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APPROVE MOTION TO ADOPT THE 2026-2027 STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY PROGRAM
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Adopt the 2026-2027 State and Federal Legislative Advocacy Program; and
2. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to pursue the objectives outlined in these Programs through advocacy efforts in Sacramento and Washington, DC.
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Summary
Maintaining a strong presence in both Sacramento and Washington, DC is essential to the City of Stockton to ensure funding, advance beneficial legislation, and prevent harmful legislation or rulemaking. This is most effectively done using consulting services to represent the City of Stockton (“City”) in carrying out its legislative programs and advocating its public policy, positions, concerns, needs, and recommendations at the state and federal levels.
In recent years the City has developed, and Council has adopted, legislative programs that outline the City’s advocacy priorities and positions. This allows the City to be responsive to developments in state and federal issues and pursue funding and legislation that benefits our community. The State and Federal Legislative Program has proven to be a valuable tool to direct the city’s legislative advocacy efforts.
The legislative program presented for Council consideration and approval has been updated for the 2024 legislative sessions to adjust for the City’s priorities, leverage advocacy efforts, and address emerging issues.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City of Stockton adopted its first formal State and Federal Legislative Program (“Legislative Program” and “Program”) for the calendar year 2012. Prior to 2012, the City had not adopted formal legislative programs and, as a result, the City’s legislative priorities and the impacts of legislation on the City were not entirely clear to our legislative delegations. Since then, the City has been diligent in developing and adopting an annual Legislative Program to provide a unified focus and establish principles, priorities, and City positions related to state and federal legislative matters.
Throughout each year, the State Legislature and the United States Congress initiate legislation, some of which affects local government. The League of California Cities and contracted legislative advocacy firms keep the City of Stockton informed on proposed legislation from these bodies. The National League of Cities (NLC) also provides information and advocacy for municipalities at the federal level. At times, it is in the City’s best interest to take a position on proposed legislation or funding opportunities. The Council adopts the annual Legislative Program to provide the parameters and authority for staff and designated City advocates to pursue the City’s interests in a timely manner within a rapidly changing environment.
Legislative programs are coordinated by staff in the City Manager’s Office based on previous legislative positions taken by the City, the adopted Council goals, benchmarking of other comparable municipalities, and in anticipation of key issues coming forward in each respective year. The Legislative Program is also revised in consultation with City departments, state and federal legislative advocates, and then presented to the City Council for consideration and adoption.
On February 19, 2026, the City Manager’s Office, in collaboration with management consultant Raftelis, planned and facilitated the annual Council Goal Setting and Planning Workshop at the Ursula Meyer Library and Community Center. The key Workshop outcomes delivered were:
• Councilmembers identified key elements of their shared vision for the community
• Council received updates on six focus areas and affirmed the direction of staff delivery
• Councilmembers affirmed six focus areas, recognized interconnection, and refined the most significant as the three highest priorities for FY 2026-2027
Resulting outcomes guide the combined efforts of staff and our legislative advocates, which will continue to inform legislative advocacy efforts in Sacramento and Washington, DC.
Examples of priorities pursued in recent years through our State Legislative Program include:
Ø Working with a coalition of lobbyists to halt key budget trailer legislation that would have expedited and streamlined the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) in 2025, and further efforts in 2026 to stop AB 2215, which aimed to move forward the DCP in 2026.
Ø Working with Big City Mayors (BCM) lobbying coalition in 2025 to secure $500 million in funding for a seventh round of Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) funding in the state budget, and again in 2026 to ensure full HHAP funding in the budget.
Ø Supporting legislation ranging from banning the use of PFAS “forever chemicals” (SB 454), to enhancing penalties for metal theft (AB 476) and penalties for human trafficking of 16- and 17-year-old females (AB 379).
Ø Assisted in procuring more than $8 Million in funding for City capital improvements, including aquatics and parks facilities, acquisition of a bubbler system and trash boom at Morelli Park, and Miracle Mile redevelopment.
Examples of priorities pursued through our Federal Legislative Program include:
Ø Securing $1.25 Million in enacted FY26 federal funding and advancing more than $3 Million in FY27 federal funding through the House appropriations process.
Ø Securing congressional support for the City’s Delta Conveyance Project advocacy.
Ø Positioning the City to respond to major federal housing and homelessness policy changes under the proposed Housing BOOM Act and HUD’s Continuum of Care and Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program.
Ø Developing strategies to maximize Stockton’s CDBG and HOME funding under the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
Ø Advancing the City’s public safety and emergency response priorities under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant and the Department of Justice Model Cities Initiative.
Ø Expanding Stockton’s federal engagement on maritime and shipbuilding opportunities to elevate maritime, workforce, infrastructure and economic development interests.
In recent years, our legislative advocates have shared the Programs with all members of our respective delegations, as well as with key staffers in both state and federal executive departments. This made the City’s positions and priorities clear and public before legislation began to be drafted and project lists established.
Present Situation
Over the past year, City staff has engaged with our advocates to assess the City's needs and opportunities, identify areas for improvement, and prepare legislative priorities for the coming year. The proposed 2026-2027 State and Federal Legislative Advocacy Program (Attachment A) was developed by the City Manager’s Office in consultation with City Council, City staff, and with feedback from our legislative advocates. Input from the FY26 Goal Setting and Planning Workshop - held on February 19, 2026 - has been incorporated into this Program.
The Legislative Program continues to follow the outline established in previous years, including Legislative Principles, Priorities, and Positions.
• Legislative Principles are foundational statements of broad legislative objectives or philosophies that form the basis for establishing legislative priorities/positions.
• Legislative Priorities are the key issues that the City and contracted advocates will be pursuing; it is the task list or scope of work for advocacy in a given year.
• Legislative Positions are statements related to other legislative themes or issues that have come up in the past or that the City anticipates may come up in the future. They are not priority issues, but if legislation arises and the city needs to issue a letter of support or opposition, the position of the City has already been established.
The intent is to annually update the Program. Legislative Priorities may vary significantly from year to year while Legislative Positions somewhat change, and Legislative Principles should remain fairly consistent.
Priorities for the City of Stockton established in this Program not only represent the City’s key interests but also align with present and emerging state and federal administration priorities. External Priorities focus on enhanced public safety, robust economic development, expanded infrastructure investment, increased affordable housing/decreased homelessness and accelerated youth activities; while internal efforts target protecting the City’s financial health, enhancing governance practices, and recruitment/retention/professional development of a qualified and diverse workforce.
For proposed legislation either consistent with the Program or with legislative positions the City has taken in the past, adoption of the Legislative Program will provide necessary authorization that will allow City staff, under direction of the City Manager, to prepare position letters for signature. All members of Council will receive copies of submitted position letters. The City’s advocacy firms may also be authorized to express the City’s position in person to legislative representatives.
Historically, the State and Federal Legislative Program has followed the calendar year, running from January 1 to December 31. Beginning with the new Program under consideration, it is recommended that the City align its annual Program with the City’s fiscal year of July 1 to June 30. This updated cadence will provide greater opportunity for the Strategic Planning Workshop and budget development process to inform the Program, while also aligning more closely with the state and federal fiscal years (July 1 and October 1, respectively).
Once adopted, the 2026-2027 Legislative Program will provide the parameters and authority for staff and advocates to pursue City of Stockton interests with the state and federal governments. This will allow the City to act quickly and efficiently when it is critical to represent our interests. As stated before, it will also notify our delegations in advance of our positions and priorities on key issues. Overall, adoption of the 2026-2027 State and Federal Legislative Advocacy Program will allow the City of Stockton to be more organized, transparent, and efficient in our advocacy efforts at both levels of government.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There is no financial impact to the City of Stockton from adopting the 2026-2027 State and Federal Legislative Program.
Attachment A - 2026-2027 State and Federal Legislative Advocacy Program