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Federal and state legislative updates: reconciliation funding, FISA 702 risk, state budget tensions and Medi‑Cal changes
Summary
Federal and state legislative presenters briefed the committee on the Senate's reconciliation package (including roughly $70 billion for ICE/CBP), an imminent FISA section 702 reauthorization risk, and California budget fights that include Medi‑Cal premium changes and competing homelessness funding proposals.
Federal and state legislative consultants briefed the Albany County personnel, administration and legislation committee on June 8 on rapidly evolving items in Washington and Sacramento.
CJ Lake, the federal legislative presenter, told the committee the Senate recently passed a reconciliation package in a 52–47 vote that "included roughly 70,000,000,000 in funding for ICE and CBP through FY29," noting the partisan process used to fund those agencies and that attention now shifts to the House for further action. Lake also outlined continued uncertainty about additional reconciliation efforts and that vulnerable senators had broken ranks on some amendments.
John Assini, who joined Lake for the federal update, warned of an immediate risk that FISA section 702 could lapse if Congress did not act, calling reauthorization a "very serious risk of expiring this Friday"; he said some Senate Democrats were withholding support because of concerns about the administration's acting DNI nominee and that a legislative path to 60 votes appeared slim. Assini also summarized recent developments on the FY27 NDAA and committee activity related to appropriations markups.
Supervisor Portunato Bass asked whether a recent Defense Production Act announcement — described in the meeting as a proposed $700,000,000 investment in the coal industry, including a reported $75,000,000 for West Oakland — was a done deal. John Assini said the announcement was administrative and that "it's unclear how they're going to exactly move forward on getting that money out the door to various stakeholders," and CJ Lake offered to follow up on implications for the Port of Oakland.
On state matters, Amy Costa of Formal Strategies briefed the committee on ongoing budget negotiations and election results still being finalized after the primary. Costa said both houses had released budget plans (referenced in the meeting as AB 109 and SB 109) and warned lawmakers face a July 2 deadline and a constitutionally required 72-hour print rule ahead of the June 15 constitutional deadline for bills. She singled out proposed changes to Medi‑Cal that would increase monthly premiums for undocumented individuals from $30 to $50 beginning in 2027 and said both houses were debating homelessness funding levels (the Administration proposed $500,000,000 while the Senate and Assembly proposed different amounts).
Costa also relayed an LAO report showing continued declines in new vehicle registrations — an 8% seasonally adjusted drop between September and December 2025 and an additional 2% decline from November through April — as a short-term economic signal. Committee members asked follow-up questions about county impacts on indigent care and public hospitals; Costa said both houses included some county financing but it remained unclear whether proposed amounts would be sufficient.
The committee did not take votes on federal budget items or on the legislative priorities presented; the session concluded after two formal votes to forward positions on separate requests from Alameda County Health.
