DLA Office Bulletin #20-03: At-Risk Preliminary Engineering, issued on August 11, 2020, details these policy changes.
Except for projects with federal funds that require allocation by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) (e.g., Active Transportation Program, Trade Corridor Enhancement Program, and State Transportation Improvement Program funds), local agencies may begin reimbursable PE work prior to receiving federal authorization for such work, assuming the project and phase are included in a federally-approved FSTIP document or amendment prior to incurring costs. Programming projects in the FSTIP or starting reimbursed work prior to authorization does not necessarily constitute eligibility of such projects for federal aid reimbursement.
Access the DLA Office Bulletin here: https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/local-assistance/documents/ob/2020/ob20-03.pdf