Transcript Highlights:

• publicized on the first day of school in 2023, our transportation crisis was the direct result of our not mapping
• publicized on the first day of school in 2023, our transportation crisis was the direct result of our not mapping
• result</c><00:41:51.760><c> of</c><00:41:52.079><c> our</c><00:41:52.319><c> not</c><00:41:52.560><c> mapping
• </c><00:41:53.119><c> our</c> direct result of our not mapping our direct result of our not mapping our

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call: 0:00:08 26RS SB 3: 0:02:50 26RS SB 1: 0:21:12, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We love to show dots on a map, and this map shows you where investments in the public housing preservation
• First, we love to show dots on a map, and this map shows you where investments in the public housing
• A question from me as I was looking at that map: I did see quite a few counties in rural Minnesota that

Bills: HF919, HF1192, HF212, HF214

Keywords: wastewater, infrastructure, funding, Litchfield, economic development, environmental compliance, Hastings, water treatment, PFAS, nitrates, bonds, capital investment, public health, HF212, Round Lake-Brewster, Independent School District No. 2907, school construction, school building, sales tax exemption, use tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• He said these are not just streets on a map to him; these are the neighborhoods where he spent his childhood
• said, 'I learned the streets of Austin by delivering pizzas'—oh, great, you don't need the ambulance mapping
• 01:02:19.760><c> need</c><01:02:19.960><c> the</c><01:02:20.079><c> ambulance</c><01:02:20.480><c> mapping
• </c> you don't need the ambulance mapping you don't need the ambulance mapping systems<01:02:21.160><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• While several think tanks and research groups already map and report on PRC port activities, this bill
• While several think tanks and research groups already map and report on PRC port activities, this bill
• While several think tanks and research groups already map and report on PRC port activities, this bill
• While several think tanks and research groups already map and report on PRC port activities, this bill
• </c><03:55:24.560><c> and</c> and research groups already map and and research groups already map and

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, May 19, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Secondly, administered by our 11th Hall Map and Education Center, a $350,000 grant was canceled by the
• National Endowment for the Humanities, related to the digitization of historical maps and making them
• Comprehensive captures of the thought that a map maker has made.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on the impact of recent federal policy and budget actions on Massachusetts libraries, humanities organizations, arts institutions, and tourism. Testimony from library leaders described the loss or jeopardy of Institute of Museum and Library Services funding, including statewide databases, local grants, staff positions, E-rate/hotspot support, and digital equity programs. Witnesses said the cuts have already forced reductions in services, canceled grants and workshops, and in some cases left schools, students, job seekers, and low-income patrons without access to key resources. Members of the committee asked for lists of affected communities and databases, and several witnesses said they would provide additional written detail. Arts and humanities witnesses said federal terminations from the NEA, NEH, and IMLS have hit organizations across the Commonwealth, including Mass Cultural Council, Mass Humanities, Mass MoCA, and local museums and historical societies. They described canceled or rescinded grants, layoffs, reduced programming, and a chilling effect on future applications and on artistic and scholarly work, especially where federal awards had already been matched with local or private funds. Several speakers also raised concerns about executive-branch DEI conditions attached to funding and about book challenges and book banning, saying these trends threaten intellectual freedom and public access to culture and history. Committee members emphasized the economic importance of the sector and the need to publicize the impacts. Tourism officials from Meet Boston and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism testified that federal cuts and broader geopolitical and tariff issues are hurting international visitation, especially from Canada and Western Europe, and could affect major upcoming events such as the 2026 World Cup and Sail Boston. They said reduced funding for Brand USA and Discover New England will weaken long-term marketing efforts and international partnerships, with downstream effects on hotel tax revenue, jobs, and workforce recruitment. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with members mainly asking questions and requesting follow-up written testimony and data.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's additional management and delivery costs, and then the year of expenditure dollars obviously map
• need, in the black line here, we need the black line here to be over what we saw on the costs on the map
• So that map reflected $5.68 billion in costs, and what you see here is committed funding available for

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We mapped out a strategic plan, but she is really the one who's implementing it, so I really do want
• So I recently read that the whatever the federal agency is that maps flood zones had done this ridiculously
• under-mapping.

Summary: The Committee on Director Nominations met with four members present and approved the prior minutes without objection. Chair Jay Kaufman outlined the committee’s role in reviewing executive nominations and explained the hearing process for three nominees: Mary Foote for the Office of Economic Opportunity, Debbie Johnston for the Department of Health Services, and Chuck Bassett. Foote did not appear for her hearing, and members discussed her absence and alleged omissions in her disclosure materials, including prior service with Planned Parenthood-related organizations. The committee then moved to reject her nomination, and the motion passed 3-2, recommending that the full Senate reject Mary Foote. Debbie Johnston, nominee to lead the Department of Health Services, appeared and gave an opening statement describing her Arizona background, prior Senate staff work, and more than 20 years with the Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association. She said her priorities at ADHS include rebuilding trust in public health licensing, improving stakeholder engagement, standardizing rulemaking communication, addressing alleged religious discrimination and retaliation concerns in licensing, and using technology and AI to improve efficiency. In questioning, senators pressed her on her management style, conflict-of-interest safeguards given her prior industry role, enforcement priorities, budget pressures, behavioral health and assisted living oversight, and the department’s response to COVID-19. Johnston said she would follow statutes, recuse herself from enforcement matters involving former contacts, and resign if directed to carry out an unlawful policy. She also said the department does not regulate therapy itself, only facilities, and that it would rely on legal counsel regarding the governor’s conversion-therapy executive order and related federal civil-rights allegations. Several senators focused on public health trust and the department’s pandemic response, with Johnston acknowledging concerns about closures, data collection, and communication during COVID-19 while saying she would review past after-action materials and be better prepared in the future. Public testimony from stakeholders in aging services and health care strongly supported her confirmation, praising her accessibility, responsiveness, and collaborative approach. After testimony, the vice chair moved to recommend Johnston’s confirmation to the full Senate. The roll call was underway when the transcript ended, with several members voting aye and one member expressing reservations about her not reviewing the pandemic after-action report before another crisis occurs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We mapped out a strategic plan, but she is really the one who's implementing it, so I really do want
• So I recently read that the whatever the federal agency is that maps flood zones had done this ridiculously
• under-mapping.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On this slide, we show a generalized map of our groundwater aquifers across the state, and this is color-coded
• And broken out, you can see the map of the U.S. and the different color codes based on percentage of
• One of those results being here, as you can see on these maps. These are two of the primary...

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On this slide, we show a generalized map of our groundwater aquifers across the state, and this is color-coded
• And broken out, you can see the map of the U.S. and the different color codes based on percentage of
• One of those results being here, as you can see on these maps, these are two of the primary salt formations

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• Governor Landry to kind of lead the LIT effort, stood before almost a thousand people with a giant map
• Governor Landry to kind of lead the LIT effort, stood before almost a thousand people with a giant map
• And it had the South Shore and the North Shore on that map.

Bills: HB345, HB502, HB511, HB655, HB667, HB713, HB714, HB730, HB743, HB777, HB803, HB836, HB871, HB1037, HB1167, HB1174, HB1175

Keywords: rail infrastructure, ports, Class II railroads, Class III railroads, transportation, Caddo Parish, property taxes, abatement, payment in lieu of taxes, taxing entities, governmental approval, pursuit intervention, law enforcement, safety technology, GPS tracking, public safety, ferries, Department of Transportation, contracts, state legislation

Summary: The committee heard several transportation and aviation measures. HB 1175, by Rep. Turner, updated aeronautics-related definitions and was reported favorably without objection. HB 655, by Rep. Brough, authorized DOTD to use cost-plus contracts for operation and maintenance of state ferry systems, with Secretary Glenn LaDay explaining it was intended to give DOTD flexibility for possible privatization or contracting of ferries such as Cameron; it was also reported favorably. HB 1037, by Chairman Borek, shifted certain DOTD operational responsibilities to a chief operating officer and was reported favorably, and HB 1174, also by Chairman Borek, recreated DOTD and was reported favorably as a cleanup measure. HB 714 and HB 502 were voluntarily deferred. The committee then considered several port-related bills. HB 871, by Rep. Carver, would have added two St. Tammany Parish appointees to the Port of New Orleans board, but the author asked to voluntarily defer it, saying the timing was premature given ongoing work on the Louisiana International Terminal and related access projects. HB 345, by Rep. McMakin, expanded the Rail Infrastructure Improvement Program to include rail infrastructure at ports and was reported favorably. HB 713, by Rep. McCormick, would cap the Caddo-Bossier Port executive director’s compensation at the statewide average of the top ten port directors; after extensive debate and testimony from the port, the Port Association, and Caddo Parish opposing the bill, the committee voted 12-1 to involuntarily defer it. HB 667, also by Rep. McCormick, would change Caddo-Bossier Port commissioners from appointed to elected; witnesses argued it would politicize the board, create election costs, and conflict with the port’s current structure, and the committee again voted 12-1 to involuntarily defer the bill. The committee also advanced local infrastructure and flood-protection measures. HB 743, by Rep. St. Blanc, creating the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport District in St. Mary Parish, was reported favorably after testimony that the district would help the parish manage the airport as an economic development asset. HB 836, by Rep. Hilferty, would reconfirm members of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East by Senate confirmation; after concerns that the original August 1 date could interfere with hurricane-season operations, the committee adopted an amendment moving the reconfirmation date to December 1, 2026, and then reported the bill favorably by substitute. Finally, HB 730, by Rep. Cruz, was presented to prohibit the use of ADS-B aircraft tracking data to assess taxes or fees on aircraft owners, with an amendment narrowing the bill to smaller aircraft; the discussion continued into questions about enforcement and exemptions for carrier airports.

Transcript Highlights:

• For those of you who sit on House Municipal Committee, I shared with you a map of the district, and the
• survey was slightly different than what we had in here, and so this will correctly reflect the map that
• So this will correctly reflect the map that was shared within House Municipal.

Bills: HR91, HR92, HR93, HCR44, HR84, HR85, HR86, HR87, HR88, HR89, HR90, HCR42, HCR43, SCR21, HB483, HB484, HB893, HB1087, HB1088, HB1089, HB1090, HB1091, HB1092, HB1093, HB1094, HB1095, HB1096, HB1097, HB1098, HB1099, HB1100, HB1101, HB1102, HB1103, HB1104, HB1105, HB1106, HB1107, HB1108, HB1109, HB1110, HB1111, HB1112, HB1113, HB1114, HB1116, HB1117, HB1118, HB1119, HB1120, HB1121, HB1122, HB1123, HB1124, HB1125, HB1126, HB1127, HB1128, HB1129, HB1130, HB1131, HB1132, HB1133, HB1134, HB1135, HB1136, HB1137, HB1138, HB1139, HB1140, HB1141, HB1142, HB1143, HB1144, HB1145, HB1146, HB1147, HB1148, HB1149, HB1150, HB1151, HB1152, HB1153, HB1154, HB1155, HB1156, HB1157, HB1158, HB1159, HB1160, HB1161, HB1162, HB1163, HB1164, HB1165, HB1166, HB1167, HB1168, HB1169, HB1170, HB1171, HB1172, HB1173, HB1174, HB1175, HB1176, HB1177, HB1178, HB1179, HB1180, HB1181, HB1182, HB1183, HB1184, HB1185, HB1186, HB1187, HB1188, HB1189, HB1190, HB1191, HB1192, HB1193, HB1194, HB1195, HB1196, HB1197, HB1198, HB1199, HB1200, HB1201, HB1202, HB1203, HB1204, HB1205, HB1206, HB1207, HB1208, HB1209, HB1210, HB1211, HB1212, HB1213, HB1214, HB1215, HB1216, HB1217, HB1218, HB1219, HB1220, HB1221, HB1222, HB1223, HB1224, HB1225, HB1226, HB1227, HB1228, HB1229, HB1230, HB1231, SB1, SB54, SB82, SB87, SB92, SB93, SB99, SB104, SB113, SB114, SB115, SB123, SB129, SB133, SB161, SB162, SB224, SB236, SB275, SB280, SB289, SB305, SB310, SB325, SB330, SB339, SB350, SB359, SB382, SB410, SB412, HCR10, HB54, HB55, HB67, HB73, HB125, HB133, HB158, HB168, HB169, HB191, HB195, HB205, HB225, HB245, HB280, HB283, HB296, HB319, HB325, HB339, HB399, HB407, HB448, HB482, HB550, HB591, HB821, HB826, HB992, HB995, HB1085, HB1086, HR15, HR20, HCR14, HCR6, HCR19, HB861, HB889, HB904, HB907, HB908, HB929, HB1009, HB13, HB23, HB25, HB32, HB41, HB90, HB120, HB121, HB122, HB127, HB138, HB139, HB141, HB179, HB187, HB213, HB247, HB286, HB332, HB344, HB357, HB367, HB370, HB462, HB505, HB527, HB537, HB605, HB680, HB681, HB725, HB780, HB782, HB847, HB892, HB911, HB916, HB1012, HB81, HB134, HB154, HB163, HB170, HB194, HB217, HB220, HB254, HB259, HB290, HB308, HB311, HB360, HB382, HB401, HB410, HB417, HB463, HB575, HB592, HB718, HB723, HB750, HB755, HB776, HB812, HB844, HB882, HB888, HB961, HB966, HB980, HB228, HB289, HB735, HB796, HB284, HB301, HB722, HB468, HB546, HB746, HB842, HB923, HB46, HB166, HB349, HB352, HB436, HB588, HB140, HB429, HB827, HB953, HB901, HB9, HB52, HB58, HB193, HB400, HB570, HB577, HB582, HB733, HB747, HB868, HB952

Keywords: Tulane University, education, research, economic impact, healthcare, Louisiana, condolences, memorial, community service, faith, legacy, centenarian, tribute, honor, longevity, philanthropy, youth leadership, fundraising, nonprofits, physical therapy

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the pledge, and then spent much of the day on personal privileges and resolutions recognizing groups and individuals. Members honored Physical Therapy Day at the Capitol, Tulane Day at the Capitol, and Landscape Architecture Month/Day, and also recognized the Liftoff Louisiana team for its work on an FAA advanced air mobility pilot program. The chamber also observed a moment of silence for former Representative Gene Durgey and adopted several condolence resolutions. The House then took up a long series of introductions and committee reports on bills, with many measures referred to committees and several resolutions adopted without objection. Among the more notable floor actions, the House adopted resolutions for Tulane University, physical therapy, landscape architecture, and the Liftoff Louisiana team, while other resolutions expressing condolences or commending individuals were either adopted or laid over. The chamber also received a large number of House and Senate bills on second reading for referral, covering topics such as education, health care, insurance, transportation, criminal justice, natural resources, taxation, and government administration. During floor consideration of bills, the House passed a number of measures, including a government clean-up bill removing inactive boards and commissions, an oyster tagging measure for alternative cultivation, a naloxone immunity bill, and a Secretary of State fee bill that drew some opposition but passed. Other bills approved included legislation on auto glass insurance practices, reckless driving at speeds over 100 mph, retirement system changes and cost-of-living adjustments, and several local crime prevention or improvement district measures. Some bills were amended or temporarily returned to the calendar for correction, including a firefighter retirement board governance bill, while most final passages were accompanied by motions to table reconsideration and, in some cases, requests for co-authors.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, Representative Contreras, it's about 16.6 miles according to the maps. 16.6 miles.
• Okay, thank you. 16.6 miles according to the maps. All right, thank you, sir.
• Chairman, Kingman is one of the hotspots in the country, as you can see by that heat map.

Summary: The committee heard several transportation-related appropriation and policy bills. SB 1273 would appropriate $14 million in FY2027 for pavement rehabilitation of Olga Frontage Road between Bowie and San Simon; after brief discussion about the road’s length and whether it was on a rural transportation priority list, the bill was reported out 3-2 with a do pass recommendation. SB 1452 would create a cargo theft task force in the Attorney General’s office, modeled on the retail theft task force, with reporting and investigative duties; Tony Bradley of the Arizona Trucking Association testified in support, describing cargo theft as a growing, sophisticated problem and noting the funding would come from the consumer fraud protection fund rather than the general fund. The committee adopted an amendment making the task force subject to appropriations and then passed the bill 5-0. The committee also considered SB 1332, which would require the Auditor General and an independent transportation research entity to study Maricopa County light rail expansion and compare it with other transit technologies. Senator Kavanaugh argued the study was needed before committing billions more to light rail and said the governor’s office was open to the concept. Supporters, including local business owners, said the study would provide needed transparency and reflect concerns about business impacts and changing transportation options. Opponents, including Valley Metro, the City of Phoenix, and transit advocates, argued the state should not second-guess locally approved transit plans and pointed to existing studies, ridership, and economic development along light rail corridors. The bill passed 4-3. SB 1059 appropriates $9.2 million for an additional right-turn lane at State Route 87 and State Route 260, and Senator Wendy Rogers used the hearing to describe several rural road projects she and Representative Blackman were pursuing, emphasizing safety, congestion, and local requests from mayors and councils. Members broadly supported the need for rural infrastructure, and the bill was reported out unanimously. The committee then took up SB 1209, which would exempt homeless individuals and others without a residence address from non-operating ID fees if they prove U.S. citizenship. Testimony from the Homeless ID Project and ADOT focused on how IDs help people obtain work and services, how citizenship and authorized presence are verified, and whether the amendment would create operational or fiscal issues; the discussion continued as the transcript ended, with no final vote shown for that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the last few years, when I've talked to employers, developers, investors, some of the heat map words
• Over the last few years, when I've talked to employers, developers, investors, some of the heat map words
• that come up, employers, investors, some of the heat map words that come up in every conversation are

Summary: The House approved the journal and recognized several special guests and departing staff before moving to bills on perfection and printing. House Bill 2636, the Mortgage Modification Act, was explained as a banking measure to keep a first mortgage in first position when modified, and it received bipartisan support and was ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1718, dealing with sovereign immunity caps and the inflation factor under section 537.610, was also advanced after questions about whether the cap should be measured at the time of injury or judgment; the sponsor said the bill would use the injury date and that trial attorneys were the main opposition. House Bills 2120 and 1698, combined as an anti-bullying measure known as Sawyer’s Law, were then taken up and advanced after extensive debate. The bill would require prompt reporting and investigation of bullying, reporting to administrators and school boards, and protections for staff and schools acting under the policy. An amendment from the Lady from Boone sought to remove zero-tolerance references, limit identifying information in reports, and give school boards more flexibility, but it failed on a voice vote. Supporters of the bill cited tragic bullying cases and argued schools need stronger reporting and accountability; opponents of the amendment and some speakers warned about due process, school board overreach, and potential liability. House Bill 2748, requiring daily physical activity for students, was then brought up with an amendment that would remove the emergency clause, delay implementation, and specify weekly activity minutes and how some activity time could count toward class requirements; members debated scheduling, teacher workload, and whether the proposal would reduce instructional time, but the discussion was still ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• How dated is the mapping systems that they're using? Thank you.
• How dated is the mapping systems that they're using?
• And this is why we need to step in on behalf of consumers to make sure that the mapping is up to date

Summary: The Select Committee on Native American Affairs met on Barona tribal land to examine rising homeowners insurance costs affecting tribal communities, with opening remarks from tribal leaders and Assembly members emphasizing tribal sovereignty, the history of forced settlement in high-risk areas, and the need for the state to recognize mitigation work already being done on tribal lands. The committee heard that wildfire, drought, and other climate-driven disasters have sharply increased insurance premiums and reduced coverage options, especially for tribes located in rural or mountainous areas that were not chosen by the tribes themselves. Cal Fire Deputy Director Frank Bigelow described the state’s wildfire response and tribal engagement efforts, including tribal liaisons on incident management teams, a Southern Region Tribal Affairs Deputy Chief, cultural burning agreements, and more than $30 million in tribal wildfire resilience grants over the last three years. Members questioned why tribal communities receive only a small share of grants, whether Cal Fire should do more outreach and budget proposals for tribes, and whether mitigation work is being recognized by insurers. Bigelow said Cal Fire is working with insurers and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety on mitigation standards, but acknowledged that more tribal outreach and participation are needed. Tribal chairpersons and fire chiefs testified that their communities are already investing heavily in fire protection through dedicated fire departments, fuel reduction, defensible space, prescribed burns, firebreaks, and home-hardening efforts, yet premiums remain high or coverage is denied. Barona leaders said premiums can range from $6,000 to $18,000 and urged insurers to assess properties individually rather than by broad high-risk zones. Soboba, Hamu, and Pechanga representatives described similar efforts and said grant rules, environmental review, and insurer practices can make it difficult to translate mitigation into lower rates. Several members suggested short-term state assistance or a tribal insurance mitigation fund, and the committee discussed the possibility of requiring insurers to better account for tribal mitigation and sovereignty in risk assessments.

Transcript Highlights:

• But it’s what type of technology are they using, how dated is this, the mapping systems...
• How dated is this, the mapping systems that they’re using?
• And this is why we need to step in on behalf of the consumers to make sure that the mapping is up to

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This map is showing you that the rates of homelessness are relatively high for most of the 44 continuums
• also called COCs. 44 continuums of care in California, also called COCs, with darker shades of this map
• The places that have the highest rates, which are the darkest shades of blue on this map, vary widely

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee 4 met to hear an oversight discussion focused on homelessness, including the state of homelessness in California, state data systems, and the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HAP) program. In opening remarks, the chair emphasized accountability and the need to focus on families and people at the bottom rung, while the vice chair argued that homelessness and affordability problems stem from policy choices and the state should give counties more flexibility rather than top-down mandates. The committee also announced that the one scheduled vote would be postponed and public comment would be taken later. Dr. Ryan Finnegan of UC Berkeley’s Turner Center presented recent homelessness data, saying California’s homelessness remains high at about 187,000 people in the 2024 point-in-time count, with most still unsheltered, though the unsheltered share has declined somewhat. He explained differences between point-in-time counts and the state’s Homeless Data Integration System (HDIS), noted progress in shelter, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and interim housing capacity, and highlighted declines in youth and veteran homelessness. He also described persistent racial disparities, the large number of chronically homeless people, and risks from federal changes and possible reductions to programs such as Emergency Housing Vouchers and Continuum of Care funding. Members questioned the causes of recent trends, the role of Housing First, Proposition 47, Martin v. Boise, and how funding streams such as HAP and CalAIM are layered together. The California Interagency Council on Homelessness then outlined its data systems and AB 799 implementation. Staff explained that HDIS aggregates HMIS data from all 44 continuums of care and is used to measure outcomes, disparities, and program effectiveness statewide. They said HAP 4 was cost-effective under the State Auditor’s methodology, and that new AB 799 dashboards will provide more public-facing fiscal and outcome reporting by June 2027. Members asked whether the system can better distinguish which interventions work, how self-sufficiency will be measured, how fraud is detected, and whether the council can meet the auditor’s concerns on time. Cal ICH said it has met prior statutory deadlines, that program outcome data already exist, and that fiscal reporting will be built through a web-based tool and aligned with existing departmental reporting systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• This map is showing you that the rates of homelessness are relatively high for most of the 44 continuums
• homelessness, the places that have the highest rates, which are the darkest shades of blue on this map
• The places that have the highest rates, which are the darkest shades of blue on this map, vary widely

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On top of that, the maps created under this referral will result in obvious violations of the Voting
• Congress, and, you know, it's very shaky grounds that because the court didn't forbid citizen-only maps
• That's not how constitutional law normally works. citizen-only maps states can do it.

Summary: The Senate met in several Committee of the Whole sessions to consider a large number of bills, with most measures receiving do-pass recommendations and several being amended before advancing. Early action included bills on fentanyl penalties (SB 1061), firearm suppressors/prohibited weapons (SB 1069), DCS attorney appearance and hotline/case-history access (SB 1081 and SB 1174), mandatory reporting and scrap metal theft (SB 1127 and SB 1128), and a narcotic-drug-to-minor offense bill (SB 1170). Senators Ortiz, Kuby, and others argued against the drug bills as harmful mandatory-minimum policies that would reduce judicial discretion and worsen addiction and incarceration outcomes, while supporters framed them as public-safety measures. SB 1170 ultimately failed on third reading; SB 1061, SB 1069, SB 1127, SB 1128, SB 1171, SB 1174, and SB 1188 passed, while SB 1021 later failed after concerns were raised about possible federal anti-kickback conflicts. The chamber also advanced health-care and regulatory measures, including chiropractic board compliance training (SB 1021), radiation protection and health-care institution requirements (SB 1120 and SB 1121), health care cost containment system changes (SB 1171), and pharmacy scheduling/prescription authority (SB 1188). Several of these bills were amended with technical changes or rulemaking authority, and most passed on third reading. SB 1243 and SB 1244 on court-ordered treatment also moved forward after amendments; supporters said the changes would improve notice and allow guardians or agencies to act more effectively, while opponents warned about due-process concerns and expanded coercive treatment authority. In later calendars, the Senate considered local planning and permitting (SB 1241), school access and GED preparation (SB 1166 and SB 1370), water and groundwater issues (SB 1202 and SB 1287), tax and finance measures (SB 1180, SB 1221, SB 1293, SB 1294, and SB 1429), and a constitutional resolution on legislative boundaries (SCR 1031). SB 1166 was amended to limit GED preparation to grades 11 and 12, SB 1241 and SB 1287 received technical amendments, and SB 1180 was clarified to align tax forms with federal conformity. SB 1075 on foreign entities and land sales drew the most debate: an Ortiz amendment would have shifted it toward corporate homebuyer restrictions and housing affordability, but that amendment was defeated on a roll call vote before the bill advanced as amended. Most remaining measures passed their third readings, with the Senate adopting Committee of the Whole reports and transmitting the approved bills to the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• I wonder if you might have a um like<00:13:03.360><c> a</c><00:13:03.680><c> a</c><00:13:03.920><c> map
• <c> us</c><00:13:04.720><c> across</c><00:13:05.040><c> the</c><00:13:05.360><c> state</c> like a a map
• showing us across the state like a a map showing us across the state for<00:13:05.760><c> some</c><00

Keywords: 958, all