Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee · Held

Los Angeles City Council Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting, October 2, 2026

October 2, 2026, 9 a.m. · Updated October 10, 2026

From official records: The Los Angeles City Council's Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee approved seven of nine items on Oct. 2, 2026, 2-0 with John Lee absent where a vote is posted, including a City position that the County move people with severe mental illness out of City interim housing under the LA Alliance agreement and support for banning high-silica artificial stone. It continued the City Attorney's request to join a League of California Cities coalition seeking caps on damages in lawsuits against public agencies and the repeal of the attendance fee rule for the City's Metropolitan Water District directors to a date to be determined. The Council voted 14-0 on five of the seven approved items on Oct. 7, 2026, with Katy Yaroslavsky absent (Oct. 7 meeting); outcomes come from the council files and committee reports, and the committee's Journal was not posted as of Oct. 10, 2026.

As of October 10, 2026, outcomes for the October 2, 2026 meeting of the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the Los Angeles City Council come from official records posted so far, such as council files, recorded votes and filed statements. Some results may be missing until the full minutes are posted and read.

Members, per the Council President’s assignment letter: Marqueece Harris-Dawson (chair), Hugo Soto-Martinez (vice chair) and John Lee. Items 1 to 4 and 7 are resolutions setting City positions on bills, County actions and the 2026-27 legislative program (agenda).

Routine items: the committee recommended that the City support HR 5356 (committee report), the County’s reward in the Eric Washington killing (committee report), AB 2635 (committee report) and AB 1569, urging the Governor to sign it (committee report). Each report shows Harris-Dawson and Soto-Martinez voting yes and Lee absent. The committee also approved the wildfire resolution; no committee report or vote was posted on that file as of Oct. 10, 2026 (CF 26-0002-S27). The Westside Neighborhood Council filed a statement for it on Oct. 2, from an 11-0 board vote on Aug. 13, 2026 (Westside CIS). The Council took up items 1, 2 and 7 on Oct. 7, 2026, each on a 14-0 roll call with Katy Yaroslavsky absent (Oct. 7 meeting). The files for items 1 and 7 record adoption, subject to reconsideration under Council Rule 51 (CF 25-0002-S109, CF 26-0002-S27); the file for item 2 lists the roll call and no Council action entry as of Oct. 10 (CF 25-0002-S143). Items 3 and 4 had not been scheduled for the Council as of Oct. 10, 2026 (CF 25-0002-S142, CF 25-0002-S133).

5. Joining a statewide coalition seeking tort reform for public agencies

• What it does: The City Attorney recommends the Council authorize the City to join the League of California Cities’ “Coalition for Comprehensive Tort Reform,” and let the office recruit other public entities. The coalition asks the Legislature for caps on noneconomic damages against public entities, liability limited to each agency’s share of harm, and stricter evidence standards for some claims (City Attorney report R26-0501).
• Who brought it: City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto (CF 26-1235).
• Money: The report quotes the League citing California Association of Joint Powers Authorities data that public-entity liability costs have tripled in seven years to more than $7 billion in known exposure (City Attorney report).
• Who it affects: The report says the coalition had more than 200 member agencies as of July 31, 2026, including Long Beach, Pasadena and Glendale (City Attorney report).
• What happened: The committee continued the item to a date to be determined (CF 26-1235).

6. Repeal of the attendance fee rule for the City’s Metropolitan Water District directors

• What it does: A draft ordinance rescinds Administrative Code Section 8.132. The committee report says City-appointed MWD directors waive the fee but must still disclose it under state rules, which has raised conflict-of-interest questions at MWD board votes affecting the City (committee report, April 17, 2026, draft ordinance).
• Who brought it: Adrin Nazarian, seconded by John Lee; the Council asked for the ordinance on May 1, 2026 (CF 26-0203).
• What happened: The committee continued the item to a date to be determined (CF 26-0203).

8. Banning high-silica artificial stone

• What it does: Adds City support to its state and federal legislative programs for prohibiting fabrication and installation of artificial stone products with more than 1% crystalline silica. The resolution notes the state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted May 21, 2026 to start that rulemaking (resolution).
• Who brought it: Eunisses Hernandez with Bob Blumenfield, Imelda Padilla and Monica Rodriguez, seconded by Heather Hutt (CF 26-0002-S26).
• Who it affects: The resolution says about 98% of California workers diagnosed with silicosis tied to artificial stone are Latino men, and that Cal/OSHA’s silica program has issued more than 900 citations with about $1.9 million in proposed penalties (resolution).
• What happened: Approved, 2-0. Harris-Dawson and Soto-Martinez voted yes; Lee was absent. The report recommends support for Cal/OSHA emergency and permanent rules on these products and urges Cal/OSHA to move quickly through the emergency process (committee report).
• What’s next: The Council adopted the resolution on Oct. 7, 2026, 14-0, with Katy Yaroslavsky absent, subject to reconsideration under Council Rule 51 (CF 26-0002-S26, Oct. 7 meeting). It needs the Mayor’s concurrence (committee report).

9. County role in moving people with severe mental illness out of City interim housing

• What it does: Adds to the City’s 2026-27 legislative agenda that the County follow the LA Alliance agreement requiring it to help people with severe mental illness move from City-funded interim housing into County care, including bed placements. The resolution says no regular County reporting shows how many have been moved or remain (resolution).
• Who brought it: Monica Rodriguez, seconded by Bob Blumenfield (CF 26-0002-S28).
• What happened: Approved, 2-0. Harris-Dawson and Soto-Martinez voted yes; Lee was absent. No Community Impact Statement was submitted (committee report).
• What’s next: The Council adopted the resolution on Oct. 7, 2026, 14-0, with Katy Yaroslavsky absent, subject to reconsideration under Council Rule 51 (CF 26-0002-S28, Oct. 7 meeting). It needs the Mayor’s concurrence (committee report).

Previous meeting: September 15, 2026 · All meetings