2026 Legislative Platform - Staff Report

View the accompanying Legislative Program Annual Report, PowerPoint presentation, and 2026 Legislative Platform.

AGENDA DATE: 12/9/2025

TO: Marin County Board of Supervisors

FROM: Talia Smith, Interim Deputy County Executive
Sophie Helpard, Legislative Affairs Associate
Derek Johnson, County Executive

SUBJECT:  County of Marin Legislative Program Annual Report and 2026 Legislative Platform

RECOMMENDATION: Receive the Legislative Program Annual Report and approve, with any Board modifications, the proposed 2026 Legislative Platform.

SUMMARY: The Office of the County Executive leads the County’s Legislative Program and advances the Board’s goals by monitoring state and federal policy developments, developing position recommendations for the Board, and coordinating advocacy efforts across all levels of government throughout the year.

Each year, the Office of the County Executive leads the development of an annual Legislative Platform. The purpose of having a Platform adopted by the Board is to: (1) outline the Board’s federal, state and intergovernmental affairs policy priorities and (2) provide County Staff with the authority to send letters on behalf of the Board on legislation and time-sensitive matters that arise throughout the year. The Legislative Platform is also used to guide staff recommendations on statewide ballot measures and grant opportunities.

The attached Legislative Program Annual Report highlights key state and federal updates and engagement from your Board and County staff in 2025, and provides a look ahead in anticipating key issues in 2026.

The attached proposed 2026 Legislative Platform reflects input from your Board, County Departments and partner agencies. As always, your Board retains the opportunity to amend the plan at any time.

DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND: The annual process of updating the County’s Legislative Platform begins in the fall, when the Office of the County Executive reviews the current year document and makes updates to reflect new, emergent, or revised stances based on recent state/federal policy changes, local priorities, or other current events.

All County Departments then review the updated draft – including sharing with their Boards and Commissions. Supervisors are also provided a draft for individual review and feedback during annual fall meetings with the County’s State Lobbyists. The draft Platform is also shared with the County’s agency partners: the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM), Marin Transit District, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART), Marin Clean Emergency (MCE), Marin Community Foundation, and Agriculture agencies.

Some of the changes in the proposed 2026 Legislative Platform, compared with the adopted 2025 Platform:

Immigration, Civil Rights & Local Autonomy

• Stronger emphasis on immigrant privacy protections, opposition to federal data-sharing.
• Opposition to deputizing local governments for immigration enforcement and unwarranted deployment of the national guard.
• Expanding remote and online access to essential public services – including benefits enrollment, court filings and hearings, and document verification – to reduce the need for in-person visits to county offices.
• Support for federal civil rights enforcement, including opposing the restriction of DEI-related federal funding.

Housing, Land Use and Homelessness

• Incorporates recent state law changes (CEQA Trailer Bill reforms) to ensure that streamlining measures – intended to accelerate infill housing, farmworker housing, day care, broadband and critical infrastructure – are applied effectively and equitably.
• Monitoring developments on density, parking, transit-oriented development definitions, and avoiding one-size-fits-all state requirements.
• Support for state policies that allow sharing RHNA credits when multiple public agencies provide funding, land or resources to make a housing project feasible.
• Expanded attention to substandard housing especially in the Coastal Zone, tying it to emergency declarations.
• Strengthened focus on “build local” economic benefits, small-scale local contractors, and workforce pipelines.
• Emphasis on protecting federal Continuum of Care (CoC) resources, in response to federal efforts to reduce vouchers and limit use of funds for essential supports like rent and supportive housing.
• Opposition to further state restrictions on local flexibility in resolving encampments, and reaffirming Housing First. Individualized placements, and local discretion is central to effective encampment resolution.

Climate, Natural Resources, Environment

• Opposition to all efforts to open the coast to new offshore drilling and deep-sea mining.
• Support the continued role and full funding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce federal clean air, clean water, and hazardous-waste laws under science-based standards that safeguard public health and ecosystems.
• Holding oil and gas companies accountable for climate-related harms and opposing federal immunity efforts.
• Reducing “green tape” for environmentally beneficial projects, including streamlining beneficial reuse of dredged sediment.
• Updates reflecting Prop 4 (2024) climate bond implementation.
• San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s (BCDC) Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) as a regional governance framework.

Energy, Grid Capacity & Decarbonization

• Support implementation of the 2025 state Cap-and-Trade Invest[SH1] , which strengthens California’s carbon market, funds climate resilience, and extends the program through 2045.
• In response to federal funding rollbacks, support for transition pathways and public-private partnerships to continue investment in clean energy.
• Expanded equity framing on EV charging access, especially for multifamily buildings.
• Focus on managing the energy demand from data centers, requiring transparent planning and ratepayer protections.
• Stronger language on battery storage siting regulations, public safety, and fire-risk reduction.
• Support for CPUC energization timelines, reporting processes for utility delays, and accelerating local renewable interconnection.

Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Response & Insurance

• Emphasis on the need to closely track federal FEMA changes, including proposals to restructure and reduce local funding opportunities.
• Updated and more detailed policy positions on homeowner insurance reforms, FAIR Plan coverage, and insurer withdrawal oversight. Emphasizes need to align defensible space actions with discounts.
• Integrating new Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps into planning and appeal procedures.

Transportation

• Support the reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Bill and related large-scale infrastructure funding authorizations, while acknowledging significantly changed transportation priorities under the current administration.
• Support solutions to reduce vehicle traffic congestion, especially in coordination with Caltrans on Highway 101 to ensure new HOV lanes reduce traffic and travel times as intended.
• Attention to Caltrans responsibility in improving state-owned and maintained local roadways including Tam Junction and West Marin (both Highway 1).
• Strengthened support for active transportation, micromobility, paratransit, and accessible mobility options.
• Monitor developments related to Autonomous Vehicles (AVs), ensure AV deployment prioritizes safety, transparency, local data-sharing, and alignment with local needs and potential to fill transportation gaps.

Health and Human Services

• In response to H.R. 1, protection of further federal cuts to Medicaid funding, programs, access and eligibility. Support state-level solutions to keep eligible California residents enrolled in Medi-Cal, CalFresh and CalWORKs with new work requirements under H.R. 1 – and other efforts to mitigate impacts by backfilling lost federal dollars for critical supports.
• Support state and regional funding to rebuild County indigent health programs. Marin is a member of the County Medical Services Program (CMSP), which provides care to low-income, uninsured adults not eligible for Medi-Cal. Under H.R. 1, these programs will again become the health care provider of last resort.
• Support for the extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits that support affordable access to Covered California’s individual market plans.
• Attention to federal public health infrastructure threats, including concerns about federal changes to vaccination recommendations, and other rollbacks to reduce local capacity for communicable disease response.
• Support for funding for CalAIM justice-involved initiatives.

Economic Vitality and Agricultural Heritage

• Support a coordinated, regional approach to economic development that strengthens Marin’s competitiveness and long-term resilience. Support the development of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) or equivalent regional framework to align economic, workforce, and infrastructure priorities with state and federal funding opportunities.
• Reduce barriers to small and local business formation and expansion, simplify permitting, and expand access to financing and state technical-assistance resources.
• Increase opportunities for new placemaking in communities.
• Stronger emphasis on protecting and sustaining agricultural lands as climate-resilience assets, including explicit connections to soil health, carbon sequestration, water conservation, and drought adaptation strategies.
• Need for flexible state and federal regulatory pathways to support small-scale farmers and ranchers including reporting requirements and permit streamlining for worker housing, water infrastructure, and nature-based restoration projects.
• Emphasis on assistance to farmers and dairy operators in diversifying and expanding operations to support agritourism.

Technology

• Monitor implementation of recent technology regulation laws, including SB 53 (Weiner, 2025), which establishes the nation’s first comprehensive AI safety and transparency framework, requiring developers of large-scale models to submit transparency reports, disclose critical safety incidents, and maintain risk-mitigation plans.
• Support increased funding for schools, law enforcement, and community organizations to expand digital-literacy education, address AI-driven misinformation and harassment, and promote safe online environments for youth, older adults, and people with disabilities – especially those who are isolated or experience physical or mental health issues.
• Focus on connectivity, telecom resiliency and affordability – especially for communities with known cellular gaps.

Governance & Finance

• Strengthened advocacy for local control, including limits on unfunded state mandates and protection of county revenue streams. Opposition to new realignments that reduce county funding for essential services.
• More explicit concern regarding property-tax exemptions, land-use revenue impacts, and the need for balanced state policy.

POLICY FRAMEWORK: The Board of Supervisors’ goals and priorities – adopted through the annual County Budget process – provide the foundation for the County’s Legislative Platform. These goals include: expanding affordable housing and reducing homelessness;

• Increasing affordable housing and addressing homelessness
• Building a racially equitable community
• Reducing carbon emissions and adapting to climate change
• Enhancing disaster and emergency preparedness
• Investing in county infrastructure
• Improving community & economic vitality

The Legislative Platform is used for state and federal engagement, ensuring the County can effectively engage with state and federal partners and respond to legislation, regulations, and funding opportunities that impact Marin residents. It does not include positions on local policy issues where the Board maintains full decision-making authority – such as local land-use matters or County budget decisions.

The Board provides feedback to staff on state and federal issues throughout the year – not just with the annual adoption of the platform. The Office of the County Executive receives policy direction during regular legislative updates and briefings brought to the Board, such as on the state budget and federal H.R. 1 changes. Input is incorporated into the development of the Platform and informs ongoing legislative advocacy.

EQUITY IMPACT: Many of the programs and services that directly affect lower-income residents, immigrant communities, older adults, and people with disabilities in Marin are funded or regulated at the state and federal levels. This includes Medi-Cal, CalFresh, housing and homelessness programs, transportation access, public health, and climate-resilience investments. Because these systems are shaped primarily through state and federal policy, the Legislative Platform provides an important mechanism for ensuring an opportunity to advance the County’s priorities in advancing policies that benefit the communities that rely most heavily on these programs.

Given the current federal Administration’s actions on immigration enforcement – which disproportionately and inequitably targets both citizen and undocumented Hispanic residents – the 2026 Platform includes detailed, expanded positions related to immigration policy, privacy protections, and access to government services – reflecting the impacts on Marin’s many mixed-status families and long-time residents who contribute vitality to our community, economy, and culture.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Development of the 2026 Legislative Platform included engagement with County departments and key external partners, including Boards and Commissions.

The Legislative Platform is not distributed for direct public comment prior to presentation to your Board for adoption. However, members of the public provide input on the Platform and policy positions throughout the year on major policy issues, such as during Board business items, budget presentations, legislative updates, and briefings. These have all informed the proposed 2026 Platform before you.

PERFORMANCE MEASURE(S): N/A

CONTRACT RENEWALS AND PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES: N/A

CONTRACT RISKS: N/A

CEQA ANALYSIS: N/A

FISCAL, FACILITY & STAFFING IMPACTS: There will be no increase in General Fund as a result of adoption of the 2026 Legislative Platform.

ALTERNATIVES: Instead of adopting the proposed 2026 Legislative Platform, your Board could not approve the Platform, and/or direct staff to revise the proposed 2026 Platform.

Staff is ready to revise the proposed Platform based on requested changes from your Board.

APPROVED BY:

• County Executive                    [X] Yes or [ ] N/A
• Department of Finance           [ ] Yes or [X ] N/A
• County Counsel                      [ ] Yes or [X ] N/A
• Human Resources                  [ ] Yes or [X] N/A

Attachment A: County of Marin 2026 Legislative Platform

Attachment B: Legislative Platform Annual Report