DATE:
February 10, 2026
TO:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM:
Christina Gilmore, Intergovernmental Relations
Manager
Arn Andrews, Assistant City Manager
VIA:
Kimbra McCarthy, City Manager
TITLE: Legislative Program Priorities for 2026
PURPOSE
The purpose of this Study Session is to receive City Council input on the proposed legislative program priority issues to guide the City’s regional, state, and federal legislative advocacy during the 2026 session.
Reviewing and updating the Legislative Platform at the beginning of each legislative session is an essential component of the City’s legislative program. This helps to ensure that the City Council’s current priorities are reflected in the Platform and prov ides direction to staff and the City’s legislative advocacy firms to enable efficient and effective engagement on the regional, state, and federal issues and initiatives that affect the City’s priorities, programs, and operations.
BACKGROUND
As part of the Fiscal Years 2021-22 and 2022-23 Strategic Action Plan, Council adopted a project to develop and implement an enhanced legislative program under the Organizational Strength and Good Governance Strategic Priority.
In 2021, the City engaged the services of California Public Policy Group (CPPG) to assist the Council and staff on the City’s regional and state legislative advocacy efforts. In 2024, the City engaged Murray, Montgomery, and O’Donnell Partners (MMO) to pro vide federal legislative advocacy services to support the expanded legislative program.
Regional and State Legislative Advocacy
In February 2025, the City Council adopted the 2025 Regional and State Legislative Platform developed with input from Councilmembers, key staff from all City departments, and CPPG. The platform carried forward 11 issue areas identified in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Legislative Platform with 134 policy statements reflecting the City’s legislative priorities. The Regional and State Platform provides ongoing direction for City staff and the state legislative advocate to engage on a variety of legislative issues and serves as a guiding document for the City to promote and preserve its interests at the regional and state levels.
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During the 2025 legislative session, the City, with assistance from CPPG, engaged on state legislative measures in the areas of environmental sustainability, climate change and resilience, housing and community development, and transportation and public wo rks, and took formal positions on eight pieces of State legislation, achieving favorable outcomes or securing critical amendments on all eight of those measures.
Federal Legislative Advocacy
In February 2025, the City Council adopted its first Federal Legislative Platform, developed with input from Councilmembers, key staff from all City departments, and MMO. The platform consisted of four issue areas with 49 policy statements reflecting the m ost important legislative priorities and issues. The Federal Platform provides ongoing direction to City staff and federal legislative advocates on a variety of legislative issues and serves as a guiding document for the City to promote and preserve its interests at the federal level.
During the 119th session of Congress, the City, with assistance from MMO, engaged in federal legislative efforts to expand affordable and workforce housing, enhance community and economic development, develop travel mobility and community infrastructure, a nd bolster Mountain View’s resiliency, sustainability, and safety. The City took formal positions on seven pieces of Federal policy, with favorable outcomes on four of those bills.
A summary of the City’s federal advocacy is provided in Table 1 below.
Table 1: 2025 Federal Legislative Advocacy - 119th United States Congress
Federal Legislation Outcome
Tax Exemption for Municipal Bonds Preserved in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Act (OBBA)
Road to Housing Act (S. 2651) Passed in the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
Utilizing National Land for Opportunities and
Community Key (UNLOCK) Housing Act (H.R.
321/S. 3169)
Introduced in both the House and Senate in
late 2025
Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644) Passed committee, awaiting further action on
UNLOCK Housing Act (H.R. 3215/S. 3169)
One of the goals of the legislative advocacy program is to advocate for and shape legislation at the state and federal levels that can support the City Strategic Priorities. In the spring of 2025, the City’s Housing Department submitted a response to a req uest for information (RIF) from Chairman Mike Flood and Ranking Member Emmanuel Clever II, of the House and Insurance Subcommittee on the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG). The purpose of the r equest for information was to Legislative Program Priorities for 2026
February 10, 2026
solicit detailed feedback on how Congress might modernize HOME and CDBG to address the realities of the 21st-century housing and community development environment.
As a result of the City’s feedback and input on the future of HOME and CDBG funding, Representative Sam Liccardo (D -California) co-authored the UNLOCK Housing Act (H.R. 321/ S. 3169), a bipartisan bill with Representative Mike Flood (R -Nebraska) that would allow for the new construction of affordable housing with the use of CDBG funds. The UNLOCK Housing Act is in the early stages of the legislative process, after being introduced in both the House and the Senate in late 2025.
Intergovernmental Outreach and Coordination
In addition to the legislative activities described above, staff represented the City’s intergovernmental interests in several other areas. This has included:
• Meeting with legislators and staff to communicate the City’s interests;
• Seeking grants and state and federal earmarks;
• Preparing position papers for meetings during the National League of Cities Congressional Cities Conference;
• Attending legislative conferences to assist Councilmembers and to represent the City’s interests;
• Coordinating the City’s participation in quarterly meetings with the Moffett Federal Airfield and NASA Ames Communities;
• Coordinating meetings between the Department of the Army and the City to discuss the potential use of the Shenandoah Square Property; and
• Coordinating the participation of the City’s elected delegation for the State of the City event.
DISCUSSION
2026 Regional and State Legislative Platform
The proposed 2026 Regional and State Legislative Platform is based on the adopted 2025 Legislative Platform. The proposed modifications to the Platform are based on feedback received from each City department regarding the major issues they are focused on. The proposed 2026 Regional and State Legislative Platform:
• Carries forward 11 policy issue areas identified in the 2025 Regional and State Legislative Platform;
Legislative Program Priorities for 2026
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• Includes the addition of eleven, the modification of sixteen, and the deletion of one policy statement across six issue areas; and
• Lists a total of 147 policy statements.
Proposed Revisions for 2026
The proposed 2026 Regional and State Legislative Platform is included as Attachment 1. All unaltered text has been previously adopted by the City Council as part of the 2025 Regional and State Legislative Platform. All proposed modifications and additions to the 2026 Regional and State Legislative Platform are identified in Attachment 1 in bold, blue, underlined, and italicized text and summarized below.
A. Administration, Finance, Human Resources, and Risk Management
• Oppose legislation or ballot measures that would reduce, eliminate, or otherwise limit the City’s authority to levy real estate or documentary transfer taxes. (Addition)
• Support legislation that protects and enhances local control over revenue sources, including property tax, sales tax, transient occupancy tax (TOT), and user fees. (Addition)
• Support efforts to restore or expand local flexibility in setting or adjusting fees to recover the full cost of services. (Addition)
• Support legislation that modernizes local government reporting requirements and promotes transparency, provided it does not create unfunded mandates or excessive administrative burdens. (Addition)
• Support tort reform and liability protections for public agencies, particularly related to natural disasters, public safety operations, and third-party claims. (Addition)
• Support flexibility in FEMA and CalOES reimbursement processes, including appeals, to ensure timely and equitable recovery for local agencies. (Addition)
C. Housing and Community Development
• Support electric vehicle (EV) proposals that impact the regulation and implementation of EV infrastructure or management if they improve climate resiliency and/or reduce GHG emissions. (Modification)
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• Support solar proposals that impact the regulation and implementation of solar infrastructure or management if they improve climate resiliency and/or reduce GHG emissions. (Modification)
• Support legislation that clarifies the interaction, applicability, and implementation requirements of overlapping state and housing laws to ensure consistent interpretation at the local level. (Addition)
• Support legislation that ties any reduction, cap, deferral, or elimination of locally adopted revenues related to housing production— including development impact fees, permit fees, and transfer taxes—to demonstrable reductions in per-unit housing costs and improved housing affordability and that does not undermine essential public infrastructure investments, and that allows cities with a Prohousing Designation to require that developers provide financial transparency, such as development proformas that demonstrate cost reductions and housing affordability. (Addition)
E. Economic Development
• Support efforts to provide funding mechanisms for economic development tools, including infrastructure investment, housing, child care, and schools, focused on activation and placemaking in commercial retail areas to support vitality and increase pedestrian traffic and length of stay as well as other needs critical to a foundation of equitable economic resiliency. (Modification)
• Support legislation and funding to enable work force training and job growth to help meet the City’s goal of economic vitality. (Modification)
• Support legislation that modifies the existing requirements for a contractor license for public art installations. (Deletion)
F. Environmental Sustainability, Climate Change, and Resilience
• Decarbonization: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities to accelerate the electrification of buildings and vehicles to facilitate a shift away from fossil fuel dependency. (Modification)
• Climate Resilience: Support policies, programs, and funding that address extreme weather impacts, such as heat waves, sea -level rise, wildfires, air quality, and flood protection. (Modification)
Legislative Program Priorities for 2026
February 10, 2026
• Collaborative Solutions: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities that enhance regional cooperation in sustainable planning for climate resilience, decarbonization, transportation, housing, and economic development. (Modification)
• Integrated Climate Benefits: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities that provide combined benefits for air and water quality, housing, infrastructure, or public health by enhancing climate resiliency and reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions through electrification, carbon sequestration, and renewable energy initiatives. (Modification)
• Renewable Energy Production and Storage: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities to increase production of renewable energy and battery storage. (Modification)
• Electric Grid Capacity and Energy Affordability: Support increased grid capacity (transmission and distribution) and access to affordable, clean electricity. (Modification)
• Nature-Based Solutions: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities for initiatives like expanding tree canopies and wetland restoration that enhance climate resilience and provide multiple environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration and improved air quality. (Modification)
• Carbon Sequestration: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities for carbon sequestration initiatives that complement decarbonization policies and programs. (Modification)
• Empower Disadvantaged Communities: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities aimed at helping marginalized communities prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change. (Modification)
• Green Workforce Development: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities for training programs focused on workforce skills for the electrification of buildings and transportation, particularly for those in marginalized communities. (Modification)
• Enhance Air Quality: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities for local agencies to reduce fossil fuel emissions and advance air quality improvements through innovative economic and technical developments. (Modification)
• Data Access and Data Driven Policy Analysis: Support policies, programs, and funding opportunities that encourage the state to analyze the costs and benefits of climate policies and provide local governments with access to data on resource consumption, supporting effective sustainability program implementation. (Addition)
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H. Natural Hazards
• Support for legislation and funding to enable the City to implement urban greening programs to support climate resilience and mitigate the effects of extreme heat, air quality, and wildfire smoke, and safeguard residents’ health. (Modification)
K. Transportation and Public Works
• Support legislation and funding that enhances the climate resiliency of local and regional transportation infrastructure and operations. (Addition)
• Support legislation that strengthens safety standards for electric bicycles, including limits on user modification, enhanced rider training and licensing requirements, prohibitions on manufacturers or sellers encouraging or facilitating unlawful speed alte rations, and age restrictions for higher-speed classes of e-bikes. (Addition)
Proposed Federal Legislative Platform
The proposed 2026 Federal Legislative Platform is based on the adopted 2025 Legislative Platform. The proposed modifications to the Platform are based on feedback received from each City department regarding the major issues they are focused on. The proposed 2026 Fe deral Legislative Platform:
• Carries forward four issue areas identified in the 2025 Federal Legislative Platform;
• Includes the addition of one and the modification of two policy statements in one issue area; and
• Lists a total of 52 policy statements.
Proposed revisions for 2026
The proposed 2026 Federal Platform is included as Attachment 2. All unaltered text has been previously adopted by the City Council as part of the 2025 Federal Legislative Platform. All proposed modifications and additions to the 2026 Federal Legislative Platform are identified in Attachment 1 in bold, blue, underlined, and italicized text and summarized below.
D. Bolster Mountain View’s Resiliency, Sustainability and Safety
Congress:
• Support legislation that reinstates IRA clean energy credits. (Modification)
Legislative Program Priorities for 2026
February 10, 2026
• Oppose efforts to rescind the Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment findings. (Addition)
• Support federal policies and legislation that promote energy efficiency and electrification and protect local government authority to take measures, including implementing REACH codes, to protect their communities' public health and safety. (Modification)
QUESTION FOR COUNCIL
Staff seeks City Council input on the following question:
Question: Are there any policy issues, priorities, or policy statements that Council would like to discuss, seek further clarification on, modify, add, or remove from the proposed 2026 Regional, State, and Federal Legislative Platforms?
LEVINE ACT
California Government Code Section 84308 (also known as the Levine Act) prohibits city officials from participating in any proceeding involving a “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” if the official has received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant within the last 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to- play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
Please see below for information about whether the recommended action for this agenda item is subject to or exempt from the Levine Act.
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
☒ General policy and legislative actions
NEXT STEPS
Following feedback from the City Council at this Study Session, staff will finalize the proposed 2026 Legislative Platforms and bring the item to Council for adoption on the Consent Agenda on February 24, 2026.
Legislative Program Priorities for 2026
February 10, 2026
PUBLIC NOTICING
The City Council agenda is advertised on Channel 26, and the agenda and this Study Session memorandum appear on the City’s website.
Attachments: 1. Proposed 2026 State Platform
2. Proposed 2026 Federal Platform
3. Council Policy A-16, Positions on Ballot Measures and Legislative Advocacy