Q2 Impact Report 2026

Measure to Save Transit Qualifies for November Ballot
The Council is co-leading the Connect Bay Area campaign to save public transit from financial collapse and improve those services going forward. The campaign submitted over 305,000 signatures to qualify the regional transit measure for the November ballot — blowing past the 186,000 valid signatures needed to qualify.

Council Leads in the Next Leap Forward for Autonomous Vehicles
The Transportation Committee led by industry pioneers Waymo, Zoox, and Glydways is leading an effort to create a seamless autonomous car and transit networks across markets, and is exploring opportunities for expansion that would improve regional mobility in the Bay Area.

Committee Chairs
Shalonda Baldwin, WSP
Arielle Fleisher, Waymo
Rich Robbins, Wareham Development

Policy Lead
Emily Loper
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
eloper@bayareacouncil.org

Combating Onerous Tech Regulation
Advancing our region’s technology and innovation leadership and competitiveness is one of the Bay Area Council’s top priorities, including building out the energy and other infrastructure needed to support AI and the data centers that power them. The Council’s Tech & Innovation Committee is actively opposing California Public Utilities Commission regulations on a proposed data center energy transmission project in San Jose that could set a dangerous precedent and lead to broader restrictions on other large-scale and innovative projects across the state.

Council Co-Leads Coalition to Defeat SB 1074 (Wiener)
The Bay Area Council was the tip of the spear in unifying advocacy among groups from the Bay Area, Southern California, and all points in between to defeat SB 1074 (Wiener), a bill that sought to break up the integrated online services used by small businesses, researchers, and entrepreneurs.

Connecting AI Companies with Foreign Delegations
The Tech & Innovation Committee met with the Commerce Department Deputy Undersecretary to plan an American AI Exports Program Consortia Selection event to connect American AI companies with foreign delegations. The event is tentatively scheduled for August.

Uniform Guidance Comments for the Office of Management and Budget
The Tech & Innovation Committee also filed comments with the Office of Management and Budget in Washington D.C. to voice industry concerns about potential changes to federal funding rules for grants to research institutions, national laboratories and entrepreneurs. This R&D funding supports the scientific breakthroughs that power our innovation economy and yields the advancements that can be provided to consumers in the Bay Area and throughout the state.

Committee Chairs
Javier González, Google
Lauren Kimzey, PayPal
Mitra Rogers, AWS

Staff Lead
Peter Leroe-Munoz
SVP, Public Policy & General Counsel
pleroemunoz@bayareacouncil.org

10,000 Housing Units Produced from Council Housing CEQA Streamlining Legislation
The Bay Area Council sponsored AB 130 (Wicks) in June 2025 establishing an critical CEQA exemption for infill housing amid a statewide shortage of 2.5 million homes. In its first year, the exemption produced more than 10,000 housing units across 68 projects, with about 10 percent affordable, and Mountain View is on track to triple its permits this year. These results make AB 130 (Wicks) one of the most effective streamlining laws on the books.

Council Leads Fight to Defend Major CEQA Exemption Won Last Year
The Council played a key role in enacting SB 131 (Wiener), a first-of-its-kind CEQA exemption for advanced manufacturing on industrial land. SB 954 (Blakespear) now threatens that exemption: though framed as a cleanup, it adds so many conditions it would functionally repeal the law. The Council has opposed SB 954 (Blakespear) through testimony and advocacy, arguing it would undercut 2025 CEQA reform and drive away manufacturing investment and jobs.

Council-Sponsored Homeownership Bills Clear Legislature
This year, the Council is focusing its housing legislation on affordable homeownership and making strong progress on key bills. AB 1903 (Wicks) tackles construction defect reform to revive condominium and townhouse construction, which has declined roughly 90 percent since 2006 due to litigation risk. The Assembly passed it this spring with no votes against. SB 1169 (Grayson) would extend approved tentative maps beyond their current 24-month expiration so slow-moving projects don’t have to restart entitlement, and the Senate passed it without opposition.

Committee Chairs
Andy Ball, oWow
Robin Baral, Hanson Bridgett LLP
Ann Silverberg, Related California

Staff Lead
Louis Mirante
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
lmirante@bayareacouncil.org

AI for All Reaches 5,000+ Residents!
The Bay Area Council spearheaded the AI for All program, uniting partners to bring hands-on AI training to communities across the region. AARP’s Senior Planet introduced older adults to AI for the first time; OpenAI recruiters coached job seekers and under-employed residents at the MLK Library AI Center; and Anthropic and PayPal closed out the quarter with a small business workshop where owners used AI to solve real problems in real time.

Advancing Apprenticeships through Partnerships and Research
This was a big quarter for apprenticeships as we deepened employer engagement around apprenticeships as a hiring strategy. A new report drew on 35 leading employers across four priority sectors, Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, Early Care and Education, and Tech, to show how they measure ROI. We’re grateful to the LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network, Irvine Foundation, Tipping Point Community, and SF OEWD for supporting this work through the Northern California Apprentice Network.

AI & APEC Series – AI & The Future of Work
Leading up to the 2026 APEC Summit delegation, the Bay Area Council hosted the AI & APEC Series. Secretary of Labor and Workforce Stewart Knox joined us for a deep-dive on incentives for both AI companies and workers and what the future of California workforce policy looks like in the age of AI. Google’s head of workforce, San Jose CIO and California Competes in an enlightening, interactive discourse where the speakers didn’t shy away from tough topics.

Committee Chairs
Angelo Farooq, AlphaX RE Capital
Javier González, Google
Philip Minardi, BuildWithin
Erika Webb-Hughes, Pearson
Mattie Zazueta, OpenAI

Staff Lead
Kelly Cure
Vice President, Public Policy
kcure@bayareacouncil.org

Council Secures Socio-Economic Review Before New Air District Rules
Working with industry partners and staff at the Bay Area Air District (BAAD) the Bay Area Council has secured a critical agreement with BAAD to conduct a thorough socio-economic impact analysis, including impacts on consumers and low-income communities of concern, before the District adopts any new rules. This agreed upon language will go to the full BAAD Board in September for final approval.

Council Delegation Brings Business, Civic Voice to D.C.
The Bay Area Council brought a delegation of Bay Area business, public agency, and nonprofit leaders to Washington, D.C. for meetings with Department of Commerce and Department of Transportation officials, Senators Padilla and Schiff, and the region’s full Congressional delegation. The trip also included a shipbuilding tour in Baltimore, deepening the Council’s engagement on federal shipbuilding priorities critical to the region.

Committee Chairs
Kathy Duong, Amazon
Papia Gambelin, United Airlines
Ariane Hogan, Genentech
Nick Johnson, Lyft
Ramona Prieto, Uber
Allison Rose, Autodesk

Staff Lead
Matt Regan
Chief Policy Officer
mregan@bayareacouncil.org

Council-Backed BART Fare Gates Decrease Crime by 42%
Nearly one year after systemwide completion BART’s Next Generation Fare Gates, crime on the system is down 42%, fare evasion is down 60%, ridership is up 24% on weekends and 16% on average, maintenance for issues like vandalism and graffiti dropped by over 1,000 hours, and an estimated $10 million has been recovered in fare revenue.

Co-Sponsored Bill to Fasttrack Security Infrastructure
AB 1622 (Rubio) cleared the state Assembly and Senate without opposition, making it on track for passage in August. The bill builds on Council-supported AB 2371 (Carrillo), which has already cut permitting time from 1+ year to an average of 19 days, accelerating critical deployments for over 800 businesses to date.

Key Oakland Safety Report Recommendations Advance
The Council continues to advance the 10 recommendations of the Economic Institute’s report, Making Oakland Safe and Its Economy Strong, through three milestones this quarter:
— Council-backed Measure C passed with 76% of the vote, delivering a one-year gross receipts tax holiday to ~12,000 businesses;
— Oakland Police Department achieved compliance with all 51 Negotiated Settlement Agreement tasks for the first time in 20+ years, with Council President & CEO Libby Schaaf urging the end of federal oversight in a letter to the judge and attending the May status hearing in-person; and,
— The Council-backed strong mayor charter reform measure was approved by Oakland City Council for the November ballot.

Launched First-of-Its-Kind Employer Safety Action Hub Ahead of World Cup
With the World Cup bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Bay Area, the Council launched a central hub for employer safety resources in coordination with law enforcement.

Committee Chairs
Tina D’Agostin, Alcatraz AI
Kristi McKenney, Port of Oakland
Jordan Sauers, Axon
Greg Suhr, Salesforce Tower

Staff Lead
Laura Hill
Vice President, Public Policy
lhill@bayareacouncil.org

Council-Sponsored Recovery Housing Legislation Clears Assembly
AB1556 by Asm. Matt Haney cleared the Assembly floor and is now facing its first committee hearings in the Senate. This bill would dramatically expand access to drug-free permanent and interim housing for homeless Californians seeking sober living environments. With input from the Governor’s office, we’re hopeful the bill crosses the finish line this year. This bill is co-sponsored by the Bay Area Council and Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Advancing Interim Housing Implementation
Bay Area Council staff and Homeless Committee Chair Elizabeth Funk (CEO, DignityMoves) co-presented to the San Mateo City/County Association of Governments on the benefits of interim housing and about new state laws (sponsored by the Bay Area Council) that make expanding interim housing faster and cheaper than ever before.

Committee Chair
Elizabeth Funk, DignityMoves

Policy Lead
Adrian Covert
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
acovert@bayareacouncil.org

Council Secures Direct Line to State Health Officials on Federal Changes
The Healthcare Committee is working with CalHHS Undersecretary Corrin Buchanan to prepare public health departments, health systems, and employers for the impacts of the federal reconciliation bill.

Early Work to Address AI’s Impact on Healthcare Talent
The Healthcare Committee is bringing together employers, educators, and philanthropy to develop regional strategies at the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare workforce policy. This effort aims to ensure that AI-driven transformation in healthcare supports, rather than undermines, high-road employment and workforce quality across the Bay Area.

100+ Regional Health Leaders Convene on AI’s Future in Medicine
On June 30 UCSF’s Dr. Robert Wachter joined a crowd of over 100 guests for a conversation on artificial intelligence and the future of medicine. Dr. Wachter’s groundbreaking research offers a critical framework for how the healthcare industry can responsibly harness this essential emerging technology, and the event served as a key convening for regional health leaders navigating this moment of rapid change. This is the first in a series of programming designed to solidify the Council’s leadership in the arena of healthcare AI.

Committee Chairs
Mike Bowers, Kaiser Permanente
Kara Carter, California Health Care Foundation
William M. Isenberg, MD, PhD, Sutter Health

Policy Lead
Patrick Kallerman
Vice President, Public Policy
pkallerman@bayareacouncil.org

Diablo Canyon 2045 Campaign has Launched
The Bay Area Council launched the Diablo Canyon 2045 Coalition, bringing together more than 40 organizations and over 30 public officials in support of extending the operating life of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant through 2045. The coalition has advanced a coordinated advocacy effort—authoring letters and op-eds and engaging directly with legislators—to build sustained momentum behind this critical initiative.

Council Pushes CARB to Weigh Fuel Affordability in Cap-and- Invest Rulemaking
The Bay Area Council successfully secured recognition from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) of the need to incorporate fuel affordability considerations into its Cap-and- Invest rulemaking. This effort reinforces a more balanced and economically sustainable regulatory approach while ensuring that cost impacts on consumers remain a central component of climate policy design.

Committee Chairs
Dominic Aliano, Martinez Refining Company
Alex Makler, West Region, Calpine
Carla Peterman, PG&E

Policy Lead
Julian Lake
Senior Policy Director
jlake@bayareacouncil.org

Council Secures Early Seat at the Table on State’s Transit Decarbonization Plan
The Climate Mitigation Committee convened senior CARB officials to obtain an early briefing on the forthcoming “Drive Forward” program. This engagement positioned the organization at the forefront of shaping California’s next phase of transit decarbonization and ensured early insight into program design and implementation.

Supporting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production Streamlining
The Climate Mitigation Committee sustained active advocacy for AB 839 (Rubio), maintaining momentum behind legislation aimed at streamlining judicial review processes for Sustainable Aviation Fuel production facilities. This work is helping to accelerate SAF deployment statewide and strengthen California’s clean fuels supply chain.

Climate on the Klamath Returns!
The Council hosted Climate on the Klamath during San Francisco Climate Week. The summit featured a lineup of policy discussions on the future of energy, environmental law, coastal resilience, and aviation. The day was kicked off with a keynote from California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild.

Climate Mitigation Committee Chairs
Regina Donaldson, Bayer
Nathan Fleisher, Apple

Policy Lead
Julian Lake
Senior Policy Director
jlake@bayareacouncil.org

Defending Bay Area Water Rights
The Bay Area Council pushed back hard against claims made by plaintiffs in Bring Back the Kern v. City of Bakersfield that statutory law governing water available for fish has primacy over the beneficial use doctrine enshrined in California’s constitution since statehood. The Bay Area Council’s brief supports the City of Bakersfield’s position, warning that the plaintiffs’ interpretation would improperly prioritize a single use over all others, destabilizing long-standing water policy, creating uncertainty in water supply planning, and undermining the reliability of water needed for housing and economic development.

Opposing Proposed Anti-Dam Regulations
The Bay Area Council helped launch a coalition in opposition to a petition submitted by a coalition of non-profit organizations seeking to add dams and reservoirs as reporting entities under the CARB’s greenhouse gas regulations. The proposal, if adopted, could increase the cost of water and energy, severely negatively impact California’s hydropower generation, and California’s net-zero 2045 goals.

Committee Chairs
Joshua Golka, Valley Water
Devyani Kar, Jacobs
Ellen Levin, SFPUC
Jason Willett, CSAA Insurance Group

Policy Lead
Adrian Covert
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
acovert@bayareacouncil.org

Coastal Resilience Permitting Reform Bill Clears Assembly
The Bay Area Council is sponsoring legislation this cycle alongside our partners at the Bay Planning Coalition to develop a Coastal Resilience Permitting Roadmap, advancing the policy recommendations from the Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform. This bill, AB 2051 (Wicks), has just cleared the state Assembly and is now heading to the Senate. If signed, the legislation will kickstart the process of establishing clearer standards, timelines, and permitting processes for key projects on the shoreline.

Introducing: Strong Shoreline
Thanks to a major grant from the State Coastal Conservancy, the Bay Area Council is launching a new program, Strong Shoreline, which will take the lead for the region in coordinating federal investment in flood protection needs, advancing policy solutions to generate adaptation funds, and laying the groundwork for a possible future regional ballot measure to succeed Measure AA, which the Council helped pass in 2016 to fund Bay wetlands and habitat restoration.

Committee Chairs
Enrique Landa, Fifth Space
Seamus Murphy, SF Bay Ferry

Policy Lead
Rigel Robinson
Consultant rrobinson@bayareacouncil.org

California-Africa Climate and Economic Forum Advances Landmark Cross-Continental Partnership
The Bay Area Council, UC Davis, and the California State Transportation Agency convened California and African leaders to advance implementation of the California-Africa Climate and Economic Partnership. The forum connected government, business, university, and innovation partners around clean transportation, climate-smart agriculture, energy, digital innovation, and new pathways for Bay Area engagement in Africa.

Bulgarian Delegation Visit with the Council Opens Eastern Europe Markets for Bay Area Energy Firms
In partnership with the Silicon Valley Office of Protocol, the Bay Area Council hosted Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy and delegation for meetings focused on clean energy, grid modernization, AI services, and data center infrastructure. The visit helped create new pathways for Bay Area companies and technology partners to engage Eastern European markets through Bulgaria’s energy transition and infrastructure priorities.

Council Elevates Bay Area Leadership on AI Infrastructure in Hong Kong
In partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative and the National Center for APEC, the Bay Area Council convened leaders in Hong Kong to examine the infrastructure needed to support the AI economy. Council members, Equinix and AWS, led the AI infrastructure discussion, elevating Bay Area leadership on data centers, power, cloud infrastructure, and cross-Pacific partnerships.

Committee Chairs
Harshul Asnani, Tech Mahindra Americas
Florence Fang, Florence Fang Family Foundation
Dean Fealk, DLA Piper
Travis Kiyota, East West Bank
Kevin Xu, MEBO International

Policy Lead
Alex Foard
Vice President, Global Programs
afoard@bayareacouncil.org

The Cost of Doing Business: How San Francisco’s Tax Structure Constrains Economic Growth
In early May, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute released a report finding that business taxes in San Francisco are significantly higher than anywhere else in the U.S., and that certain companies have financial incentives to relocate. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Editorial Board cited the report in its opposition to Proposition D, a measure that would have taxed companies based on CEO compensation, which San Francisco voters rejected in June.

Immigration Enforcement Report Release and Santa Clara County Event
The Bay Area Council Economic Institute convened leaders from business, government, philanthropy, labor, and community organizations for a briefing and presentation on its new report on the economic impact of immigration enforcement in the region. The program underscored how immigration enforcement affects the Bay Area’s workforce, businesses, public institutions, and long-term economic health. To learn more about the Economic Institute’s research on immigration, please contact Abby Raisz at araisz@bayareacouncil.org.