Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Bertha Henry
Department: County Administration Division: Intergovernmental Affairs/Board Section
Information
Requested Action
title
MOTION TO APPROVE Federal Legislative and Executive Program for the 117th Congressional Session (“Federal Program”), and to authorize staff to make any necessary technical and typographical corrections.
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Why Action is Necessary
The Board of Commissioners must approve the Federal Program to guide Intergovernmental Affairs/Boards Section (“IABS”) staff and contract lobbyists while advocating in front of Congress and Executive Branch agencies.
What Action Accomplishes
Provides direction to Intergovernmental Affairs/Boards Section staff and contract lobbyists.
Is this Action Goal Related
No
Previous Action Taken
None
Summary Explanation/Background
Every Congressional Session (two years) IABS develops a federal legislative and executive platform addressing Commission Principles and Policies as well as other Policy Proposals. Various county departments, divisions, offices, and sections have submitted policies and general funding requests, which IABS aggregates into the Federal Program that is used to advocate and lobby Congress and the Executive Branch during the 117th Congressional Session. This document is distributed to the Commission, Administration, Broward Delegation Members, and the contract lobbying team for reference and use. The Federal Program is attached as Exhibit 1. Each new and updated proposal is identified in the Federal Program.
The Federal Program also endorses the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact’s 2020-21 Federal Legislative Priorities and the 2021 Federal Energy, Climate, and Resilience Legislative Principles. The Compact Leadership Committee approved its priorities and principles on August 20, 2020 and both are combined into one document as Exhibit 2.
Below are the updated statements as well as new statements, which have been added to the Federal Program for the first time:
COVID-19 Stimulus and Recovery Legislation
• New: Provides statement of support for increased direct funding and spending flexibility for current and new Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) monies
• New: Provides statement of support for climate-focused stimulus investments
• New: Provides support for Coronavirus Response for Seaports
• New: Provides support for Coronavirus Response for the Aviation Industry
• New: Provides support for Coronavirus Response for Water and Wastewater Utilities
• New: Provides support for expanded support for local Medicaid programs
• New: Provides support for the elimination of the FEMA local match requirements for COVID-19 relief
• New: Provides support for expanded SNAP benefits
• New: Provides support for expanded mental and behavioral health services
Port Everglades (PEV) Deepening and Widening Project
• Updated: Provides updated appropriation request to provide sufficient funding for navigation construction in the FY 20221-21 budget
• Updated: Provides an updated statement of support for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) donor port calculations
• Updated: Provides updated statement on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staffing
• Updated: Provides updated statement on support of the equitable treatment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Agriculture Quarantine Inspection process
• Updated: Provides updated support statement for the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Grants to include the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP)
• Updated: Provides updated support statement for the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant
• Updated: Provides updated statement of support on the TIFIA Program
• Updated: Provides updated support statement of support for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant
• Updated: Provides updated statement of support on certain tariff exemptions
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• New: Provides support for Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Regulation Liability to exempt airports under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Transportation
• New: Provides support for a Surface Transportation Authorization
• New: Provides support for discretionary transportation grants
• New: Provides support for autonomous, renewable and electrical vehicles and innovation
• New: Provides support for flexible route applications
• New: Provides support for FTA Capital Investment Grants (CIG)
• New: Provides support for local transportation surtax programs
• New: Provides support for pedestrian safety initiatives
• New: Provides support for local preference procurement programs
• New: Provides support for resilient transportation infrastructure
• New: Provides support for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program
Environmental Protection
• Updated: Provides updated statement of support for funding for the Central and South Florida Flood Resilience Restudy
• New: Provides support for resilience planning for federal facilities
• Updated: Provides support for regulation of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on human health and the environment
Health and Human Services
• New: Provides support for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• New: Provides support for maintaining eligibility of federal health care benefits for non-convicted justice-involved individuals
• New: Provides additional new support statements for Ryan White funding, HIV/AIDS care, treatment, prevention, research and education programs, and Ending the HIV Epidemic Grants
• New: Provides support for increased flexibility of the Older Americans Act (OAA) funds
• Updated: Provides updated statements on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since the Cadillac Tax was repealed in 2020
• Updated: Provides revised statements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Updated: Provides revised statement for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program
• New: Provides support for veterans with intensive care needs
Affordable Housing
• New: Provides support for programs that provide community development, economic development and housing for low- and moderate-income persons
• New: Provides support for brownfields redevelopment
• New: Provides support for housing services of special populations
Communications
• New: Provides statement of opposition against preemption of county’s authority over telecommunications services
Arts, Culture and Libraries
• New: Provides support for federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services
• New: Provides support for increased public libraries funding
• New: Provides support for equitable eBooks pricing models and access
Civil Rights, Discrimination, and Racial Justice
• New: Provides support for the prohibition of discrimination
• New: Provides support for racial equity and diversity training
• New: Provides support for legislation that that requires law enforcement to collect data on investigatory activities, wear body cameras, and have dashboard cameras
• New: Provides support for public safety innovation grants
Emergency Management and Public Safety
• New: Provides support for increased investment in the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program and other local and federal partnerships to complete mitigation projects and increase resiliency towards disasters
• Updated: Provides updated statement of support for community-based violence prevention alternatives to support school-based violence prevention efforts
Water and Wastewater Services
• New: Provides statement on PFAS regulation liability for the County’s Water and Wastewater Services Utilities
• New: Provides statement on increased funding for water and wastewater infrastructure to implement resilience practices in the next Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) legislation
Source of Additional Information
C. Marty Cassini, Intergovernmental Affairs Manager, Intergovernmental Affairs/Boards Section, 954-357-6440
Edward G. Labrador, Legal Counsel, Intergovernmental Affairs/Boards Section, 954-357-7135
Devon West, Legislative Policy Advisor, Intergovernmental Affairs/Boards Section, 954-357-7347
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
No fiscal impact.