Federal Updates

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Transportation Investment Opportunities
Ted Link-Oberstar, March 2023
The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) substantially increased available federal funding for transportation and other infrastructure priorities. This document, prepared as background for a March 14, 2023, joint informational hearing by the Senate Transportation Committee and Budget Subcommittee #5, summarizes California’s share of annual transportation funding and available competitive funding opportunities. In addition, it briefly discusses several federal initiatives, including some codified through IIJA to address equity among disadvantaged populations.

Federal Update: Federal COVID-19 Relief Funding for California’s Housing and Homelessness Response
Ted Link-Oberstar and Bridgett Hankerson, January 2022
This federal update summarizes federal funding provided to the state of California as well as local and tribal governments and public housing authorities to assist with housing and homelessness issues in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes brief program summaries and identifies funding allocated as of the publication date. This report may be updated as warranted.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Transportation Overview
Ted Link-Oberstar, November 2021
This report summarizes major transportation provisions of the broad federal infrastructure bill enacted in November 2021, which includes a five-year reauthorization of surface transportation programs. It outlines major funding increases included in the bill, describes many new competitive grant programs, and highlights changes to federal policy and grant funding criteria intended to prioritize issues such as climate, equity, and sustainability.

Health Actions During President Biden's First 100 Days in Office
Monica Montano and Kendra Tully, June 2021
This federal update highlights health-related actions and policy changes made in the first 100 days of President Biden’s administration and explores how the changes will affect California.

Children's Health Insurance Program Funded Through 2023
Kim Flores, January 2018

Trump Orders Review of National Monuments
Meg Svoboda, July 2017
Twenty-five national monuments—six in California—are under review by the Trump administration. The scope of this review and what it means to California is described in this report.

Nutritional Requirements Relaxed for School Lunch Programs
Lisa Giroux, May 2017
States and schools have more time to comply with nutrition standards for federally funded school meals due to action taken by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, which is described in this report.

President Trump’s First 100 Days
Prepared by SOR Consultants, May 2017
Prepared at the request of California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León, this report highlights key actions and events during the Trump administration’s first 100 days, which concluded on April 29, 2017. 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Unveils Policy Guidance for Automated Vehicles
Ted Link-Oberstar, October 2016
This federal update highlights major elements of NHTSA’s first-ever policy guidance to guide the development and implementation of autonomous vehicle technology. It is aimed at industry stakeholders as well as state and local governments and is intended to promote safety while providing flexibility in order to encourage innovation.

Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (with Addendum)
Elizabeth Dietzen Olsen, Kim Flores, and Janelle Miyashiro, June 2016

Supreme Court Ruling Halts the President’s Deferred Action Programs
Gayle Miller and Megan Lane, June 2016

Federal Energy Tax Credits Extended
Jim Damrell, March 2016

Congress Advances Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Lisa Giroux, March 2016

Congress Delivers Long-Awaited Transportation Act
Ted Link-Oberstar, January 2016
This federal update summarizes major provisions of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, the multi-year transportation authorization bill enacted in 2012 and the first five-year authorization enacted since 2005.

The President’s Executive Actions on Reducing Gun Violence
Elizabeth Dietzen Olsen, January 2016

Federal Tax Extenders: Congress Makes 52 Tax Provisions Permanent
Gayle Miller, December 2015

Congress Reauthorizes an Important K-12 Education Law, ESEA
Jody Martin, December 2015

Immigration Reform: Local Jurisdictions Community Policing and Detention Policies
Elizabeth Dietzen Olsen, September 2015

The Federal Highway Trust Fund—Its Solvency Is Preserved through October 2015
Ted Link-Obestar, August 2015
This federal update provides background regarding the short-term extension of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) transportation authorization legislation signed by President Obama on July 31, 2015.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement
Gayle Miller, June 2015

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling May Impact Membership of California’s Regulatory Boards
Taryn A. Smith, April 2015

Medicare 'Doc Fix' and Continued Funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program
Kim Flores, April 2015

Internet Tax Moratorium Extended for the Short Term in Government Funding Measure
Meg Svoboda, November 2014
A federal moratorium banning state and local governments from taxing Internet access has been extended to December 11, 2014—and may be extended again.

California's Poverty Rate: The Highest in the Nation
Daphne Hunt, October 2014
Recently released U.S. Census Bureau data show nearly one-quarter of Californians live in poverty.

Federal Highway Trust Fund Solvency Preserved (Temporarily): President Obama Signs Bill Authorizing Federal Transportation Spending/Funding Through May 2015
Ted Link-Oberstar, August 2014
On August 8, 2014, President Obama signed HR 5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, which extends the federal Surface Transportation Act.

Changes to the Workforce Investment Act: President Obama Signs the New Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
Susanna Cooper, August 2014
On July 22, 2014, President Barack Obama signed the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a successor to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) that had been in place since 1998.

Unaccompanied Minors: A Crisis at the U.S. Border
Norma Loza, July 11, 2014
An unprecedented number of unaccompanied minors from Central America have migrated into the United States at the Mexican border, creating what is being called a "humanitarian crisis" and requiring immediate action by the Obama administration and Congress.

Changes to the Student Loan Program: Long-Term Relief for Borrowers
Susanna Cooper, July 2014
Important changes to the federal student loan program that went into effect on July 1, 2014, could make repayment of future student loan debt more manageable for many borrowers.

The Agricultural Act of 2014: Highlights of Impacts to California
Daphne Hunt and Bob Franzoia, February 2014
President Obama signed the Agricultural Act of 2014 (H.R. 2642)—commonly known as the farm bill—on February 7, 2014, which reauthorizes dozens of farm bill programs ranging from nutrition to agriculture for five years, through federal fiscal year 2018. This farm bill authorizes $956 billion over the next 10 years, with nearly 80 percent of the funding allocated to nutrition programs.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013: Sequester Relief for Federal Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015
Meg Svoboda and Daphne Hunt, January 10, 2014
A summary of how the recent federal budget agreement eases the sequester for discretionary funding in the next two federal fiscal years.

Sequestration Is Now in Effect: What It Could Mean to California
Meredith Wurden and Meg Svoboda, March 2013
Find out which major programs are impacted by the sequester (automatic federal budget cuts) and what it could mean to California.

Sequestration: What Is It? And How Could It Impact California?
Erin Riches, Meredith Wurden, Meg Svoboda, and SOR Staff, October 2012
Automatic federal budget reductions—known as sequestration—could cut many federal programs and spare others beginning in January 2013.

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