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Congressman John Garamendi is working with CSDA to develop draft federal legislation encompassing key COVID-19 relief priorities. After receiving numerous letters from CSDA members confronting the pandemic, Congressman Garamendi coordinated a virtual meeting on April 23 for CSDA to brief over a dozen offices from California’s Congressional Delegation on special district’s federal COVID-19 hardships and needs. He is now partnering with CSDA and other stakeholders to address special district priorities.

Included in Congressman Garamendi’s draft legislation will be defining language to ensure special district eligibility in federal relief programs, direct access to the Coronavirus Relief Fund moving forward, and expand access to the Municipal Liquidity Facility, a program the U.S. Department of Treasury and Federal Reserve offers states and larger municipalities.

The legislation is in its early phases and has yet to be formally introduced. Active support from CSDA members and our sister associations throughout the country will be imperative in pushing this effort forward. CSDA will keep members updated at csda.net/take-action and via our COVID-19 Community. Please subscribe for instant, daily, or weekly updates.

Meanwhile, CSDA sent on April 30 an updated letter to California’s congressional leadership to reflect support for already-introduced legislation reflecting special districts’ COVID-19 priorities.

The April 30 CSDA letter updates CSDA’s positions based upon the fluid action in Congress, and builds upon previous letters sent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris. Additive to previous communications is support specifically for HR 6467, the Coronavirus Community Relief Act, which would authorize $250 billion for local governments serving fewer than 500,000 direct access to the Coronavirus Relief Fund. The request also underscores the need to define special districts under the definition of local governments eligible for direct access, which the bill currently lacks.

The updated CSDA letter also specifies support for HR 6643, the Supporting State and Local Leaders Act, which would expand the COVID-19 payroll tax credit program for providing paid emergency paid sick and family leave to state and local governments. The bill defines political subdivisions of the state as eligible for the credit, which would include special districts.

CSDA is urging these bills be included in the upcoming federal relief package addressing state and local government needs. CSDA continues working with congressional partners across the state to achieve special district goals for COVID-19 relief and will keep district apprised of developments. CSDA is also partnering with a National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC) to spread our advocacy across the nation. CSDA’s board of directors has been working with statewide special districts associations in Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Florida over the past several years to build the NSDC.

Special districts that have not yet sent their federal representatives a letter communicating support for these important COVID-19 measures can do so now using a template support letter, which can be downloaded here.

Furthering special districts’ grassroots advocacy, three district general managers in Kern County penned an op-ed in The Bakersfield Californian calling on U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Congressman TJ Cox, both representing the central and southern San Joaquin Valley, to consider special district needs in the next federal relief bill. Click here to read the article co-authored by CSDA President Joel Bauer, West Side Cemetery District General Manager; Steve Perez, Rosamond Community Services General Manager; and Monya Jameson, North of the River Recreation and Park District General Manager.

For more information on CSDA’s federal COVID-19 efforts, contact Cole Karr, Public Affairs Field Coordinator, at colek@csda.net.