The general scope of work for this RFP is as follows: Continuously monitor, identify, analyze, and track legislation, budget issues, funding opportunities, and administrative/regulatory changes to determine potential impacts on the County. Monitor and report on the Congressional and President’s budgets and earmark opportunities, and when appropriate, work to secure or protect funding aligned with the County’s interests as part of the budget process. Proactively develop and provide the County with timely and comprehensive information and summaries of federal legislation, funding opportunities, and regulatory and administrative matters that may significantly impact County programs, responsibilities, authority, and resources. This includes, but is not limited to, drafting and editing position letters on and amendments to proposed legislation, regulations, and policies, testimony for legislative, regulatory, and budget hearings, and proactively searching out opportunities for collaboration in advocacy with similarly situated counties and other local agencies, regardless of those entities' status as clients of the proposer. Provide proactive analysis to the County regarding statewide impacts of proposed federal legislation, funding opportunities, and regulatory and administrative matters, specifically including impacts to California state government, and information on how other California counties comparable in relevant ways to Napa County are responding or planning to respond, including opportunities for collaboration with similarly situated counties, regardless of those counties' status as clients of the proposer. Meet with County officials upon request and appear virtually at meetings of the Board of Supervisors and community meetings hosted by County staff, as requested, to discuss relevant matters before Congress and the federal executive branch. Arrange, upon request and as permitted by law, meetings involving County officials in Washington, D.C., locations in California, and/or virtually. Proactively draft comprehensive preparation materials use by County officials in such meetings. Proactively and upon request, develop and execute opportunities for the County to conduct joint advocacy with other aligned counties. Represent the County, as required, in public and private meetings with federal officials, committees, and bodies, including participation in relevant hearings; Upon request, collaborate with County staff to draft sponsored legislation and develop and execute strategies for passage. This includes primary responsibility for securing authors, facilitating bill introduction, and working with the authors to shepherd the bill through the committee process. Advance the County’s interests and positions on legislative and administrative issues by maintaining and, as needed, developing strong relationships with members of Congress and staff members of Congressional offices and Congressional committees, executive branch agency officials, and relevant associations, including, at minimum, the Rural County Representatives of California, the California State Association of Counties, and the National Association of Counties, and well as other stakeholders to build the support necessary to advance the county’s interests. Make and facilitate, as needed, direct contact with federal officials. This includes, but is not limited to, transmission of position letters, negotiation of legislative and regulatory amendments, providing testimony at legislative, regulatory, and budget hearings on issues of interest to the County, and engaging in meetings and personal outreach with relevant individuals, programs, and agencies. Consult with County officials during the annual development and production of the County’s legislative and regulatory platform. Specifically, provide insight into ongoing issues that should be addressed within the platform, respond to questions from Board members and department heads, and appear virtually upon request at Board and community meetings hosted by County staff during the platform’s development. Facilitate participation of key County officials in federal-level activities significantly affecting programmatic and fiscal relationships between the federal government and the County, including opportunities to shape decision-making in federal programs that will affect state-level programmatic funding. Provide an annual report summarizing the Contractor's work on behalf of the County and notable actions including, Budget actions of importance to the County; Major legislative activity of consequence to the County; and Outcomes of County service requests. Comply with all federal or other laws regulating the activities of registered lobbyists and prepare on the County’s behalf such reports of lobbyist employers as may be required of the County by law or administrative requirements. Contractor shall ensure that any reports, and any deliverable to the County be delivered in a manner to ensure non-discrimination and equal access to County services and digital properties such as websites, documents, and applications by persons with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and under § 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Successful respondent shall ensure that any deliverable, including but not limited to, reports, documents, videos, multimedia productions, live broadcasts and any and all other web content and information communications technology are fully accessible and in compliance with federal accessibility standards and laws and with the County's Web Content Accessibility Standards. Examples of accessibility measures include, but are not limited to, providing closed captions, video descriptions, and 508 compliant players. As required by California Government Code section 7550, each document or report prepared by Contractor for or under the direction of County pursuant to this Agreement shall contain the numbers and dollar amounts of the Agreement and all subcontracts under the Agreement relating to the preparation of the document or written report. The Agreement and subcontract dollar amounts shall be contained in a separate section of the document or written report. If multiple documents or written reports are the subject of the Agreement or subcontracts, the disclosure section may also contain a statement indicating that the total contract amount represents compensation for multiple documents or written reports.
