FROM THE CEO
Welcome to the inaugural SVO Public Policy Update.

This monthly communication will share insight into our work within the public policy advocacy space - the various issues we are tackling at the local, regional, state and federal levels.

This will be the only Public Policy Update that you will receive. If you'd like to continue to receive it every month, please click here to subscribe.

If you know someone who would benefit from receiving this monthly update, please be sure to forward it to them.

If you don't see an issue that you think we should be aware of, please reach our to our Sr. Director of Public Policy, Victor Gomez, at victorg@thesvo.com.

As always, our work is stronger when you engage. Join us. Click here to learn how.
 
LOCAL
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ISSUE:   Santa Clara County Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax & Regulations 

SVO POSITION: 
STATUS:   Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to consider on April 25

DETAILS:  In September of 2016, Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager introduced a Board Referral regarding Sugar-sweetened Beverages with the request to direct county administration to report to the Health and Hospital Committee and the Board of Supervisors with policy recommendations to provide consumers with information about what he calls health risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages and to reduce overconsumption of these beverages through a county mandate. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE: City of Santa Clara Worker Retention Ordinance

SVO POSITION:
STATUS: Coming to Council on April 21

DETAILS: On January 24, 2017 the Santa Clara City Council initiated a discussion to establish an ordinance designed to provide for retention of certain food and building services workers in the City of Santa Clara. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE: City of San Jose  Construction Taxes

SVO POSITION: N/A

STATUS:  Going to San Jose City Council April 4

DETAILS:  San Jose has four construction-related taxes, but for the purposes of this discussion only two are pertinent: The Building and Structures Construction Tax, and the Commercial- Residential-Mobilehome Park Building Tax (also known as the CRMP Tax). Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  City of San Jose  Community Workforce Agreements / Project Labor Agreements (CWA/PLA) Task Force 

SVO POSITION:
STATUS:  At Council committee. Going to full Council in June 2017. 

DETAILS:  The committee met for the first time on January 23   to discuss initial study of how Project Labor Agreements impact both public & private sector investment. The task force will meet another 5 times prior to this item coming before the full Council. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  City of San Jose Ad-Hoc Committee on Development Services Update 

SVO POSITION:
STATUS: In Progress

DETAILS: San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo formed the Ad-Hoc Committee on Development Services that has met four times. On November 10, 2016, the city held a Cost Recovery Workshop where consultants informed stakeholders about the study for the cost of better customer service and development in San Jose including permit fees, impact fees, and development taxes. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  City of San Jose Local Hire Ordinance

SVO POSITION:
STATUS: Being discussed along with City of San Jose PLA Task Force 

DETAILS: The City of San Jose is currently exploring a Local Hiring Ordinance. The policy has been nominated by the San Jose City Council as a high priority. 
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ISSUE: City of San Jose Downtown Intensification Program (Signage) 

SVO POSITION:
STATUS: City of San Jose Economic Development Committee (April 2017) 

DETAILS: In April of 2016, SVO staff and the SJDA met with City of San José staff to discuss implementation of a downtown intensification program similar to what we saw in Denver during the 2015 Study Mission. 

STATE
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ISSUE: AB 5 (Gonzalez) Employers : Opportunity to Work Act

SVO POSITION:
STATUS:  Referred to Assembly Labor and Employment Committee (no date set) 

DETAILS:  Unfair Scheduling Mandate. Burdens small and large employers with a scheduling mandate that requires employers to offer additional hours of work to employees before hiring a new employee or contractor and exposes employers to multiple threats of costly litigation for technical violations that do not cause an employee any harm.  Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  SB 1 (Beall) Transportation Funding 

SVO POSITION:
STATUS:  Senate Appropriations Committee 

DETAILS: 
In February, The SVO Board of Directors took a position of "support" for Senator Jim Beall's SB-1, funding for California Transportation. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  AB 1506 Costa Hawkins Repeal 

SVO POSITION:
STATUS:  Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee

DETAILS: 
The Costa-Hawkins Act of 1995 put statewide limits on the rent-control ordinances that local governments are allowed to enact. The law, passed in 1995, prohibited rent control on newly constructed residential housing starting in 1999. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  AB 199 (Chu) Public works: private residential projects 

SVO POSITION:
STATUS:  Assembly Appropriations Committee

DETAILS: AB 199 would eliminate the long-standing residential exemption from prevailing wage rates and thereby make private, market-rate residential development a public work project for which a prevailing wage would be paid. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  SB 7 (Moorlach) School district and community college district bonds: project information 
 
SVO POSITION:
STATUS:  Referred to Senate Education Committee 

DETAILS: 
Existing law allows for local school districts to approve a school construction bond to be placed onto the ballot - the California Education Code is silent on whether project specificity is required before submitting a bond measure before the voters for approval. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  AB169 O'Donnell - Golden State Teacher Grant Program

SVO POSITION:
STATUS: Appropriations

DETAILS: Unfair Scheduling Mandate. Burdens small and large employers with a scheduling mandate that requires employers to offer additional hours of work to employees before hiring a new employee or contractor and exposes employers to multiple threats of costly litigation for technical violations that do not cause an employee any harm. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE: AB 445 O'Donnell Cunningham, et al - CTE Permanent Funding
SVO POSITION:
STATUS: Committee on Education; hearing date 4/5/17

DETAILS: Unfair Scheduling Mandate. Burdens small and large employers with a scheduling mandate that requires employers to offer additional hours of work to employees before hiring a new employee or contractor and exposes employers to multiple threats of costly litigation for technical violations that do not cause an employee any harm. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE: AB 1164 Thurmond - The Emergency Childcare Bridge Program

SVO POSITION: 
STATUS: Committee on Human Resources; hearing date 4/4/17

DETAILS: AB 1164 will ensure that foster youth who are placed in a foster home still have access to high quality early child care and education, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful placement. Click here to read more.

FEDERAL
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ISSUE: BRIDGE Act

SVO POSITION: Support
STATUS:  Pending Introduction

DETAILS: The BRIDGE (Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy) Act would provide temporary relief from deportation and employment authorization to individuals who are eligible for the Department of Homeland Security's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ("DACA") program.  DACA provides temporary protection from removal and work authorization to young students and veterans who grew up in the United States if they register with the government, pay a fee, and pass a criminal background check. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE: Fair and Open Competition Act

SVO POSITION: Support
STATUS: Pending Introduction

DETAILS: The Fair and Open Competition Act would prevent federal agencies and recipients of federal assistance from requiring contractors to sign an anti-competitive and costly project labor agreement (PLA) as a condition of winning a federal or federally assisted construction contract. It also would eliminate discriminatory PLA preference policies that discourage competition and may result in needless delays, waste and favoritism during the procurement of taxpayer-funded construction projects. Click here to read more.
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ISSUE:  H.R. 5 the Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) 
SVO POSITION: Support
STATUS:  Senate: House - Judiciary; Oversight and Government Reform; Small Business 
DETAILS: The bill aims to eliminate overly-burdensome red tape and regulations in order to lift unnecessary burdens on hardworking Americans and to promote jobs, innovation, and economic growth.  Click here to read more.

UPCOMING EVENTS
State Legislative Action Day - Sacramento
April 25, 11:30 - 5 PM. 

The silicon valley organization has six public policy working groups. Those groups along with staff, Board of Directors and members will have the opportunity to advocate for their preferred topic/legislation that The SVO has taken a position on. To register, please click here.
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Strive Summit 2017 - Microsoft Conference Center, Mt. View
April 28, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM.

The   2017 Strive Summit w ill bring together business and industry leaders who are pursuing innovative strategies around building their talent pipelines and creating career pathways. Also featured will be a panel of elected leaders discussing the future of policy supporting career pathways. To register, please click here.
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Federal Legislative Action Day - 
Washington, D.C.
May 1-2. 

The silicon valley organization Board of Directors has prioritized Tax Reform, Immigration Reform and Trade Policy as our 2017 Federal focus. We will set meetings accordingly with a target of 15-20 offices over two days. 

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Questions? Please contact Victor Gomez, Sr. Director of Public Policy at victorg@thesvo.com
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