1 2026 Federal Legislative Platform
P
URPOSE
The City of Santa Rosa’s Federal Legislative Platform communicates the City Council’s position on federal policy and funding that may impact the City and align with the City Council’s adopted priority areas and goals:
• Achieve and Maintain Fiscal Stability
• Invest in the Development and Maintenance of the City’s Infrastructure • Promote Citywide Economic Development
• Foster a Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive Community
• Plan for and Encourage Housing for All and Reduce Homelessness C
ity staff will monitor federal legislation , federal funding opportunities, and regulatory proposals, and take appropriate action when required, in alignment with the adopted legislative platform, to advance and protect the City’s interests. Also, staff will collaborate, when appropriate, with our local and regional partners, including but not limited to: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, Sonoma County Transportation Authority/Regional Climate Protection Authority , Sonoma Water, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, Sonoma Clean Power, Zero Waste Sonoma, County of Sonoma’s Continuum of Care , Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, and Metropolitan Transportation Commission to advance the City’s Federal Legislative Platform.
LE
GISLATIVE OVERVIEW
In 2025, the City worked closely with our Congressional Delegation (Senators Alex Padilla, and Adam Schiff, and Representatives Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman) to advance the City’s project and policy priorities. The City also worked with national associations such as the National League of Cities , the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Yale Mayors College to advocate on federal policy and funding issues . We anticipate further activity with these associations in 2026. Regarding regulatory, legislation and funding matters, the City collaborated with MMO Partners to advocate on key issues, including economic development, emergency management and public safety, community infrastructure, affordable housing, water conservation, and water quality.
T
he following policy statements seek to advance the City’s federal interests by leveraging local funding, protecting critical federal programs, oppos ing unfunded mandates, and supporting policies that grant administrative control of programs, projects, and use of tax revenues to local governments. T he City supports the passage of legislation that provides local governments with additional flexibility to meet community infrastructure and service needs and opposes policies and mandates that have adverse impacts on revenues and services.
Exhibit A
2 LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY AND ACTIONS
The Communications and Intergovernmental Relations Office proactively coordinated with City executives, management and staff, the Mayor and City Council to develop policy positions and subsequent actions listed below to ensure the City’s interests are implemented and protected.
Wildfire and Extreme Weather Mitigation
Support Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• To provide sufficient federal funding and federal agency resources that support natural disaster mitigation, rebuilding and recovery efforts, including but not limited to:
o FEMA Act, Fix Our Forests Act, f unding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Progr am, the Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG), and regional vegetation management initiatives.
• To permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program and allow the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide direct allocations to local governments.
• To advocate for continued funding and improvement of the Integrated Public Alert Warning System.
• To update National Flood Insurance Program and funding for flood prevention. • That allow federal funds to be used to make critical infrastructure improvements at public facilities, like parks, so that they can provide sheltering needs during extreme weather events.
Monitor and Evaluate:
• The implementation of the FIRE Act that updates the Stafford Act to ensure FEMA’s recovery and mitigation programs address the unique nature of wildfires and their impacts on urban areas.
Surface Transportation
Support Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• Including a future surface transportation authorization bill, that promotes roadway safety, equitable access to transportation, active transportation, address the adverse impact of extreme weather, and invest in resiliency projects such as evacuation routes and vegetative management along roadways; supports bicycle and pedestrian facilities ; supports Vision Zero programs , like Safe Streets for All, Safe Routes to School and project implementation; addresses the significant backlog of deferred pavement rehabilitation, and invests in public transit programs such as fleet electrification, including charging infrastructure and implementing the conversion, Buses and Bus Facilities, Low-No Emissions, Zero-Emission Vehicles, and passenger rail service.
Oppose Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• To advocate against any efforts to restrict funding to California based on the enactment of the California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act.
Water Infrastructure, Conservation and Energy Resiliency 3 Support Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• To invest in water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure programs such as the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, Corps of Engineers Environmental Infrastructure, and the Water Resources Development Act ; recycled water projects , water conservation projects, water supply planning and resiliency, stormwater, groundwater, watershed protection and improvement, local and regional flood protection, and Sonoma Water projects. Advocate expanding funding eligibility to include projects in disadvantaged (equity priority communities) and/or low-income subsections of communities. • To provide funding and resources for drought relief, response, planning, support, and community outreach and education, including, but not limited to , programs and grant opportunities provided by the B ureau of Reclamation and the Environmental Protection Agency.
• To provide direct payments to local governments for infrastructure and other investments made to help develop renewable energy, including geothermal, recycled water, and offsets for zero-emission vehicle purchases.
• To provide funding and resources for cybersecurity protection and physical security measures to protect the water, sewer and wastewater treatment and reuse systems. • To enact mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the effects of climate change and enhance local and regional planning for climate resilience, including wildfire mitigation and water conservation.
• To support the thoughtful and practical approach to assessing and mitigating the associated risks to public health and the environment relating to unregulated contaminants such as Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFAS). • To hold those who manufactured, or used in their manufacturing process, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and PFAS substances responsible for environmental cleanup.
• To ensure that water and wastewater utilities that properly dispose of residuals containing PFAS, in a manner consistent with applicable laws, are not held liable for current and future costs associated with PFAS cleanup.
• To exempt water and wastewater entities from any liability for PFOA/PFOS/PFAS clean -up costs if they are listed under CERCLA as a hazardous waste. • To revise EPA’s process for evaluating and regulating new drinking water contaminants under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• To advocate for federal programs, such as the Low -Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), that provide funding to assist low- income households with water and wastewater bills and those experiencing financial hardship. • To a dvocate for legislation to exempt utility rebates provided to homeowners and other property owners who conserve water or improve stormwater or wastewater management from federal taxation.
• To advocate for funding and support to continue the operation of the diversion facilities at the Potter Valley Project to protect water supply resiliency and fisheries. • That provides increased funding for infrastructure, such as within the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, to protect power and communication grids. 4 • To enact Sonoma Clean Power’s GeoZone initiative, including but not limited to policies that encourage geothermal and other baseload renewable power sources. • That prevents or mitigates adverse impacts to the city’s water, wastewater, recycled water, and stormwater systems from harmful consumer products, and legislation that enhances consumer producer responsibility, product labeling, and prohibitions or restric tions on substances and/or materials known to damage or negatively impact treatment processes or conveyance systems.
Monitor and Evaluate:
• The development of legislation that regulates contaminants such as, but not limited to, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFAS).
Oppose Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• That would impose new fees on water and/or wastewater agencies, such as taxes or a public good charge, that would not benefit all ratepayers.
• That would prohibit the unfunded disconnection of service for non-payment. • That place blanket bans on the land application of biosolids.
Climate Change and Sustainability
Support Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• To s upport the City of Santa Rosa’s long -standing commitment to implementing environmental programs and proactive work to improv e energy efficiency and reduc e greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• To fund sources for climate change mitigation and adaptation, including, but not limited to , the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program and programs established in the Inflation Reduction Act that assist with renewable energy generation, improved energy efficiency, recycling and composting, and reduction in energy and water use, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
Oppose Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• That threatens or attempts to preempt the City’s environmental and climate change policies, goals and regulations.
Housing, Homelessness and Economic Development
Support Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• To increase funding and federal incentives to address affordable and workforce housing and homelessness, including support for Continuum of Care, Emergency Food and Shelter, CDBG, HOME, HOPWA, Housing Choice Vouchers, permanent supportive housing, down payment assistance, Safe Parking programs, expansion of Low Income Housing Tax Credits and other federal programs and legislation that invest in helping our most vulnerable residents. • To help attract new businesses, expand small businesses, and promote regional events and tourism, including funding and support for Small Business Development Centers (SBDC). • To transfer or sell federal property to local governments. • That provide incentives and additional funding to spur affordable housing. 5 • To support funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which supports investments in parks and other outdoor recreation services for underserved areas within the City’s urban core.
• That align with Santa Rosa’s Indivisible City Resolution (RES 2018-119) while supporting economic and workforce development policies, including a pro-growth and balanced immigration system, that help Santa Rosa’s small business and industries thrive.
Public Safety
Support Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• To fund and support public safety and emergency response operations, including increasing funding for firefighter and police equipment and training, community engagement and education, firefighter and police hiring, and police and fire station construction. • To fund community violence prevention and gun violence prevention programs and initiatives, including policies related to ghost guns, investments in mentorship and violence interrupters.
• To fund public safety infrastructure and technology, including a regional community safety training center, regional communications infrastructure such as new radio tower sites, regional NIBIN testing lab, drone deployment, support for 9- 11 call centers and required technology and equipment, including gunshot detection software, use of body-worn cameras and ALPR infrastructure.
• To help fund local governments with improving community policing and rebuilding community trust through creating a co -responder team that includes the hiring of mental health officers, police officers for crises involving mental illness homelessness, and addiction; support for mental health programs for staff, and support programs like the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
• To increase funding, including raising federal matching, for programs like the COPS Hiring Program/School Resource Officers and Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act, which supports and assists county, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions in improving efforts to reduce violent crime in and around schools. • That will help address the increased costs for fire equipment/apparatus.
Education, Families and Children
Support Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• To support access to early childhood, K -12, and special education; childcare and workforce development programs for youth; and funding for teachers and educators. • To advocate for policies and legislation that reduce child poverty, including the extension and increase of the child tax credit.
• To support funding to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service programs and Community Food Systems to promote the use of local foods in the National Lunch programs for children.
• Protect and support entitlement funding, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), veterans benefits and child nutrition.
6 Oppose Legislation and Regulatory Efforts:
• To decrease or eliminate access to early childhood education and childcare; decrease or eliminate workforce development programs for youth; or eliminate teaching and other staff positions from local schools.