Legislative Accomplishments

Over the past 10 years, Congresswoman Matsui has passed a number of important bills and has advanced key regional and national priorities. 

• Clean Energy
• Consumer Protection
• Flood Insurance Rates
• Flood Protection
• Health Care
• Public Safety
• Transportation
• Veterans & the Armed Forces

 

Building a Clean Energy Economy

• $127.5 million grant for SMUD to install Smart Grid and modernize electricity grid from the U.S. Department of Energy (2009)
• $2 million Los Rios Community College District to create GreenForce clean energy workforce training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (2009) and $2.5 million for SETA clean energy job training efforts (2009)
• Instrumental in creating the California Rural Home Mortgage Finance Authority Homebuyers Fund (CHF) home retrofit loan program, leveraged $20 million in private investment for home energy retrofits in California (2012)
• City of Sacramento Solar American City designation from the U.S. Department of Energy (2008)

 

Protecting Consumers

 

• Introduced H.R. 3360, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA), legislation to put in place critical protections for thousands of Americans who unknowingly put themselves at risk when they go on a cruise.  The CVSSA requires the cruise industry to comply with a number of security provisions including specific rail heights, peep holes in cabin doors, warning devices, cabin security measures, video surveillance, and crime reporting requirements.  The bill was signed into law on July 27, 2010.

• Introduced H.R. 4805, the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, to protect American consumers from the high use of the formaldehyde toxin used in common household items.  H.R. 4805 was signed into law on July 7, 2010.

• Introduced the Cruise Passenger Protection Act (CPPA) to build on the protections for cruise passengers in the CVSSA.  A key provision from that bill was signed into law in December 2014 as part of the Coast Guard reauthorization bill.  This provision requires a number of changes to the cruise vessel crime data website to ensure it is user-friendly and includes all important data.  The website will be required to identify each cruise line by name, identify each crime committed or allegedly committed by a passenger or crewmember regardless of the status of the investigation, and identify the number of individuals alleged overboard.

Keeping Flood Insurance Affordable for Sacramento Families

 

• Ensured flood insurance relief in Natomas, secured the lower-cost PRP rate for Natomas residents in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, saving each policy holder roughly $1,000 a year
• Flood insurance requirement lifted in Meadowview & Pocket neighborhoods (2007) and South Sacramento (2014)
• Phase-in of new flood insurance rates in Natomas and elsewhere (amendment to H.R. 1309 was included in H.R. 4348, signed into law on July 6, 2012)

Reducing Sacramento's Flood Risk

• Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project authorized, under construction, and to be completed in 2017, will double much of Sacramento’s level of flood protection (included in H.R. 1495, signed into law November 8, 2007)
• Natomas Levee Improvement Project authorized (H.R. 135 included in H.R. 3080, signed into law June 10, 2014)
• Vegetation on levee reforms, creation of regional variances process (H.R. 399 included in H.R. 3080, signed into law June 10, 2014)
• Federal crediting reforms to encourage local flood protection projects (H.R. 2293 included in H.R. 3080, signed into law June 10, 2014)
• Secured over $750 million in federal funding for Sacramento area flood protection projects (2005- present)

Expanding and Improving Our Nation's Health

• Excellence in Mental Health Act passed into law, includes $1.1 billion investment in community mental health treatment centers (H.R. 1263 included in H.R. 4302, signed into law April 1, 2014)
• Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund included in the Affordable Care Act, creates grant programs to fund preventive services (H.R. 1940included in H.R. 3590, signed into law March 23, 2010)
• Medicare IVIG Access Act passed into law (worked with Rep. Kevin Brady), ensures patients may obtain their life saving intravenous immunoglobulin through Medicare in the home setting (H.R. 1845 signed into law on January 10, 2013)
• Three local health care clinics named Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and FQHC Look-Alike: Wellspace Health (2009), Elica Health (2012) and Cares Community Clinic (2014)
• School Based Health Center Capital Program grants awarded to Wellspace Health for clinic at Hiram Johnson High School and Elica Health mobile clinic (2012)
• Instrumental in creation of Sacramento regional Health Care Partnership, an effort to improve local health care clinics (2013)
• $5 million Los Rios Health Force nursing workforce training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (2010)
• Co-Chair of Seniors Taskforce, worked to prevent cuts to Social Security and Medicare (2010 to present)

 

Improving Public Safety

 

• Sacramento Police Department awarded funding from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program to hire 70 officers (2009, 2011, 2013)
• Sacramento Sheriff’s Department awarded funding from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program to hire 75 deputies (2010, 2011)
• Secured $27.4 million since 2005 for regional homeland security training and equipment through the federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program
• Passed legislation improving methodology for distribution of homeland security grants (portions of H.R. 296 included in H.R. 1, signed into law August 3, 2007)
• Passed amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill to increase homeland security funding by $50 million (signed into law December 26, 2007)

Strengthening Sacramento's Transportation Infrastructure

 

• South Line Phase Two light rail extension to Cosumnes River College funded ($135 million), under construction and to be completed in 2015
• Downtown Intermodal Project Phase 1/ Rail Line Relocation Project completed and funded with $37 millionof federal funding
• Downtown Intermodal Project Phase 2/ Historic Depot renovation funded with $15 millionfederal grant and under construction
• $5 million grant to fund Yolo Crossover Project from the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve passenger rail service between Davis and Sacramento (completed 2013)
• I Street Bridge Replacement, to be built with $80 in federal funding from the Federal Highway Bridge Program, currently in design

Supporting our Veterans and Armed Forces

• Improved Army College Fund educational benefits (amendment included in S. 3001, signed into law October 14, 2008)
• Supported funding for a number of improvements at the Mather VA Hospital, including the mental health building, the outpatient surgery building, OIF/OEF/OND rehabilitation, and the parking garage
• Secured $6.9 million for the U.S. Army Reserve’s BT Collins High-Tech Training Center construction (opened 2010)