City of Sacramento
City Council - 2PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2026-00414 2/3/2026
Review and Approval of City’s State and Federal Legislative Platform File ID: 2026-00414
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Pass a Motion approving the City’s State and Federal Legislative Platform.
Contact: Consuelo Hernandez, Director of Governmental Affairs, (916) 808-7395, [email protected], Office of the City Manager Presenter: Consuelo Hernandez, Director of Governmental Affairs, (916) 808-7395, [email protected], Office of the City Manager Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-2026 Legislative Platform
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: In order to allow the City’s Governmental Affairs staff and contract state and federal legislative advocates to be timely and responsive in protecting the City’s interests at the State legislature and in Congress, the City Council is requested to consider and approve the 2026 State and Federal Legislative Platform articulating the City’s policies in its areas of interest.
Policy Considerations: Approving the 2026 State and Federal Legislative Platform is in alignment with the City Council’s Policies and Procedures.
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
Environmental Considerations: Not applicable.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: On January 13, 2026, the Law and Legislation Committee reviewed and provided feedback on the Legislative Platform and approved staff’s recommendation to move the Platform forward to City Council for consideration.
File ID: 2026-00414 2/3/2026
Rationale for Recommendation: The California State Legislature and Congress consider hundreds of bills each year. Additionally, state and federal administrations make policy and funding decisions that could impact the City. To ensure that the City’s interests are protected and that our policy direction is consistent, staff is recommending that the proposed 2025 State and Federal Legislative Platform and areas of interest be approved. The documents have been designed to create flexibility and cover a range of topics where state and/or federal action could directly or indirectly affect City operations, policies, and/or programs.
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
1 2026 STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
The City of Sacramento’s Legislative Platform serves as the framework for the City’s advocacy positions on federal and state legislative, administrative, and budget issues. The City’s advocacy efforts are focused on proposals and funding that advance the City’s core activities and goals. The following policy areas are deemed to be the priority policy goals of the City of Sacramento:
• Housing opportunities for every level of income and a commitment to reducing homelessness • Equitable and inclusive economic development, job creation and investment • Investment in infrastructure, mobility, and zero-emission technologies and programs • Climate mitigation, resilience, adaptation of water resources, and a healthy, green community • A safe, secure, healthy, and prepared community
• Supporting and increasing opportunities for youth and families • Equal rights for all Sacramento residents
• Preservation of local authority and local funding
Housing Opportunities for Every Level of Income and a Commitment to Reducing Homelessness
The City supports efforts to address homelessness in our community, improve the quality of life for those experiencing homelessness, and to ensure the creation and maintenance of housing that is affordable to residents at all income levels. Advocacy priorities include:
● Increasing Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding to prevent and address homelessness in the City
● Recognizing the unique needs of homeless youth and transition age youth, recognizing housing as a social determinant of health, working to integrate health care and housing services, and addressing environmental impacts of homelessness
● Continuation of CalAIM program funding and support to provide enhanced care management ● Lowering the housing barrier and increasing shelter and triage options, including pet-friendly shelter and housing and low or no cost veterinary care
● Providing innovative housing options and services, including increasing funding for Housing Choice Voucher rental housing assistance, increasing the cap for Project Based vouchers, and community opportunity to purchase housing
● Supporting upstream prevention approaches to reduce the risk of housing instability for households most likely to experience homelessness
● Increasing funding for affordable housing and expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and other funding mechanisms
2 ● Supporting historic development tax credits to support the rehabilitation and maintenance of historic building and properties
● Maintaining federal funding for permanent housing and rental assistance programs, including HUD CoC funding for permanent supportive housing and rental assistance programs ● Facilitating missing middle housing and increasing opportunities for homeownership ● Expanding ministerial housing approvals
● Reforming state regulations that add unnecessary costs to housing development ● Exploration of a shared governance model for local homelessness efforts, including a Joint Powers Agreement
● Reforming state regulations on RHNA to allow for conversion of market rate housing to restricted affordable housing to fully count towards a jurisdiction’s RHNA goals.
Equitable and Inclusive Economic Development and Job Creation One of the City’s highest priorities is developing a healthy, equitable and sustainable economy. The City supports legislation and funding for programs that advance equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout Sacramento’s business community, increase talent pipelines, and expand business ownership and employment opportunities at all levels, including:
● Pursuing opportunities to repurpose underutilized buildings to revitalize job centers ● Supporting and advancing fair, just policies, programs, and strategic investments to bring resources to the City’s most economically challenged and/or culturally diverse neighborhoods and commercial corridors
● Protecting workers while promoting diversity and equity ● Ensuring reliable, affordable broadband service is available to all ● Incentivizing private investment, technological innovation, and the creation of good jobs throughout the City, including support for apprenticeships, youth work-based learning, and social equity programs
● Supporting workforce development and educational opportunities ● Promoting the development of vacant land and buildings ● Developing industry clusters to ensure that Sacramento remains on the forefront of cutting- edge technology and to foster innovation
● Advancing vibrant and just creative industries and a robust and inclusive tourism economy as well as equitable access to creative opportunities and infrastructure Investment in Infrastructure, Mobility, and Zero-Emission Technologies and Programs The City supports programs and funding to develop, maintain, and rehabilitate our infrastructure to enhance the City’s ability to maintain quality of life for existing residents and businesses and to attract new businesses and residents. The City supports smart growth land decisions and principles, expanded mobility and access, and transitioning the community to a zero-carbon future with clean, reliable, and affordable transportation options. Advocacy priorities needed to achieve the City’s infrastructure, mobility and carbon reduction goals include:
3 ● Repairing, maintaining, expanding, or replacing critical infrastructure, above or below ground, with robust federal and state infrastructure funding and flexible local funding commensurate with the City’s responsibilities as the housing and employment center of the region ● Federal and state funding and processes for the I Street Bridge Replacement Project to provide certainty in project funding and cash flows
● Accelerating infill development and creating transit-friendly, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods
● Reducing transportation-related deaths and injuries on Sacramento streets, paths, and sidewalks for people walking, bicycling, and driving
● Supporting safer mobility through street design, greater flexibility around setting street limits, vehicle design, and unbiased traffic enforcement, such as speed cameras, education, and encouraging safe driving
● Supporting sustainable mobility through active transportation, transit, and electric vehicles, including safe routes to school
● Supporting flexible pathways for municipal fleet vehicle electrification ● Ensuring the City’s ability to regulate private mobility companies, aerial vehicles and autonomous vehicles, particularly around data, fees, and use of the public right-of-way ● Reducing disabled parking placard fraud while increasing curb access for the disabled, residents and businesses
● Improving rail safety for passengers and preventing crashes and derailments, particularly related to hazardous materials, and phasing out rail cars that no longer meet safety standards
Climate Mitigation, Resilience, and a Healthy, Green Community The City supports policies and funding that support our commitment to bold, strong action to achieve carbon neutrality and ensure thriving resiliency, while advancing the growth of a strong, healthy, and green community for all City residents and just transitions for workers. The City supports sustainable planning and development policies, programs, and funding that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and pollution, facilitating smart growth, and aiding in the recruitment and retention of green businesses and programs while advancing environmental justice. Policy and funding priorities include:
● Supporting the sustainability principles of the City’s General Plan and the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, Sacramento Area Council of Government’s Blueprint, and SMUD’s 2030 Zero Carbon Plan
● Facilitating an equitable transition to zero-carbon forms of energy use and transportation ● Advancing environmental justice and addressing the disproportionate impacts that climate change has on our most vulnerable neighborhoods and communities ● Expansion and resiliency of the electrical grid
● Strengthening the community’s ability to respond to, recover from, and adapt to natural hazards ● Environmental remediation of contaminated sites to utilize these sites for new services and community amenities
4 ● Supporting heat-and pollution-mitigating strategies, such as urban forestry and other green infrastructure strategies
● Flood protection and improvements to levee systems
● Addressing persistent drought conditions, climate resiliency, changing hydrological conditions, meeting water quality and water supply requirements of local communities, and adaptation of our water resources in the face of climate change
● Development of a comprehensive management plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that does not redirect impacts to other watersheds
● Fixing failing water systems, supporting local government management and operation of those water systems, and reducing or eliminating cost burdens on City ratepayers ● Funding for habitat restoration
● Supporting water infrastructure needs and opposing privatization or public-private partnerships that might create disadvantages to securing public project financing ● Funding to achieve utility conservation and sustainability requirements to minimize financial impacts to customers
● Development of neighborhood-based local food production, urban agriculture, and resiliency initiatives
A Safe, Secure, and Prepared Community
The City supports legislation and funding to improve the safety, security, and quality of life for all City residents, including the following priorities:
● Reducing and preventing violent, dangerous, and illegal activities while promoting public outreach, engagement, and intervention activities
● Addressing the needs of people experiencing a behavioral health, addiction, or other crisis, including youth and first responders, by developing alternative response models and improving access to treatment
● Addressing crime and other harms faced by those at risk due to their identity ● Supporting efforts to increase the transparency and accountability of police actions and community engagement on matters of public safety
● Supporting public safety strategies that are both evidence and community informed ● Providing diligent and equitable oversight and regulation of cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, dispensing, delivery, and distribution, while mitigating the negative impacts of related illegal activity and health impacts associated with use by youth ● Improving fire suppression and prevention, hazardous materials mitigation, and rescue emergency medical services
● Proactively taking measures to anticipate, prepare for, and effectively recover from the impacts of disasters
● Protecting the City from cyber attacks
● Preventing animal abuse and abandonment
● Supporting policies that require commercial property owners to maintain their properties to maintain quality of life for existing residents and businesses
5 ● Reestablish the Sacramento Abandoned Vehicle Service Authority fee on vehicle registrations
Supporting and Increasing Opportunities for Youth and Families The City supports efforts that aid in the development of all children and youth so they can reach their fullest potential and policies that support families, including:
● Increasing opportunities for youth and their families to engage civically and in communities ● Expanding transit, walking and bicycling networks, and advocating for free and/or subsidized transit fares so youth can safely and affordably travel to work, school, and other locations ● Expanding activities and amenities that enrich the lives of youth ● Creating and expanding affordable childcare and early childhood development programs ● Advocating for reliable and increased funding for nutrition programs ● Limiting the ability of minors to engage in alcohol consumption, vaping, cannabis, and other substances
● Advocating for the establishment of state and/or federal low-income water rate assistance program(s) that are responsibly and sustainably funded and can, but will not be required to, be used to expand the Sacramento Utility Rate Assistance (SURA) program scope and capabilities Equal Rights for All Sacramento Residents
The City seeks to ensure that the fundamental rights guaranteed by the California and U.S. Constitutions apply to every person in the city, including:
● Eliminating inequities and inequalities and ensuring that a person’s race, age, gender, identity, class, income, or zip code do not determine life opportunities, physical and economic security, access to services, or well-being
● Supporting affirmative measures to ensure equality, including provision of healthcare, paid parental leave, childcare, and other workplace protections ● Opposing federal actions that threaten the health, safety, civil rights, or economic stability of City residents, working to prevent the enactment of harmful policies, and ensuring that federal decision-making reflects the needs of our community.
● Supporting comprehensive immigration reform, a path to citizenship, family unity, and individuals in the U.S. under Deferred Action for All Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and refugees
● Opposing efforts to dissuade use of public benefits and supporting efforts to educate immigrants about those benefits to which they are entitled ● Protecting everyone’s ability to make their own health and lifestyle choices ● Supporting legislation on language access and resources for the City’s efforts in this area
Preservation of Local Authority and Local Funding
The City supports policies that promote local authority and flexibility so that we may be responsive to our constituencies and opposes efforts that diminish the City’s ability to provide essential services,
6 reduce revenue sources required to maintain services, or mandate costs without appropriate reimbursement. The City’s priorities include:
● Expediting project reviews, permit approvals, and modernizing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including preventing abuse of the law while protecting communities and the environment
● Securing ongoing funding to facilitate the City’s compliance with new mandates ● Protecting shared revenues, assets of the former redevelopment agency and the use of public right-of-way or city-owned facilities
● Securing defined benefit pensions and reforms to make costs sustainable ● Ensuring the integrity of the City’s water rights, while retaining local control of and encouraging sustainability of Sacramento’s water supply
● Opposing federal and state preemption of regulatory authority over autonomous and for-hire vehicles
● Opposing use of federal funds to prevent legal cannabis activities on non-federal lands ● Supporting efforts to legalize cannabis at the federal level, improve the existing regulatory framework at the state level, and lower federal and state cannabis taxes ● Opposing efforts to pre-empt state and local Artificial Intelligence regulations ● Addressing workforce shortage through retired annuitant reform ● Establish a Statewide formula for the mandated tax sharing agreements for annexations