2023 Adopted Resolutions

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Children, Health, and Human Services

Staff Contact: Crystal Swann (cswann@usmayors.org)

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A Plant-Based Approach has Promise to Address Chronic Disease, Environmental, and Fiscal Burdens Facing Cities Across the Nation

1.  WHEREAS, our current trajectory is unsustainable, with our constituents being burdened with lifestyle-related chronic diseases at record rates, with our environment at risk, and with our fiscal outlook burdened by health care spending driven primarily by management of lifestyle-related chronic diseases plaguing our people; and

2.  WHEREAS, these issues can be addressed through an intervention, changing the food we eat, promote, and work to make available to our constituents; a plant-predominant eating pattern centered on the consumption of whole, minimally processed fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole-grains, nuts, and seeds; and

3.  WHEREAS, clinical programs centered around Lifestyle Medicine that include a plant-predominant eating pattern have been shown to prevent, treat, and bring into remission chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension; and

4.  WHEREAS, such an eating pattern also relieves environmental stress one meal at a time, as plant-based eating patterns place significantly less resource demands on the environment compared to meals found in the standard American diet; and

5.  WHEREAS, by taking an upstream approach to our fiscal situation, we are working to create healthier populations and thereby lessen health care costs and their associated outsized presence on our future balance sheets; and

6.  WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 60% of US adults have a chronic disease and 40% of adults have two or more chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, or type 2 diabetes; these are leading causes of death and disability in the country and are primary drivers of the nation’s $4.1T annual health care spending; and

7.  WHEREAS, also according to CDC, 20% of young people aged 2 to 19 years and 42% of adults are struggling with obesity, which can put them at risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer; costs related to obesity in the United States amount to roughly $173B annually; and

8.  WHEREAS, according to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes spend more than two times as much on average each year for health care and with projections of prediabetes and diabetes on the rise in the coming years we are set to spend more than $600B on the issue by 2030; and

9.  WHEREAS, we must begin to connect our constituents’ health and daily choices with the health of our environment; and

10.  WHEREAS, a primary driver of climate change is the food we grow, promote, and consume on a daily basis; research from the United Nations, The Lancet, and Nature Food demonstrate that plant-based foods are both less resource intensive to produce and emit roughly half of the greenhouse gases emitted by producing most animal-based foods

11.  WHEREAS, aggregate estimates by the United Nations Environment Program state that, if executed over the coming 25 years, a global shift to a plant-based diet could reduce mortality and greenhouse gases caused by food production by 10% and 70%, respectively

12.  WHEREAS, mayors are closest to the community and hold unique opportunities to drive forward, support, and make change through municipal agencies and affiliated institutions, build public-private partnerships, and can be the laboratories to drive change in the country; and

13.  WHEREAS, the City of New York has developed, promoted, and built partnerships that may be beneficial models on which other cities can build; and

14.  WHEREAS, the City of New York has received national recognition for the expansion of Lifestyle Medicine Programs within our public healthcare system, for our citywide initiative (including every public and private hospital and health system) to train every health care practitioner in the principles of Lifestyle Medicine with a particular focus on nutrition education, for our advancement of plant-based menu options at our public schools, within our public hospital system, and throughout every setting where the government serves food to people, connecting the food we serve with the health of our body, our planet, and our budget; and

15.  WHEREAS, in the years since New York City began a dedicated Plant-Based Lifestyle at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue program patients have experienced significant improvement in their cardiometabolic health, including weight loss, improved blood sugar, and reduction of other risk factors and

16.  WHEREAS, in late 2022, the City of New York partnered with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine to offer free training to 200,000 health care practitioners in the principles of Lifestyle Medicine with a focus on plant-based nutrition education; the largest training offering to educate doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, certified health coaches, and other health care professionals anywhere in the world; and

17.  WHEREAS, since NYC Health + Hospitals implemented plant-based menu options across all 11 public hospitals, we have served hundreds of thousands of meals to patients; the switch to primarily plant-based menu options will also stand to save our hospital approximately $500K annually compared to the standard meals being served previously and help reduce the city’s food-based carbon emissions; and

18.  WHEREAS, over the last few years, NYC Public Schools has served millions of plant-based meals, have deployed educational campaigns showing young people the food-environmental health connection, and have further reducing carbon emissions compared with the meals they would have served previously; and

19.  WHEREAS, the interventions undertaken have been made more feasible and hold a greater promise for success because they are part of partnerships with key stakeholders including: every public and private hospital system, health centers, smaller provider networks, community-based organizations, and student and community councils among others; and

20.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the upstream approach to combat chronic disease, the climate crisis, and support a more sustainable fiscal trajectory similar to the City of New York utilizing a plant-based approach including: exploring opportunities to advance Lifestyle Medicine in hospital and health care systems, exploring opportunities to include more plant-based options in any setting where city government provides food to constituents (schools, hospitals, social services), exploring opportunities to promote the benefits of a plant-based approach to constituents through public awareness campaigns, exploring opportunities to evaluate the environmental impact of food choices and move toward a more plant-centered approach for individual and population health, as well as local and global environmental wellbeing, and explore opportunities to use these new interventions to tackle budget issues facing every city in the short and long term.

Addressing the National Mental Health Crisis

1.  WHEREAS, while the United States was already in a mental health crisis prior to the global pandemic, the World Health Organization estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a 25% increase in depression and anxiety worldwide, and

2.  WHEREAS, children and persons of color are among those disproportionally impacted by a severe lack of mental health providers in the United States, and

3.  WHEREAS, according to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, more than one-third in the United States, approximately $160 million people, live in a “Mental Health Professional Shortage Area,” and

4.  WHEREAS, not coincidentally, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), fewer than half of U.S. adults with mental illness received treatment in 2021, and

5.  WHEREAS, studies have shown that the average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years, and

6.  WHEREAS, NAMI points to other studies that show:

• People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population. People with serious mental illness are nearly twice as likely to develop these conditions.
• 33% of U.S. adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2021 (19.4 million individuals)
• Unemployment is higher among U.S. adults who have mental illness (7.4%) compared to those who do not (4.6%).
• 21% of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. have a serious mental health condition.
• 20% of U.S. Veterans experienced a mental illness in 2020 (3.9 million people), and

WHEREAS, many cities do not have public health departments and thus no formal access to appropriate resources to address mental health issues,

7.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors supports significant increases in federal resources for mental health services, mental health professional development, and mental health infrastructure through annual appropriations for agencies such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Health Resources and Services Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services.

8.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that addressing the mental health crisis is a top priority of The United States Conference of Mayors and USCM will collaborate with its partners in state, county, and other local governments to advocate for increased services, raise awareness of the increasing risks of the mental health crisis on our residents, and create improved and expanded pathways to care.

Arts and Mental Health

1.  WHEREAS, communities across America are experiencing a mental health crisis affecting all populations, including children, youth, adults and seniors;

2.  WHEREAS, according to the 2022 CNN/Kaiser Family Foundation Mental Health in America Survey, 90% of U.S. adults across all demographics say America is experiencing a mental health crisis, with most people saying the opioid epidemic, mental health issues in children and teenagers, and severe mental illness are at crisis level in the country. Data from the CDC (2022) indicates that the percentage of adults who had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months increased from 2019 to 2021, among both adults of all ages (from 19.2% to 21.6%) and those aged 18–44 (from 18.5% to 23.2%);

3.  WHEREAS, “Arts in Health” includes the professional creative arts therapies disciplines of art therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, psychodrama, and biblio/poetry therapy, all of which are nationally board-certified therapies with licensure in selected states, as well as expressive arts therapy and artist-directed applications of visual, literary and performing arts, and design;

4.  WHEREAS, the arts can be especially beneficial for public health in five key areas, including collective trauma, racism, mental health, social exclusion and isolation, and chronic disease. An increasing number of studies are indicating the benefits of the arts and creative arts therapies in improving the mental health of children, youth, adults, and aging populations. By participating in the arts, people can learn to deal with a wide range of mental health conditions creativity and self-expression, and positive social connections;

5.  WHEREAS, preliminary findings from the COVID-19 and Social Distancing: Impact of Arts and Other Activities on Mental Health tracking 80,000 adults in the United Kingdom and United States to gauge the pandemic’s impact on mental health show that just 30 minutes of active arts activities (e.g. reading for pleasure, playing or listening to music, gardening, engaging in a creative hobby) daily may lower anxiety and depression and increase life satisfaction;

6.  WHEREAS, a randomized control trial (RCT) study conducted by the Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus exploring how the fine arts can help nurses, doctors, surgeons and other healthcare workers heal from trauma and published in the American Journal of Medicine (2022) found that participants in creative arts therapies saw a decrease in anxiety (27.8%), feelings of burnout and depression (35.5%), as well as a 12% reduction in the desire to leave the profession;

7.  WHEREAS, in a scoping review published in Translational Psychiatry (2021), randomized controlled trials have revealed that music interventions (including both music therapies administered by board-certified music therapists and other music interventions) are associated with reduced depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms [26, 27, 33, 36]. A review of 28 studies reported that 26 revealed significantly reduced depression levels in music intervention groups compared to control groups;

8.  WHEREAS, in his 2023 State of the Union address, President Biden called for increasing funding for a multi-agency approach to combatting America’s mental health crisis, including enhancing crisis services, and expanding access to telehealth, promoting youth resilience, and supporting the mental health of the public health workforce;

9.  WHEREAS President Biden also urged policymakers to improve school-based mental health by providing grants to increase the number of mental health care professionals in high-need districts and strengthen the school-based mental health profession pipeline, and remove red tape for schools, making it easier for them to provide health care to students and more easily bill Medicaid funding for these critical services;

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms its support of the role of the arts and creative arts therapies in helping to mitigate the Nation’s mental health crisis and calls upon Congress to support President Biden’s call to increase funding to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for enhancing crisis services and expanding access to telehealth and to the Department of Education (USED) for improving school-based mental health; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages the United States Congress and the White House to build a specific path to including funding for arts and creative arts therapies in support of improving mental health for all populations by expanding coverage of creative arts therapies for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries; supporting increased research funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) related to telehealth access and outcomes of creative arts therapies, expressive arts therapy, and arts-based programming; supporting HHS and USED funding for creative arts therapies and arts-based programming, including telehealth, designed to address mental health needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic (depression, opioid crisis, social isolation), including applications for healthcare and education professionals.

Celebrating America's Mayors for Leadership in Health

1.  WHEREAS, everyone, in every city, deserves the opportunity to live the healthiest possible life; and

2.  WHEREAS, intentional and equitable policymaking is one of the most important tools local governments can use to increase access to healthy choices and improve the lives of their residents; and

3.  WHEREAS, mayors are at the forefront of critical efforts to bring health and wellness to Americans in cities all across the country; and

4.  WHEREAS, mayors are encouraged to implement evidence-based policies and programs that have been shown to improve people's health and quality of life, including:

• High-quality, universal pre-kindergarten, giving children a better chance to succeed in school;
• Access to housing that is affordable, stable, and of high quality, so that people of all income levels can achieve and maintain good health;
• Complete streets allow city residents to safely walk, roll, bike, drive, and take public transit around their community;
• Common sense substance use policies that reduce crime, increase safety, and reduce spending on health care and criminal justice;
• Healthy food procurement policies that ensure healthy food options are available on public property;
• Efforts to curb tobacco and nicotine use among young adults;
• Reasonable paid sick leave laws that can reduce the spread of contagious illnesses, increase employment and income stability, and save cities money in healthcare costs;
• Smoke-free air laws that protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke and reduce smokers' consumption of tobacco;
• Greenspace policies that increase access to parks and tree canopy, improving residents’ mental and physical health and combating extreme weather conditions; and
• Eco-friendly procurement policies that ensure access to clean non-toxic cleaners, furnishings, and foodware in city spaces; and

WHEREAS, CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, is providing cities with the tools, resources, and support they need, irrespective of structural challenges, to ensure all people have a safe place to live, a healthy body and mind, and a thriving environment; and

5.  WHEREAS, CityHealth celebrates and recognizes mayors that are championing policy innovations to improve the health of those who call their cities home, honoring them with gold, silver, and bronze medals for their policy change efforts;

6.  NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the goal for cities to pursue strong evidence-based and evidence-informed policies that lead to healthier residents and improved quality of life.

In Support of Reproductive Rights & Access to Abortion

1.  WHEREAS, reproductive health decisions ought to be made between a patient and their doctor without government interference; and

2.  WHEREAS, abortion is healthcare that should remain legal, safe, and accessible for all American women and nonbinary and transgender individuals who are able to become pregnant in all cities and states nationwide; and

3.  WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States established a constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability in the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade in 1973 and reaffirmed that decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1993; and

4.  WHEREAS, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision from the Supreme Court in 2022 that reversed Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, the decisions that originally asserted the fundamental right to an abortion prior to the viability of the fetus, and, that the authority to regulate abortion is “returned to the people and their elected representatives; and

5.  WHEREAS, this decision repealed the constitutional rights of people to access healthcare without the influence of state government a right that is afforded by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution that provides a right to privacy and, therefore, protects a pregnant persons right to have an abortion; and

6.  WHEREAS, this decision upset nearly half a century of progress in ensuring reproductive rights, access to safe healthcare, and individual freedom; and

7.  WHEREAS, state governments are now emboldened to wade into the personal health and religious decisions of our constituents and challenge their ability to plan for or raise families on their own terms; and

8.  WHEREAS, states have moved to create stricter limits on abortion access, broad abortion bans and other restrictions since the Dobbs decision; and

9.  WHEREAS, those bans and restrictions have impacted more than 36 million people residing in those states with a disparate impact on our most vulnerable residents, particularly low-income Americans who are in need of these healthcare services; and

10.  WHEREAS, nineteen states have banned or restricted abortion as of April 26, 2023, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming have enacted trigger laws to automatically ban abortion in the first and second trimesters if the Supreme Court proceeds with overturning Roe v. Wade; and

11.  WHEREAS, multiple states have decades-old abortion laws on the books that pre-date the Roe decision in 1973 that could be reinstated in its absence; and

12.  WHEREAS, American women and people who can become pregnant will now lack the right to govern their own personal, private health decisions and their own bodies without interference from government; and

13.  WHEREAS, many state bans or restrictions do not provide exemptions for cases involving rape or incest, further punishing women and people who can become pregnant who have been victimized by forcing them to carry a pregnancy to term; and

14.  WHEREAS, the Brookings Center on Children and Families found that low-income people are five times more likely than their affluent peers to experience an unintended pregnancy; and

15.  WHEREAS, a lack of access has serious impacts on social mobility and economic outcomes in our cities as Brookings notes that "unplanned childbearing is associated with higher rates of poverty, less family stability, and worse outcomes for children"; and

16.  WHEREAS, in overturning the 50 years of precedent of Roe v. Wade after recently publicly and privately acknowledging it as "settled law," a majority of Supreme Court justices established an unfortunate modern precedent that demonstrates to the American people that the institution itself is not committed to upholding its own past rulings; and

17.  WHEREAS, this ruling signals that the Supreme Court of the United States may open the door to revisit other sacred "settled" matters such as civil rights and voting rights without regard for precedent.

18.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the precedent of Roe v. Wade and reaffirmed in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that establishes a woman's and people who can become pregnant constitutional right to access abortion and reproductive healthcare; and

19.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the nation's mayors lament that a majority of the Supreme Court of the United States struck down Roe v. Wade in favor of political expediency without consideration for how revoking the precedent will diminish federalism and the institution itself, or impact our residents' ability to access to critical healthcare services with a resulting patchwork of laws banning or restricting abortion; and

20.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Members of Congress to swiftly pass legislation to codify the rights of people to access abortion and reproductive healthcare and urges governors and state legislatures to protect the right of people’s access to healthcare and individual freedoms in the absence of protections at the federal level in the meantime.

Mayors Support The Positive Benefits of Pets To Address People Facing Mental Health and Domestic Abuse Challenges

1.  WHEREAS, The impact of family pets and their benefits to humans has been long documented; and

2.  WHEREAS, The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) says pets improve heart health, alleviate depression, increase well-being, support child health and development and contribute to healthy aging; and

3.  WHEREAS, The American Psychiatric Association Healthy Minds Poll cites the benefits of pets on the mental health of humans, including survey responses which show; reducing stress and anxiety (69%), providing unconditional love and support (69%), offering companionship (69%), providing a calming presence (66%), and offering true friendship (63%); and

4.  WHEREAS, The National Institutes of Health report 90% of pet owners feel their companion animal is a family member; and

5.  WHEREAS, An ASPCA survey of 12 studies on domestic violence and pets found that between 18-48% of domestic violence victims either delayed leaving an abusive situation or returned to the abuser “out of fear” for the welfare of their pets; and

6.  WHEREAS, Up to 48% of domestic violence victims report that they delayed leaving a dangers situation because they feared for their pets’ safety and knew of no place to take them, according to Family Services Supporting Tulare County, California; and

7.  WHEREAS, A national PALS Survey conducted by Urban Resource Institute through their PALS (People & Animals Living Safely) program finds 97% of domestic violence survivors report keeping pets with them is an important factor in deciding whether or not to seek shelter; half would not consider shelter for themselves without their pet; and

8.  WHEREAS, In the Human Animal Support Services model, shelters and communities assist families without separating them from their pets, whenever possible; and

9.  WHEREAS, The Human Animal Support Services project is facilitating national and international interest to transform animal services through innovative programs and services designed to support people and pets within their communities; and

10.  WHEREAS, Programs like Human Animal Support Services, LifeLine Animal Project, American Pets Alive and Austin Pets Alive transform animal services through innovative programs and support people and pets; and

11.  WHEREAS, The LifeLine Animal project in Atlanta, Georgia, and Austin Pets Alive in Austin, Texas provide a variety of services including spay/neuter programs, and financial support programs, which allow struggling owners to keep their pets; and

12.  WHEREAS, Innovative programs such as the Human Animal Support Services, American Pets Alive, Austin Pets Alive and LifeLine Animal Project allow victims of financial, violence and mental health to keep the animals that provide comfort and support during times of distress; and

13.  WHEREAS, Innovative programs such as the Human Animal Support Services, American Pets Alive, Austin Pets Alive and LifeLine Animal Project and the partnerships with local governments allow greater success through spay/neuter, fostering, adoption, education and other programs; and

14.  WHEREAS, Innovative programs such as the Human Animal Support Services, American Pets Alive, Austin Pets Alive and LifeLine Animal Project allow persons challenged by mental health, domestic abuse or financial fear to keep their animals that provide comfort and support during times of distress; and

15.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED The United States Conference of Mayors supports the benefits of partnerships with innovative human and animal support services that allow those struggling with domestic abuse, mental health, financial fear and other challenges to keep the animals that provide comfort and support during times of distress.

Promoting Access to Reproductive and Maternal Health Services

1.  WHEREAS, over 36 million women have lost access to abortion since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade; and

2.  WHEREAS, The Commonwealth Fund reported that areas with more restrictive reproductive healthcare laws have fewer maternity care providers; more maternity care “deserts”; higher rates of maternal mortality and infant death; and

3.  WHEREAS, researchers have found that a total abortion ban would lead to a 24 percent increase in the number of maternal deaths, and for Black women, the maternal death rate would rise by 39 percent; and

4.  WHEREAS, restricting access to reproductive healthcare threatens the health and economic stability of workers and businesses; and

5.  WHEREAS, researchers have found that reduced labor force participation and earnings as a result of abortion restrictions already cost the nation’s economy $105 billion annually; and

6.  WHEREAS, access to abortion has a significant positive impact on women’s wages and education attainment, with impacts most strongly felt by Black women; and

7.  WHEREAS, every dollar invested in access to family planning services, yields $120 in health and economic benefits; and

8.  WHEREAS, reproductive rights ranked as one of the top concerns in the 2022 November elections; and

9.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors has policy — voted on and passed by mayors — urging Congress and states to protect and improve women’s access to safe and comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortions; and

10.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution in support of reproductive rights at the 90th Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada in June 2022.

11.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors recognizes the need to promote access to reproductive and maternal health services and commends those cities working to do this; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors calls for the creation of a Task Force on Mental Health and Reproductive Healthcare to protect and strengthen access to reproductive healthcare.

Promoting Active Living to Improve Mental and Physical Health, Social Connections, and Enhanced Resilience

1.  WHEREAS, mental health experts note that one-third of Americans are suffering from clinical depression or anxiety; and

2.  WHEREAS, our nation faces rising healthcare costs driven by anxiety, depression, addiction, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other preventable conditions; and

3.  WHEREAS, communities face significant social and economic burdens from mental health conditions such as difficulty in maintaining employment, completing education, and being able to contribute to the community as a whole; and

4.  WHEREAS, the United States Surgeon General's Advisory, Protecting Youth Mental Health, warns, "neglecting mental health can lead to severe health conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure," already the leading causes of death; and

5.  WHEREAS, people who exercise regularly have better mental health and emotional wellbeing, lower rates of mental illness, and lower risk of severe illness from certain infectious diseases; and

6.  WHEREAS, physical activity is associated with substantially lower risks of depression and anxiety; a person who exercises just half the recommended weekly amount lowers their risk for depression by 18%; and

7.  WHEREAS, a recent study showed just 11 minutes per day of moderate exercise reduces the risk of premature death by 23%; and

8.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities reported, "The benefits of improved walkability and more people walking regularly can include making communities safer, supporting social cohesion, reducing air pollution, and benefiting local economies;" and

9.  WHEREAS, Move with the Mayor(TM) is a national, CDC-supported, easy-to-use, free initiative that mayors across the country use to encourage active, healthy living through programs, policies, and infrastructure; and promote adult vaccinations;

10.  NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges mayors to engage members of their community to be more physically active to improve mental health and strengthen individual and community resilience, using programs such as Move with the Mayor (TM).

Promoting Age-Inclusive Cities to Support and Serve a Nation of All Ages

1.  WHEREAS, older Americans are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States, and all but a tiny percentage of this population live in non-institutional settings – continuing to age in place in the communities to which they have made lifelong contributions and have long-standing engagement; and

2.  WHEREAS, according to the Administration for Community Living, Americans aged 65 and older represented 17 percent of the population in 2020, which is expected to grow to 22 percent by 2040; and

3.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that more than 42 percent of older Americans aged 65 and older live alone in a household; health effects of social isolation include heightened risk of heart disease, dementia, stroke, and early death, as well as increased risk of depression, anxiety and suicide; and

4.  WHEREAS, research funded by AARP indicates 82 percent of older adults experience ageism in their day-to-day lives; and

5.  WHEREAS, in 2020, 5 million Americans aged 65 and older lived below the poverty level, and another 2.6 million were considered near-poor; the 2020 median income of older Americans was $26,668; and

6.  WHEREAS, older adults living at or near the poverty level rely on support from the federal government, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), for day-to-day living and to age in place; and

7.  WHEREAS, the World Health Organization established the Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities in 2010 as a response to worldwide population aging and rapid urbanization, focusing on action at the local level that fosters the full participation of older adults in community life and promotes health and active aging; the Network includes many cities across the United States, such as Boulder, CO; Cleveland, OH; Indianapolis, IN; Lexington, KY; Miami, FL; New York, NY; Portland, OR; and San Diego, CA; and

8.  WHEREAS, systemic and structural ageism continues to persist and the response of cities is paramount and critical to effectively support older Americans; and

9.  WHEREAS, it is imperative for cities to advance age-inclusive policies, practices and programs to ensure that the needs across all ages and generations are met,

10.  NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors strongly supports that cities promote and adopt age-inclusive approaches to local policy, practices and programs in a commitment to achieving an elevated standard of being an age-inclusive city; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the Conference’s Task Force on Aging to develop a framework for age-inclusive standards and share best age-inclusive practices that build upon and advance the national and international stakeholder Age-friendly framework.

Protect and Strengthen SNAP in the 2023 Farm Bill

1.  WHEREAS, Mayors across the country recognize that Farm Bill programs provide essential support to cities, their residents, and their economies; and

2.  WHEREAS, the Farm Bill’s unique focus on eliminating hunger and increasing nutrition security builds a stronger society for all of our residents; and

3.  WHEREAS, the provisions of the Farm Bill support both urban and rural communities, and provide critical assistance to those facing the devastating effects of hunger and poverty; and

4.  WHEREAS, a key part of the Farm Bill, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the largest anti-hunger program in the United States, provides critical food and nutrition assistance to over 42 million low-income Americans; and

5.  WHEREAS, SNAP has proven to be a crucial tool for mitigating food hardship and supporting local economies especially during the pandemic; and

6.  WHEREAS, eligibility for SNAP is limited to households with a gross income under 130% of the federal poverty guidelines, which is about $36,000 for a family of four; and

7.  WHEREAS, 14 million children, or 1 in 5 US children participate in SNAP, and 66% of all SNAP households contain children; and

8.  WHEREAS, 84% of SNAP families had at least one person working in the past 12 months, but the average SNAP household had an annual gross income of only $10,464; and

9.  WHEREAS, SNAP improves food security by increasing access to nutritious food, and is linked to approximately 25% lower health care costs; and

10.  WHEREAS, the Thrifty Food Plan, a set of standards reflective of the real-life costs to maintain a nutritious diet, was revised by the USDA in 2021 for the first time in 45 years since being introduced in 1975, increasing the value of SNAP benefits 21%; and

11.  WHEREAS, the Thrifty Food Plan sets the maximum level of benefits available to SNAP household by family size, and increased the benefits by $6 a person per day; and

12.  NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to reauthorize the nation's nutrition and agricultural legislation, the Farm Bill, before September 30th, 2023; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to protect the nutrition portion of the Farm Bill that provides critical food assistance to 42 million Americans, more than half of whom are children and seniors; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SNAP helps the most vulnerable in our cities and rural communities, SNAP participation contributes to improved nutrition and positive long-term health outcomes; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Farm Bill should modernize the program and reduce the administrative burden on participants and state agencies with improved technology that strengthens the integrity and efficiency of the program; and

16.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Mayors strongly support all efforts to increase the safety and security of Electronic Benefit Cards, including chip technology and consumer protections; and

17.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Mayors strongly oppose proposals to increase the work requirements on SNAP recipients, which do little to improve employability or self-sufficiency, and actually increase food insecurity; and

18.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Mayors strongly oppose limiting SNAP eligibility to only 3 months every three years for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents; and

19.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Mayors support maintaining the option for any state to choose to expand participation through the adoption of Broad Based Categorical Eligibility for households with an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Limit, and to streamline income and resource guidelines with other federal benefit programs; and

20.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Mayors support maintaining SNAP-ED as mandatory funding, and expanding food and nutrition education programs; and

21.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Mayors support programs that promote food security, nutrition, and health by maintaining nutrition programs funding opportunities like the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) providing incentives to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers; and

22.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Mayors strongly support simplifying and expanding SNAP eligibility for all students who are enrolled in an institution of higher learning; and

23.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Mayors support programs that increase equitable accesses to SNAP in historically underserved communities, including immigrants and others impacted by the suggested rule changes to the Public Charge policy; and

24.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Mayors support full access to SNAP for tribal communities, regardless of participation in other nutrition programs, and the full transition to SNAP for Puerto Rico and other US territories; and

25.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the passage of a Farm Bill that incorporates the following principles: protect the value of SNAP benefits, maintain and increase equitable access to SNAP and nutrition education, and streamline SNAP program administration to increase cost efficiencies while improving access to benefits, and access to nutritious, fresh, and local food.

Resolution Protecting Youth From Flavored Tobacco Products

1.  WHEREAS, Flavored tobacco products appeal to and are a major cause of youth and young adult tobacco use. Eight out of ten youth who have ever used a tobacco product initiated with a flavored product;

2.  WHEREAS, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., killing more than 480,000 Americans each year and is a major cause of lung cancer, heart disease and other major diseases;

3.  WHEREAS, Youth e-cigarette use is a public health crisis. In 2022, over 2.5 million youth were current e-cigarette users and 46% of high school e-cigarette users report frequent use (on at least 20 days a month) and 30.1% report daily use;

4.  WHEREAS, 85% of youth e-cigarette users report using flavored products; e-cigarettes are available in a wide variety of kid-friendly flavors like cotton candy, gummy bear, mint, menthol and pink lemonade;

5.  WHEREAS, cigars come in hundreds of kid-friendly flavors, like Banana Smash, Chocolate Brownie and Cherry Dynamite, and as a result are the second most popular tobacco product among youth and are especially popular among Black youth;

6.  WHEREAS, menthol, in particular, cools and numbs the throat and reduces irritation, making menthol cigarettes an appealing option for youth who are initiating tobacco use;

7.  WHEREAS, Half of youth who have ever tried smoking started with menthol cigarettes;

8.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has concluded that menthol cigarettes lead to increased smoking initiation among youth and young adults, greater addiction, and decreased success in quitting smoking;

9.  WHEREAS, the tobacco industry has targeted the Black community for decades with marketing for flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes through sponsorship of community and music events, targeted magazine advertising, and retail promotions, and as a result, 85% of all Black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes;

10.  WHEREAS, each year, approximately 45,000 Black Americans die from a smoking-caused illness;

11.  WHEREAS, research estimates that prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes would prevent as many as 654,000 smoking-caused deaths, including over 255,000 deaths among Black Americans over time and would eliminate the disparity in lung cancer deaths between Black Americans and other racial groups;

12.  WHEREAS, parents, schools, students and public health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids support prohibiting the sale of all flavored tobacco products;

13.  WHEREAS, The Food & Drug Administration has issued proposed rules to eliminate the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, but will not make it illegal for individuals to possess or use these products;

14.  WHEREAS, Over 360 localities across the country restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products.

15.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports prohibiting all flavored tobacco products.

Support Urgent and Increased Federal Enforcement and Public Health Interventions to Address the Fentanyl Crisis

1.  WHEREAS, fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has hit communities across the country, leading to dire public safety and public health consequences, including substance use disorder, illegal drug dealing, violence, and death; and

2.  WHEREAS, the potency of fentanyl is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine. That potency makes fentanyl a highly addictive and deadly substance; and

3.  WHEREAS, illicit synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its analogues are the drugs most responsible for killing Americans as a result of overdose deaths; and

4.  WHEREAS, these drugs are easier to produce and transport and also significantly more lethal than drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine; and

5.  WHEREAS, fentanyl is primarily manufactured in foreign clandestine labs and smuggled into the United States through Mexico, and is being distributed across the country and sold on the illegal drug market; and

6.  WHEREAS, in the United States, fentanyl is distributed through networks of drug trafficking organizations. The number of fentanyl trafficking offenders have increased by 950% over the last four years; and

7.  WHEREAS, drug trafficking organizations typically distribute fentanyl by the kilogram. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people; and

8.  WHEREAS, just a small amount of fentanyl is deadly – 2 milligrams, or the equivalent to a few grains of salt, is enough to kill a person; and

9.  WHEREAS, drug trafficking is inextricably linked with violence; and

10.  WHEREAS, other powerful, Narcan-resistant synthetic drugs are also entering the drug supply, such as the animal tranquilizer xylazine mixed with fentanyl, also known as “tranq;” and

11.  WHEREAS, with the proliferation of fentanyl and the introduction of Narcan-resistant drugs like tranq beginning to appear in the West Coast, public health officials have serious concerns that communities may experience an increase in the rate of overdoses nationwide; and

12.  WHEREAS, the fentanyl epidemic is a public health crisis: in 2021, 107,375 people died of drug overdose in the United States, the most ever recorded; and

13.  WHEREAS, fentanyl is the primary driver in this alarming increase in overdose deaths, with more than two-thirds, or 70,000, of those deaths involving synthetic opioids; and

14.  WHEREAS, synthetic opioids like fentanyl are now the leading cause of death among people ages 18 to 45, demonstrating the severity of the public health crisis; and

15.  WHEREAS, for example, from January 2020 through December 2020, more than twice as many people died from accidental drug overdoses than from COVID-19 in San Francisco, California.

16.  WHEREAS, drug overdose data show troubling trends and widening disparities between different population groups; and

17.  WHEREAS, in 2021, overall drug overdose rates were highest among Black men and American Indian or Alaska Native Men, and fentanyl-involved deaths rates were highest among Black men; and

18.  WHEREAS, the increasing prevalence of fentanyl and opioids has contributed to the growing number of opioid use disorders in the United States; and

19.  WHEREAS, opioid use disorders affect over 2.1 million people in the United States; and

20.  WHEREAS, it is important to provide treatment for people struggling with opioid use disorder to prevent overdose or even death; and

21.  WHEREAS, substance use treatments have proven to be effective, including residential treatment programs and medications to treat opioid use disorder; and

22.  WHEREAS, people are not currently able to get the addiction care they need, with fewer than 1 in 10 people able to access care to treat their substance use disorder; and

23.  WHEREAS, drug traffickers are using fake pills to exploit the opioid crisis and prescription drug misuse; and

24.  WHEREAS, fentanyl is increasingly prevalent in counterfeit prescription medications and laced in other drugs, with the DEA estimating that 6 out of 10 counterfeit pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl; and

25.  WHEREAS, counterfeit pills have been identified in all 50 states and the District of Columbia; and

26.  WHEREAS, fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors; and

27.  WHEREAS, the Biden Administration has announced a strategy to crack down on illicit fentanyl supply chains; and

28.  WHEREAS, the U.S. DEA is attempting to stem the flow of drugs into our communities. Last year, the DEA seized more than 50 million fentanyl-laced pills and more than 13,000 pounds of fentanyl powder -- enough to kill every resident of the United States; and

29.  WHEREAS, last year, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 14,700 pounds of fentanyl, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations seized more than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program reported seizures of more than 26,000 pounds of fentanyl; and

30.  WHEREAS, traffickers are continually altering the chemical structure of fentanyl to evade regulation and prosecution under the Analogue Act; and

31.  WHEREAS, Congress temporarily closed this loophole by making all fentanyl-related substances Schedule I; however, this measure expires on December 31, 2024; and

32.  WHEREAS, despite these ongoing enforcement actions, fentanyl and illegal drug dealing remain prevalent throughout the United States; and

33.  WHEREAS, local governments have been working independently and in coordination with federal agencies to arrest and prosecute drug traffickers and dealers; and

34.  WHEREAS, those local efforts are currently outmatched by the scale of the current international, organized crime operations that are funneling fentanyl into our communities; and

35.  WHEREAS, cities need comprehensive, ongoing action from the federal Administration to arrest and prosecute drug dealers to put an end to the dangerous and deadly open-air drug dealing on our streets; and

36.  WHEREAS, with the help of the federal government, cities and mayors can save lives and ensure our residents, families, and workers feel safe in their neighborhoods,

37.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors strongly urges the Biden Administration to act immediately and increase its enforcement and prosecution of high-level fentanyl drug traffickers and dealers in communities throughout the country. It is imperative that the federal government increase its collaboration with local authorities to combat drug trafficking and dealing, and form joint investigations with local law enforcement to pursue these traffickers and dealers; and

38.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors strongly urges the Biden Administration to significantly increase its public communications that our neighborhoods and commercial areas must be drug-free and safe from any open-air drug markets, including online and social media sales of drugs to the general public; and

39.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the Biden Administration in calling on Congress to permanently schedule all illicitly produced fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I and to take other complementary actions to enhance public health and public safety, consistent with the comprehensive proposal developed jointly in 2021 by the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and

40.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that United States Conference of Mayors strongly urges Congress and the Biden Administration, through legislation and regulatory measures, to increase access to a spectrum of public health interventions, including harm reduction services and substance use disorder treatment, and drug testing to improve surveillance of and response to a rapidly changing drug supply, including track-and-trace of biopharmaceuticals at risk of contamination.

Supporting Affordable Child Care for All

1.  WHEREAS, high-quality early care and education (“child care”) are critical to our Nation’s economic growth and economic security; and

2.  WHEREAS, high-quality child care gives young children a strong start in life; and

3.  WHEREAS, high-quality, affordable child care for children from birth through school-age is a vital resource to support families in achieving their children’s potential; and

4.  WHEREAS, neuroscience confirms that early experiences affect all aspects of children’s development and that children need child care settings that are safe and enriching; and

5.  WHEREAS, access to high-quality, affordable child care allows parents and caregivers the opportunity to pursue employment and further their education in ways that build stability and financial security; and

6.  WHEREAS, accessible, affordable child care contributes to prosperous communities by promoting economic growth, racial and economic equity, and child well-being; and

7.  WHEREAS, the child care market continues to fail to deliver enough high-quality care because of a persistent gap between the costs of providing this care and the prices that families can afford to pay; and

8.  WHEREAS, high-quality child care is labor intensive and requires skilled workers; and

9.  WHEREAS, child care providers have limited ability to reduce costs; and

10.  WHEREAS, in June 2022, over half of child care providers reported difficulty paying for food and utilities; and

11.  WHEREAS, the United States lags behind most other industrialized nations in terms of investments in child care; and

12.  WHEREAS, two-thirds of American children from birth through age 12 have all available parents in the workforce; and

13.  WHEREAS, child care is a necessity for most American families because nearly 16 million young children regularly spend time in the care of someone other than their parent or primary caregiver; and

14.  WHEREAS, a significant number of American families with very young children cannot access the affordable, high-quality care that they need; and

15.  WHEREAS, economic insecurity is worsened by the steep costs of raising young children, including child care costs, that parents face when they are early in their careers when their wages are lowest so they have no way to accumulate savings; and

16.  WHEREAS, child care expenditures represent a significant and growing share of families’ budgets, with child care prices increasing by nearly 220 percent over the last three decades; and

17.  WHEREAS, the annual increase in child care costs have outpaced inflation since 2019; and

18.  WHEREAS, in 2021, the cost of infant care in a child care centers exceeded annual in-state tuition at public universities in 34 states plus the District of Columbia; and

19.  WHEREAS, in 2021, child care prices for two children exceed average housing payments in nearly every state and the District of Columbia; and

20.  WHEREAS, high-quality, affordable child care helps families find and keep a job and increases their take-home pay while also supporting the cognitive and socio-emotional development of young children; and

21.  WHEREAS, even when high-quality child care programs are available, they are inaccessible to the many American families who cannot afford their cost; and

22.  WHEREAS, when families cannot access affordable, quality child care, they often forgo care altogether and seek lower-quality care options, juggle unconventional shifts at work, reduce their own paid work hours, drop out of the labor force, or make other arrangements that may threaten their financial security and/or the safety of their children; and

23.  WHEREAS, the U.S. economy currently loses an estimated $57 billion per year in revenue, wages and productivity as a result of child care challenges; and

24.  WHEREAS, it is impossible to quantify the cost to families who forgo job and educational opportunities and face the daily stress that comes with making child care payments on time; finding child care in many places across the country where few options exist or outside of the traditional work day when most providers are closed; or when child care arrangements fall through; and

25.  WHEREAS, investments in child care bolsters short- and long-term economic growth; and

26.  WHEREAS, economic analysis shows that high-quality child care from birth to five yields a return on public investments of 13 percent annually, and that for every $1 invested in early childhood education provides a return of $4 to $9 to society over the course of a child’s life; and

27.  WHEREAS, American businesses lose nearly $13 billion each year due to workers’ child care challenges;

28.  WHEREAS, child care, or the lack thereof, is a gender equity issue because women primarily take on the majority of caregiving responsibilities within families and in the paid child care sector; and

29.  WHEREAS, the lack of access to child care limits women’s ability to enter, stay or participate more fully in the labor market; and

30.  WHEREAS, high turnover in the child care workforce exacerbates issues caused by inadequate supply of quality child care programs; and

31.  WHEREAS, child care workers, who are disproportionately women of color, are among the lowest-paid workers in the United States and often rely on public benefits despite working complex, demanding, and time-intensive jobs; and

32.  WHEREAS, nearly 20 percent of the child care workforce has turned over annually in recent years; and

33.  WHEREAS, investments in the child care workforce are foundational to retaining care workers and improving outcomes for children in the programs staffed by these workers; and

34.  WHEREAS, 80 percent of respondents to a July 2021 survey of child care centers reported that they were experiencing staffing shortages; and

35.  WHEREAS, 52 percent of providers with staffing shortages were forced to serve fewer children while 37 percent had a longer waiting list; and

36.  WHEREAS, the care workforce as a whole remains measurably smaller than before the COVID19 pandemic; and

37.  WHEREAS, in 2022, more than 75 percent of American families seeking child care reported difficulty finding programs with capacity for their children; and

38.  WHEREAS, American military families point to the inaccessibility of high-quality child care as a barrier to military spouse employment and family economic security; and

39.  WHEREAS, increased investments in child care would significantly expand choices and opportunities for American women and their families; and

40.  WHEREAS, increased investments in child care will expedite American economic recovery from COVID-19; and

41.  WHEREAS, current U.S. policy does not reflect the reality that high-quality child care is a necessity for working families across income levels and that the first five years of life are most crucial to a child’s development; and

42.  WHEREAS, accessible, affordable child care affects all Americans who would benefit from increased economic growth and a strong future workforce; and

43.  WHEREAS, many states have provided short-term solutions to the national child care crisis by investing CARES Act and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds into immediate stabilization of the sector and then into expanded eligibility for child care subsidy, state-funded early care and education programs, and care worker compensation; and

44.  WHEREAS, the Biden administration invested $39 billion from the ARP to help child care providers keep their doors open and improve compensation for workers; and

45.  WHEREAS, these investments have helped over 220,000 child care programs, which employ over one million workers and have the capacity to serve nearly 10 million children; and

46.  WHEREAS, one in three child care programs that received stabilization support provided by the ARP reports that they would have been forced to close permanently if they had not received these funds; and

47.  WHEREAS, ARP dollars are imminently expiring; and

48.  WHEREAS, President Biden’s Build Back Better plan would have addressed chronic foundational flaws in the American child care market caused by decades of underinvestment; and

49.  WHEREAS, Build Back Better would have created an early care and education entitlement program for children under 6 who had not begun kindergarten by raising the income eligibility cap for child care subsidy, providing funding to states to build child care supply and raising wages for workers through the implementation of reliable cost model for child care payment rates; and

50.  WHEREAS, after Build Back Better failed to pass, Congress left American children and families behind by eliminating funding for child care from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022;

51.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to support American families by approving the early care and education investments included in President Biden’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The FY 2024 President’s budget will:

• Invest over $600 billion over 10 years to expand access to high-quality, affordable child care and free, high-quality preschool;
• Enable States to increase child care options for more than 16 million young children;
• Lower costs so that caregivers can afford to send their children to high-quality care; and
• Compensate workers with wages reflective of the value that they provide to families, communities, and the American economy.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors enthusiastically supports President Biden’s Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers, specifically its direction to federal agencies, to consider:

• Requirements that federal grant applicants expand access to care for their workers;
• Opportunities to reduce or eliminate co-payments for child care for families benefitting from the Child Care & Development Block Grant program;
• Opportunities for the federal government to become a model employer by supporting its own workforce with child care subsidies and other ways to expand access to child care;
• Increasing affordability of child care on military installations;
• Streamlining the process by which tribal grantees of federal child care assistance and Head Start apply for and construct or improve early child care and education facilities; and
• Engagement of affected communities and key stakeholders by the Treasury and the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Veterans Affairs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors stands in solidarity with working families who have made sacrifices to care for their families throughout the pandemic.

Supporting Community Crisis Response Programs to Respond to the Nation's Mental Health Crisis and Reduce the Burden on Public Safety Responders

1.  WHEREAS, protecting the safety of our residents is of paramount importance to mayors; and

2.  WHEREAS, police and fire departments around the nation are experiencing a shortage of police officers and firefighters; and

3.  WHEREAS, our nation is experiencing a mental health crisis, with an estimated one in five U.S. adults living with a mental illness; and

4.  WHEREAS, this mental health crisis is particularly hurting our youth and young adults, with 33.7% of our young adults living with a mental illness; and

5.  WHEREAS, 911 receives more than 240 million calls every year, with the most frequent incident type being noncriminal in nature; and

6.  WHEREAS, our society has defaulted to sending mental health crisis calls and nonviolent requests for wellness checks to police and fire departments, placing first responders in situations they are neither equipped nor adequately trained to handle and putting further strain on our already overworked officers and firefighters; and

7.  WHEREAS, cities around the nation are beginning to stand up community crisis response programs staffed by social workers and mental and behavioral health professionals in order to respond to the increasing mental health crisis; and

8.  WHEREAS, community crisis response programs complement the work of our cities’ police and fire departments by reducing the burden placed on first responders and diverting calls of a nonviolent, non-criminal nature; and

9.  WHEREAS, community crisis response programs allow social workers and mental and behavioral health professionals to connect vulnerable individuals with the social services they so badly need;

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms its strong support for community crisis response programs, recognizing that they diversify and expand communities’ emergency response toolkit by providing a more holistic approach to public safety and allowing residents to receive more specialized mental health care; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to pass the 911 Community Crisis Responders Act in order to create a grant program for states, tribes, and cities to develop and expand mobile crisis response programs; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports increasing federal resources for community crisis response programs and other innovative strategies to integrate mental and behavioral health professionals into public safety practices.

Urging Congress to Declare Access to Mental Health Services, Homeless Services as Top Domestic Priorities

1.  WHEREAS, in the 1980s and 1990s, when state mental illness institutions closed down with an expectation that patients would receive services in community settings, funding for mental health care never materialized; and

2.  WHEREAS, thirty years later, the National Institute of Mental Health estimated that in 2021, one in five adults in the United States lived with mental illness, representing a national emergency; and

3.  WHEREAS, in the 1980s, federal government funding cuts contributed to cascading public housing problems that continue today, with housing authorities facing an estimated $26 billion backlog in capital needs and the lowest levels of funding since the 1980s; and

4.  WHEREAS, forty years later, millions of Americans are housing insecure or homeless in 2023, representing a national emergency; and

5.  WHEREAS, the Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, released in May 2022, found that about one-third of middle-class American adults could not pay cash to settle a $400 surprise expense, while 11 percent of adults could not pay the expense by any method; and

6.  WHEREAS, the Federal Reserve also found that the share of renters who had been behind on their rent in the prior 12 months was higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic; and

7.  WHEREAS, a recent Fund for the City of New York study shows that many working families in New York are ending up in homeless shelters, demonstrating the link between economic instability or poverty and homelessness; and

8.  WHEREAS, many experts agree that America’s mental health and homelessness national emergencies are inextricably linked; One study found that in the two years following an eviction, people were more likely to visit the emergency room or require hospitalization for a mental health condition than were their nonevicted peers; and

9.  WHEREAS, having access to affordable mental health treatment and a roof over one’s head and an address to one’s name allows one to achieve financial stability and participate more fully in the American dream – opening a bank account, applying for a job, receiving a paycheck by mail, applying for a car loan, voting and many other modern realities that require a proof of non-temporary residence; and

10.  WHEREAS, with continuing workforce shortages, great American businesses continue needing all who are able to work to work, which cannot happen without accessible and affordable mental health care, affordable housing and homeless services; and

11.  WHEREAS, increasing availability of access to affordable mental health treatment and preserving the supply of affordable housing will help connect more families and individuals to schools, jobs, healthcare, transportation and the possibility of brighter, better tomorrows; and

12.  WHEREAS, America’s Mayors are working at the frontlines of the nation’s mental health, housing and homelessness crises and see addressing them as top priorities; and

13.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the U.S. Congress and the Administration to declare America’s mental health and homelessness emergencies as America’s top domestic priorities and focus resources toward solving them at the scale they demand.

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Community Development and Housing

Staff Contact: Gene Lowe (glowe@usmayors.org)

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Resolution Supporting the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

1.  WHEREAS, the CDBG program reaches every corner of the country from urban cities to small towns and populations in between. The program provides resources to local governments to support stronger and more resilient communities for low- and moderate-income people; and

2.  WHEREAS, nearly 1,250 states and localities receive annual CDBG allocations to support housing rehabilitation programs, public infrastructure projects, small business assistance, emergency housing assistance, and a broad range of public service programming; and

3.  WHEREAS, since 2005, CDBG has facilitated the creation and retention of more than 568,288 economic development related jobs, contributed to infrastructure improvements benefiting nearly 54 million persons, assisted over 176 million persons through public service activities, and provided safe, decent, affordable housing to over 1.7 million households: 1 and

4.  WHEREAS, every dollar of CDBG funding attracts another $2.80 in other resources.

5.  WHEREAS, CDBG is critically underfunded. Annual funding has declined substantially in recent decades with the program’s latest appropriated level - $3.3 billion in FY23 - $150 million less than FY21 and far less than its highest mark of $4.5 billion in FY95. As a result, fewer annual funds are available to drive local solutions to varying public-wide challenges; and

6.  WHEREAS, certain CDBG program requirements need to be improved to provide further flexibility for grantees to use the program to provide opportunity to low- and moderate-income people and communities through affordable housing construction, increased public services, and other activities; and

7.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, funding for CDBG must be increased to provide more resources for communities. The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to support at least $4.2 billion for CDBG formula grants in FY24 and increase the authorized program funding level to reflect inflationary costs since 1975; and

8.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors also support statutory changes to improve the program’s flexibility including adding new construction of housing as an eligible program activity and increasing the public services cap to 20 percent.

Supporting the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

1.  WHEREAS, the CDBG program reaches every corner of the country from urban cities to small towns and populations in between. The program provides resources to local governments to support stronger and more resilient communities for low- and moderate-income people; and

2.  WHEREAS, nearly 1,250 states and localities receive annual CDBG allocations to support housing rehabilitation programs, public infrastructure projects, small business assistance, emergency housing assistance, and a broad range of public service programming; and

3.  WHEREAS, since 2005, CDBG has facilitated the creation and retention of more than 568,000 economic development-related jobs, contributed to infrastructure improvements benefiting over 51 million persons, assisted over 175 million persons through public service activities, and provided safe, decent, affordable housing to over 1.7 million households; and

4.  WHEREAS, CDBG provides a high return on investment for taxpayer dollars; every dollar of CDBG funding attracts another $3.64 in other resources.

5.  WHEREAS, CDBG is critically underfunded. Annual funding has declined substantially in recent decades with the program’s latest appropriated level - $3.4 billion in FY23 - far less than its highest mark of $4.5 billion in FY95. As a result, fewer annual funds are available to drive local solutions to varying public-wide challenges; and

6.  WHEREAS, housing insecurity affects a vast number of Americans who are at risk of eviction, foreclosure, and, ultimately, homelessness. CDBG public services funds help keep residents in their homes by providing rental, mortgage, and utility assistance providing a cost-effective solution for preventing homelessness; and

7.  WHEREAS, certain CDBG program requirements need to be improved to provide further flexibility for grantees to use the program to provide opportunity to low- and moderate-income people and communities through affordable housing construction, increased public services, and other activities; and

8.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, funding for CDBG must be increased to provide more resources for communities. The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to support at least $4.2 billion for CDBG formula grants in FY24 and increase the authorized program funding level to reflect inflationary costs since 1975; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors also support statutory changes to improve the program’s flexibility including adding new construction of housing as an eligible program activity and increasing the public services cap to 20 percent. Further, we strongly urge Congress to waive the public services cap for homelessness and emergency rental assistance in the interim for CDBG funds.

Resolution Supporting the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program

1.  WHEREAS, authorized in 1990, the HOME program provides grants to more than 600 local participating jurisdictions annually to produce and maintain safe, decent, and affordable housing for low-income families; and

2.  WHEREAS, there is a severe shortage of affordable housing available to low-income families.

3.  WHEREAS, HOME can be used to support both rental and homeownership through new construction, rehabilitation, down payment assistance, and tenant-based rental assistance; and

4.  WHEREAS, since 1992, the program has created more than 1.36 million units of affordable housing including over 545,000 rental units, repaired over 260,000 owner-occupied homes, provided direct rental assistance to 394,294 families, and completed 556,538 homes for new homebuyers: and

5.  WHEREAS, HOME creates additional investments in affordable housing through leveraging; every $1.00 of HOME leverages another $4.72 in other public and private resources; and

6.  WHEREAS, HOME provides critical gap financing to Low Income Housing Tax Credit projects and other federal, state and local housing projects to make them feasible; and

7.  WHEREAS, Congress should work to increase program flexibility by permanently eliminating the program’s 24-month commitment deadline, improving the CHDO commitment requirement; and increasing the administrative cap from 10% to 15%; and

8.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to support $2.5 billion for the HOME program in FY 2024 to help participating jurisdictions create and preserve more affordable housing units and urges Congress to support legislation to increase program flexibility for participating jurisdictions.

Addressing the Nationwide Housing Crisis

1.  WHEREAS, issues with housing affordability have quietly existed for years and were most recently exacerbated by rising costs of goods and services and stagnant wages, which have widened the gap between families’ incomes and their housing costs; and

2.  WHEREAS, renters across the U.S. have seen the average rent rise 18% over the last five years, outpacing inflation, according to consumer price index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and

3.  WHEREAS, rents have increased over the last two years at a historic rate. The median rent for newly leased units rose nearly 32% between December 2017 and September 2022, with nearly all of that increase occurring in 2021 and 2022; and

4.  WHEREAS, in 2020, 30% of all households had unaffordable rent or mortgages, meaning it exceeded 30% of their monthly household income – up 1.5 percentage points from 2019; and

5.  WHEREAS, only “33 affordable and available rental homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income renter households”; and

6.  WHEREAS, this, coupled with the fact that federal rental assistance only reaches about one in four likely eligible households, means that millions of families struggle to afford housing and meet other basic needs such as food, clothing, and transportation; and

7.  WHEREAS, “in 2019, about 9.4 million households without rental assistance paid more than 50% of their income on rent or lived in severely inadequate housing. Of these renters, 7.8 million were very low income”; and

8.  WHEREAS, the housing crisis is seen on a national scale and can be felt at the state and local level with numerous cities experiencing a shortage of affordable housing units and a continued increase in rent and mortgage prices for their constituents; and

9.  WHEREAS, the U.S. now has a deficit of 3.8 million homes, with the greatest supply shortages at low-income price points; and

10.  WHEREAS, years of underbuilding have led to an all-time shortage of for-sale homes as well as too few affordable rentals. The undersupply of housing worsened during the pandemic; and

11.  WHEREAS, not only is rent increasing, which is seen increasing at an average rate of 18% per year over the past five years in the U.S., the price of buying a home is also increasing. Sales have boomed, active housing listings have dropped, and the median home sale price has surged according to the Federal Reserve; and

12.  WHEREAS, the national median sale price for a single-family home jumped 25% in the fourth quarter of 2019, which was the last full quarter unaffected by COVID-19; and

13.  WHEREAS, “the number of active housing listings in the U.S. was at its lowest in five years in January 2022, with 408,922 active listings on the market. This is a 60% drop from about one million listings in February 2020”; and

14.  WHEREAS, although housing construction surged in 2021 and 2022, the backlog remains large enough that it could take a decade of record-level homebuilding to meaningfully increase affordability; and

15.  WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris Administration drew national attention to this issue in May 2022 after releasing their Housing Supply Action Plan, which aims to address the rising cost of rent and the affordable housing shortage through comprehensive short- and long-term investments; and

16.  THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to take immediate action to address affordability and supply concerns in the housing market; and

17.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to invest more resources in tenant-based rental assistance in the form of federal Housing Choice Vouchers. These vouchers subsidize housing costs in private rental housing; give people more choices where to live; and provide an opportunity to reduce segregation of people with low incomes, who are disproportionately people of color, in neighborhoods that have historically been and continue to be disinvested in; and

18.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to increase the number of project-based vouchers. These vouchers support new rental housing development by guaranteeing that developments include units affordable for families with low and extremely low incomes; and

19.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to expand the capacity of and reform the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC). Congress should reform the eligibility requirements of the LIHTC to help make more units affordable to people who don’t currently qualify. Congress should amend state LIHTC application requirements to award extra points for projects dedicated to building affordable units for those with lower incomes. Congress could also dedicate federal or state resources to reducing developers’ predevelopment costs and increase the amount of tax subsidy provided for properties that dedicate units to people with the lowest incomes; and

20.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to remove barriers to homeownership by offering additional down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and other policies to make it easier for families to obtain mortgages; and

21.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to increase funding for flexible HUD programs that can support affordable housing developments like the Community Development Block Grant and the Housing Trust Fund; and

22.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to provide additional funding to states and cities to dedicate towards increasing the safety and resiliency of existing homes. This will protect existing houses from extreme weather, address unsafe living conditions, increase energy efficiency, and increase basic accessibility features of homes; and

23.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to provide a down payment assistance program for first generation homebuyers. This can help close the gap in homeownership for households of color and help transition individuals and families out of the rental market—making additional rental units available—and into homeownership; and

24.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges state leadership to provide localities the necessary authority to improve local zoning codes (e.g. inclusionary zoning) to accommodate a greater diversity of housing types and enable supply to meet demand.

Supporting the Department of Housing and Urban Development's FY 2024 Budget Request

1.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides critical support to American cities on the frontline of the housing and homelessness crisis; and

2.  WHEREAS, the President’s FY 2024 budget request for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides $77.3 billion for programs, a $1.1 billion increase over FY 2023 enacted levels; and

3.  WHEREAS, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which is fundamental to boosting affordable housing supply, would receive $1.8 billion, a $300 million increase over FY 2023 enacted levels; and

4.  WHEREAS, the Community Development Block Grant Program, critical to the revitalization of urban areas, would receive $3.4 billion, a $100 million increase over FY 2023 enacted levels; and

5.  WHEREAS, Homelessness Assistance Grants, a key tool in addressing homelessness in our cities, would receive $3.75 billion, a $116 increase over FY 2023 enacted levels; and

6.  WHEREAS, the budget calls for a 50,000 voucher increase to expand the Housing Choice Voucher program; and

7.  WHEREAS, the budget includes $9 billion to fund new vouchers for 20,000 youth aging out of foster care and $13 billion for 50,000 new vouchers for 450,000 extremely low-income veteran families; and

8.  WHEREAS, funding increases reflect the gravity of the housing and homelessness emergency, demonstrating the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to partnering with cities to solve this critical issue; and

9.  WHEREAS, HUD programs are instrumental in keeping Americans off the streets and building new affordable housing; and

10.  WHEREAS, lack of access to affordable housing is an increasing threat to local economies, including recruitment and retention of existing and new workers who cannot find an affordable place to live; and

11.  WHEREAS, Congress can ensure millions of low-income, housing-unstable, and vulnerable households find and maintain safe, and affordable housing by fully funding federal housing and homeless programs; and

12.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, Mayors urge Congress to fulfill the President’s FY 2024 budget request for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Urging Congress to Declare Access to Mental Health Services, Homeless Services as Top Domestic Priorities

1.  WHEREAS, in the 1980s and 1990s, when state mental illness institutions closed down with an expectation that patients would receive services in community settings, funding for mental health care never materialized; and

2.  WHEREAS, thirty years later, the National Institute of Mental Health estimated that in 2021, one in five adults in the United States lived with mental illness, representing a national emergency; and

3.  WHEREAS, in the 1980s, federal government funding cuts contributed to cascading public housing problems that continue today, with housing authorities facing an estimated $26 billion backlog in capital needs and the lowest levels of funding since the 1980s; and

4.  WHEREAS, forty years later, millions of Americans are housing insecure or homeless in 2023, representing a national emergency; and

5.  WHEREAS, the Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, released in May 2022, found that about one-third of middle-class American adults could not pay cash to settle a $400 surprise expense, while 11 percent of adults could not pay the expense by any method; and

6.  WHEREAS, the Federal Reserve also found that the share of renters who had been behind on their rent in the prior 12 months was higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic; and

7.  WHEREAS, a recent Fund for the City of New York study shows that many working families in New York are ending up in homeless shelters, demonstrating the link between economic instability or poverty and homelessness; and

8.  WHEREAS, many experts agree that America’s mental health and homelessness national emergencies are inextricably linked; One study found that in the two years following an eviction, people were more likely to visit the emergency room or require hospitalization for a mental health condition than were their nonevicted peers; and

9.  WHEREAS, having access to affordable mental health treatment and a roof over one’s head and an address to one’s name allows one to achieve financial stability and participate more fully in the American dream – opening a bank account, applying for a job, receiving a paycheck by mail, applying for a car loan, voting and many other modern realities that require a proof of non-temporary residence; and

10.  WHEREAS, with continuing workforce shortages, great American businesses continue needing all who are able to work to work, which cannot happen without accessible and affordable mental health care, affordable housing and homeless services; and

11.  WHEREAS, increasing availability of access to affordable mental health treatment and preserving the supply of affordable housing will help connect more families and individuals to schools, jobs, healthcare, transportation and the possibility of brighter, better tomorrows; and

12.  WHEREAS, America’s Mayors are working at the frontlines of the nation’s mental health, housing and homelessness crises and see addressing them as top priorities; and

13.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the U.S. Congress and the Administration to declare America’s mental health and homelessness emergencies as America’s top domestic priorities and focus resources toward solving them at the scale they demand.

Urging Congress to Prioritize Innovative Housing Construction and Stockpiling of Shelters to Combat the Displacement of All Americans and Build Resilient Communities

1.  WHEREAS, 582,462 people experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2022 – a 3.4% increase from 2020 – according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) annual Point-in-Time Count.

2.  WHEREAS, 40% of the total homeless population are unsheltered, living in cars, streets, or encampments.

3.  WHEREAS, the unprecedented rise in unsheltered homelessness – including visible encampments – is a direct result of the lack of accessible and low barrier shelter options, insufficient supply of affordable housing, and voluntary service and support options.

4.  WHEREAS, mayors are at the frontline of our nation’s housing and homelessness crisis and play a critical role in the resilience and recovery of our cities.

5.  WHEREAS, natural disasters are intensifying across the country and lasting beyond typical disaster cycles, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and contribute to rising numbers of displacement. However, the status quo of post disaster sheltering has become increasingly ineffective, with standard practices of massive congregate shelters or reliance on old RVs and trailers presenting significant health and safety concerns for survivors (particularly during a pandemic) as well as excessive costs.

6.  WHEREAS, rapid, scalable, and dignified shelter is a critical player in homelessness response efforts for those that lack stable housing or made homeless due to extreme weather or states of natural disaster.

7.  WHEREAS, many communities have implemented innovative solutions to expand non-congregate shelters for social distancing during the pandemic, which has rapidly and effectively addressed the needs of people experiencing homelessness and has advanced new models that could be sustained and replicated.

8.  WHEREAS, the newly released federal All-In Plan to Address Homelessness by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness recognizes that emergency shelter serves a temporary and life-saving role for people in crisis and should be implemented with as few barriers as possible to support individuals on their pathway to stability and permanent housing. In particular, the expansion of non-congregate shelter paired with greater coordination and supportive services is listed as an opportunity to improve housing stability and health outcomes.

9.  WHEREAS, integrating collapsible shelters into our disaster preparedness stockpile could significantly increase the speed at which we are able to house survivors after a disaster, and in turn, make it easier for them to remain in their current communities and transition back into permanent housing.

10.  WHEREAS, people experiencing homelessness are especially vulnerable during natural disasters and often subject to discrimination and other challenges to recovery.

11.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress and the Administration to combat displacement of individuals and families by including federal funding for a federal stockpiling initiative of rapid, scalable, collapsible, cost-effective, and dignified sheltering solutions for disaster preparedness;; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress and the Administration create preparedness grant programs that will enable municipalities to develop local stockpiles of easily deployable shelter solutions; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we believe the U.S. needs a comprehensive, flexible, and efficient response system to the emergencies of disaster and homelessness that centers the ability and expands the capacity to rapidly shelter people who have lost their homes, as well as those that volunteer their time and resources to assist survivors in their recovery efforts and with the repair of crucial infrastructure; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge mayors and other city leaders to work together with federal partners to utilize innovative construction materials and building technologies to expedite shelter and housing solutions in local communities for people experiencing homelessness and impacted by disasters; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms the need for our existing homelessness crisis to be a federally declared emergency, bolstering local investments with strategic resources to deploy urgent shelter, housing, and supportive services.

In Support of Revitalizing America's Downtowns

1.  WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about an unprecedented transition in the way employees in numerous economic sectors go about their work, prompting millions of Americans to begin working virtually from home, or to adopt hybrid virtual and in-person work arrangements; and

2.  WHEREAS, these changes in business practices and working styles have proved persistent after the worst public health impacts of the pandemic have passed, particularly for office workers, as many employers and employees have continued with virtual or hybrid working arrangements; and

3.  WHEREAS, a nationally representative survey of US full-time working adults conducted by the Pew Research Center in February 2023 found that 41 percent of workers with jobs that can be done from home are now working a hybrid schedule, an increase from 35 percent in January of 2022; and

4.  WHEREAS, an analysis of card-swipe security machines in office buildings across the United States conducted by Kastle Systems found that the weekly average office occupancy rate at the end of March in the most populous U.S. cities was only 49% of pre-pandemic levels; and

5.  WHEREAS, due to these changing work patterns and business practices, significant commercial space vacancies have been and will continue to be seen as commercial and office tenants make corresponding shifts to reduce their physical footprint; and

6.  WHEREAS, the prospect of ongoing commercial vacancies on a large scale threatens the vitality and economic prosperity of America's downtowns and city centers, including municipal budgets reliant on property tax revenues, as well as the livelihoods of millions of small business owners that depend on the daily flow of office workers; and

7.  WHEREAS, communities across the United States face a housing shortage, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition reports a shortage of 7.3 million housing units, while mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae reports a shortage of 4.4 million units and Realtor.com reports a shortage of 6.5 million units; and

8.  WHEREAS, underutilized office and commercial spaces in city centers can be converted into new housing and mixed-use residential developments, offering future residents the convenience of a downtown lifestyle in close proximity to public transportation and centers of business and cultural activity, while bolstering the economics of city centers and their host municipalities; and

9.  WHEREAS, the introduction of new economic incentives to help improve the affordability of such commercial to residential conversions would help to encourage such development projects, with all their attendant economic benefits to local communities; and

10.  WHEREAS, a financial incentive modeled upon the effective and popular Historic Tax Credit, styled as the Qualified Office Conversion Tax Credit, could provide a credit equal to 20% of the qualified expenses for converting recently vacant commercial office spaces into residential, institutional, hotel, or mixed-use properties; and

11.  WHEREAS, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers reports that the current 20 percent Federal Rehabilitation income tax credit (i.e. Historic Tax Credit), first established in 1976, has aided in the preservation of more than 45,000 buildings and generated more than $102 billion in estimated rehabilitation investment, including $5.7 billion in rehabilitation work and 172,416 low and moderate income housing units in 2019 alone; and

12.  WHEREAS, the Revitalizing Downtowns Act (H.R. 419), has been introduced during the 118^th session of Congress by U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), and Co-Sponsored by Dan Kildee (MI-05), John B. Larson (CT-01) and Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-32) to establish the Qualified Office Conversion Tax Credit;

13.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls upon the Congress of the United States to adopt the Revitalizing Downtowns Act, to help increase America’s housing stock and to reignite the economic prospects of the nation’s downtown communities.

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Criminal and Social Justice

Staff Contact: Laura Waxman (lwaxman@usmayors.org)

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Support Urgent and Increased Federal Enforcement and Public Health Interventions to Address the Fentanyl Crisis

1.  WHEREAS, fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has hit communities across the country, leading to dire public safety and public health consequences, including substance use disorder, illegal drug dealing, violence, and death; and

2.  WHEREAS, the potency of fentanyl is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine, and that potency makes fentanyl a highly addictive and deadly substance; and

3.  WHEREAS, illicit synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its analogues are the drugs most responsible for killing Americans as a result of overdose deaths; and

4.  WHEREAS, these drugs are easier to produce and transport and also significantly more lethal than drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine; and

5.  WHEREAS, fentanyl is primarily manufactured in foreign clandestine labs and smuggled into the United States through Mexico, and is being distributed across the country and sold on the illegal drug market; and

6.  WHEREAS, in the United States, fentanyl is distributed through networks of drug trafficking organizations. The number of fentanyl trafficking offenders have increased by 950% over the last four years; and

7.  WHEREAS, drug trafficking organizations typically distribute fentanyl by the kilogram. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people; and

8.  WHEREAS, just a small amount of fentanyl is deadly – 2 milligrams, or the equivalent to a few grains of salt, is enough to kill a person; and

9.  WHEREAS, drug trafficking is inextricably linked with violence; and

10.  WHEREAS, other powerful, Narcan-resistant synthetic drugs are also entering the drug supply, such as the animal tranquilizer xylazine mixed with fentanyl, also known as “tranq;” and

11.  WHEREAS, with the proliferation of fentanyl and the introduction of Narcan-resistant drugs like tranq beginning to appear in the West Coast, public health officials have serious concerns that communities may experience an increase in the rate of overdoses nationwide; and

12.  WHEREAS, the fentanyl epidemic is a public health crisis: in 2021, 107,375 people died of drug overdose in the United States, the most ever recorded; and

13.  WHEREAS, fentanyl is the primary driver in this alarming increase in overdose deaths, with more than two-thirds, or 70,000, of those deaths involving synthetic opioids; and

14.  WHEREAS, synthetic opioids like fentanyl are now the leading cause of death among people ages 18 to 45, demonstrating the severity of the public health crisis; and

15.  WHEREAS, for example, from January 2020 through December 2020, more than twice as many people died from accidental drug overdoses than from COVID-19 in San Francisco, California; and

16.  WHEREAS, drug overdose data show troubling trends and widening disparities between different population groups; and

17.  WHEREAS, in 2021, overall drug overdose rates were highest among Black men and American Indian or Alaska Native Men, and fentanyl-involved deaths rates were highest among Black men; and

18.  WHEREAS, the increasing prevalence of fentanyl and opioids has contributed to the growing number of opioid use disorders in the United States; and

19.  WHEREAS, opioid use disorders affect over 2.1 million people in the United States; and

20.  WHEREAS, it is important to provide treatment for people struggling with opioid use disorder to prevent overdose or even death; and

21.  WHEREAS, substance use treatments have proven to be effective, including residential treatment programs and medications to treat opioid use disorder; and

22.  WHEREAS, people are not currently able to get the addiction care they need, with fewer than 1 in 10 people able to access care to treat their substance use disorder; and

23.  WHEREAS, drug traffickers are using fake pills to exploit the opioid crisis and prescription drug misuse; and

24.  WHEREAS, fentanyl is increasingly prevalent in counterfeit prescription medications and laced in other drugs, with the DEA estimating that 6 out of 10 counterfeit pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl; and

25.  WHEREAS, counterfeit pills have been identified in all 50 states and the District of Columbia; and

26.  WHEREAS, fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors; and

27.  WHEREAS, the Biden Administration has announced a strategy to crack down on illicit fentanyl supply chains; and

28.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is attempting to stem the flow of drugs into our communities, and last year, the DEA seized more than 50 million fentanyl-laced pills and more than 13,000 pounds of fentanyl powder -- enough to kill every resident of the United States; and

29.  WHEREAS, last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 14,700 pounds of fentanyl, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations seized more than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program reported seizures of more than 26,000 pounds of fentanyl; and

30.  WHEREAS, traffickers are continually altering the chemical structure of fentanyl to evade regulation and prosecution under the Analogue Act; and

31.  WHEREAS, Congress temporarily closed this loophole by making all fentanyl-related substances Schedule I; however, this measure expires on December 31, 2024; and

32.  WHEREAS, despite these ongoing enforcement actions, fentanyl and illegal drug dealing remain prevalent throughout the United States; and

33.  WHEREAS, local governments have been working independently and in coordination with federal agencies to arrest and prosecute drug traffickers and dealers; and

34.  WHEREAS, those local efforts are currently outmatched by the scale of the current international, organized crime operations that are funneling fentanyl into our communities; and

35.  WHEREAS, cities need comprehensive, ongoing action from the federal Administration to arrest and prosecute drug dealers to put an end to the dangerous and deadly open-air drug dealing on our streets; and

36.  WHEREAS, with the help of the federal government, cities and mayors can save lives and ensure our residents, families, and workers feel safe in their neighborhoods,

37.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors strongly urges the Biden Administration to act immediately and increase its enforcement and prosecution of high-level fentanyl drug traffickers and dealers in communities throughout the country; and it is imperative that the federal government increase its collaboration with local authorities to combat drug trafficking and dealing, and form joint investigations with local law enforcement to pursue these traffickers and dealers; and

38.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors strongly urges the Biden Administration to significantly increase its public communications that our neighborhoods and commercial areas must be drug-free and safe from any open-air drug markets, including online and social media sales of drugs to the general public; and

39.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the Biden Administration in calling on Congress to permanently schedule all illicitly produced fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I and to take other complementary actions to enhance public health and public safety, consistent with the comprehensive proposal developed jointly in 2021 by the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and

40.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that United States Conference of Mayors strongly urges Congress and the Biden Administration, through legislation and regulatory measures, to increase access to a spectrum of public health interventions, including harm reduction services and substance use disorder treatment, and drug testing to improve surveillance of and response to a rapidly changing drug supply, including track-and-trace of biopharmaceuticals at risk of contamination.

Supporting Community Crisis Response Programs to Respond to the Nation's Mental Health Crisis and Reduce the Burden on Public Safety Responders

1.  WHEREAS, protecting the safety of our residents is of paramount importance to mayors; and

2.  WHEREAS, police and fire departments around the nation are experiencing a shortage of police officers and firefighters; and

3.  WHEREAS, our nation is experiencing a mental health crisis, with an estimated one in five U.S. adults living with a mental illness; and

4.  WHEREAS, this mental health crisis is particularly hurting our youth and young adults, with 33.7% of our young adults living with a mental illness; and

5.  WHEREAS, 911 receives more than 240 million calls every year, with the most frequent incident type being noncriminal in nature; and

6.  WHEREAS, our society has defaulted to sending mental health crisis calls and nonviolent requests for wellness checks to police and fire departments, placing first responders in situations they are neither equipped nor adequately trained to handle and putting further strain on our already overworked police officers and firefighters; and

7.  WHEREAS, cities around the nation are beginning to stand up community crisis response programs staffed by social workers and mental and behavioral health professionals in order to respond to the increasing mental health crisis; and

8.  WHEREAS, community crisis response programs complement the work of our cities’ police and fire departments by reducing the burden placed on first responders and diverting calls of a nonviolent, non-criminal nature; and

9.  WHEREAS, community crisis response programs allow social workers and mental and behavioral health professionals to connect vulnerable individuals with the social services they so badly need;

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms its strong support for community crisis response programs, recognizing that they diversify and expand communities’ emergency response toolkit by providing a more holistic approach to public safety and allowing residents to receive more specialized mental health care; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to pass the 911 Community Crisis Responders Act in order to create a grant program for states, tribes, and cities to develop and expand mobile crisis response programs; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports increasing federal resources for community crisis response programs and other innovative strategies to integrate mental and behavioral health professionals into public safety practices.

Supporting a Voluntary Do-Not-Sell Gun Law to Save Lives from Gun Suicide

1.  WHEREAS, Congress recently passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant federal gun safety legislation in over 30 years;

2.  WHEREAS, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act included billions in funding for mental health services, crisis intervention programs, and school safety, as well as expanded background check requirements for purchasing firearms; and

3.  WHEREAS, over half of gun deaths in the United States are by suicide; and

4.  WHEREAS, over 26,000 people died by gun suicide in America in 2022; and

5.  WHEREAS, the odds of someone successfully committing suicide are 140 times greater when there is a gun; and

6.  WHEREAS, a study at the University of Alabama Medical Center revealed that 46% of participants who were at high risk of suicide would sign up for a voluntary Do-Not-Sell gun list; and

7.  WHEREAS, Washington State became the first state in the nation to pass legislation in 2018 allowing individuals to voluntarily place themselves on a Do-Not-Sell gun list; and

8.  WHEREAS, Utah passed similar legislation in 2021, implementing a program for individuals to voluntarily restrict themselves from purchasing and possessing firearms; and

9.  WHEREAS, U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and John Curtis (UT-03) sponsored H.R. 8361, the Preventing Suicide Through Voluntary Firearm Purchase Delay Act, in the 117th session; and

10.  WHEREAS, the Preventing Suicide Through Voluntary Firearm Purchase Delay Act builds upon the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act by implementing a voluntary Do-Not-Sell gun list at the federal level; and

11.  WHEREAS, the Preventing Suicide Through Voluntary Firearm Purchase Delay Act would prevent unauthorized disclosure of the identity of individuals who have added their names to the database and limit the use of this information to only determine the eligibility of individuals to receive a firearm; and

12.  WHEREAS, the Preventing Suicide Through Voluntary Firearm Purchase Delay Act has been endorsed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Education Association, and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education,

13.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors expresses support for the implementation of voluntary Do-Not-Sell gun lists; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to reintroduce and pass the Preventing Suicide Through Voluntary Firearm Purchase Delay Act in the 118th session; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports increasing federal resources for mental health and suicide prevention and awareness.

In Opposition to the Attempted Missouri State Takeover of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

1.  WHEREAS, the Missouri Legislature’s practice of controlling local police forces has its origins in the Civil War, when Missouri’s segregationist Governor Claiborne Jackson feared a city in which the Union would control a sizable arsenal and successfully staged a state takeover of the City’s police department; and

2.  WHEREAS, under the previous state takeover, corruption, scandal, and incompetence dictated the actions of the five-member police board that controlled every aspect of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; and

3.  WHEREAS, under the previous state takeover, members of the state police board often interfered with criminal investigations to protect friends and family, used sworn officers to carry out personal favors, committed sexual harassment, and engaged in a myriad of other embarrassing abuses of power; and

4.  WHEREAS, during the more than 150-year state takeover of the City of St. Louis’ local police force, the City spent in excess of $180 million annually on its law enforcement; and

5.  WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis regained control of its police force in 2013, after more than 150 years of state control over its police force, when 56 percent of the public voted for City residents to have the final say over the police services they pay taxes for; and

6.  WHEREAS, recent Missouri legislative efforts to take over the City’s police department would once again force St. Louis taxpayers to be the primary funder of police services, but have no say or accountability for how their tax dollars are spent for those services; and

7.  WHEREAS, a state takeover of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department would insert more politics into public safety and make the City less safe, less accountable, and less able to serve and protect the City’s highest priority - its residents; and

8.  WHEREAS, residents of all cities, no matter their size, demand and deserve public services that are responsive to their needs; and

9.  WHEREAS, like other police forces across the nation, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is steadily working to decrease violent crime and rebuild trust with residents, and a state takeover of the City’s police will undermine those efforts; and

10.  WHEREAS, the issues challenging the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, such as an increase in crime and difficulties with recruitment and retention, are the same issues challenging police departments across the state and country, as well as the Missouri Highway Patrol; and

11.  WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis’ police officers recently voted overwhelmingly to approve a new contract providing the largest pay increase in two decades – provided that the force stays under local control; and

12.  WHEREAS, state control does not make cities or their citizens safer, as is currently being demonstrated in the City of Kansas City, where the police department has remained under state control, has experienced its highest increases in homicides in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and also has a low case solve and clearance rate; and

13.  WHEREAS, during the period of time the City of St. Louis’ new police chief has been on the job, the City’s crime statistics are already trending in the right direction, with decreases in homicide and a homicide clearance rate above the national average; and

14.  WHEREAS, since the Missouri legislature repealed permit-to-purchase, gun homicides in the state have risen by up to 47 percent, and the legislature stands in the way of law enforcement efforts to prevent and reduce violent crime, weakening law enforcement’s ability to defend and protect Missouri citizens from violent crime; and

15.  WHEREAS, poverty is a parent of crime and crime is a symptom of poverty, and the State of Missouri can more effectively reduce crime by making significant investments to reduce poverty, including by investing in increased services for children, in education, for the unhoused, the hungry, the mentally ill, the sick, and the jobless; and

16.  WHEREAS, when state elected officials take away the authority of local elected officials to guide policing, they set officers apart from the communities they serve, create the conditions for feelings of mistrust to flourish between officers and their communities, and ultimately make both officers and communities less safe; and

17.  WHEREAS, this state takeover effort is the latest in a legacy of hostile outsider efforts to take City assets away from the control of City taxpayers, including efforts to privatize the City airport; and

18.  WHEREAS, while the Civil War ended more than a century-and-a-half ago, the underlying racism and white supremacy that served as its foundation is still present in Missouri, as demonstrated by this attack on Black leadership; and

19.  WHEREAS, attempted state legislative takeover of local police is also happening across the country, including in Jackson, Mississippi, which has the highest percentage of Black residents of any major U.S. city, and which recently passed two state statutes expanding state control over local policing and local criminal court matters.

20.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors opposes any and all efforts for a state takeover of the City of St. Louis’ police department, and finds that a state takeover of the City of St. Louis’ police department will not make City residents safer; and

21.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on the Missouri Legislature to prevent another state takeover of the City of St. Louis’ police department; and

22.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the residents of the City of St. Louis having the final say over, accountability for, and transparency into services they pay for with their tax dollars, especially their local law enforcement.

In Support of Work Opportunities and Additional Federal Resources for Asylum Seekers

1.  WHEREAS, over the past year, cities across the country have faced an unprecedented humanitarian crisis caused by national and global forces and stepped up to welcome a large influx of asylum seekers; and

2.  WHEREAS, mayors from across the country have launched innovative and humane programs to support the newly arrived immigrants, including providing shelter, food, legal services, education, healthcare; and

3.  WHEREAS, the lack of congressional action has prevented our nation from modernizing our federal immigration system and left cities ill-equipped to integrate our new neighbors fully and compassionately and some states have taken misguided actions in their efforts to implement existing federal laws; and

4.  WHEREAS, ability to work is essential for asylum seekers and our immigrant communities to obtain financial stability and independence; and

5.  WHEREAS, employers in cities across the country are facing a tight labor market with a dire shortage of workers in various industries and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of job openings available across the country has outpaced the number of people looking for work; and

6.  WHEREAS, under federal law and regulation, non-citizens cannot legally work in the U.S. unless they have work authorization from the federal government and for most non-citizens this means seeking an Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”) and these requirements preempt and prevent localities from directly issuing work authorization to non-citizens; and

7.  WHEREAS, current government processing of EADs has been plagued by excessive delays and confusing bureaucracy; and

8.  WHEREAS, cities must be able to respond pro-actively both to the labor shortage and the influx of new arrivals who are ready, willing, and able to contribute to their new home; and

9.  WHEREAS, the Trump-era Title 42 policy was lifted on May 11, 2023, and was expected to result in a further increase in the number of asylum seekers entering the U.S.; and

10.  WHEREAS, immigration is a federal issue and requires a comprehensive federal response that does not rely on harmful temporary solutions like Title 42 but instead focuses on addressing root causes of migration and meeting the needs of those seeking safety and of their receiving communities; and

11.  WHEREAS, many state and local governments are facing enormous strains on their resources due to the huge influx of asylum seekers with no pathway forward due to the enormous backlog in immigration courts; and

12.  WHEREAS, FEMA has been awarded a small amount of funding to assist jurisdictions, however this funding is not sufficient to support the existing populations let alone a sizeable increase over the next several months; and

13.  WHEREAS, granting asylum seekers access to work authorization will allow them to become self-sufficient as quickly as possible and mitigate the need for external funding; and

14.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors proposes three tools the executive branch could use to assist non-citizens in obtaining work authorization: (1) faster processing times for EADs, (2) expanding and extending parole status so humanitarian parolees do not lose their ability to work or apply for work, and (3) expanding the applicability of Temporary Protected Status (TPS); and

15.  WHEREAS, cities also understand that a bold partnership with the federal government is needed to address the current humanitarian crisis and uphold our values as a nation of immigrants, which is why cities urge the federal government to authorize the power of municipalities to establish eligibility requirements for work permits in their jurisdiction,

16.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors supports a request to the federal government to authorize municipalities to establish eligibility requirements for work permits in their jurisdiction; and

17.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors supports three basic tools the executive branch could use to assist non-citizens in obtaining work authorization: (1) faster processing times for EADs, (2) expanding and extending parole status so humanitarian parolees do not lose their ability to work or apply for work, and (3) expanding the applicability of TPS; and

18.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Congress include significant resources to assist state and local governments with providing services to asylum seekers.

In Support of Direct Resources to Non-Governmental Organizations and Localities to Address the Humanitarian Crisis at the Southern Border

1.  WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Food and Shelter Program-Humanitarian (EFSP-H) provides funding to nonprofit and social service organizations that provide shelter and supportive services to families encountered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and

2.  WHEREAS, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328), Congress transitioned the program funding from FEMA to a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program, Shelter and Services Program (SSP); and

3.  WHEREAS, in recent years, supplemental EFSP-H funding has been provided for costs associated with providing humanitarian relief, shelter, and services to migrants released from DHS custody or encountered by DHS at the southern border as a result of increased border crossings; and

4.  WHEREAS, supplemental EFSP-H funds have been allocated via a competitive award process through which the National Board prioritizes awards to communities most affected by the humanitarian crisis, such as southern border state Local Recipient Organizations (LROs) that can document expenditures made to migrants encountered by DHS at the southern border; and

5.  WHEREAS, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117–2) provided $110 million for the EFSP-H for organizations providing humanitarian assistance to migrants at the southern border; and

6.  WHEREAS, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103), Congress provided an additional $150 million for the EFSP-H “for the purposes of providing shelter and other services to families and individuals encountered by the Department of Homeland Security;” and

7.  WHEREAS, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328), Congress provided $800 million for the SSP “to support CBP in effectively managing noncitizen processing and preventing the overcrowding of short-term CBP holding facilities,” transferring approximately $750 million to FEMA for “administration as grants or cooperative agreements with state and local governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs);” and

8.  WHEREAS, in his FY 2024 Budget Request, the President requested $83.5 million for the SSP and $4.7 billion for a new Southwest Border Contingency Fund; and

9.  WHEREAS, the Budget Request directs $83.5 million to FEMA to provide grants to nonprofits and local entities to provide support to noncitizens released from DHS custody; and

10.  WHEREAS, of the $4.7 billion Southwest Border Contingency Fund, the Budget Request directs up to $800 million to FEMA for nonprofits and local entities should pre-defined thresholds be met in FY 2024; and

11.  WHEREAS, migration at the southern border has been increasing at an unprecedented level, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reporting 191,899 Enforcement Encounters in March 2023, compared to 156,138 in the previous month; and

12.  WHEREAS, according to DHS, CBP is currently encountering an average of 6,190 migrants per day at the southern border, an approximate 370 percent increase from the pre-pandemic average of 1,600 per day; and

13.  WHEREAS, DHS anticipates a significant surge of migrants at the border with the termination of Title 42 on May 11; and

14.  WHEREAS, southern border states and cities, in particular, face a crisis in providing food, shelter, and other humanitarian aid to migrants and families; and

15.  WHEREAS, local resources are being strained and shelters are stretched beyond capacity; and

16.  WHEREAS, this trend is expected to be exacerbated by increased border encounters.

17.  NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to maintain a supplemental funding level of at least $150 million in FY 2024 to provide local governments and NGOs the necessary resources to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border; and

18.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to provide additional FY 2024 funding up to $800 million should pre-defined thresholds be met; and

19.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors support any efforts to permanently authorize the Emergency Food and Shelter Program -Humanitarian or the Shelter and Services Program; and

20.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform to provide a long-term solution.

Endorsing Heartland Visas Pathway for Skilled Immigrants and Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Communities Facing Population Stagnation or Decline

1.  WHEREAS, skilled immigration is a driver of innovation, entrepreneurship, and prosperity, both nationally and in cities; and

2.  WHEREAS, immigrant entrepreneurs have founded approximately 25 percent of recent startups in the U.S.; immigrants account for 30 percent of U.S. inventors; and immigrants have played an outsized role in American science and innovation, winning 38 percent of American Nobel prizes in medicine, chemistry, and physics since 2000; and

3.  WHEREAS, high-skilled immigrants have been indispensable to recent U.S. advances in artificial intelligence and other technology areas crucial to national security and global economic competition. Without the contributions of high-skilled immigrants, it is unlikely that the U.S. will successfully broaden and strengthen innovation ecosystems in regions across the country necessary to maintain our global leadership in science and technology in a rapidly changing world; and

4.  WHEREAS, the current immigration system falls short by letting in too few skilled immigrants and immigrant entrepreneurs and is heavily skewed towards a handful of major metropolitan areas; and

5.  WHEREAS, numerous cities and localities across the United States outside of the traditional immigration hubs would welcome additional skilled immigrants to fuel economic growth and dynamism; and

6.  WHEREAS, immigration is often the difference between population loss and population growth for U.S. cities; and

7.  WHEREAS, the U.S. population growth in the 2010s was among the slowest of any decade in the nation’s history; and

8.  WHEREAS, whereas approximately 1,000 counties across the country are 10 percent or more below their prior peak populations; and

9.  WHEREAS, population loss harms housing markets, depressing home values and increasing vacancies and blight; and

10.  WHEREAS, population loss erodes the health of municipal finances, shrinking tax bases and undermining mayors' abilities to build and maintain infrastructure, invest in education and human services, and implement economic development programs; and

11.  WHEREAS, population loss saps cities of their economic dynamism, reducing entrepreneurship, accelerating business closures, and limiting access to opportunity; and

12.  WHEREAS, skilled immigration helps to unlock the latent potential of communities and residents as local economies revitalize, job opportunities increase, productivity rises, and city services improve; and

13.  WHEREAS, a more strategic federal immigration policy could bolster city economies by increasing demand for local goods and services, filling vacant homes and storefronts, strengthening municipal finances, increasing business formation, and boosting demand for local workers; and

14.  WHEREAS, a large majority of American voters from across the political spectrum are united in support of increasing skilled immigration to the United States as a way to promote economic growth, new business formation, and job creation for American workers; and

15.  WHEREAS, mayors around the country already see welcoming immigrants as a key component of their economic development strategies,

16.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on federal policymakers to increase efforts to help cities confront their economic development and demographic challenges, and endorses the idea of a "heartland visa" that would provide a new pathway for skilled immigrants and immigrant entrepreneurs who wish to settle in welcoming communities facing population stagnation or decline that would opt-in to such a policy if it aligns with their local economic development goals.

Urging Congress to Prioritize Innovative Housing Construction and Stockpiling of Shelters to Combat the Displacement of All Americans and Build Resilient Communities

1.  WHEREAS, 582,462 people experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2022 – a 3.4% increase from 2020 – according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) annual Point-in-Time Count; and

2.  WHEREAS, 40% of the total homeless population are unsheltered, living in cars, streets, or encampments; and

3.  WHEREAS, the unprecedented rise in unsheltered homelessness – including visible encampments – is a direct result of the lack of accessible and low barrier shelter options, insufficient supply of affordable housing, and voluntary service and support options; and

4.  WHEREAS, mayors are at the frontline of our nation’s housing and homelessness crisis and play a critical role in the resilience and recovery of our cities; and

5.  WHEREAS, natural disasters are intensifying across the country and lasting beyond typical disaster cycles, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and contribute to rising numbers of displacement, however, the status quo of post disaster sheltering has become increasingly ineffective, with standard practices of massive congregate shelters or reliance on old RVs and trailers presenting significant health and safety concerns for survivors (particularly during a pandemic) as well as excessive costs; and

6.  WHEREAS, rapid, scalable, and dignified shelter is a critical player in homelessness response efforts for those that lack stable housing or made homeless due to extreme weather or states of natural disaster; and

7.  WHEREAS, many communities have implemented innovative solutions to expand non-congregate shelters for social distancing during the pandemic, which has rapidly and effectively addressed the needs of people experiencing homelessness and has advanced new models that could be sustained and replicated; and

8.  WHEREAS, the newly released federal All-In Plan to Address Homelessness by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness recognizes that emergency shelter serves a temporary and life-saving role for people in crisis and should be implemented with as few barriers as possible to support individuals on their pathway to stability and permanent housing; and in particular, the expansion of non-congregate shelter paired with greater coordination and supportive services is listed as an opportunity to improve housing stability and health outcomes; and

9.  WHEREAS, integrating collapsible shelters into our disaster preparedness stockpile could significantly increase the speed at which we are able to house survivors after a disaster, and in turn, make it easier for them to remain in their current communities and transition back into permanent housing; and

10.  WHEREAS, people experiencing homelessness are especially vulnerable during natural disasters and often subject to discrimination and other challenges to recovery,

11.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress and the Administration to combat displacement of individuals and families by including federal funding for a federal stockpiling initiative of rapid, scalable, collapsible, cost-effective, and dignified sheltering solutions for disaster preparedness; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress and the Administration create preparedness grant programs that will enable municipalities to develop local stockpiles of easily deployable shelter solutions; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we believe the U.S. needs a comprehensive, flexible, and efficient response system to the emergencies of disaster and homelessness that centers the ability and expands the capacity to rapidly shelter people who have lost their homes, and support those who volunteer their time and resources to assist survivors in their recovery efforts and with the repair of crucial infrastructure; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge mayors and other city leaders to work together with federal partners to utilize innovative construction materials and building technologies to expedite shelter and housing solutions in local communities for people experiencing homelessness and impacted by disasters; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms the need for our existing homelessness crisis to be a federally declared emergency, bolstering local investments with strategic resources to deploy urgent shelter, housing, and supportive services.

Supporting Strengthened Federal Heat Response Resources

1.  WHEREAS, Communities across the country, including in historically cooler climates, are experiencing fatal heat events with increasing frequency; and

2.  WHEREAS, the impacts of increasing temperatures on public health and quality of life are in turn exacerbated by compounding risk factors including housing insecurity and behavioral health challenges; and

3.  WHEREAS, heat causes more deaths each year than most other natural hazards combined, yet national emergency planning and response mechanisms lack resources comparable to those dedicated to other types of extreme weather events; and

4.  WHEREAS, under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster declaration mechanism, heat is not included among the sixteen different incident types delineated; and

5.  WHEREAS, strengthening our cooling and safety resources is crucial to reducing the public health impacts of extreme heat, and cities across the country need more support,

6.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to support enabling FEMA to include extreme heat in the disaster declaration mechanism and to allocate corresponding resources to bolster public health and safety.

Preserving Our Democracy and Assuring the Ability of Cities to Keep Their Residents Safe and Make Sure Their Rights are Protected

1.  WHEREAS, in recent years many state legislatures have taken actions that preempt local laws and have reduced the ability of cities to keep their residents safe and make sure their rights are protected; and

2.  WHEREAS, many these actions are directed squarely at the diverse population of our cities; and

3.  WHEREAS, many of these actions constitute an outright attack on our democracy; and

4.  WHEREAS, these actions have included preempting local gun safety ordinances, local actions aimed at protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ residents, local voting policies and practices aimed at making it easier to vote and increasing both voter registration and voter turnout, and other local ordinances or actions aimed at keeping residents safe and protecting their rights; and

5.  WHEREAS, in 2019, 45 states prohibited local governments from passing an ordinance related to certain aspects of firearms regulation, and the six most common areas of firearm regulation explicitly preempted were possession, transfer, sale, ammunition, ownership, and transportation; and 20 states imposed penalties on local government for regulating firearms and the most common penalty, civil liability, is present in 18 states and this punitive preemption targets local elected officials in an effort to deter action and deny them the full weight of their offices as representatives of their communities; and

6.  WHEREAS, the Missouri legislature is undertaking an effort to take over the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, which city leaders believe would insert more politics into public safety and make the City less safe, less accountable, and less able to serve and protect the City’s highest priority, its residents; and

7.  WHEREAS, the Mississippi legislature recently enacted legislation expanding state control over local policing and local criminal court matters in Jackson, the state’s largest city which happens to have, the highest percentage of Black residents of any major U.S. city; and

8.  WHEREAS, in response to an unprecedented number of voters (particularly Black and brown voters) participating in the 2020 election, Georgia enacted legislation that reduced the number of ballot boxes in communities of color, limited voting hours, added additional voter ID requirements, and made it illegal to provide those waiting in line with food or water, among other measures; and

9.  WHEREAS, in 2021, the Texas legislature passed and the Governor signed bills limiting citizens' capacity to vote and expanding protection for partisan “poll watchers,” volunteers deployed by major parties to observe the voting and vote counting processes, which many people consider the presence of poll watchers to be a form of voter intimidation, and also limiting mail-in voting and early voting hours and restricted in-person voter assistance for people with disabilities or those requiring support in the voting process; and

10.  WHEREAS, since 2018, LGBTQ+ people have been under a coordinated attack in state legislatures across the country and these legislative assaults have rapidly increased each year, with more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced so far this year, many of which target transgender youth, including dozens of dangerous and discriminatory bills threatening to prevent them from receiving life-saving health care, and many of those bills involve preemption by banning or threatening punitive action against schools and local governments that otherwise want to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination; and

11.  WHEREAS, since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which repealed Roe v. Wade, at least 14 states have already implemented near-total abortion bans, leaving one in three American women without access to safe, legal abortion care and state legislatures across the country have introduced hundreds of bills to include medically unnecessary restrictions that limit access to abortion care; and

12.  WHEREAS, Tennessee has taken aim directly at local governments in this area by enacting legislation that prohibits them from providing insurance to municipal employees that covers abortion, or from creating funding sources for people to travel to another state to obtain a legal abortion,

13.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors registers its strong opposition to all efforts by state governments to restrict the ability of cities to keep their residents safe and make sure their rights are protected; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors considers these state efforts as an attack on our democracy, on home rule, and on the rights of city residents and their elected representatives to manage the affairs and assets of their municipality; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors pledges to undertake an all-out campaign to preserve our democracy by bringing visibility to the state preemption of local laws that cities have enacted to keep their residents safe and make sure their rights are protected and to develop and implement a strategy to reverse the current trend in state enactment of racist and punitive legislation directed at our cities and our residents.

Congress Must Act Now to Reduce Gun Violence

1.  WHEREAS, 2023 is on track to have more mass shootings in the United States than occurred in any previous year; and

2.  WHEREAS, among the more than 200 mass shootings so far in 2023, on:

• January 21, 11 people were killed and nine more injured in a dance studio near a large Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park;
• January 23, seven people were killed and one more injured in a workplace shooting at two farms in Half Moon Bay;
• February 13, five students were killed and five more injured on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing;
• March 27, three nine-year-old students and three teachers were killed in the Coventry School in Nashville;
• April 10, four people were killed and nine others, including at least two police officers, were injured in a shooting at a bank in downtown Louisville;
• April 15, two people were killed and four others injured in a shooting at a park in Louisville on a Saturday night;
• April 28, five family members, including a nine-year-old, were killed at a shooting in a home in Cleveland, Texas;
• May 3, one person was killed, and four others injured in a mass shooting in a medical building in Midtown Atlanta;
• May 6: eight people were killed, the youngest of whom was three years old, and seven people were injured, including the police officer who brought down the shooter, at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas; and

WHEREAS, while mass shootings garner more public attention, they only account for a small percentage of total gun deaths and the Centers for Disease Control report that in 2021, the most recent year for which complete data are available, 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries, with 54 percent of these suicides and 43 percent murders, many of which occur on the streets of our cities; and

3.  WHEREAS, since 2020 guns have been the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens (ages 1-18), accounting for 19 percent of childhood deaths; and

4.  WHEREAS, since 1968 The United States Conference of Mayors has formally adopted and aggressively promoted common-sense policies to reduce gun violence, all consistent with its support for the Second Amendment to the Constitution, and those policies include:
Strengthening the Regulation of Gun Sales and Dealers, including:

• Requiring universal background checks for all gun sales and closing other loopholes in the background check system;
• Limiting the number of guns a person may purchase in a single transaction or in a month or other specified period of time;
• Banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines;
• Banning replica handguns;
• Banning the manufacture, sale, and possession of all 3D printed "ghost guns" and parts Increasing inspections of licensed gun dealers;
• Targeting and holding responsible gun dealers who break the law by knowingly selling guns to straw purchasers; and

Supporting Local Efforts to Reduce and Combat Gun Crimes, including:

• Opposing concealed carry reciprocity policies and legislation that would circumvent city policies established to protect residents;
• Providing local governments and law enforcement officials access to ATF gun trace data;
• Opposing "Stand Your Ground" or "Shoot First" laws and urging state legislatures that have adopted such laws to repeal them;
• Supporting extreme risk protection ("red flag") order laws and urging both states and the federal government to enact such laws; and
• Encouraging mayors to take executive actions to combat gun violence and illegal use and trafficking of guns;

Protecting Young People, including:

• Opposing proposals to allow teachers and other non-law enforcement, non-security personnel to carry firearms in K-12 schools;
• Raising the youth handgun ban from 18 to 21 years of age;
• Banning juvenile possession of semiautomatic assault rifles; and
• Holding gun owners criminally liable when children gain access to improperly stored guns;

Protecting Domestic Violence Victims, including:

• Prohibiting persons convicted of domestic violence crimes or subject to final domestic violence restraining orders from acquiring or possessing firearms; and
• Requiring prohibited domestic abusers to turn in firearms they already own;

WHEREAS, while mayors and police chiefs are doing everything they can to prevent and reduce gun violence in their cities, local ordinances are often preempted by state legislatures; and

5.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors advocated passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and applauds the important improvements it is making in our gun laws and assistance it is providing to our cities; and

6.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors applauds the Biden Administration for the many and important administrative actions it has taken to reduce gun violence in our cities and in this country,

7.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors believes that if we are serious about reducing gun violence Congress must act now and calls on Congress to quickly pass common sense gun safety legislation, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, passing a strong federal red flag law, and raising the age to possess or purchase a handgun or assault weapon from 18 to 21.

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Energy

Staff Contact: Rich Anderson (randerson@usmayors.org)

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In Support of Multiyear Reauthorization and Robust Annual Funding of the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG)

1.  WHEREAS, energy challenges before cities include sustained dependence on energy supplies from other areas of the nation and the world, uncertainty about reliability and costs as climatic events escalate, and how to cost-effectively accelerate local energy efficiency and renewable energy development; and

2.  WHEREAS, cities must address these challenges to secure our future economic well-being and security; and

3.  WHEREAS, a stronger federal partnership with local governments on investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy would support local efforts to confront these energy challenges; and

4.  WHEREAS, the United States and its cities must address these energy challenges to maintain and expand the nation's competitive position in the global economy, build livable and sustainable communities, and enhance job and economic development benefits related to energy efficiency and renewable energy; and

5.  WHEREAS, the transportation and building sectors are our nation’s leading sources of energy consumption and associated emissions; and

6.  WHEREAS, sustained local government action in the transportation and building sectors and in other sectors has shown that increased energy efficiency and expanded renewable energy use can move cities toward less carbon intensity; and

7.  WHEREAS, these successful city initiatives could be expanded dramatically and yield much greater results if the federal-local partnership was strengthened to support and accelerate such local action; and

8.  WHEREAS, the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 (PL 110-140) established an innovative and successful mechanism to support such local government efforts when it authorized $10 billion in funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program at the United States Department of Energy; and

9.  WHEREAS, the EECBG program includes direct formula grants directly to cities, counties, and states to invest in new energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies, programs, and projects; and

10.  WHEREAS, EECBG is a flexible program that allows local governments to invest in a wide array of locally determined energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, including those focused on the transportation and building sectors; and

11.  WHEREAS, Congress appropriated $3.2 billion for EECBG in FY 2009, including $2.8 billion for formula grants to cities, counties, and states; and

12.  WHEREAS, in a 2015 Oak Ridge National Laboratory study, National Evaluation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, determined the program to be exceptionally effective and finding that that local governments put FY 2009 EECBG funding to excellent use, investing in projects that:

• Saved 409 million MMBtu of energy,
• Generated 4.2MMBtu of renewable energy,
• Created 62,902 jobs,
• Avoided 25.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions,
• Saved $1.7 billion in social costs of carbon, and
• Reduced local government energy bills by $5.2 billion; and

WHEREAS, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (PL 117-58) reauthorized EECBG for one year (FY 2022) and appropriated $550 million in in FY 2022 funding for another round of EECBG grants; and

13.  WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy will soon make formula grant allocations of FY 2022 EECBG funds; and

14.  WHEREAS, EECBG is a federal-local partnership that empowers local communities, and cities and counties have a proven track record of using the program to deliver a lot of bang for the buck; and

15.  WHEREAS, Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ) have introduced bipartisan legislation (HR 1520) in the United States House of Representatives that would reauthorize EECBG at $3.5 billion per year for FY 2024 through FY 2028.

16.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to enact a multiyear reauthorization of EECBG.

17.  BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors thanks Representatives Stanton, Fitzpatrick, Veasey, and Van Drew for introducing HR 1520.

18.  BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to support robust annual funding of $3.5 billion annually for EECBG, beginning in FY 2024.

In Support of Funding for Department of Energy Hydroelectric Infrastructure Modernization and Improvement Programs

1.  WHEREAS, the Department of Energy Grid Deployment Office administers several programs designed to modernize and improve existing hydroelectric generating facilities; and

2.  WHEREAS, these programs include the Hydroelectric Production Incentives Program, the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives Program, and the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives Program; and

3.  WHEREAS, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provided a much-needed infusion of funding for these programs; and

4.  WHEREAS, the BIL funding for these programs will help modernize our nation’s aging hydroelectric generating infrastructure; and

5.  WHEREAS, the BIL funding will nevertheless fall short of fully modernizing our nation’s hydroelectric generating infrastructure; and

6.  WHEREAS, the modernization of existing hydroelectric generating facilities can play an important role in meeting the nation’s renewable energy goals and increasing the resilience of the electric grid; and

7.  WHEREAS, many of the nation’s existing hydroelectric generating facilities are owned and operated by city governments.

8.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors thanks Congress and the Administration for providing an infusion of funding these hydroelectric modernization and improvement programs in the BIL; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to continue funding these programs annually in order to ensure the continued modernization and improvement of the nation’s existing hydroelectric generating infrastructure.

Require that the U.S. Department of Energy Focus on the Safe Treatment and Storage of Radioactive Waste On-Site, Where Appropriate, to Mitigate Health and Environmental Risks of Transporting Low, High and Mixed Level Waste to Offsite Disposal Facilities

1.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors recognizes that the management of nuclear waste is a regional and national issue that requires the collaboration of all levels of government to develop practical and safe solutions; and

2.  WHEREAS, transporting low, high, and mixed-level radioactive materials across the nation on major interstates, highways and railways can potentially expose countless communities across the country to hazardous radiation; and

3.  WHEREAS, a truck or railway accident or terrorist attack involving transported low, high and mixed-level nuclear waste could require billions of dollars in clean-up costs or render entire cities and surrounding areas uninhabitable; and

4.  WHEREAS, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, our nation's crumbling infrastructure and system of highways, roads, and bridges is rated a C-; and

5.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Energy has shipped and continues to ship low-level and mixed low-level radioactive waste through the Las Vegas metropolitan area for burial at the Nevada National Security Site from several states across the nation, including but not limited to California, Idaho, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, Florida, and Texas; and

6.  WHEREAS, in the event of a radiological emergency in or near a city, significant impacts could create a financial burden of millions of dollars to the emergency management agencies charged with protecting the health, safety and welfare of its citizens and visitors; and

7.  WHEREAS, developments in nuclear reactor designs and nuclear fuel technologies, many supported by U.S. Department of Energy research and demonstration projects, have created new opportunities for completely reevaluating the Federal Government's current approach to nuclear waste management.

8.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on the U.S. Department of Energy to prioritize the treatment and storage of radioactive waste on-site to reduce health and environmental impacts from transportation of waste produced from decommissioned nuclear facilities, and move towards a consent-based approach to selection of sites for disposal of nuclear waste; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls upon its membership to be knowledgeable about the U.S. Department of Energy's planned routes, quantities, and timing for shipments of radioactive waste to Nevada.

In Support of Bringing an End to Fires Involving Lithium-Ion Batteries

1.  WHEREAS, electric bicycles and scooters are a convenient and low-cost transportation option, which provide a sustainable alternative to traveling by private automobile; and

2.  WHEREAS, in 2022 e-bike sales outpaced electric and hybrid car sales in the United States and are an essential transportation mode for commuters, families and delivery workers; and

3.  WHEREAS, in many cities, there has been a dramatic increase of instances of fires involving lithium-ion battery-powered micromobility devices such as electronic bicycles, mopeds and scooters; and

4.  WHEREAS, the hazards presented by fires involving lithium-ion batteries include flames, combustion, exploding projectiles, and thermal runaway, creating hazards that are challenging for first responders to mitigate using traditional fire suppression methods; and

5.  WHEREAS, fires involving these devices have had a devastating impact in recent years, including numerous deaths and significant property damage; and

6.  WHEREAS, many fires involving lithium-ion batteries involve micromobility devices that are or were improperly charged or stored; and

7.  WHEREAS, the incidence of fires from electric micromobility devices can be dramatically reduced through following best practices, such as purchasing certified devices and batteries, using batteries and chargers designed for each specific device, and not tampering with batteries.

8.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference urges Congress to pass the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act (H.R. 1797/S. 1008). This will require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility devices; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors support educational campaigns on the proper usage and fire hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries; and

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urge the Administration to support this educational programming in partnership with relevant federal and local stakeholders, and to provide funding and policy support to these efforts.

In Support of Federal Action to Address Electric Distribution Transformer Supply Chain Challenges

1.  WHEREAS, throughout 2022 and into 2023, the electric sector, including municipal utilities and other public power utilities, and representatives from the residential and commercial building sectors, have been calling attention to the unprecedented supply chain challenges both industries have been facing to procure basic electric equipment, and

2.  WHEREAS, the electric utility industry provides an essential service, and

3.  WHEREAS, these electric equipment supply chain challenges are especially acute with regard to electric distribution transformers, a critical piece of the electric grid, and

4.  WHEREAS, the supply chain problem affecting electric distribution transformers has reached a crisis level that requires extraordinary action from the federal government to ensure electric utilities can continue to provide reliable electrical service to their customers, including municipal and other public power utilities, and

5.  WHEREAS, this supply chain issue is especially acute for electric utilities that serve growing communities, including municipal and other public power utilities, leading to struggles to both replace aging equipment in existing neighborhoods and provide service in new and growing neighborhoods, and

6.  WHEREAS, this supply chain issue is slowing housing construction, exacerbating our nation’s housing affordability crisis, and

7.  WHEREAS, price increases in excess of 300% for transformers will apply increased rate pressure on the end user through higher energy costs, and

8.  WHEREAS, lack of transformer availability and supply chain issues may lead to delays in service restoration after storm related damage and outages, and

9.  WHEREAS, new proposed transformer efficiency standards will exacerbate the current supply chain issues, and

10.  WHEREAS, American Public Power Association (APPA) last year surveyed its members several times to better understand the supply chain constraint of distribution transformers, and

11.  WHEREAS, the APPA survey found that production is not meeting the demand, with average lead times to procure distribution transformers for all voltage classes rising 429 percent Between 2020 and 2022, with some utilities reporting lead times of more than three years and others reporting that manufacturers had stopped accepting their bids, and

12.  WHEREAS, APPA’s survey results found that one in five infrastructure projects by public power utilities were being deferred or canceled because they are unable to procure the additional distribution transformers required for these projects, and

13.  WHEREAS, the APPA survey found that these shortages are posing urgent threats to reliability and resiliency, especially in communities recovering from a disaster, with the survey finding many utilities are at low or near zero emergency stock, with 30% reporting that they are at risk of being out-of-stock within one-month, 24% reporting being at risk of being out-of-stock within three months, and 46% reporting being at risk of being of out-of-stock by the end of the year, and

14.  WHEREAS, in addition to the immediate challenges created by this supply chain issue, the electric distribution transformer shortage poses a threat to the nation’s clean energy goals if it is not addressed, and

15.  WHEREAS, last year President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to address this crisis, and

16.  WHEREAS, House and Senate versions of the FY 2023 Energy & Water Appropriations bill both included DPA funding ($100 million and $500 million respectively) to allow the Department of Energy (DOE) to use DPA authority to address this issue, and

17.  WHEREAS, the final, enacted FY 2023 federal budget did not include DPA funding to address this critical supply chain issue, and

18.  WHEREAS, DOE has used DPA authority to take initial steps to better understand this supply chain issues, including issuing a Request for Information and other outreach to stakeholders, and

19.  WHEREAS, to truly address this issue DOE will need robust DPA funding to ramp up domestic production of electric distribution transformers,

20.  NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to provide DOE with the resources it needs to use the DPA authority to address this critical supply chain issue.

Supporting Federal Actions to Address the Transformer Crisis

1.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the U.S. must expand its electric infrastructure by 60 percent by 2030 and triple capacity by 2050 to meet demand necessitated by historic federal investments in electrification; and

2.  WHEREAS, distribution transformers are essential for electric utilities to expand grid capacity, provide electricity to new communities, and restore service when existing infrastructure is damaged; and

3.  WHEREAS, according to the American Public Power Association, lead times to procure new distribution transformers have risen by 429 percent and costs have dramatically increased due to supply chain challenges and a lack of skilled labor and materials; and

4.  WHEREAS, shortages of distribution transformers have caused public power utilities to defer or cancel one in five infrastructure projects nationwide; and

5.  WHEREAS, a lack of transformers will jeopardize reliable service to existing customers, delay recovery efforts following severe weather events and other incidents, jeopardize the affordability of electric service, and stifle economic development by hampering the provision of power to new homes and businesses; and

6.  WHEREAS, on June 6, 2022, President Joseph Biden issued Presidential Determination No. 2022-19 recognizing that transformers and electric power grid components are essential to national security and providing the U.S. Department of Energy new authority under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to accelerate their domestic production; and

7.  WHEREAS, the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) included a $500 million investment to carry out this Presidential Determination and four additional Determinations aimed at accelerating the domestic production of critical clean energy technologies.

8.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the U.S. Department of Energy to prioritize the remaining $250 million in Section 30001 Inflation Reduction Act funding for Defense Production Act activities to support the domestic production of distribution transformers; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress and the Administration to provide additional federal funding and flexibility to ensure the availability of distribution transformers to support the continued reliability and resiliency of the U.S. electric grid.

Resolution Supporting Efficient Siting and Permitting to Ensure Electric Grid Reliability for a Clean Energy Future

1.  WHEREAS, the mix of resources used to generate electricity in the United States has changed dramatically over the last decade and are increasingly cleaner; and

2.  WHEREAS, approximately 40 percent of America’s electricity came from clean carbon-free resources in 2021, including nuclear energy, hydropower, solar, and wind; and

3.  WHEREAS, by 2025, EIA projects approximately 125 GW of renewables capacity will be online, and further, that in the United States the share of renewables in the electricity generation mix will more than double by 2050; and

4.  WHEREAS, electric power infrastructure, including but not limited to the transmission and distribution system, is the backbone of our nation’s energy grid and plays an important role in facilitating a pathway to our clean energy future; and

5.  WHEREAS, electric power infrastructure enables the delivery of lower cost and clean energy to customers and maintains reliability and resiliency; and

6.  WHEREAS, energy infrastructure investment is needed to maintain the reliability and resilience of the grid against extreme weather conditions and increasing security threats, and to meet the demands of customers and facilitate the continued transformation to a clean energy economy; and

7.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) recognizes the crucial role played by electric power companies in investing and developing the cost-effective electric power infrastructure needed to meet local, state, and federal clean energy goals, while continuing to provide affordable and reliable electricity for consumers.

8.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) recognizes the critical role that fortifying our electrical infrastructure plays in protecting our national defense against bad actors.

9.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that USCM will work with government policymakers to develop policies that facilitate an efficient permitting process for the deployment of electric infrastructure; and

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the USCM encourages Congress to adopt policies that facilitate an efficient permitting process in order to accelerate the deployment of critical electric infrastructure and to help the nation achieve a clean energy future.

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Environment

Staff Contact: Judy Sheahan (jsheahan@usmayors.org)

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In Support of Multiyear Reauthorization and Robust Annual Funding of the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG)

1.  WHEREAS, energy challenges before cities include sustained dependence on energy supplies from other areas of the nation and the world, uncertainty about reliability and costs as climatic events escalate, and how to cost-effectively accelerate local energy efficiency and renewable energy development; and

2.  WHEREAS, cities must address these challenges to secure our future economic well-being and security; and

3.  WHEREAS, a stronger federal partnership with local governments on investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy would support local efforts to confront these energy challenges; and

4.  WHEREAS, the United States and its cities must address these energy challenges to maintain and expand the nation's competitive position in the global economy, build livable and sustainable communities, and enhance job and economic development benefits related to energy efficiency and renewable energy; and

5.  WHEREAS, the transportation and building sectors are our nation’s leading sources of energy consumption and associated emissions; and

6.  WHEREAS, sustained local government action in the transportation and building sectors and in other sectors has shown that increased energy efficiency and expanded renewable energy use can move cities toward less carbon intensity; and

7.  WHEREAS, these successful city initiatives could be expanded dramatically and yield much greater results if the federal-local partnership was strengthened to support and accelerate such local action; and

8.  WHEREAS, the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 (PL 110-140) established an innovative and successful mechanism to support such local government efforts when it authorized $10 billion in funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program at the United States Department of Energy; and

9.  WHEREAS, the EECBG program includes direct formula grants directly to cities, counties, and states to invest in new energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies, programs, and projects; and

10.  WHEREAS, EECBG is a flexible program that allows local governments to invest in a wide array of locally determined energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, including those focused on the transportation and building sectors; and

11.  WHEREAS, Congress appropriated $3.2 billion for EECBG in FY 2009, including $2.8 billion for formula grants to cities, counties, and states; and

12.  WHEREAS, in a 2015 Oak Ridge National Laboratory study, National Evaluation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, determined the program to be exceptionally effective and finding that that local governments put FY 2009 EECBG funding to excellent use, investing in projects that:

• Saved 409 million MMBtu of energy,
• Generated 4.2MMBtu of renewable energy,
• Created 62,902 jobs,
• Avoided 25.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions,
• Saved $1.7 billion in social costs of carbon, and
• Reduced local government energy bills by $5.2 billion; and

WHEREAS, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (PL 117-58) reauthorized EECBG for one year (FY 2022) and appropriated $550 million in in FY 2022 funding for another round of EECBG grants; and

13.  WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy will soon make formula grant allocations of FY 2022 EECBG funds; and

14.  WHEREAS, EECBG is a federal-local partnership that empowers local communities, and cities and counties have a proven track record of using the program to deliver a lot of bang for the buck; and

15.  WHEREAS, Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ) have introduced bipartisan legislation (HR 1520) in the United States House of Representatives that would reauthorize EECBG at $3.5 billion per year for FY 2024 through FY 2028.

16.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to enact a multiyear reauthorization of EECBG.

17.  BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors thanks Representatives Stanton, Fitzpatrick, Veasey, and Van Drew for introducing HR 1520.

18.  BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to support robust annual funding of $3.5 billion annually for EECBG, beginning in FY 2024.

Require that the U.S. Department of Energy Focus on the Safe Treatment and Storage of Radioactive Waste On-Site, Where Appropriate, to Mitigate Health and Environmental Risks of Transporting Low, High and Mixed Level Waste to Offsite Disposal Facilities

1.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors recognizes that the management of nuclear waste is a regional and national issue that requires the collaboration of all levels of government to develop practical and safe solutions; and

2.  WHEREAS, transporting low, high, and mixed-level radioactive materials across the nation on major interstates, highways and railways can potentially expose countless communities across the country to hazardous radiation; and

3.  WHEREAS, a truck or railway accident or terrorist attack involving transported low, high and mixed-level nuclear waste could require billions of dollars in clean-up costs or render entire cities and surrounding areas uninhabitable; and

4.  WHEREAS, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, our nation's crumbling infrastructure and system of highways, roads, and bridges is rated a C-; and

5.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Energy has shipped and continues to ship low-level and mixed low-level radioactive waste through the Las Vegas metropolitan area for burial at the Nevada National Security Site from several states across the nation, including but not limited to California, Idaho, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, Florida, and Texas; and

6.  WHEREAS, in the event of a radiological emergency in or near a city, significant impacts could create a financial burden of millions of dollars to the emergency management agencies charged with protecting the health, safety and welfare of its citizens and visitors; and

7.  WHEREAS, developments in nuclear reactor designs and nuclear fuel technologies, many supported by U.S. Department of Energy research and demonstration projects, have created new opportunities for completely reevaluating the Federal Government's current approach to nuclear waste management.

8.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on the U.S. Department of Energy to prioritize the treatment and storage of radioactive waste on-site to reduce health and environmental impacts from transportation of waste produced from decommissioned nuclear facilities, and move towards a consent-based approach to selection of sites for disposal of nuclear waste; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls upon its membership to be knowledgeable about the U.S. Department of Energy's planned routes, quantities, and timing for shipments of radioactive waste to Nevada.

In Recognition of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC)

1.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) to collaborate with state, local, tribal, and territorial government officials and seek advice to guide federal policy pertaining to environmental and public health issues impacting local communities of all sizes across the United States; and

2.  WHEREAS, the LGAC consists of approximately three dozen elected or appointed state, local, tribal, and territorial government officials of diverse backgrounds representing communities nationwide; and

3.  WHEREAS, those officials voluntarily serve to inform and advance the local implementation of various federal laws and programs to ensure constituents have access to clean air, safe drinking water, and environmentally friendly waste disposal; and

4.  WHEREAS, the LGAC consists of several workgroups focused on policy recommendations to help communities advance environmental justice, develop capacity for technical assistance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the risks of exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and bolster resilience against the existing and emerging impacts of climate change; and

5.  WHEREAS, members have worked diligently to ensure that all local governments – regardless of size – can access historic federal investments provided by the enactment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58) and Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), such as the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) and $5 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program (CPRG); and

6.  WHEREAS, this intergovernmental coordination is supported by hard-working, dedicated EPA staff members whose contributions to facilitate discussions, develop and share policy recommendations, and provide administrative support to LGAC members is greatly appreciated.

7.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors extends its gratitude to LGAC members and EPA staff for their service to their constituents and uplifting the voices of small, medium, and large communities as the Administration works to implement new laws and historic investments; and

8.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that nation’s mayors commend and support the role of the LGAC and its efforts to advise federal partners on the environmental and public health concerns of cities and how the EPA can most effectively deliver resources to local communities.

In Support of Reauthorizing the Brownfields Law and Renewal of the Brownfields Tax Incentive

1.  WHEREAS, brownfield cleanup and redevelopment continues to be a challenge for cities; and

2.  WHEREAS, the additional brownfield grant funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is set to end after fiscal year (FY) 2027; and

3.  WHEREAS, it is important that the annual United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brownfields program funding is available and sufficient to plan for, assess, and clean up sites across the country; and

4.  WHEREAS, localities are in great need of increased federal funding and resources to support the EPA brownfields program; and

5.  WHEREAS, the Brownfields Tax Incentive allowed private parties to deduct cleanup costs against tax liability in the year the costs were incurred rather than spread over ten years;

6.  WHEREAS, in the fourteen years it was active, the Brownfields Tax Incentive was used more than 625 times in over 40 states, providing cash savings for developers to invest in their next brownfield project; and

7.  WHEREAS, this tax incentive allowed volunteers to get the same tax treatment as responsible parties when cleaning up sites, as currently polluters can expense their cleanup costs but volunteers cannot; and

8.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors has adopted resolutions supporting brownfield redevelopment and funding for EPA’s brownfield grant program since the mid-1990s.

9.  NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports Congress’ reauthorization of the Brownfields Law and amendments that will increase the EPA’s overall funding for brownfields grants at a level of $350 million in FY 2024 and increasing by $50 million annually to a total of $600 million; and

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors hereby urges Congress to enact legislation to renew the Brownfields Tax Incentive for communities nationwide.

Supporting Leveraging Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Funding for Water Supply Projects

1.  WHEREAS, the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) provides critical support to Western cities engaging in conservation projects vital to the survival of the region; and

2.  WHEREAS, extreme drought has constrained Western water supplies, shrinking reservoirs and forcing widespread water cuts; and

3.  WHEREAS, the Colorado River, a critical water resource for tens of millions of Americans, has experienced historically low water levels; and

4.  WHEREAS, dry conditions have forced Western cities dependent on the Colorado River to seek new water sources, including desalination and other innovative methods; and

5.  WHEREAS, funding through WIFIA is a crucial tool for Western cities to build new infrastructure to address water shortages; and

6.  WHEREAS, projects such as water recycling and desalination are vital to the survival of the region and are supported by WIFIA; and

7.  WHEREAS, the 80% federal assistance cap constrains cities’ abilities to build and rapidly scale new water infrastructure; and

8.  WHEREAS, as cities conduct emergency measures to conserve water, the 80% federal assistance cap for WIFIA-financed projects slows cities’ response to the historic drought; and

9.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, Mayors urge Congress to increase the credit assistance cap for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act-financed projects.

Supporting Water Conservation Efforts and Western Water Security

1.  WHEREAS, cities are engines of our nation’s economy, direct water providers to the majority of the population, and depend on healthy and sustainably managed watersheds; and

2.  WHEREAS, the Colorado River provides crucial resources to communities across the West but is experiencing overallocation and the worst drought in the last 1,200 years; and

3.  WHEREAS, communities across the West have implemented conservation strategies to reduce per capita water consumption, including the use of water-efficient technology, changes to landscaping and watering practices, conservation-oriented rates and fees, and thoughtful land use and development policies; and

4.  WHEREAS, we recognize that a clean, reliable water supply is critical to our communities, and we can and must do more to reduce water consumption and increase reuse and recycling; and

5.  WHEREAS, recognizing the important role cities must play to ensure a sustainable water supply, Western cities signed the Colorado River Urban Water Providers Water Efficiency MOU pledging to reduce water consumption and increase reuse and recycling where feasible.

6.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, we will sustain and expand programs to increase indoor and outdoor water use efficiency and implement water reuse and recycling programs where feasible to reduce dependence on the Colorado River; and

7.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress and federal agencies to ensure equitable distribution of resources available in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to support Western water security; and

8.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports expanded water conservation and reuse measures, and commits to supporting increased collaboration among water users in the Colorado River basin to bring the supply and use of the river into balance. Healthy ecosystems, recreation opportunities, and robust economies must be protected, and all sectors and communities must be involved to achieve sufficient use reductions.

Long-Term Climate Protection Resolution

1.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors recognizes the continued urgency to address climate change and to establish long-term federal funding sources for the implementation of climate action plans, energy efficiency, renewable energy and pollution prevention programs; and

2.  WHEREAS, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), 2021 Annual Climate report, the combined land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.14 degrees Fahrenheit (0.08 degrees Celsius) per decade since 1880; but the average rate of increase since 1981 has been more than twice as fast: 0.32 F (0.18 C) per decade (Jan 18, 2023); and

3.  WHEREAS, the deadline for nations to submit under the auspices of the UN their first reports on climate change action and support (known as biennial transparency reports) is December 2024, resulting in the measurement of the world’s progress (or lack thereof) in limiting global warming to the 1.5 C as established by the Paris Climate Accords; and,

4.  WHEREAS, the warming of the oceans and the advanced melting of the world’s glaciers and ice caps are occurring at a more rapid rate than models previously forecast; and

5.  WHEREAS, the intensity of storms, floods, drought and heat events have dramatically increased over the last decade, threatening both urban and rural communities with economic devastation and loss of life; and

6.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors supports the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act and its historic climate provisions, but acknowledges the need for a long-term climate action commitment to avert catastrophic impacts of climate change; and

7.  WHEREAS, the nation’s climate and resiliency programs must be maintained, increased and steadily funded in order to meet the nation’s climate challenges,

8.  THEREFORE NOW BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors re-iterates its support for the Inflation Reduction Act and its climate provisions and opposes any effort to cut its funding or limit tax credits made available through the Act; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to create a Climate Action and Environmental Trust Fund, the proceeds from which would be used to supplement long-term funding of: local communities' conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy programs through DOE’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant; EPA’S Greenhouse Gas Reduction program; programs to promote energy-efficient distribution systems including modernization of the electric grid; DOT’s PROTECT program and electrification of the US Transportation system; and other such programs to promote a zero-carbon economy; and

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the nation's mayors call on the Administration to continue to seek international agreements and cooperation to address Global Climate Change given the magnitude of its catastrophic and dire effects on future generations.

Reducing the Impact of Localized Flooding Due to Climate Change

1.  WHEREAS, the growing impact of climate change in the United States differs greatly by geographic region, bringing severe droughts and depletion of water resources to much of the United States, while dramatically and dangerously increasing the severity of high rainfall events in other parts of the country; and

2.  WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), between 1958 and 2012, the Northeast United States saw more than a 70 percent increase in the amount of rainfall measured during heavy precipitation events, more than in any other region in the United States; and

3.  WHEREAS, the EPA further reports that, during storm events with heavy precipitation, combined sewer-stormwater systems in the Northeast region can overload, resulting in wastewater discharge; and

4.  WHEREAS, sewer systems in much of the United States were built a century or more ago, only designed to handle storms that would occur once per year or perhaps once in ten years, and which combine sanitary sewage and stormwater into the same pipes, necessitating large scale sewer separation infrastructure projects; and

5.  WHEREAS, even where sewers have been or soon will be separated, current stormwater system capacities are still proving insufficient to handle the increased rainfall events brought about by climate change; and

6.  WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has adopted multiple pieces of major infrastructure funding legislation in recent years, including but not limited to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) totaling more than $1.5 trillion in new public investments combined; and

7.  WHEREAS, despite these unprecedented and much-needed investments in public infrastructure across the United States, federal funds are not currently available for stormwater system improvements at the scale that is required to address the challenge of high rainfall events due to climate change;

8.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls upon the Congress of the United States to expand the eligibility criteria of infrastructure funding programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), or to authorize new programs, for the support of stormwater system improvements and stormwater flooding remediation for impacted communities across the United States.

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International Affairs

Staff Contact: Lina Garcia (lgarcia@usmayors.org)

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Calling for Urgent Action to Avoid Nuclear War, Resolve the Ukraine Conflict, Lower Tensions with China, and Redirect Military Spending to Meet Human Needs

1.  WHEREAS, we are living in a time of extraordinary nuclear dangers, with all the nuclear-armed states qualitatively, and in some cases quantitatively, modernizing their nuclear arsenals; and

2.  WHEREAS, with Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine, which could eventually draw the militaries of the U.S., its NATO allies and Russia into direct conflict, intensified by Russia’s repeated nuclear threats, the risk of nuclear war has risen to its highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis; and

3.  WHEREAS, other potential nuclear flashpoints include the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, South Asia, and the Middle East; the scale and tempo of war games by nuclear-armed states and their allies, including nuclear drills, are increasing; and ongoing missile tests, and frequent close encounters between military forces of nuclear-armed states exacerbate nuclear dangers; and

4.  WHEREAS, the Biden Administration’s 2022 Nuclear Posture Review states: “The United States is committed to the modernization of its nuclear forces, nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) system, and production and support infrastructure,” including the planned replacement of the entire “nuclear triad” of intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines, and long-range bombers with new systems; and

5.  WHEREAS, the President’s FY 2024 Budget request fully funds implementation of the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, requesting $37.7 billion to sustain and modernize the Department of Defense nuclear enterprise, $3 billion more than the FY 2023 request; and

6.  WHEREAS, according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, in 2022, world military expenditures climbed to a record high of $2240 billion, with the U.S. accounting for 39% of global military spending; and

7.  WHEREAS, the United States and China are the two leading economic powers in the world, in a time when humanity is facing unprecedented challenges due to the ecological impacts of human activity ranging from climate change to pandemics, and international cooperation is essential to protect the natural environment on which the global economy and society depends; and

8.  WHEREAS, intensified military competition among the world’s most powerful states not only diverts resources from human needs but impedes cooperation on a wide range of other goals, including the elimination of poverty and the provision of health care, education, reliable renewable energy, and other essential services to all our communities; and

9.  WHEREAS, cities are playing an increasingly important role in subnational diplomacy, and Mayors for Peace, founded in 1982 and led by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is working for a world without nuclear weapons, safe and resilient cities, and a culture of peace, in which peace is a priority for every individual; and as of April 1, 2023, Mayors for Peace has grown to 8,247 cities in 166 countries and regions, with 223 U.S. members; and

10.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors has adopted strong resolutions submitted by U.S. members for Mayors for Peace for 17 consecutive years, in 2018 "Calling on the Administration and Congress to Step Back From the Brink and Exercise Global Leadership in Preventing Nuclear War" and in 2021 "Calling on the United States to Welcome the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and Act Now to Prevent Nuclear War and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons".

11.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors welcomes the November 17, 2022, Declaration of the G20 Leaders meeting in Bali, including leaders or foreign ministers of China, France, India, Russia, UK, and U.S., that “The threat of use or use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible"; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference condemns Russia’s illegal war of aggression on Ukraine and its repeated nuclear threats and calls on the Russian government to withdraw all forces and equipment from Ukraine immediately and unconditionally; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference calls on the U.S. government to work to re-establish high-level U.S.-Russian risk reduction and arms control talks to rebuild trust and work toward replacement of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the only remaining bi-lateral nuclear arms control treaty, set to expire in 2026; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference calls on the government of the United States to make renewed efforts to reduce tensions with the government of the People’s Republic of China, seeking opportunities for cooperation on such global issues as the environment, public health, and equitable development, and take the initiative in new approaches for the control of armaments that might avoid a costly and dangerous new arms race; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference urges Congress to pass the “Embracing the Goals and Provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Resolution” (H. Res. 77), consistent with the USCM’s previous support for the Treaty and the Back from the Brink campaign.

Calling for Urgent Action to Resolve the Ukraine Conflict, Support the Government and People of Ukraine in Re-building Efforts

1.  WHEREAS, the Government and people of Ukraine have been under extreme unrest, pressure and distress since the full-scale military invasion launched by Russia in 2022; and

2.  WHEREAS, at least 8,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and at least 13,287 have been injured. Of those, at least 487 children were killed and 954 injured: and

3.  WHEREAS, nearly 18 million people in the Ukraine are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with 14 million people displaced from their homes. Up to 9 million Ukrainians are living without power; and

4.  WHEREAS, more than 8 million refugees have fled Ukraine in what the World Health Organization describes as “the largest movement of people in the European Region since the Second World War”; and

5.  WHEREAS, Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war against Ukraine has also highly impacted energy and food markets globally. EU countries are closely coordinating actions to endure energy supply and affordable prices; and

6.  WHEREAS, the war triggered a massive shock to the global economy, especially to energy and food markets, squeezing supply and elevating prices to unprecedented levels; and

7.  WHEREAS, not only has the war threatened the stability of Europe but it has also impacted food and energy security including in the Middle East and Africa, creating shock waves in a world still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic; and

8.  WHEREAS, Ukraine and Russia are key exporters of wheat, barley, corn, and cooking oil, particularly to African and Middle Eastern countries. Turkey and the United Nations brokered a deal last summer to allow Ukrainian grain to pass though the Black Sea ports, but Russia is reportedly still hindering shipments. Russia is also a major producer of fertilizer and petroleum. Disruptions to the flow of these goods are compounding other supply chain and climate challenges, driving up food and gas prices and causing shortages in places like Chad, Tunisia, and Sri Lanka; and

9.  WHEREAS, Russia has more nuclear weapons than any other country and its attack on Ukraine has notably reenergized NATO with the U.S. and other member states funneling tens of billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment into Ukraine; and

10.  WHEREAS, over the last year, the United States has provided critical support to the people of Ukraine, working in close coordination with the government of Ukraine to get them what they need, including providing security assistance such as Javelins that halted the Russian tanks assaulting Kyiv, and stepped up to provide financial and humanitarian assistance – helping Ukrainians maintain access to fundamental services, like healthcare and heat, as they fight for their liberty and sovereignty; and

11.  WHEREAS, to defend human rights in Ukraine and its neighbors, the Biden Administration launched the European Democratic Resilience Initiative (EDRI) in March 2022. Through the EDRI, we have provided nearly $220 million for Ukraine to support media freedom and enable Ukrainian media outlets to continue operating during the war, to counter disinformation and support accountability for human rights abuses and violations of international law; and

12.  WHEREAS, the U.S. has also worked closely with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support Ukraine. Together with the G7, we have launched the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine, to enhance our coordination of economic support for Ukraine’s immediate financing needs and future economic recovery and reconstruction efforts; and

13.  WHEREAS, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors condemns Russia’s illegal war of aggression on Ukraine and its debilitating impact on the Ukrainian people and government, and calls on the Russian government to withdraw all forces and equipment from Ukraine immediately and unconditionally; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages the Biden Administration and Congress to continue investments in international diplomacy, and humanitarian and military assistance for Ukraine; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages all its member mayors to continue their expressions of support for Ukraine in their communities and encourages member mayors to work closely with their sister cities in Ukraine and/or Ukrainian Mayors who seek support and assistance, and to share best practices as they work to rebuild their cities and nation.

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Jobs, Education, and the Workforce

Staff Contact: Kathy Amoroso (kamoroso@usmayors.org)

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Supporting Reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for the Delivery of Workforce Services through the Local Workforce System

1.  WHEREAS, cities are the engine of our nation's economy and will forge the path to a strong and sustained economic recovery and growth; and

2.  WHEREAS, local workforce boards are positioned as key assets to support cities' economic strength; and

3.  WHEREAS, the public workforce system has consistently demonstrated its ability to meet the needs of business and job seekers and will continue to serve as a critical resource for economic growth, through the effective use of available resources; and

4.  WHEREAS, in accordance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), chief local elected officials and the majority private sector local workforce development boards they appoint, provide policy guidance and oversight over the one-stop career system delivering workforce services in every corner of the United States of America and its territories; and

5.  WHEREAS, whether during recessionary periods, inflationary times, pandemics, labor shortages, disasters, and times of economic growth the workforce system steps forward to provide practical solutions for job seekers and employers through seamless access to workforce services, including skills training, work based training and job placement across a spectrum of federal and state funded workforce funding streams and programs to Adults, Youth, Dislocated Workers, Welfare Recipients, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients, Veterans and their Spouses, displaced homemakers, the disabled, returning citizens, as well as to citizens and residents of distressed communities; and

6.  WHEREAS, the locally led and managed workforce systems will continue to be catalysts for economic growth in their communities by convening organizations, institutions, business, the public sector and jobseekers to foster self-sufficiency, growth, and quality jobs in our nation's cities, preparing citizens and residents to meet the demands of a new era and jobs that have not yet even been created; and

7.  WHEREAS, the support from federal partners is more critical than ever; and

8.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors is committed to advancing opportunities for opportunity youth and young adults, especially those involved with the foster care, juvenile justice, and youth homelessness systems; and

9.  WHEREAS, current WIOA legislation sets 75% aside for out-of- school youth, however accessing WIOA for systems-involved youth who have barriers to success can be extremely challenging,

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act be fully funded at authorized levels across the workforce funding streams under its purview so that the workforce demands of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other initiatives that will rely on the development of a skilled workforce can be fulfilled, including funding for a summer program that will stem learning loss, keep our youth productive during periods when they are not in the classroom, and provide them with the beginnings of a portfolio that can showcase their abilities; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to ensure that strong local authority and flexibility for local elected officials and their Workforce Development Boards remain at the core of reauthorization, so that the system will allow for development of programs that are informed by in-depth knowledge of the local business community, hiring and training needs of local and regional businesses, and the promotion of greater accountability as policies are designed to reflect local trends; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the President and Congress to retain the existing governance structure in any legislation which calls for the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, as the current assignment of responsibilities between the federal government, the states and the local elected officials has proven to be eective both in reaching those individuals most need the services offered by the workforce system and in serving as a liaison between the public and private sectors, employees and employers, in their local areas; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports expanding the definition of Opportunity Youth to include foster, juvenile justice and homeless care systems who are in-school; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors, supports a change in WIOA language to allow local workforce boards to decrease the out-of-school youth (OSY) expenditure requirement from 75 percent to 50 percent to provide additional flexibility to Local Boards in order to increase in-school youth (ISY) enrollments of those who meet the WIOA- defined youth barriers related to foster care, justice-involved, and/or homelessness; and

15.  BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the provision which streamlines the eligibility determination process by allowing youth to self-attest that they meet the eligibility criteria.

Invest in National Service to Meet Community Challenges and Create Career Pathways

1.  WHEREAS, national service programs under the umbrella of AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and service, are designed to engage Americans in service to others; and

2.  WHEREAS, AmeriCorps, formerly known as the Corporation for National and Community Service, is the nation's largest annual grant maker for service and volunteering, investing over $800 million annually to fund programs with nonprofit, faith-based, local government, and community organizations; and

3.  WHEREAS, more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers nationwide serve at over 36,000 locations where they make an impact across urgent community needs – from environmental stewardship to education to economic opportunity; and

4.  WHEREAS, after successful completion of service, AmeriCorps members earn the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay for qualified educational costs, and since 1994, more than 1.25 million AmeriCorps members have earned education awards totaling more than $4.5 billion; and

5.  WHEREAS, each year AmeriCorps places over 140,000 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, adults over age 55, with service opportunities offered by partner organizations where they tutor and mentor students and help elderly individuals receive assistance so that they can continue to live independently; and

6.  WHEREAS, recent Return on Investment Studies[1] demonstrated AmeriCorps programs generate as much as a $34.26 return on investment for every federal dollar invested, and other studies reported benefits of AmeriCorps programs including increased wages and decreased rates of unemployment for members, improved health outcomes for AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, increased economic growth and tax revenue in communities served and positive environmental outcomes for native plant populations; and,

7.  WHEREAS, 8 of 10 AmeriCorps alumni say that their experience benefited their career path, with 42% of those alumni employed within 6 months saying they found a job through a connection made thru AmeriCorps[2], and the program has been a powerful workforce development pathway for cities across the country; and

8.  WHEREAS, with the investments in the American Rescue Plan, AmeriCorps launched a new partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called Public Health AmeriCorps, investing $400 million in the next generation of public health workers, modeled on other successful federal agency partnerships such as FEMA Corps, which has created emergency management and federal career pathways for AmeriCorps members for over ten years.

9.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to support AmeriCorps programs in our communities;

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to include robust funding for AmeriCorps, formerly known as the Corporation for National and Community Service, in fiscal year 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to act to make national service more accessible for all who want to serve by increasing the living allowance for AmeriCorps members and stipends for Senior volunteers and removing the taxation on Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.

In Support of the RECOMPETE Pilot Program

1.  WHEREAS, the enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act established the RECOMPETE Pilot Program with a $1 billion authorization over five years from Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 to FY 2026; and

2.  WHEREAS, the program authorizes the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to provide flexible multi-year grants to economically distressed communities; and

3.  WHEREAS, those resources will be used to support long-term comprehensive economic development strategies that will reduce prime-age employment gaps for workers aged 25 to 54 years old; and

4.  WHEREAS, mayors prioritize efforts to create good-paying, family-supporting jobs and career pathways that will improve labor force participation in our cities, particularly in our most distressed communities; and

5.  WHEREAS, cities can apply directly for Strategy Development Grants to develop economic development strategies and subsequent Strategy Implementation Grants to carry out critical investments outlined in those long-term, place-based plans; and

6.  WHEREAS, these grants may be used for a variety for eligible activities including infrastructure, workforce development, small businesses assistance, and the provision of services to connect residents to opportunities; and

7.  WHEREAS, Congress provided $200 million in funding for the program in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; and

8.  WHEREAS, the Biden Administration is focused on implementation of the program and EDA expects to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity for that first round of funding later this year; and

9.  WHEREAS, this federal initiative will help recipients to overcome challenges and barriers unique to their individual community or region, adopt strategies that facilitate economic growth and attract investment, and address high unemployment by creating new opportunities for their residents; and

10.  WHEREAS, Congress should provide level funding this year for the Administration to continue its work and ensure the effective implementation of the RECOMPETE Pilot Program that will help rebuild distressed communities and generate growth and wealth for their residents, thereby fulfilling lawmakers’ intent authorizing this program in the CHIPS and Science Act.

11.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the RECOMPETE Pilot Program and looks forward to working with the Biden Administration throughout its implementation in the years ahead; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the nation’s mayors urge Congress to provide level funding for the program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies spending bill.

Supporting Affordable Child Care for All

1.  WHEREAS, high-quality early care and education (“child care”) are critical to our Nation’s economic growth and economic security; and

2.  WHEREAS, high-quality child care gives young children a strong start in life; and

3.  WHEREAS, high-quality, affordable child care for children from birth through school-age is a vital resource to support families in achieving their children’s potential; and

4.  WHEREAS, neuroscience confirms that early experiences affect all aspects of children’s development and that children need child care settings that are safe and enriching; and

5.  WHEREAS, access to high-quality, affordable child care allows parents and caregivers the opportunity to pursue employment and further their education in ways that build stability and financial security; and

6.  WHEREAS, accessible, affordable child care contributes to prosperous communities by promoting economic growth, racial and economic equity, and child well-being; and

7.  WHEREAS, the child care market continues to fail to deliver enough high-quality care because of a persistent gap between the costs of providing this care and the prices that families can afford to pay; and

8.  WHEREAS, high-quality child care is labor intensive and requires skilled workers; and

9.  WHEREAS, child care providers have limited ability to reduce costs; and

10.  WHEREAS, in June 2022, over half of child care providers reported difficulty paying for food and utilities; and

11.  WHEREAS, the United States lags behind most other industrialized nations in terms of investments in child care; and

12.  WHEREAS, two-thirds of American children from birth through age 12 have all available parents in the workforce; and

13.  WHEREAS, child care is a necessity for most American families because nearly 16 million young children regularly spend time in the care of someone other than their parent or primary caregiver; and

14.  WHEREAS, a significant number of American families with very young children cannot access the affordable, high-quality care that they need; and

15.  WHEREAS, economic insecurity is worsened by the steep costs of raising young children, including child care costs, that parents face when they are early in their careers when their wages are lowest so they have no way to accumulate savings; and

16.  WHEREAS, child care expenditures represent a significant and growing share of families’ budgets, with child care prices increasing by nearly 220 percent over the last three decades; and

17.  WHEREAS, the annual increase in child care costs have outpaced inflation since 2019; and

18.  WHEREAS, in 2021, the cost of infant care in a child care centers exceeded annual in-state tuition at public universities in 34 states plus the District of Columbia; and

19.  WHEREAS, in 2021, child care prices for two children exceed average housing payments in nearly every state and the District of Columbia; and

20.  WHEREAS, high-quality, affordable child care helps families find and keep a job and increases their take-home pay while also supporting the cognitive and socio-emotional development of young children; and

21.  WHEREAS, even when high-quality child care programs are available, they are inaccessible to the many American families who cannot afford their cost; and

22.  WHEREAS, when families cannot access affordable, quality child care, they often forgo care altogether and seek lower-quality care options, juggle unconventional shifts at work, reduce their own paid work hours, drop out of the labor force, or make other arrangements that may threaten their financial security and/or the safety of their children; and

23.  WHEREAS, the U.S. economy currently loses an estimated $57 billion per year in revenue, wages and productivity as a result of child care challenges; and

24.  WHEREAS, it is impossible to quantify the cost to families who forgo job and educational opportunities and face the daily stress that comes with making child care payments on time; finding child care in many places across the country where few options exist or outside of the traditional work day when most providers are closed; or when child care arrangements fall through; and

25.  WHEREAS, investments in child care bolsters short- and long-term economic growth; and

26.  WHEREAS, economic analysis shows that high-quality child care from birth to five yields a return on public investments of 13 percent annually, and that for every $1 invested in early childhood education provides a return of $4 to $9 to society over the course of a child’s life; and

27.  WHEREAS, American businesses lose nearly $13 billion each year due to workers’ child care challenges;

28.  WHEREAS, child care, or the lack thereof, is a gender equity issue because women primarily take on the majority of caregiving responsibilities within families and in the paid child care sector; and

29.  WHEREAS, the lack of access to child care limits women’s ability to enter, stay or participate more fully in the labor market; and

30.  WHEREAS, high turnover in the child care workforce exacerbates issues caused by inadequate supply of quality child care programs; and

31.  WHEREAS, child care workers, who are disproportionately women of color, are among the lowest-paid workers in the United States and often rely on public benefits despite working complex, demanding, and time-intensive jobs; and

32.  WHEREAS, nearly 20 percent of the child care workforce has turned over annually in recent years; and

33.  WHEREAS, investments in the child care workforce are foundational to retaining care workers and improving outcomes for children in the programs staffed by these workers; and

34.  WHEREAS, 80 percent of respondents to a July 2021 survey of child care centers reported that they were experiencing staffing shortages; and

35.  WHEREAS, 52 percent of providers with staffing shortages were forced to serve fewer children while 37 percent had a longer waiting list; and

36.  WHEREAS, the care workforce as a whole remains measurably smaller than before the COVID19 pandemic; and

37.  WHEREAS, in 2022, more than 75 percent of American families seeking child care reported difficulty finding programs with capacity for their children; and

38.  WHEREAS, American military families point to the inaccessibility of high-quality child care as a barrier to military spouse employment and family economic security; and

39.  WHEREAS, increased investments in child care would significantly expand choices and opportunities for American women and their families; and

40.  WHEREAS, increased investments in child care will expedite American economic recovery from COVID-19; and

41.  WHEREAS, current U.S. policy does not reflect the reality that high-quality child care is a necessity for working families across income levels and that the first five years of life are most crucial to a child’s development; and

42.  WHEREAS, accessible, affordable child care affects all Americans who would benefit from increased economic growth and a strong future workforce; and

43.  WHEREAS, many states have provided short-term solutions to the national child care crisis by investing CARES Act and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds into immediate stabilization of the sector and then into expanded eligibility for child care subsidy, state-funded early care and education programs, and care worker compensation; and

44.  WHEREAS, the Biden administration invested $39 billion from the ARP to help child care providers keep their doors open and improve compensation for workers; and

45.  WHEREAS, these investments have helped over 220,000 child care programs, which employ over one million workers and have the capacity to serve nearly 10 million children; and

46.  WHEREAS, one in three child care programs that received stabilization support provided by the ARP reports that they would have been forced to close permanently if they had not received these funds; and

47.  WHEREAS, ARP dollars are imminently expiring; and

48.  WHEREAS, President Biden’s Build Back Better plan would have addressed chronic foundational flaws in the American child care market caused by decades of underinvestment; and

49.  WHEREAS, Build Back Better would have created an early care and education entitlement program for children under 6 who had not begun kindergarten by raising the income eligibility cap for child care subsidy, providing funding to states to build child care supply and raising wages for workers through the implementation of reliable cost model for child care payment rates; and

50.  WHEREAS, after Build Back Better failed to pass, Congress left American children and families behind by eliminating funding for child care from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022;

51.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to support American families by approving the early care and education investments included in President Biden’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The FY 2024 President’s budget will:

• Invest over $600 billion over 10 years to expand access to high-quality, affordable child care and free, high-quality preschool;
• Enable States to increase child care options for more than 16 million young children;
• Lower costs so that caregivers can afford to send their children to high-quality care; and
• Compensate workers with wages reflective of the value that they provide to families, communities, and the American economy.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors enthusiastically supports President Biden’s Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers, specifically its direction to federal agencies, to consider:

• Requirements that federal grant applicants expand access to care for their workers;
• Opportunities to reduce or eliminate co-payments for child care for families benefitting from the Child Care & Development Block Grant program;
• Opportunities for the federal government to become a model employer by supporting its own workforce with child care subsidies and other ways to expand access to child care;
• Increasing affordability of child care on military installations;
• Streamlining the process by which tribal grantees of federal child care assistance and Head Start apply for and construct or improve early child care and education facilities; and
• Engagement of affected communities and key stakeholders by the Treasury and the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Veterans Affairs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors stands in solidarity with working families who have made sacrifices to care for their families throughout the pandemic.

In Support of a Long-Term Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Addressing Aviation Industry Economic and Workforce Development

1.  WHEREAS, the nation's cities rely on the robustness, reliability, and safety of America's aviation system to move people and goods; and

2.  WHEREAS, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in 2023 civil aviation contributes roughly $1.8 trillion annually to the national economy, provides 10.9 million jobs and constitutes 5.2 percent of the gross national product; and

3.  WHEREAS, America's aviation system is important to the economies of the nation's cities; and

4.  WHEREAS, Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, a bipartisan, five-year authorization bill that extended the agency's funding and authorities through fiscal year 2023; and

5.  WHEREAS, the nation's aviation system would benefit from a long-term Federal Aviation Administration authorization with sufficient levels of funding; and

6.  WHEREAS, United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, the former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has expressed the urgent need for FAA modernization in a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill; and

7.  WHEREAS, the Conference has consistently supported adequate funding to undertake necessary airport modernization, expansion projects, and workforce development; and

8.  WHEREAS, Section 625 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 encourages pathways for careers in aviation for students through registered apprenticeships and workforce development programs; and

9.  WHEREAS, local leaders know best how to regulate issues that affect their residents;

10.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to pass a long-term Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization upon expiration of the current law, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 on September 30, 2023; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress and the Administration to support the nation's airports in securing additional capital funds needed to undertake critical modernization and expansion projects, including workforce development and aviation industry opportunities into the future through enhanced training and programming for employees, earn-and-learn internship and apprenticeship programs aimed at developing aviation talent; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to prioritize workforce development initiatives to support the education of future aircraft pilots, technical workers, and the development of the aircraft pilot workforce; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the full funding and implementation of the FAA Reauthorization Act, which includes the following major provisions, among others:

• Establish new educational programs that teach technical skills used in aviation.
• Establish scholarships or apprenticeships for individuals pursuing employment in the aviation industry.
• Support outreach about careers in the aviation industry to— primary, secondary, and post-secondary school students; to communities underrepresented in the industry.
• Support educational opportunities related to aviation in economically disadvantaged geographic areas.
• Support transition to careers in aviation, including for members of the Armed Forces.
• Support the infusion of resources toward study of how these situations impact aviation safety and freedom of movement.
• Invest in the technical operations workforce by providing financial assistance support for these workers.
• Invest in the study of current and future mega trends in aviation to anticipate and advance opportunities, as well as mitigate against impacts of climate change, rapid urbanization, demographic shifts, technological and aerospace innovations, and international geopolitical challenges.
• Streamline approval process for airport infrastructure projects as the FAA regulatory process can take years to approve projects, which negatively impacts airports and travelers.

Endorsing Heartland Visas Pathway for Skilled Immigrants and Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Communities Facing Population Stagnation or Decline

1.  WHEREAS, skilled immigration is a driver of innovation, entrepreneurship, and prosperity, both nationally and in cities; and

2.  WHEREAS, immigrant entrepreneurs have founded approximately 25 percent of recent startups in the U.S.; immigrants account for 30 percent of U.S. inventors; and immigrants have played an outsized role in American science and innovation, winning 38 percent of American Nobel prizes in medicine, chemistry, and physics since 2000; and

3.  WHEREAS, high-skilled immigrants have been indispensable to recent U.S. advances in artificial intelligence and other technology areas crucial to national security and global economic competition. Without the contributions of high-skilled immigrants, it is unlikely that the U.S. will successfully broaden and strengthen innovation ecosystems in regions across the country necessary to maintain our global leadership in science and technology in a rapidly changing world; and

4.  WHEREAS, the current immigration system falls short by letting in too few skilled immigrants and immigrant entrepreneurs and is heavily skewed towards a handful of major metropolitan areas; and

5.  WHEREAS, numerous cities and localities across the United States outside of the traditional immigration hubs would welcome additional skilled immigrants to fuel economic growth and dynamism; and

6.  WHEREAS, immigration is often the difference between population loss and population growth for U.S. cities; and

7.  WHEREAS, the U.S. population growth in the 2010s was among the slowest of any decade in the nation’s history; and

8.  WHEREAS, whereas approximately 1,000 counties across the country are 10 percent or more below their prior peak populations; and

9.  WHEREAS, population loss harms housing markets, depressing home values and increasing vacancies and blight; and

10.  WHEREAS, population loss erodes the health of municipal finances, shrinking tax bases and undermining mayors' abilities to build and maintain infrastructure, invest in education and human services, and implement economic development programs; and

11.  WHEREAS, population loss saps cities of their economic dynamism, reducing entrepreneurship, accelerating business closures, and limiting access to opportunity; and

12.  WHEREAS, skilled immigration helps to unlock the latent potential of communities and residents as local economies revitalize, job opportunities increase, productivity rises, and city services improve; and

13.  WHEREAS, a more strategic federal immigration policy could bolster city economies by increasing demand for local goods and services, filling vacant homes and storefronts, strengthening municipal finances, increasing business formation, and boosting demand for local workers; and

14.  WHEREAS, a large majority of American voters from across the political spectrum are united in support of increasing skilled immigration to the United States as a way to promote economic growth, new business formation, and job creation for American workers; and

15.  WHEREAS, mayors around the country already see welcoming immigrants as a key component of their economic development strategies,

16.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on federal policymakers to increase efforts to help cities confront their economic development and demographic challenges, and endorses the idea of a "heartland visa" that would provide a new pathway for skilled immigrants and immigrant entrepreneurs who wish to settle in welcoming communities facing population stagnation or decline that would opt-in to such a policy if it aligns with their local economic development goals.

In Support of Authorizing Power to Municipalities to Issue Employment Authorization Within Their Jurisdictions and In Support of Additional Federal Resources

1.  WHEREAS, over the past year, cities across the country have faced an unprecedented humanitarian crisis caused by national and global forces and stepped up to welcome a large influx of asylum seekers; and

2.  WHEREAS, mayors from across the country have launched innovative and humane programs to support the newly arrived immigrants, including providing shelter, food, legal services, education, healthcare; and

3.  WHEREAS, the lack of congressional action has prevented our nation from modernizing our federal immigration system and left cities ill-equipped to integrate our new neighbors fully and compassionately. Further, some states have taken misguided actions in their efforts to implement existing federal laws; and

4.  WHEREAS, ability to work is essential for asylum seekers and our immigrant communities to obtain financial stability and independence; and

5.  WHEREAS, employers in cities across the country are facing a tight labor market with a dire shortage of workers in various industries; according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of job openings available across the country has outpaced the number of people looking for work; and

6.  WHEREAS, under federal law and regulation, non-citizens cannot legally work in the U.S. unless they have work authorization from the federal government. For most non-citizens, this means seeking an Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”). These requirements preempt and prevent localities from directly issuing work authorization to non-citizens; and

7.  WHEREAS, current USCIS processing of EADs has been plagued by excessive delays and confusing bureaucracy; and

8.  WHEREAS, cities understand that the federal government has broad power over the subject of immigration; Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution grants to Congress the power "to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization." however, cities also understand that until the late 19^th century, particular immigration issues were largely left up to individual localities and states to regulate; and

9.  WHEREAS, cities must be able to respond pro-actively both to the labor shortage and the influx of new arrivals who are ready, willing, and able to contribute to their new home; and

10.  WHEREAS, the Trump-era Title 42 policy is set to lift on May 11, 2023, which will result in a further increase in the number of asylum seekers entering the U.S., immigration is a federal issue and requires a comprehensive federal response that does not rely on harmful temporary solutions like Title 42 but instead focuses on addressing root causes of migration and meets the needs of those seeking safety and their receiving communities.. Many state and local governments are facing enormous strains on their resources due to the huge influx of asylum seekers with no pathway forward due to the enormous backlog in immigration court.

11.  WHEREAS, FEMA has been awarded a small amount of funding to assist jurisdictions, however this funding is not sufficient to support the existing populations let alone a sizeable increase over the next several months. Granting asylum seekers access to work authorization will allow them to become self-sufficient as quickly as possible and mitigate the need for external funding.

12.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors proposes three tools the executive branch could use to assist non-citizens in obtaining work authorization: (1) faster processing times for EADs, (2) expanding and extending parole status so humanitarian parolees do not lose their ability to work or apply for work, and (3) expanding the applicability of TPS; and

13.  WHEREAS, cities also understand that a bold partnership with the federal government is needed to address the current humanitarian crisis and uphold our values as a nation of immigrants; that is why cities urge the federal government to authorize the power of municipalities to establish eligibility requirements for work permits in their jurisdiction;

14.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors supports a request to the federal government to authorize municipalities to establish eligibility requirements for work permits in their jurisdiction;

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors supports three basic tools the executive branch could use to assist non-citizens in obtaining work authorization: (1) faster processing times for EADs, (2) expanding and extending parole status so humanitarian parolees do not lose their ability to work or apply for work, and (3) expanding the applicability of TPS. Further, the U.S. Congress must include significant resources to assist state and local governments with the asylum seeker crisis.

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Metro Economies

Staff Contact: Larry Jones (ljones@usmayors.org)

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In Support of Revitalizing America's Downtowns

1.  WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about an unprecedented transition in the way employees in numerous economic sectors go about their work, prompting millions of Americans to begin working virtually from home, or to adopt hybrid virtual and in-person work arrangements; and

2.  WHEREAS, these changes in business practices and working styles have proved persistent after the worst public health impacts of the pandemic have passed, particularly for office workers, as many employers and employees have continued with virtual or hybrid working arrangements; and

3.  WHEREAS, a nationally representative survey of US full-time working adults conducted by the Pew Research Center in February 2023 found that 41 percent of workers with jobs that can be done from home are now working a hybrid schedule, an increase from 35 percent in January of 2022; and

4.  WHEREAS, an analysis of card-swipe security machines in office buildings across the United States conducted by Kastle Systems found that the weekly average office occupancy rate at the end of March in the most populous U.S. cities was only 49% of pre-pandemic levels; and

5.  WHEREAS, due to these changing work patterns and business practices, significant commercial space vacancies have been and will continue to be seen as commercial and office tenants make corresponding shifts to reduce their physical footprint; and

6.  WHEREAS, the prospect of ongoing commercial vacancies on a large scale threatens the vitality and economic prosperity of America's downtowns and city centers, including municipal budgets reliant on property tax revenues, as well as the livelihoods of millions of small business owners that depend on the daily flow of office workers; and

7.  WHEREAS, communities across the United States face a housing shortage, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition reports a shortage of 7.3 million housing units, while mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae reports a shortage of 4.4 million units and Realtor.com reports a shortage of 6.5 million units; and

8.  WHEREAS, underutilized office and commercial spaces in city centers can be converted into new housing and mixed-use residential developments, offering future residents the convenience of a downtown lifestyle in close proximity to public transportation and centers of business and cultural activity, while bolstering the economics of city centers and their host municipalities; and

9.  WHEREAS, the introduction of new economic incentives to help improve the affordability of such commercial to residential conversions would help to encourage such development projects, with all their attendant economic benefits to local communities; and

10.  WHEREAS, a financial incentive modeled upon the effective and popular Historic Tax Credit, styled as the Qualified Office Conversion Tax Credit, could provide a credit equal to 20% of the qualified expenses for converting recently vacant commercial office spaces into residential, institutional, hotel, or mixed-use properties; and

11.  WHEREAS, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers reports that the current 20 percent Federal Rehabilitation income tax credit (i.e. Historic Tax Credit), first established in 1976, has aided in the preservation of more than 45,000 buildings and generated more than $102 billion in estimated rehabilitation investment, including $5.7 billion in rehabilitation work and 172,416 low and moderate income housing units in 2019 alone; and

12.  WHEREAS, the Revitalizing Downtowns Act (H.R. 419), has been introduced during the 118^th session of Congress by U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), and Co-Sponsored by Dan Kildee (MI-05), John B. Larson (CT-01) and Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-32) to establish the Qualified Office Conversion Tax Credit.

13.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls upon the Congress of the United States to adopt the Revitalizing Downtowns Act, to help increase America’s housing stock and to reignite the economic prospects of the nation’s downtown communities.

Strengthening Retirement Security for Low and Middle-Income Workers

1.  WHEREAS, retirement insecurity in America is a pervasive challenge: roughly half of all households risk seeing a decline in their standard of living in retirement, and a quarter of non-retired adults have $0 in retirement savings; and

2.  WHEREAS, retirement accounts are the largest source of aggregate wealth for American households; and

3.  WHEREAS, the average family in the bottom wealth quartile saw the value of their retirement assets decline by 20 percent between 2010 and 2019; and

4.  WHEREAS, savings disparities are in part caused by a lack of access to employer-sponsored retirement plans, as 60 million Americans do not have access to a workplace retirement plan, including 68 percent of Hispanic workers, 52 percent of Black workers, and 40 percent of white workers; and

5.  WHEREAS, current federal retirement incentives are poorly targeted to lower-income workers, as evidenced by the fact that the bottom 40 percent of households by income receive a mere 6 percent of federal U.S. retirement-related tax expenditures; and

6.  WHEREAS, Social Security provides a bedrock of support for millions of retired Americans but was never designed to be the sole source of retirement income, and should instead be complemented with other policies to promote retirement security and build intergenerational wealth, including for lower-income Americans; and

7.  WHEREAS, retirement savings gaps exacerbate wealth disparities. The median Black and Hispanic family holds just $24,100 and $36,050 in wealth, respectively, compared to $189,100 for the median white family; and

8.  WHEREAS, improving access to retirement savings plans would promote economic mobility by empowering low- and middle-income workers to accumulate long-term wealth that can be passed on to their heirs; and

9.  WHEREAS, the federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a model proven to provide retirement security and spur wealth creation thanks to key design features like auto-enrollment and matching contributions,

10.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to enact solutions aimed at strengthening retirement security and promoting market participation and wealth creation among low- and middle-income workers; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress should consider establishing a TSP-type program for workers who lack access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, including matching federal incentives to low- and middle-income workers, as a way to promote asset ownership and retirement security, reward work and savings, and improve the well-being of millions of hard-working Americans.

To Provide Cities and Towns with Much Needed Liquidity by Leveraging Federal Home Loan Banks' Resources

1.  WHEREAS, local and state governments continue to face financial challenges meeting the urgent social, economic and health needs of their residents, businesses, and families; and

2.  WHEREAS, as a result of economic disruptions caused by the pandemic and post-pandemic period and now by stubborn inflationary factors, communities must contend with liquidity concerns and are seeking ways to finance critical infrastructure, housing, small business and economic development concerns; and

3.  WHEREAS, the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) system, which consists of 11 regional banks with 6,700-member community lenders throughout the U.S., plays a key role in supporting the credit needs of our communities and has the capacity to help address the liquidity needs confronting local and state governments; and

4.  WHEREAS, the FHLBanks can help provide triple-A rated, low-cost credit enhancement through its member community financial institutions and have a record of success in assisting local communities with housing and economic development; and

5.  WHEREAS, during times of financial crises and liquidity crunches, the FHLBanks system have responded by assisting local communities, as the system did under authority enacted during the Great Recession.

6.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress and the Administration to enact a policy that will allow the FHLBanks system, through its member community lenders, to provide access to lower-cost municipal borrowing to fund critical community infrastructure needs as it did during the Great Recession; and

7.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the Small Business Administration to work with the FHLBanks to maximize liquidity in small business lending by allowing the FHLBanks to accept small business loans as collateral on the advances they make to their community lenders.

In Support of Prioritizing Local Government Surplus Property Dispositions to Interested Tribal Governments

1.  WHEREAS, the nation’s mayors respect the sovereignty of Tribal Nations and are grateful for their intergovernmental partnership in our communities, acknowledging that many United States cities were founded upon lands wrested from the Native Americans who preceded European settlers; and

2.  WHEREAS, cities may own or acquire real properties that do not or no longer fulfill operational or business needs, and local governments may choose to dispose of those real properties that are not required for discharging responsibilities or addressing the needs of constituents; and

3.  WHEREAS, city governments may assign preferential considerations for surplus property dispositions to achieve certain policy goals and objectives; and

4.  WHEREAS, local governments can offer notice and an offering of surplus property first to Tribal Nations whose usual or accustomed areas encompass the subject property for expressions of interest in negotiating intergovernmental land transfers of said property; and

5.  WHEREAS, cities can develop and implement policies that prioritize the return of land to Tribal Nations when and where those outcomes are possible and that interest is expressed by tribal governments; and

6.  WHEREAS, the federal government has established procedures by which surplus government properties may be transferred to Tribes to support delivery of certain activities; and

7.  WHEREAS, negotiations can result in intergovernmental transfers of land prioritize the interests of tribal partners, advance equity goals, and provide mutual benefits to our communities while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws governing those acquisitions.

8.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages cities to evaluate guidelines for the disposition of surplus real property and consider the adoption of new policies that respect the sovereignty of Tribal Nations that preceded our local governments; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the nation’s mayors support the adoption of those policies that prioritize the return of land to Tribal Nations wherever appropriate and possible through intergovernmental land transfers, sales, or exchanges in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

In Support of Reauthorizing the Brownfields Law and Renewal of the Brownfields Tax Incentive

1.  WHEREAS, brownfield cleanup and redevelopment continues to be a challenge for cities; and

2.  WHEREAS, the additional brownfield grant funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is set to end after fiscal year (FY) 2027; and

3.  WHEREAS, it is important that the annual United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brownfields program funding is available and sufficient to plan for, assess, and clean up sites across the country; and

4.  WHEREAS, localities are in great need of increased federal funding and resources to support the EPA brownfields program; and

5.  WHEREAS, the Brownfields Tax Incentive allowed private parties to deduct cleanup costs against tax liability in the year the costs were incurred rather than spread over ten years;

6.  WHEREAS, in the fourteen years it was active, the Brownfields Tax Incentive was used more than 625 times in over 40 states, providing cash savings for developers to invest in their next brownfield project; and

7.  WHEREAS, this tax incentive allowed volunteers to get the same tax treatment as responsible parties when cleaning up sites, as currently polluters can expense their cleanup costs but volunteers cannot; and

8.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors has adopted resolutions supporting brownfield redevelopment and funding for EPA’s brownfield grant program since the mid-1990s.

9.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports Congress’ reauthorization of the Brownfields Law and amendments that will increase the EPA’s overall funding for brownfields grants at a level of $350 million in FY 2024 and increasing by $50 million annually to a total of $600 million; and

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors hereby urges Congress to enact legislation to renew the Brownfields Tax Incentive for communities nationwide.

Calling for Urgent Action to Avoid Nuclear War, Resolve the Ukraine Conflict, Lower Tensions with China, and Redirect Military Spending to Meet Human Needs

1.  WHEREAS, we are living in a time of extraordinary nuclear dangers, with all the nuclear-armed states qualitatively, and in some cases quantitatively, modernizing their nuclear arsenals; and

2.  WHEREAS, with Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine, which could eventually draw the militaries of the U.S., its NATO allies and Russia into direct conflict, intensified by Russia’s repeated nuclear threats, the risk of nuclear war has risen to its highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis; and

3.  WHEREAS, other potential nuclear flashpoints include the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, South Asia, and the Middle East; the scale and tempo of war games by nuclear-armed states and their allies, including nuclear drills, are increasing; and ongoing missile tests, and frequent close encounters between military forces of nuclear-armed states exacerbate nuclear dangers; and

4.  WHEREAS, the Biden Administration’s 2022 Nuclear Posture Review states: “The United States is committed to the modernization of its nuclear forces, nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) system, and production and support infrastructure,” including the planned replacement of the entire “nuclear triad” of intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines, and long-range bombers with new systems; and

5.  WHEREAS, the President’s FY 2024 Budget request fully funds implementation of the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, requesting $37.7 billion to sustain and modernize the Department of Defense nuclear enterprise, $3 billion more than the FY 2023 request; and

6.  WHEREAS, according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, in 2022, world military expenditures climbed to a record high of $2240 billion, with the U.S. accounting for 39% of global military spending; and

7.  WHEREAS, the United States and China are the two leading economic powers in the world, in a time when humanity is facing unprecedented challenges due to the ecological impacts of human activity ranging from climate change to pandemics, and international cooperation is essential to protect the natural environment on which the global economy and society depends; and

8.  WHEREAS, intensified military competition among the world’s most powerful states not only diverts resources from human needs but impedes cooperation on a wide range of other goals, including the elimination of poverty and the provision of health care, education, reliable renewable energy, and other essential services to all our communities; and

9.  WHEREAS, cities are playing an increasingly important role in subnational diplomacy, and Mayors for Peace, founded in 1982 and led by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is working for a world without nuclear weapons, safe and resilient cities, and a culture of peace, in which peace is a priority for every individual; and as of April 1, 2023, Mayors for Peace has grown to 8,247 cities in 166 countries and regions, with 223 U.S. members; and

10.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors has adopted strong resolutions submitted by U.S. members for Mayors for Peace for 17 consecutive years, in 2018 "Calling on the Administration and Congress to Step Back From the Brink and Exercise Global Leadership in Preventing Nuclear War" and in 2021 "Calling on the United States to Welcome the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and Act Now to Prevent Nuclear War and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons".

11.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors welcomes the November 17, 2022, Declaration of the G20 Leaders meeting in Bali, including leaders or foreign ministers of China, France, India, Russia, UK, and U.S., that “The threat of use or use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible"; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference condemns Russia’s illegal war of aggression on Ukraine and its repeated nuclear threats and calls on the Russian government to withdraw all forces and equipment from Ukraine immediately and unconditionally; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference calls on the U.S. government to work to re-establish high-level U.S.-Russian risk reduction and arms control talks to rebuild trust and work toward replacement of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the only remaining bi-lateral nuclear arms control treaty, set to expire in 2026; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference calls on the government of the United States to make renewed efforts to reduce tensions with the government of the People’s Republic of China, seeking opportunities for cooperation on such global issues as the environment, public health, and equitable development, and take the initiative in new approaches for the control of armaments that might avoid a costly and dangerous new arms race; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference urges Congress to pass the “Embracing the Goals and Provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Resolution” (H. Res. 77), consistent with the USCM’s previous support for the Treaty and the Back from the Brink campaign.

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Technology and Innovation

Staff Contact: David Burns (dburns@usmayors.org)

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Supporting the Renewal and Extension of the Affordable Connectivity Program

1.  WHEREAS, on December 31, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a longer-term program replacing the Emergency Broadband Benefit which helped almost 9 million afford internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

2.  WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program is a national, U.S. government program giving low-income households a discount of up to $30 per month for internet service, up to a $75 per month discount for households on qualifying Tribal lands, and discounts on computer device costs; and

3.  WHEREAS, eligibility includes households with income below 200% of the federal poverty level or who are receiving benefits such as SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Pell Grant, or Free and Reduced-Price Lunch; and

4.  WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program, funded at $14.2 billion, has enrolled more than 16 million households, saving low-income households almost $500 million per month; and

5.  WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the reality of inequitable and detrimental gaps in internet access, adoption, and affordability for underserved groups and showed how our digital networks are woven into every aspect of our personal and professional lives and serve as the critical backbone for our economy; and

6.  WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program has been one of the most effective broadband benefit programs to date with its direct-to-consumer model to enroll low-income households and help ensure they can afford the internet connections they need for work, school, healthcare, and more; and

7.  WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program is likely to run out of funds by mid-2024 and extending the broadband benefit (not devices) for an additional five years could potentially cost $30-$35 billion; and

8.  WHEREAS, households without high-speed internet are more likely to have incomes under $25,000 and include school aged kids, communities of color, rural communities, and older Americans; and

9.  WHEREAS, approximately 1 in 5 Americans without home internet cite cost as the factor; and

10.  WHEREAS, the lack of affordable, reliable high-speed internet is compounding economic, health, and other disparities; and

11.  WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris administration furthered its digital equity commitment in 2022 and launched the $45 billion “Internet for All” initiative to bring affordable, reliable high-speed internet to everyone in America by the end of the decade; and

12.  WHEREAS, cities have created Affordable Connectivity Program dashboards to transparently, responsibly, and equitably monitor ACP enrollment by zip codes to ensure areas with the lowest median incomes receive the most attention and outreach efforts to build awareness and enrollment; and

13.  WHEREAS, the Affordable Connectivity Program has been the most important tool for cities in moving the needle to close the digital divide;

14.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to renew and extend the Affordable Connectivity Program funding in 2024 to ensure currently enrolled ACP low-income households continue to have access to affordable high-speed internet, recognizing that closing the digital divide will allow Americans to access the resources they need and strengthen the U.S. economy to compete in the 21st Century.

Resolution Calling on NTIA to Protect Urban Local Governments and Their Constituents

1.  WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that affordable high-speed internet is a basic necessity that millions of Americans are unable to access; and

2.  WHEREAS, mayors and other local government officials recognize the increased importance of universal broadband access for education, health, social connection, and business during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; and

3.  WHEREAS, urban areas suffer disproportionately from digital discrimination; according to the Census Bureau, of the 18.2 million households that lack access to affordable broadband connections in America, 13.6 million of those households (nearly 75%) are in urban America; and

4.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors applauds the adoption of the Digital Equity Act, which aims to promote digital inclusion among low income households, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals facing language barriers, and other underserved populations mostly centered in high-density metropolitan areas; and

5.  WHEREAS, mayors and local government officials are extremely grateful for federal investment in broadband infrastructure and programming through the Digital Equity Act, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the Broadband, Equity Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD), and the American Rescue Plan Act, supporting digital inclusion for underserved urban areas; and

6.  WHEREAS, the availability of these federal investments are essential to mayors’ commitment to ensuring the digital infrastructure of tomorrow is reliable, accessible, affordable, and safe for all of the residents of their towns and cities; and

7.  WHEREAS, NTIA must recognize that local governments’ cable system build-out requirements serve as an excellent model for the new equal access rules promoted by NTIA, and have successfully promoted deployment of broadband facilities to residents regardless of their race, gender and socioeconomic status; and

8.  WHEREAS, NTIA must ensure that its actions and language do not undercut urban local governments’ abilities to employ buildout and other rights-of-way tools to combat digital discrimination, whether intentional or not, and to fund local digital inclusion actions.

9.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on NTIA and all other federal agencies responsible for administering broadband funding and programs to prioritize addressing the digital divide by ensuring, among other initiatives, that ACP funding be extended, and that cities of all sizes be treated fairly and equitably for funding that will flow through states; and

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges NTIA and all other responsible federal agencies to use these broadband programs to ensure that equitable, robust, resilient, and affordable broadband service is deployed to all Americans as soon as reasonably possible; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors request BEAD, ACP, and Digital Equity Act funding be allocated with cities and urban centers in mind, recognizing that high density, low-income communities of color are a primary population that the broadband programs seeks to connect.

12. 

Resolution Calling on the US Senate to Confirm Anna M. Gomez to the 5th Federal Communications Commission position and Reconfirm Commissioners Carr and Starks

1.  WHEREAS, Mayors believe that a fully-functioning Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) during this unprecedented time of broadband demand and the need to implement broadband investment programs, including the Affordable Connectivity Program and other Internet For All initiatives, is vital to the health and welfare of the nation and its residents; and

2.  WHEREAS, filling the long-vacant FCC seat will enable the Commission to function the way the Communications Act intended – as a five-member body; and

3.  WHEREAS, on May 22, 2023, President Biden nominated Anna M. Gomez to fill the 5^th Commissioner and Geoffrey Adam Starks and Brendan Carr for additional terms as Commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission

4.  WHEREAS, municipal governments are on the front lines and often times the first contact residents make when looking for answers to questions about communications infrastructure work. broadband service availability in their communities, and access to essential services such as internet access; and

5.  WHEREAS, municipal governments therefore have a unique, first-hand understanding about the substantial ways in which FCC decisions concerning broadband oversight and deployment impact our communities; and

6.  WHEREAS, prompt confirmation of a fifth FCC Commissioner and reconfirmation of Commissioners Starks and Carr will enable the FCC to take action on pressing issues as far-ranging as broadband deployment, spectrum allocation and auctions, universal service, public safety, and the proper roles of state and local governments in communications policy.

7.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on the United States Senate to promptly confirm the Anna M. Gomez to fill the vacant fifth FCC Commissioner seat and to reconfirm Geoffrey Adam Starks and Brendan Carr for additional terms as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission.

In Support of the 211 Network and the Establishment of a Public Analytics Database

1.  WHEREAS, the 211 network provides an essential service to help connect Americans across communities of all sizes with a consistent, reliable source of public information and referrals to health and human services administered by various public agencies and community organizations; and

2.  WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated 211 for "health and human service information and referral" in 2000, and, today, it is available to approximately 329 million people, covering 99 percent of the total U.S. population in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and these services are accessed by more than 18 million Americans annually in 180 languages; and

3.  WHEREAS, individuals and families can call 211 for free, confidential help to navigate more than 1.5 million social services programs administered nationwide, including access to housing, food assistance, utility payment assistance, health care, transportation, employment opportunities, childcare, afterschool programs, summer camp, recreation programs, mental health services, suicide prevention services, disaster relief, and other resources; and

4.  WHEREAS, since the start of the pandemic, these 211 lines have provided responses to more than 59 million requests for assistance, including facilitating the dissemination of public health information to help the public understand symptoms of coronavirus, find testing sites, and register for vaccine programs when the capacity of local government was stretched; and

5.  WHEREAS, demand has subsequently remained strong with many community members seeking access to food, shelter, or utility assistance; and

6.  WHEREAS, 211 specialists answered more than 986,000 requests for mental health services, 126,000 requests for domestic violence and human trafficking, 4,803,000 requests for housing and homeless prevention services, and more than 2,454,000 requests for food in calendar year 2022, demonstrating vast needs and demands for this assistance; and

7.  WHEREAS, city governments, community-based organizations, and constituents nationwide would benefit from access to a health and human services public analytics database that is drawn from the nation’s 211 helpline; and

8.  WHEREAS, Congress can provide an authorization and appropriate $10 million worth of federal funding to build and maintain this database through the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process.

9.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the nation’s mayors commend those who oversee the 211 network and provide constituents with the critical assistance necessary to access to health and human services; and

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to authorize the establishment of a health and human services public analytics database and provide appropriations so that resources offered by 211 would be more accessible to the public, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to help constituents to overcome any barriers to accessing services and communities to better respond to any future emergencies.

In Support of Implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act and Support for the Semiconductor Industry

1.  WHEREAS, semiconductors play a unique role in our economic and national security, enabling advances in medical devices and health care, communications, computing, defense, transportation, clean energy, and technologies of the future, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and advanced wireless networks; and

2.  WHEREAS, 18 states are home to major semiconductor manufacturing facilities, and the semiconductor industry directly employs over a quarter of a million people in the US and supports nearly 1.6 million additional U.S. jobs; and

3.  WHEREAS, the Biden Administration and the United States Congress recognized the importance of semiconductor manufacturing and have taken critical steps to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain and to ensure that there is an ecosystem of production, innovation, skilled workers, and diverse small and medium-sized suppliers to ensure that the semiconductor industry remains competitive; and

4.  WHEREAS, with the passage of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, the federal government will invest tens of billions of dollars in semiconductor manufacturing incentives and research initiatives over the coming years to strengthen and sustain American leadership in chip technology; and

5.  WHEREAS, the growth of the domestic semiconductor industry and billions of dollars in investment will create thousands of new employment opportunities, which will require public and private sectors partners to work together to train these future workforces and ensure these opportunities are equitably available; and

6.  WHEREAS, the Biden Administration has made significant progress in implementing this transformative legislation; and

7.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on the Biden Administration and the United States Congress to continue to implement this vital piece of legislation to ensure America continues to grow our national semiconductor industry.

In Support of the RECOMPETE Pilot Program

1.  WHEREAS, the enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act established the RECOMPETE Pilot Program with a $1 billion authorization over five years from Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 to FY 2026; and

2.  WHEREAS, the program authorizes the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to provide flexible multi-year grants to economically distressed communities; and

3.  WHEREAS, those resources will be used to support long-term comprehensive economic development strategies that will reduce prime-age employment gaps for workers aged 25 to 54 years old; and

4.  WHEREAS, mayors prioritize efforts to create good-paying, family-supporting jobs and career pathways that will improve labor force participation in our cities, particularly in our most distressed communities; and

5.  WHEREAS, cities can apply directly for Strategy Development Grants to develop economic development strategies and subsequent Strategy Implementation Grants to carry out critical investments outlined in those long-term, place-based plans; and

6.  WHEREAS, these grants may be used for a variety for eligible activities including infrastructure, workforce development, small businesses assistance, and the provision of services to connect residents to opportunities; and

7.  WHEREAS, Congress provided $200 million in funding for the program in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; and

8.  WHEREAS, the Biden Administration is focused on implementation of the program and EDA expects to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity for that first round of funding later this year; and

9.  WHEREAS, this federal initiative will help recipients to overcome challenges and barriers unique to their individual community or region, adopt strategies that facilitate economic growth and attract investment, and address high unemployment by creating new opportunities for their residents; and

10.  WHEREAS, Congress should provide level funding this year for the Administration to continue its work and ensure the effective implementation of the RECOMPETE Pilot Program that will help rebuild distressed communities and generate growth and wealth for their residents, thereby fulfilling lawmakers’ intent authorizing this program in the CHIPS and Science Act.

11.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the RECOMPETE Pilot Program and looks forward to working with the Biden Administration throughout its implementation in the years ahead; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the nation’s mayors urge Congress to provide level funding for the program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies spending bill.

Protecting the Mental Health of our Children on Social Media

1.  WHEREAS, the dramatic advancement of technology and, specifically, social media has affected the mental health of our nation’s youth, particularly young girls; and

2.  WHEREAS, according to one study, rates of adolescent depression in the U.S. increased by 60% between 2011 and 2017-18; and,

3.  WHEREAS, according to that same study, larger increases were seen in adolescent girls; and,

4.  WHEREAS, according to another study, teens who spend more time using social media report lower psychological well-being, lower life satisfaction, less happiness, more feelings of loneliness and isolation, and more depression; and

5.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Surgeon General recently released an Advisory on the link between social media and youth mental health, and recommended in that Advisory that policymakers “require a higher standard of data privacy for children to protect them from potential harms like exploitation and abuse”; and,

6.  WHEREAS, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has led on developing a framework for a national data privacy and security standard; and

7.  WHEREAS, the House Energy and Commerce Committee framework addresses concerns around youth mental health through (1) minimizing the data that is collected and retained on all Americans, including children, (2) making it illegal to target advertising to children under 17 years old, (3) treating all data on children under 17 as sensitive, meaning more robust protection for the collection and transfer of their personal information, and (4) requiring large data holders to assess how their algorithms harm children;

8.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to pass legislation to help protect our youth’s mental health by holding social media companies and big tech accountable through the creation of a national data privacy and security standard; and

9.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the Biden Administration and Congress to continue examining the impacts of social media on our children; and,

10.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors strongly supports and urges increasing federal resources for youth mental health.

Resolution Opposing H.R. 3557, the American Broadband Act of 2023

1.  WHEREAS, H.R. 3557, “American Broadband Act of 2023,” was introduced with little notice and without full text on May 22, 2023, and was approved by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and ordered to be reported following markup only two days later on May 24, 2023; and

2.  WHEREAS, prior to H.R. 3557’s introduction, only a single hearing was held on the eventual contents, on April 19, 2023, before the House Communications Subcommittee, the testimony before which consisted exclusively of that from witnesses supportive of federal preemption and to which not a single state or local government representative was invited to testify; and

3.  WHEREAS, H.R. 3557 would pre-empt local governments’ rights-of-way compensation and management authority, zoning powers, cable franchising authority, and property rights; and

4.  WHEREAS, the proposed bill would bestow on broadband providers an unprecedented federal grant of access to state and local public property, but impose no obligations on those providers to serve “unserved” and “underserved” Americans; and

5.  WHEREAS, H.R. 3557 would mandate that siting decisions be “deemed granted” if not denied by a local government within 60 days, which is as little as 25 % of the time the federal government gives itself to make identical decisions concerning access to federal property; and

6.  WHEREAS, H.R. 3557 would make virtually any local government decision not to allow the installation of a proposed wireless facility at a provider’s request a “prohibition” preempted by federal law, and would require local governments to draft and publicly release a written explanation for the decision to deny an application on the same day it votes on the decision—a virtually impossible task because such written decisions typically require the examination and analysis of evidence presented to local council; and

7.  WHEREAS, the bill would substitute the FCC for the local federal district court as the reviewing body for challenges to local government decisions regarding wireless facility applications, thus breaking the promise made by Congress in 1996 that local governments would not be required to travel to Washington to defend local decisions; and

8.  WHEREAS, H.R. 3557 would also eliminate cable franchise renewals, thereby restricting the ability of state or local franchising authorities to enforce franchise obligations such as public, educational, and government channel capacity and facilities, customer service requirements, and system build-out requirements; and

9.  WHEREAS, H.R. 3557 would affirmatively grant cable operators the right to use local rights-of-way to provide non-cable services while prohibiting localities from imposing any fees on non-cable services for use of those rights-of-way.

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors opposes HR 3557 and urges the House and Senate not to pass this legislation.

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Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment, and Sports

Staff Contact: Tom McClimon (tmcclimon@usmayors.org)

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50th Anniversary of Hip Hop

1.  WHEREAS, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, with celebrations planned both nationally and globally.

2.  WHEREAS, on August 11, 1973, in the recreation room of an apartment building in the Bronx, Clive Campbell, better known as DJ Kool Herc, took to the DJ booth on two turntables and the basis for the genre we now know as hip-hop was born

3.  WHEREAS, today hip-hop has inspired poetry, breakdancing, MCing, graffiti, filmmakers, fashion designers and is considered a multi-discipline art form, and

4.  WHEREAS, in the past five decades, hip hop has topped charts, shaped fashions, inspired visual arts, and powered social justice causes.

5.  WHEREAS, during the 91^st Winter Meeting of The United States Conference of Mayors a celebration was held featuring hip-hop icons Kool DJ Red Alert and Louis "Eric B." Barrier to recognize the genre’s global influence on music, fashion, dance and culture.

6.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, mayors across the United States are encouraged to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop this August 2023 with block parties, cultural conversations, art installations, murals and regional celebrations which commemorate the contributions of the American art form known as hip-hop.

Arts and Culture Funding For FY 2024 Federal Appropriations

1.  WHEREAS, the arts, humanities, museums, and libraries are critical to the quality of life and prosperity of America's cities;

2.  WHEREAS, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are the primary federal agencies that provide federal funding for the arts, humanities, museum, and library programs, activities, and efforts in the cities and states of America;

3.  WHEREAS, the NEA's and the NEH's 50-plus years of promoting cultural heritage and vitality throughout the nation has built a cultural infrastructure in this nation of arts and humanities agencies in every state, more than 95,000 nonprofit arts organizations, and 4,500 local arts agencies in cities throughout the country;

4.  WHEREAS, federal arts funding leverages on average more than nine times in matching funds from state and local governments, private foundations, corporations and individuals in communities across the nation to support the highest quality cultural programs in the nation;

5.  WHEREAS, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) through their "Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account" calculates that the nation’s arts and culture sector—nonprofit, commercial, education—released data in March of 2023 that cited Arts and culture economic activity increased to 4.4% of gross domestic product (GDP), topping $1.02 trillion, in 2021 and representing 4.9 million workers in the arts and culture. This new high-water mark represents a larger percentage of GDP than powerhouse sectors such as transportation, construction, and agricultural, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

6.  WHEREAS, federal arts funding to cities, towns and states has helped stimulate the growth of local and state arts agencies across America. Currently, local government funding allocates $1.01 billion annually in public funding to the arts, state government funding is at $971 million annually, and federal government funding for the NEA and NEH is at only $207 million each and $294.8 million for IMLS, and $23.50 billion in private giving to the arts, culture and humanities;

7.  WHEREAS, federal funding for cultural activities stimulates local economies and improves the quality of civic life throughout the country, the NEA, NEH and IMLS support programs, such as the Mayors' Institute on City Design (MICD) which enhances community development and urban design, promotes cultural planning, stimulates business development, spurs urban renewal, attracts new businesses, draws significant cultural tourism dollars, and improves the overall quality of life in our cities and towns;

8.  WHEREAS, federal funding for cultural activities is essential to promote equity and full access to and participation in exhibits, performances, arts education and other cultural events regardless of family income; and

9.  WHEREAS, the NEA plays a very important role in developing partnerships with other federal agencies such as SBA, HUD, Defense, Veterans, Education and Transportation, in order to open new channels for arts organizations to work with all aspects of government; and

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms its support of the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services and calls upon Congress to support President Biden’s budget request for these agencies in the FY 2024 proposed federal appropriations bills at no less than $211 million each for the NEA and NEH, and at least $65.5 million for the Museum Services Division of IMLS to serve organizations of all sizes in communities across the country; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages the Congress and the White House to build a specific path to index funding for both the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities at $1 per capita each. These agencies are currently funded at 62 cents per capita each (a position that The United States Conference of Mayors unanimously adopted in 2020). We also encourage continued parity between NEA and NEH funding; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the White House and Congress to invest in nonprofit arts organizations through local arts agencies as a catalyst to generate economic impact, create jobs, stimulate business development, spur urban renewal, attract tourists and area residents to community activities, and to improve the overall quality of life in America's cities.

Arts and Mental Health

1.  WHEREAS, communities across America are experiencing a mental health crisis affecting all populations, including children, youth, adults and seniors;

2.  WHEREAS, according to the 2022 CNN/Kaiser Family Foundation Mental Health in America Survey, 90% of U.S. adults across all demographics say America is experiencing a mental health crisis, with most people saying the opioid epidemic, mental health issues in children and teenagers, and severe mental illness are at crisis level in the country. Data from the CDC (2022) indicates that the percentage of adults who had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months increased from 2019 to 2021, among both adults of all ages (from 19.2% to 21.6%) and those aged 18–44 (from 18.5% to 23.2%);

3.  WHEREAS, “Arts in Health” includes the professional creative arts therapies disciplines of art therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, psychodrama, and biblio/poetry therapy, all of which are nationally board-certified therapies with licensure in selected states, as well as expressive arts therapy and artist-directed applications of visual, literary and performing arts, and design;

4.  WHEREAS, the arts can be especially beneficial for public health in five key areas, including collective trauma, racism, mental health, social exclusion and isolation, and chronic disease. An increasing number of studies are indicating the benefits of the arts and creative arts therapies in improving the mental health of children, youth, adults, and aging populations. By participating in the arts, people can learn to deal with a wide range of mental health conditions creativity and self-expression, and positive social connections;

5.  WHEREAS, preliminary findings from the COVID-19 and Social Distancing: Impact of Arts and Other Activities on Mental Health tracking 80,000 adults in the United Kingdom and United States to gauge the pandemic’s impact on mental health show that just 30 minutes of active arts activities (e.g. reading for pleasure, playing or listening to music, gardening, engaging in a creative hobby) daily may lower anxiety and depression and increase life satisfaction;

6.  WHEREAS, a randomized control trial (RCT) study conducted by the Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus exploring how the fine arts can help nurses, doctors, surgeons and other healthcare workers heal from trauma and published in the American Journal of Medicine (2022) found that participants in creative arts therapies saw a decrease in anxiety (27.8%), feelings of burnout and depression (35.5%), as well as a 12% reduction in the desire to leave the profession;

7.  WHEREAS, in a scoping review published in Translational Psychiatry (2021), randomized controlled trials have revealed that music interventions (including both music therapies administered by board-certified music therapists and other music interventions) are associated with reduced depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms [26, 27, 33, 36]. A review of 28 studies reported that 26 revealed significantly reduced depression levels in music intervention groups compared to control groups;

8.  WHEREAS, in his 2023 State of the Union address, President Biden called for increasing funding for a multi-agency approach to combatting America’s mental health crisis, including enhancing crisis services, and expanding access to telehealth, promoting youth resilience, and supporting the mental health of the public health workforce;

9.  WHEREAS President Biden also urged policymakers to improve school-based mental health by providing grants to increase the number of mental health care professionals in high-need districts and strengthen the school-based mental health profession pipeline, and remove red tape for schools, making it easier for them to provide health care to students and more easily bill Medicaid funding for these critical services;

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors reaffirms its support of the role of the arts and creative arts therapies in helping to mitigate the Nation’s mental health crisis and calls upon Congress to support President Biden’s call to increase funding to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for enhancing crisis services and expanding access to telehealth and to the Department of Education (USED) for improving school-based mental health; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages the United States Congress and the White House to build a specific path to including funding for arts and creative arts therapies in support of improving mental health for all populations by expanding coverage of creative arts therapies for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries; supporting increased research funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) related to telehealth access and outcomes of creative arts therapies, expressive arts therapy, and arts-based programming; supporting HHS and USED funding for creative arts therapies and arts-based programming, including telehealth, designed to address mental health needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic (depression, opioid crisis, social isolation), including applications for healthcare and education professionals.

Mayors Support Local Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues

1.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues are part of our nations history and are often a core part of a community’s identity; and

2.  WHEREAS, Performance venues that achieve local heritage status, or cultural significance, can offer community benefits and opportunities to populations that may not otherwise be exposed to the arts; and

3.  WHEREAS, Venues that feature arts programs, performances and cultural initiatives can be economic drivers and help to bring vibrancy and growth to a community; and

4.  WHEREAS, In Carmel, Indiana the mission of the Center for the Performing Arts is to inspire the community through enriching arts experiences, and the Center serves as an anchor for an arts-based economic development strategy that has made Carmel a city prominently featured at the top of numerous quality of life rankings, including number one on niche.com and CNN Money; and

5.  WHEREAS, In Columbia, South Carolina the Nickelodeon sponsors a wide variety of in-school and after school media literacy programs for children of all ages, summer camps, adult workshops field trip programs, speaker panels and regular theatrical programming; and

6.  WHEREAS, In Austin, Texas the Paramount Theatre, operated by the Austin Theatre Alliance, has sponsored Paramount Education for fifteen years. The Paramount Education program serves over 20,000 students annually and hold student matinees with the goal to inspire intellect and imagination for young people by providing them opportunities to experience, perform and learn through the arts; and

7.  WHEREAS, The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, the Nickelodeon in Columbia, South Carolina, and the Paramount Theatre, operated by the Austin Theatre Alliance, are non-profit organizations that require financial and membership support; and

8.  WHEREAS, The Center for the Performing Arts, the Nickelodeon, the Paramount, and similar venues achieve a status of heritage, or culturally significant performance venues; and

9.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues require innovative support, partnership and initiatives from local governments to address age and abuse, building wear, and maintain historic character; and

10.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues create a sense of place and an appeal that help to drive local economic prosperity and the visitor economy; and

11.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues, such as the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana hold outreach and education opportunities through programs for children, teens, adults, schools, families and community partners; and

12.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues, such as the Nickelodeon in Columbia, South Carolina emerged as a major cultural anchor on Columbia, South Carolina’s Main Street where the theater attracts over 70,000 people to the city annually; and

13.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues, such as the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, operated by the Austin Theatre Alliance, and opened in 1915, offers Title One schools reduced costs and free admission to the theater, over $30,000 in annual scholarships to summer camps, and target students who have shown interest in the performing arts but have not had the opportunity to be involved with arts programs; and

14.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues such as the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel offer serve as a headquarters for the area non-profits like The Great American Songbook that has offices and an exhibit gallery in the Palladium section of the Center; and

15.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues facing the challenges of age, such as the Paramount Theatre in Austin, require support through unique partnerships with local government to ensure their historic attraction continues to positively impact the area economy and serve as an anchor of artistic programs; and

16.  WHEREAS, Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues, such as the Nickelodeon in Columbia, South Carolina repurposed a bank building into a one-screen theater, making use of an existing structure and preserving the built environment.

17.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED The United States Conference of Mayors supports the benefits of Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues such as the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana, the Nickelodeon in Columbia, South Carolina and the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas; and

18.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED The United States Conference of Mayors supports innovative partnerships and initiatives from federal, state and local governments to address age and abuse, building wear, and maintain the historic character of Heritage and Culturally Significant Performance Venues.

National Arts and Humanities Month - October 2023

1.  WHEREAS, the nation’s 120,000 nonprofit arts organizations, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies in communities across the country, and the arts and humanities councils of the 50 states and the six U.S. jurisdictions and districts have regularly issued official proclamations on an annual basis designating October as National Arts and Humanities Month;

2.  WHEREAS, cities and states—through their local and state arts agencies, which represent thousands of cultural organizations—have celebrated the value and importance of culture in the lives of Americans and the health of thriving communities during National Arts and Humanities Month for nearly 30 years;

3.  WHEREAS, the humanities help diverse communities across the United States explore their history and culture with the support and partnership of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the 50 state and six jurisdiction and district humanities councils, and local educational and cultural institutions;

4.  WHEREAS, the arts and humanities embody so of much of the accumulated wisdom, intellect, and imagination of humankind;

5.  WHEREAS, the arts and humanities enhance and enrich the lives of everyone in America;

6.  WHEREAS, the arts and humanities play a unique role in the lives of our families, our communities, and our country;

7.  WHEREAS, despite significant losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, the creative industries remain among the most vital sectors of the American economy — providing new opportunities for developing cities, creating jobs and economic activity within their own industry and across sectors, and making communities attractive to business development;

8.  WHEREAS, the nation’s arts and culture sector—nonprofit, commercial, education—is an $1.02 trillion billion industry that supports 4.9 million jobs representing 4.4% of the nation’s economy, a larger share of GDP than powerhouse sectors such as agriculture, transportation, and utilities (2020); and boasts a $17.8 billion international trade surplus (2021);

9.  WHEREAS, the nonprofit arts industry alone generates $27.5 billion in government revenue and $166.3 billion in economic activity (2015) annually by organizations and audiences—including spending by attendees to arts events of $31.47 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and lodging, making the arts a vital income source for local businesses;

10.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages both mayors to designate the month of October 2023 as National Arts and Humanities Month and encourages the White House to issue a proclamation as well.

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges mayors to build partnerships with their local arts agencies and other members of the arts and humanities community in their cities to participate in and to celebrate the month of October as National Arts and Humanities Month, as well as to participate in upcoming events in 400 participating communities across the country to showcase the results of their communities’ upcoming Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 Study to be released by Americans for the Arts in mid-October.

Expanding Community Arts Engagement Programs and Partnerships in the FY 24 National Defense Appropriations Act

1.  WHEREAS, according to a synthesis of demographic information describing members and families in the military community in fiscal year 2021, the total number of military and civilian personnel is nearly 3.5 million, including DoD Active-Duty military personnel (1,335,848);

2.  WHEREAS, across the Active Duty and Selected Reserve family member population, there are 2,556,237 family members, which includes children (62.7%), spouses (36.9%), and adult dependents (0.4%). Of the 1,602,261 total military children, the largest percentage are between birth and 5 years of age (36.8%);

3.  WHEREAS, Defense communities are the regional and local areas that are home to our country’s military missions and strategic collaboration with industrial partners that provide economic contributions to these local areas while supporting our national security.

4.  WHEREAS, the nation’s service members, their families and caregivers face unique health, socioeconomic, and psychosocial needs associated with the military lifestyle, in addition to stress factors confronting society as a whole;

5.  WHEREAS, literature on veteran and service member health and wellness shows that both groups have a higher rate of complex conditions than their civilian counterparts do; these conditions involve an intersecting combination of physical, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral health concerns (Hull et al.);

6.  WHEREAS, to ensure that military families have the tools and opportunities to remain strong and build resiliency and that service member are mission ready, the Department of Defense Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program prioritizes well-being for the millions of military and civilian personnel, as well as their spouses, dependents and children, who comprise America’s Defense communities;

7.  WHEREAS, throughout the history of the military, the arts have been part of building force discipline, cohesion and morale, as well as rehabilitation and healing. Military bands were established in 1756 in a regiment commanded by Benjamin Franklin; General George Washington commissioned a theatre performance to inspire his Continental Army at Valley Forge; musicians were part of early militias to communicate calls to assemble. In June 1920, the Army established the Army Motion Picture Service and in 1923, Congress appropriated funds for Army libraries. In 1945 the War Department ordered the use of music in rehabilitation for the war wounded in World War II providing the catalyst for the development of the field of music therapy;

8.  WHEREAS, the arts and creative arts therapies have been a part of military tradition and missions across branches supporting military health services, wellness, mission readiness and family support with demonstrable outcomes, including fostering resilience; reducing the impact of trauma; building social connectedness as well as strengthening coping skills for military members and their families. Thus, the Department of Defense has a vested interest in supporting these activities;

9.  WHEREAS, community arts programs and partnerships play a valuable role in extending the opportunity for continued recovery and growth that may have begun as part of a clinical treatment program, as well as offer options for service members, their families and caregivers to improve their health and wellbeing outside of a clinical setting or in the context of formal treatment;

10.  WHEREAS, by partnering with local and/or regional arts agencies or groups providing arts services, military bases benefit from being connected with all available services in their local area as well as have the ability to work with a diversity of local arts partners to design programs and provide multiple options that meet their population’s specific needs;

11.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages the Congress to support Congresswoman Betty McCollum’s proposal to allocate at least $22 million to the Department of Defense’s budget specifically for execution by the DoD’s MWR program in the FY24 Defense Appropriations bill for the support and expansion of community arts programs and partnerships in all military services for the physical and mental health and wellbeing of service members and their families;

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages the Congress to support opportunities to promote military readiness, recruitment, retention and resilience through the arts, by coordinating and expanding partnerships with local arts agencies and community arts organizations, and including the ability for MWR to partner with a national non-government organization to provide additional operational, program and evaluation support in expanding and improving these programs throughout the country to include locations of remote and isolated communities, as well as locations with large military populations such as Norfolk, VA, San Diego, CA, and San Antonio, TX.

Expanding Community Arts Engagement Programs and Partnerships in the Department of Veterans Affairs

1.  WHEREAS, across the country, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities use the creative arts as one form of rehabilitative treatment to help Veterans recover from and cope with physical, social and emotional challenges;

2.  WHEREAS, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers Veterans comprehensive creative arts therapies utilizing creative modalities and evidence-based clinical treatment interventions to promote recovery, rehabilitation and wellness, targeted towards improving cognition and sensorimotor function, emotional resilience, social and coping skills, and facilitating Veterans’ engagement in their community;

3.  WHEREAS, participation in community arts engagement programs continues the healing benefits that Veterans experience in clinical programs by providing ongoing opportunities to improve creative expression and socio-emotional skills, as well as build positive social connections with others in their community;

4.  WHEREAS, effective community arts engagement programs and partnerships are aligned with and can play an important role in achieving the VHA’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan Priorities, including but not limited to, supporting Veterans’ whole health, their caregivers and survivors, and progress towards preventing Veteran suicide by scaling best practices, driving innovative and equitable solutions, in particular for women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ Veterans;

5.  WHEREAS, community arts engagement can help make strides towards modernizing the VA infrastructure by fully leveraging national, state, and local/regional arts service organizations and program providers;

6.  WHEREAS, in FY2020, Congress included language in the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill supportive of increasing creative arts therapies and arts partnerships through the VA and provided an additional $5 million to do so;

7.  WHEREAS, the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (OPCCCT) collaborated with the Office of Recreation and Creative Arts Therapy Services to successfully administer this seed funding during the pandemic, including substantially increasing the number of creative arts therapists (CATs) providing direct services to Veterans throughout the country, particularly in rural areas that did not have them, adapting the VA Arts and Humanities for Greater Health and Well-being training programs to support local VA teams’ pivot to implementing local community arts programs virtually helping to reduce Veteran social isolation during the pandemic, and supporting local innovative arts-based technology interventions that provided virtual reality equipment across 65 VHA sites, which in turn provided virtual experiences for Veterans focused on the arts;

8.  WHEREAS, over the past eight years more than 85 VA healthcare teams have received training through the VA Arts and Humanities for Greater Health and Well-being for Veterans project, a public/private sector effort conducted by the Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, the Office of Recreation and Creative Arts Therapy, the VA Center for Development & Civic Engagement (CDCE), and Americans for the Arts, in collaboration with the VA Office of Research and Development (ORD) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI), the National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships, Office of Community Engagement and Veteran Community Partnerships;

9.  WHEREAS, the success of these efforts and the growing interest from local VHA facilities to participate has revealed gaps in the existing internal and external infrastructure to build the capacity to support, including maintaining long-term relationships with community arts partnerships and collaborating with partners to evaluate their impact;

10.  WHEREAS, in order to provide their full impact, community arts partners need support in understanding the needs of Veterans and their families, in making connections with Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs), and assistance in developing the appropriate tools and methods to evaluate their program’s effectiveness;

11.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s proposal for additional funding in the FY24 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill in the amount of $10 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of the Under Secretary for Health, to initiate and build the necessary public/private sector infrastructure and capacity that supports stronger clinic to community collaborations and advances grassroots and innovative solutions, practices and knowledge in the arts and humanities across VHA national offices, VAMCs and Vet Centers, VISNs and the local arts ecosystem;

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors encourages the Congress to provide funding to the Veterans Health Administration to expand the number of Creative Arts Therapists (CATs), especially for CATs of color, throughout VHA; increase support and educational training to local community arts partnerships and programs for Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors, and connected to VHA priorities; implement a national program evaluation pilot and research agenda for both creative arts therapies and community arts partnerships in order to document and report on the efficacy of arts and humanities-based interventions, and; as needed, engage a national non-governmental organization and academic partners to provide additional operational and subject matter expertise, and related community-oriented programs and services, to execute the project.

City Parks: A Smart Investment for America's Health, Economy, and Environment

1.  WHEREAS, urban parks are now recognized as an important tool for a high quality of life, community health, economic vitality, and environmental improvements; and

2.  WHEREAS, cities are the engines generating our nation’s prosperity, keeping America competitive in the rapidly changing global market, and the most economically sound cities are the ones with ample and healthy parks and open spaces; and

3.  WHEREAS, parks provide enormous physical and mental health benefits; residents with safe, accessible parks are more likely to exercise regularly, and as a result have increased rates of overall health, including lower rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease; and

4.  WHEREAS, residents within a short walking distance of a safe park are significantly less likely to suffer from stress, anxiety or depression than residents further from a park; and

5.  WHEREAS, children living near parks have greater opportunities to be physically active by running, walking or participating in other recreational activities, thereby helping to combat the problem that one in three children in the U.S. are overweight or obese; and

6.  WHEREAS, research shows that time spent in parks reduces attention deficits in children and the effects of a walk in a park are even similar to the effects of common ADHD medication; and

7.  WHEREAS, parks provide tremendous economic benefits by creating jobs, generating economic activity, and increasing property tax revenue for cities; and

8.  WHEREAS, a key factor in business expansion and location decisions is the quality of life for employees, with a premium placed on adequate parks and open space; and

9.  WHEREAS, as cities become more densely populated, and concern about the impact of climate change increases, planners, elected officials, and community advocates are turning to parks to help address critical urban infrastructure and public health issues; and

10.  WHEREAS, parks provide enormous green infrastructure benefits; parks and green spaces absorb carbon and clean the air, soak up and slow stormwater, limiting the severity of flooding, and make cities cooler; and

11.  WHEREAS, investment in mixed-use infrastructure projects -- those that include both parks and green space -- is building a strong track record of leveraging public funds with private capital to address many urban challenges, including those relating to transportation, stormwater management, and access to recreation; and

12.  WHEREAS, urban parks take on different forms, from signature downtown parks to reclaimed industrial railways and corridors, and are now recognized as an important part of modernized transportation systems, connecting neighborhoods to businesses; and

13.  WHEREAS, low-income communities, which have fewer trees and parks and more paved surfaces, are often hit hardest by the impact of climate change, such as flooding, extreme heat and reduced air quality; and

14.  WHEREAS, the pandemic demonstrated overwhelmingly the necessity of parks to a community’s health and well-being as the first public amenity that re-opened during that period, serving as a vital lifeline to families whose children needed an outlet and a place where frontline emergency services could be offered; and

15.  WHEREAS, even though pandemic precautions have eased, park usage continues to increase; and

16.  WHEREAS, despite the enormous economic, physical, mental, environmental, and community benefits and cost savings that parks provide, public funding for parks—especially in distressed communities where their multiple benefits are most needed—is limited and not keeping up with demand; and

17.  WHEREAS, the last few years have provided an unprecedented amount of potential funding for parks and trails through the Great American Outdoors Act, the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act; and

18.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors views urban parks as essential infrastructure for 21^st century cities; and

19.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors believes in equitable access; that everyone living in urban areas should have equal access to parks, green spaces and recreational opportunities; and

20.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that U.S. Conference of Mayors urges mayors to raise awareness of the need for greater public and private investment in parks and green space to create healthy, walkable and sustainable cities; and

21.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to provide robust federal investment for our nation’s urban parks and trails; and

22.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors and the nation’s mayors stand ready to work in partnership with the President, all members of the Administration and Congress, and the American people in this important effort to keep our cities strong and competitive.

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Transportation

Staff Contact: Kevin McCarty (kmccarty@usmayors.org)

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In Support of Public Transportation and Its Role in Advancing Key National and Local Priorities

1.  WHEREAS, the COVID-19 outbreak upended public transportation systems and services throughout the U.S., reversing the steady progress being made to improve public transit in so many cities and their regions; and

2.  WHEREAS, the lingering effects of this pandemic are still being felt by transit providers and the cities and other communities they serve, especially as transit operators struggle to secure skilled operators of buses and other transit vehicles as they work to improve service frequency, a top priority for all transit riders; and

3.  WHEREAS, Congress rightly recognized the disproportionate impacts on this transportation sector due to the pandemic, allocating significant additional federal resources to transit providers to stave off even steeper declines in these essential services, which are so vital to transit users; and

4.  WHEREAS, the timely commitment of these federal resources has sustained mobility for millions of workers, students and others who would otherwise lack transportation options to access economic opportunities, training and other educational opportunities, healthcare, and governmental services, among other purposes; and

5.  WHEREAS, for generations, public transportation has served as a great social equalizer, offering opportunity for all and improving quality of life, especially for residents of underserved neighborhoods, persons with disabilities and essential workers as they access workplaces, medical facilities, and other destinations; and

6.  WHEREAS, strong and expanding public transportation and its role in serving essential workers and others not only helps further the full recovery of the nation’s economy, but it also helps advance a more equitable economy; and

7.  WHEREAS, public transit is one of the most powerful tools to reduce climate-harming emissions, as recent policies seek to reduce greenhouse gases from the transportation sector, now the nation’s largest single source of carbon emissions; and

8.  WHEREAS, mayors, public transit providers, businesses and others are now working to help communities address post-pandemic commuting and travel patterns by adjusting schedules, reimagining route networks, providing new service offerings, and instituting other changes; and

9.  WHEREAS, mayors recognize that the future well-being of their cities and regions will depend on high-frequency, high-capacity, and high-quality public transportation services,

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls attention to the importance of strong and expanding public transit to keep America’s cities and their regions mobile, vibrant, environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors will continue to develop and embrace policies, including further changes in federal surface transportation laws and policies, that lead to more people-oriented streets and highways serving transit riders and the functioning of more transit-oriented neighborhoods and communities; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the United States Department of Transportation in allocating discretionary funding under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to place more emphasis on public transportation projects and street and highway improvement projects that are transit supportive and enhancing; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress and the President to support a continuing federal-state-local partnership on public transportation, with sustained levels of support by all partners.

Supporting Equitable Transit-Oriented Development

1.  WHEREAS, equitable transit-oriented development, or ETOD, helps improve public transportation for America's communities by integrating local land use, housing and transportation planning with transit projects; and

2.  WHEREAS, ETOD fosters comprehensive planning that improves economic development opportunities and transit ridership, and promotes compact mixed-use, mixed-income development, fosters multimodal connectivity and increases accessibility; and

3.  WHEREAS, building and preserving affordable housing conveniently located near transit helps to reduce the combined costs of housing and transportation for households and encourages people to use transit systems; and

4.  WHEREAS, safe, reliable, and convenient access to transit can reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, improve mobility, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, contributing to improved public health outcomes for people and communities; and

5.  WHEREAS, a multimodal ETOD approach that includes pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure improves safety and mobility for people walking, biking, scooting, or rolling; and

6.  WHEREAS, ETOD focuses growth around transit stations and along transit corridors, capitalizing on public investments in transit, incentives for affordable housing development, and changes to land use policies to facilitate revitalization of neighborhoods, private sector development, and community engagement; and

7.  WHEREAS, a focus on “equitable” transit-oriented development means that revitalization of historically disinvested neighborhoods close to transit corridors should benefit the people there now as well as newcomers, and include strategies to prevent residential, small business, and cultural displacement; and

8.  WHEREAS, cities significantly benefit from ETOD and coordinated polices to ensure that growth does not come at the cost of displacement, cities welcome the Administration's push to incorporate ETOD into its national transit infrastructure strategy through coordinated efforts by USDOT, HUD, and other federal agencies,

9.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the Administration to leverage resources included in the federal budget and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support ETOD at every opportunity.

In Support of the Railway Safety Act of 2023

1.  WHEREAS, all levels of government are responsible for ensuring the safe movement of people and goods on our national transportation system, yet local officials must rely on Congress and the Administration to regulate interstate commerce and, therefore, railroad safety standards for more than 160,000 miles of tracks that cross our communities nationwide; and

2.  WHEREAS, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reports that over 1,600 train derailments, 100 collisions, and 480 other accidents occurred on the U.S. rail system in 2022, resulting in fatalities, serious injuries, and evacuations of residents from neighboring homes located along rail corridors; and

3.  WHEREAS, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), another 2,184 highway-rail grade crossing collisions occurred last year resulting in 274 crossing fatalities and 774 crossing injuries nationwide; and

4.  WHEREAS, on February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, releasing toxic chemicals that continue to impact the health of local residents and the surrounding environment; and

5.  WHEREAS, the East Palestine incident exposed serious vulnerabilities in the oversight of the nation's freight rail industry and the necessity of the federal government to coalesce around increased rail safety measures; and

6.  WHEREAS, Congress can provide the United States Department of Transportation, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency with additional authorities; and

7.  WHEREAS, Senators Brown (OH), Vance (OH), Casey (PA), Rubio (FL), Fetterman (PA), Hawley (MO) and Smith (MN) co-sponsored the Railway Safety Act of 2023 (S. 576) to prevent future derailments of trains carrying hazardous materials and a bipartisan group of Representatives in the House have introduced similar legislation including H.R. 1633 and 1674; and

8.  WHEREAS, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell held a hearing on March 22, 2023, focused on that bipartisan legislation and other federal efforts to strengthen railway safety; and

9.  WHEREAS, in her opening statement, Chairwoman Cantwell noted that “railroads cut their workforce by 22% and reduced investment in the network by [25%]” while “accident rates increased by 14%” in the same period between 2017 and 2022; and

10.  WHEREAS, the Railway Safety Act of 2023 will enhance safety procedures, require railroads to provide advance notification and information regarding the transportation of hazardous materials, advance the deployment of modern safety technology and equipment, address systemic risks like defects and failures, and increase fines on rail carriers that violate safety standards; and

11.  WHEREAS, the legislation will ensure that rail companies support firefighter departments with adequate resources and expand HAZMAT training for law enforcement and first responders to improve our emergency response capacity at the local level should derailments occur,

12.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to quickly pass the Railway Safety Act of 2023 and for President Joseph Biden to swiftly enact this legislation into law; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the nation’s mayors thank Senator Brown, Senator Vance, and the other cosponsors for their leadership introducing bipartisan rail safety legislation; and

14.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports continued actions by the Administration, lawmakers, and the freight rail industry to strengthen railway safety and better protect cities nationwide.

Urging Congress to Directly Invest in Local Electric Vehicle Initiatives

1.  WHEREAS, there remains an urgent need to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure amid rising electric vehicle ownership rates and the growing impact of carbon emissions; and

2.  WHEREAS, widespread electric vehicle adoption will only be driven by a comprehensive, reliable, and convenient national electric vehicle charging network that includes public and private partners working together; and

3.  WHEREAS, successful development of a national electric vehicle charging network must consider the needs of underserved communities and offer space for these communities to play a role in deployment; and

4.  WHEREAS, cities and localities are well suited to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure and understand the needs of their communities; and

5.  WHEREAS, Congress provided $7.5 billion in funding to build out electric vehicle charging through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law); and

6.  WHEREAS, $5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding is being distributed directly to states for electric vehicle charging infrastructure needs; and

7.  WHEREAS, the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration published a final rule which establishes regulations for projects funded under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program; and

8.  WHEREAS, this final rule establishes minimum standards for Electric Vehicle charging technology; and

9.  WHEREAS, the Federal Highway Administration published its final plan for compliance with the Build America, Buy America Act for federally funded Electric Vehicle chargers; and

10.  WHEREAS, the United States Departments of Transportation and Energy made available $2.5 billion through the first round of the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program; and

11.  WHEREAS, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to facilitate collaboration between the United States Department of Energy and the United States Department of Transportation; and

12.  WHEREAS, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also established the Electric Vehicle Working Group; and

13.  WHEREAS, the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) expands Electric Vehicle tax credits and incentives; and

14.  WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the EV Acceleration Challenge, with the goal of having 50% of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030,

15.  NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the Federal Highway Aid Administration to prioritize grants for localities and regional collaborations when distributing the $2.5 billion in infrastructure funding for charging and fueling infrastructure; and

16.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the Federal Highway Aid Administration to devote the majority of this competitive funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure rather than other alternative fuel options; and

17.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors, to the extent that the federal government continues to provide funding to other levels of government, urges that the government continues to allow municipalities to access these resources directly rather than have to obtain authorization from the state; and

18.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the further exploration of best practices to encourage private sector entities to facilitate the growth of Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure and reduce the reliance on government; and

19.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges continued federal and private sector investment in Electric Vehicle research and development in order to diversify Electric Vehicle options, such as charging infrastructure and vehicle types, as well as to promote affordability; and

20.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the federal government to utilize the Advanced Technologies Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program to the greatest extent to promote the production of Electric Vehicles and charging infrastructure; and

21.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the Secretaries of Energy and Transportation to move quickly to appoint all federal and non-federal stakeholders to the Electric Vehicle Working Group, pursuant to the membership guidelines established by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

In Support of a Long-Term Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization

1.  WHEREAS, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is tasked with ensuring that the United States is home to the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world; and

2.  WHEREAS, the nation’s cities rely on the strength, reliability, and safety of America’s aviation system to move people and goods and enhance regional economies; and

3.  WHEREAS, the FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) provides critical grant funding to large and small airports across the country to improve safety and efficiency through project impacting runways, taxiways, ramps, signage, navigation systems, and lighting; and

4.  WHEREAS, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA/P.L. 117-58) extended AIP eligibility to all activities allowed under the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program; and

5.  WHEREAS, the FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Program is one of the FAA’s most successful government/industry partnerships and receives strong bipartisan and bicameral support from Congress in recognition of the key role FCT towers play in enhancing the safety of the National Airspace System and providing a cost-savings to taxpayers; and

6.  WHEREAS, FAA funding and programs were last reauthorized by the five-year FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-254), which authorized $96.7 billion for U.S. airports from Fiscal Year 2019 through Fiscal Year 2023 and is set to expire on September 30, 2023; and

7.  WHEREAS, failure to complete a long-term reauthorization would undermine trust in the ability of the FAA to provide funding for critical aviation programs; and

8.  WHEREAS, the multitude of air travel complications that have occurred in the past year have exposed major shortcomings in current FAA programs, staffing, and management; and

9.  WHEREAS, on average, 2.9 million people travel in and out of airports in the United States each day on over 45,000 flights, of which, in 2022, over 18 percent were delayed and over 5 percent were cancelled; and

10.  WHEREAS, severe air travel staffing shortages, particularly with respect to air traffic controllers have contributed to many travel delays and cancellations, including staffing levels of only 54 percent at New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), or N90, which coordinates flights in and out of John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, contributing to serious travel complications in this high-traffic region and across the country; and

11.  WHEREAS, as the FAA hires FCT controllers, there is often insufficient notice to the airports and it is affecting continuity of service at FCT towers, including those that have a complex mix of aviation activity, such as the busiest FCT tower in the program located at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (Gateway); and

12.  WHEREAS, Congress, particularly the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has been working toward development of a comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill, including by holding a series of five hearings covering the FAA reauthorization, specifically focused on: America as the “gold standard” in aviation safety; securing the future of general aviation; navigating the entirety of the airline passenger experience; harnessing the evolution of flight to deliver for American airline passengers; and existing and future challenges facing the aerospace workforce in the U.S.; and

13.  WHEREAS, enacting a long-term FAA Reauthorization is critical to ensuring a vibrant U.S. aviation future and maintaining U.S. status as the global gold standard for air travel,

14.  NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to pass comprehensive and long-term Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization prior to September 30; and

15.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress and the Department of Transportation to increase the authorized funding levels of the AIP to a minimum of $4 billion annually; and

16.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to extend AIP eligibility to all activities allowed under the PFC program, as directed under the IIJA; and

17.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to fully fund the FCT Program; and

18.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to require the FAA to coordinate with respective FCT Airport operators when hiring away an FCT controller.

In Support of a Long-Term Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Addressing Aviation Industry Economic and Workforce Development

1.  WHEREAS, the nation's cities rely on the robustness, reliability, and safety of America's aviation system to move people and goods; and

2.  WHEREAS, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in 2023 civil aviation contributes roughly $1.8 trillion annually to the national economy, provides 10.9 million jobs and constitutes 5.2 percent of the gross national product; and

3.  WHEREAS, America's aviation system is important to the economies of the nation's cities; and

4.  WHEREAS, Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, a bipartisan, five-year authorization bill that extended the agency's funding and authorities through fiscal year 2023; and

5.  WHEREAS, the nation's aviation system would benefit from a long-term Federal Aviation Administration authorization with sufficient levels of funding; and

6.  WHEREAS, United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, the former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has expressed the urgent need for FAA modernization in a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill; and

7.  WHEREAS, The United States Conference of Mayors has consistently supported adequate funding to undertake necessary airport modernization, expansion projects, and workforce development; and

8.  WHEREAS, Section 625 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 encourages pathways for careers in aviation for students through registered apprenticeships and workforce development programs; and

9.  WHEREAS, local leaders know best how to regulate issues that affect their residents,

10.  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to pass a long-term Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization upon expiration of the current law, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 on September 30, 2023; and

11.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress and the Administration to support the nation's airports in securing additional capital funds needed to undertake critical modernization and expansion projects, including workforce development and aviation industry opportunities into the future through enhanced training and programming for employees, earn-and-learn internship and apprenticeship programs aimed at developing aviation talent; and

12.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to prioritize workforce development initiatives to support the education of future aircraft pilots, technical workers, and the development of the aircraft pilot workforce; and

13.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the full funding and implementation of the FAA Reauthorization Act, which includes the following major provisions, among others:

• Establish new educational programs that teach technical skills used in aviation.
• Establish scholarships or apprenticeships for individuals pursuing employment in the aviation industry.
• Support outreach about careers in the aviation industry to primary, secondary, and post-secondary school students and to communities underrepresented in the industry.
• Support educational opportunities related to aviation in economically disadvantaged geographic areas.
• Support transition to careers in aviation, including for members of the Armed Forces.
• Support the infusion of resources toward study of how these situations impact aviation safety and freedom of movement.
• Invest in the technical operations workforce by providing financial assistance support for these workers.
• Invest in the study of current and future mega trends in aviation to anticipate and advance opportunities, as well as mitigate against impacts of climate change, rapid urbanization, demographic shifts, technological and aerospace innovations, and international geopolitical challenges.
• Streamline approval process for airport infrastructure projects as the FAA regulatory process can take years to approve projects, which negatively impacts airports and travelers.