pacheco), which changes Public Records Act response timelines from calendar days to business days, giving staff the time to conduct thorough searches as requests grow in volume and complexity while still preserving public access to government.
The Governor also signed SB 117 (Cervantes), which limits the impact fees cities can collect for up to two accessory dwelling units larger than 750 square feet, reducing funding available for local infrastructure and public services.
Other priority bills include those for which the City submitted letters to the Governor, as noted above.
Other State Items
On September 21, 2026, California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a statewide state of emergency in response to forecasts predicting a historic, high-impact El Niño event for the 2026–2027 wet season. The declaration directs state agencies to pre-position resources, expedite environmental permits, and coordinate flood mitigation efforts to protect vulnerable communities and infrastructure. It also suspends standard procurement rules to enable a rapid local and state response to severe storm risks, high tides, and potential mudslides. 11 1
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