An Update on the Public Health Laboratory System After the Pandemic

Jun 12, 2025 - The state and several local health jurisdictions (LHJs) —mostly counties and a few cities —have laboratories that provide public health laboratory testing services. (When referring to counties and LHJs, we are also referring to these city LHJs.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5056

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandates—Regional Water Quality Control Boards

May 30, 2025 - CSM determined that several of the requirements in the permit issued by the regional board in 2010 constitute state-reimbursable mandates for Riverside County and the cities of Riverside County that are within the Santa Ana region (some cities in Riverside County fall within the jurisdiction of the Santa Ana Regional Board and some within the jurisdiction of the San Diego Regional Board).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5054

LAO May Outlook Estimates of Proposition 98 Guarantee [EdBudget]

May 27, 2025 - LAO May Outlook Estimates of Proposition 98 Guarantee [EdBudget]   a Excludes nontax revenues and transfers, which do not affect the calculation of the guarantee. b The change in attendance for calculating the guarantee is deemed to be zero in these years.
https://lao.ca.gov/Education/EdBudget/Details/966

The 2025-26 Budget: May Revision Trailer Bill Proposals on the Delta Conveyance Project and Water Quality Control Plans

May 27, 2025 - (Both the state-managed SWP and the federally managed Central Valley Project export water from the Delta and deliver it via a system of aqueducts and can als to Southern California cities and Central Valley farms.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5053

The 2025-26 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 17, 2025 - The lower debt payments reflect weaker projected revenues in 2025 ‑26, which reduce constitutionally required transfers. How Does the Governor Propose Addressing the Budget Problem? Figure  1 summarizes the budget solutions described in this section.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5044

Proposition 98 Key Inputs and Outcomes Under the May Revision [EdBudget]

May 16, 2025 - Absent suspension, Test 2 would have applied and the guarantee would have been $106.5 billion. c Excludes nontax revenues and transfers, which do not affect the calculation of the guarantee. d As set forth in the State Constitution, reflects change in per capita General Fund plus 0.5 percent. e Includes adjustments to the previous year's maintenance factor for growth in per capita personal income and K-12 attendance as required by the State Constitution.
https://lao.ca.gov/Education/EdBudget/Details/962

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandate—Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

May 5, 2025 - City of Salinas ) —which found that the city did not have sufficient fee authority to levy a stormwater fee due to the voter approval requirement —was wrongly decided. Senate Bill  231, which took effect in 2018, makes increasing stormwater-related fees more straightforward for local governments because they can use the majority protest provision rather than having to seek voter approval.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5039

The 2025-26 Budget: SB 678 County Probation Grant Program

Apr 11, 2025 - Consider What Portion of State Savings to Transfer to Counties. The Legislature could consider adopting the Governor ’s proposal that 25  percent of state savings be transferred to counties. If our method for estimating state savings was used, this would increase the amount allocated to counties through the performance payment by a few million dollars.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5031

Rethinking California's Reserve Policy

Apr 10, 2025 - Proposition  4 sets up a system in which all tax revenues —with only limited exceptions —are counted at some level of government (for example, the state, or a city, county, or school district). Funds transferred between these entities of government are counted at some part of the structure.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028

Improving Legislative Oversight of Emergency Authorities

Apr 10, 2025 - Specifically, when a local emergency is declared by a city, county, or city/county governing body, CESA requires the emergency to be reviewed every 60 days by the governing body until the local emergency is terminated.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5029