Transcript Highlights:

• to reporting requirements for natural gas pipeline projects, creating the Alaska Affordable Heating Fuel
• There's a new heating fuel assistance fund established in the Senate version that creates a new fund
• to reporting requirements for natural gas pipeline projects; creating the Alaska Affordable Heating Fuel

Transcript Highlights:

• And this disruption from California and gas supply will directly impact Arizona fuel prices, and also
• So therefore that would open up other options for a fuel supply.
• Therefore, that would open up other options for fuel supply. So anyway, I'm open for any questions.

Committee: House House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard three measures. HB 2013 would require the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to submit an exceptional event demonstration to the EPA when wildfire smoke from federally managed land affects the state. The sponsor said it would help Arizona avoid penalties tied to uncontrollable wildfire events and could ease pressure on air-quality compliance; Sierra Club opposed it, arguing the bill could create unnecessary filings and burdens, while ADEQ was neutral. The committee voted 5-1 to give HB 2013 a due pass recommendation. HB 2292, as amended, would create the Wildfire Mitigation and Risk Reduction Authority and fund under the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, with the amendment renaming the authority, capping administrative costs at 8%, and prioritizing funding for single-family and multifamily dwellings. Supporters from Coconino County and the County Supervisors Association said the program would help reduce wildfire risk, support community hardening, and address rising homeowners insurance costs by redirecting $20 million from existing insurance premium tax revenues; members clarified it was not a new tax. The committee adopted the amendment and then approved the bill 8-0. HCM 2011 urges Congress to pass federal legislation to delist the Mexican wolf, defund the reintroduction program, and transfer management to local authorities. Supporters said ranchers have been harmed by wolf predation and that delisting is overdue, while Sierra Club opposed the memorial, saying the species remains under-recovered and decisions should be based on science. The committee approved the memorial 5-2 and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first finding: the AAC reported to us an unauthorized purchase on the department's fuel credit card
• after an employee of the division was observed purchasing fuel for personal use with a state-issued
• fuel card.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-STATE AGENCIES

Summary: The committee met with prayer and approved the January minutes, then heard a series of Arkansas Legislative Audit reports. Reports with findings were presented for the Department of Human Services, Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, Department of Corrections, and Department of Veterans Affairs, along with a special report on law enforcement racial profiling policy compliance. Several reports without findings were also filed without objection. For DHS, auditors reported apparent thefts involving false benefit claims in disaster nutrition assistance and Medicaid, a nearly $610,000 altered warrant cashed by a California auto body shop, and multiple asset-control issues, including missing equipment, inventory discrepancies, and improper sales tax paid on exempt vehicle purchases. Members questioned DHS about the warrant fraud and whether other agencies or California officials had been notified. For Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, auditors cited missing museum receipts and problems with change funds at Daisy State Park and War Memorial Stadium; department officials said they are considering cashless payment options and provided an update on the museum loss investigation. For Corrections, auditors reported unauthorized personal fuel-card purchases totaling about $4,500 and a delayed disaster recovery test for critical IT systems. Department officials said staffing has been increased for fuel-card oversight and that a full production disaster recovery test is scheduled soon. For Veterans Affairs, auditors found improper pay for employees who were not working, duplicate vendor payment, and numerous overtime approvals that were not properly authorized; the department said it has tightened overtime approval procedures. The special report said only 203 of 383 law enforcement agencies had responded regarding racial profiling policies, and the Attorney General had notified the remaining agencies that they were not in compliance. The committee requested a list of nonresponding agencies and adjourned, with the next meeting scheduled for March 12.

Transcript Highlights:

• exemption, the public utility tax exemption for manufacture and sale of natural gas as a transportation fuel
• machinery and equipment used to manufacture liquefied and compressed natural gas as a transportation fuel
• legislature had an interest in knowing how much natural gas was produced and sold as a transportation fuel

Committee: Joint Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences

Summary: The Citizens Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on October 22, 2025. Members approved the September 22, 2025 meeting minutes unanimously and reviewed a draft 2026 meeting schedule, tentatively setting meetings for May 6, August 4, September 15, and October 20, 2026, without taking a formal vote. The commission then worked through its commissioner comments on tax preference reviews, with Commissioner Forsyth recusing himself from the natural gas for transportation and energy sales to silicon smelters items. The discussion focused on reconciling endorse/endorse with comment/does not endorse positions into final recommendations. The commission adopted comments for the liquefied natural gas preference, the natural gas for transportation preference, the energy sales to silicon smelters preference, several low-income housing and veterans-related preferences, and other reviewed tax preferences. Several comments emphasized reporting burdens, the need for clearer legislative guidance, and in the veterans’ item, the possibility that low use may reflect limited visibility of the preference. Staff also clarified the reporting requirements for the natural gas transportation preference and the rationale for continuing the LNG preference while asking the legislature to consider a Department of Revenue workgroup report. All commissioner comment packages were ultimately adopted by roll call votes, with the relevant recusals noted. No members of the public testified in person. The chair invited written testimony by email or mail and thanked staff and members for their work. The next commission meeting was announced for May 6, 2026, at 10 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• For that pollution on the part of the fossil fuel industry, that they're paying an appropriate share
• Government had fee, was polluted by the fossil fuel industry, and then transferred it without settling
• up with the fossil fuel industry for that harm, they shouldn't be able to walk away from any accountability

Bills: SB347 , SB351

Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the nationwide consumer and fuel the nationwide consumer and fuel retailer<00:32:04.960><c> choice
• </c> and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025. and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025.
• </c> reforms to the to the renewable fuel reforms to the to the renewable fuel standard.<00:41:11.200
• </c><01:19:35.360><c> retro</c><01:19:36.080><c> fuel</c> nationwide consumer and fuel retro fuel nationwide
• consumer and fuel retro fuel retailer<01:19:37.120><c> choice</c><01:19:37.440><c> act</c><01:19:37.840

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:41:38.840><c> models</c> discussing alternative delivery models discussing alternative delivery
• So, please Medicaid delivery model.
• </c><00:54:08.480><c> of</c> transformative system of delivery of transformative system of delivery of
• Um how delivery system in Kentucky.
• ><01:15:14.320><c> financing,</c> benefits, service delivery, financing, benefits, service delivery,

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on September 24, 2025, approved the minutes from the September 9 meeting, and then continued its discussion of Medicaid waivers with Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock from the Department for Medicaid Services. Members asked for updates on the 2024 waiver waitlist management assessment recommendations, including aligning waiver policies, standardizing applications and waitlist placement, and modernizing data systems. DMS said that work is being done jointly with Aging and Independent Living and Behavioral Health/Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities through task forces, that ARPA spending delayed action, and that implementation timelines extend through March 2027. The board also reviewed per-member waiver cost averages for fiscal years 2023 through 2025 for ABI, ABI long-term care, HCBS, Model II, Michelle P, and SCL. DMS emphasized these figures were benefit-only averages based on paid claims, not full waiver costs, and explained that true budget neutrality is calculated on an aggregate basis against institutional care comparisons approved by CMS. DMS said all six waivers remain in compliance with budget neutrality and that the most recent 18-month lag review for FY 2022 and FY 2023 found costs at or below institutional care. Members also asked about unused waiver slots; DMS said slots generally cannot be reallocated mid-year if they have been used, except in cases such as death or reserved capacity, because CMS treats participants as unduplicated for the waiver year. A major portion of the meeting focused on the new child waiver created under House Bill 6. Legislators questioned whether the waiver’s design, including the exclusion of participant-directed services and the emphasis on high-acuity children with behavioral health, DCBS, or juvenile justice involvement, matched the bill’s intent to keep children at home. DMS said it used the $14.7 million appropriated for FY 2026 to develop the program, that there is no priority list, and that the waiver is intended to serve the highest-acuity children while also addressing residential needs for those sleeping in offices or placed out of state. Members also raised concerns about the rapid growth of the HCBS waiting list and asked for more detail on age and timing patterns, which DMS said it would provide later. Finally, DMS gave average processing times from application to eligibility determination and from approval to service start, and said the overall average from application to services beginning was about 80 days, while members requested follow-up information on the Carewise assessment contract and related costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• 9, striking 'an interstate agreement that is established to administer the payment or reporting of fuel
• An interstate agreement that is established for paying or reporting fuel taxes. I'm sorry, Mr.
• Paying or reporting fuel taxes—oh yeah, no.
• What I was doing initially: an interstate agreement that is established for paying or reporting fuel
• Away from individual consumption of fossil fuels.

Committee: Joint Legislative Council

Transcript Highlights:

• So, it's just fuel.
• And that fuel is still there today because we haven't had any snow to mash it down.
• So, it's just<00:47:46.000><c> fuel.
• </c><00:47:48.240><c> still</c><00:47:48.400><c> there</c> just fuel.
• And that fuel is still there just fuel.

Committee: Joint Select Natural Resource Funding Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• font color="aaaaaa">actually references tanks that </font> <font color="aaaaaa">Kerry, for example, fuel
• font color="aaaaaa">actually references tanks that </font> <font color="aaaaaa">Kerry, for example, fuel
• <font color="aaaaaa">this bill would amend to the </font> <font color="aaaaaa">Kerry, for example, fuel
• we </font> <font color="aaaaaa">know if the articles of </font> <font color="aaaaaa">international fuel
• </font> <font color="aaaaaa">articles of agreement and </font> <font color="aaaaaa">international fuel

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a tried and true model. employees, some delivery people not employees, some delivery people not
• </c> third party to run their entire delivery third party to run their entire delivery service.<01:26
• She has been the delivery person for the last, gosh, at least the last 10 years.
• She's had uh the same likes delivery.
• </c><01:45:11.600><c> boy</c> was also a uh a newspaper delivery boy was also a uh a newspaper delivery

Transcript Highlights:

• $124,000 of 1168 money and the Good Neighbor Authority with the Forest Service to create a 69-acre fuel
• several days, but the one line that did not move as that fire expanded was the Stafford Creek shaded fuel
• So I ask us to consider that, to think about how that shaded fuel break work kept the fire out of the
• Grazing reduces wildfire fuel loads in our region.
• Grazing reduces wildfire fuel loads in our region.

Bills: HB2131 , HB2221 , HJM4009 , HB2619

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: sea lion, predation control, salmon preservation, fishing industry, voluntary donations, ungulate, wildlife conservation, ecosystem management, population sustainability, environmental impact, wildfire, federal response, community protection, natural resources, firefighter safety, agriculture, regulations, farming, compliance, economic impact

Transcript Highlights:

• Jackie Anos on behalf of the California Fuels Convenience Alliance, opposed unless amended.
• We have seen how online hate fuels real-world violence with devastating results at ING.
• In Sri Lanka, online disinformation fueled anti-Muslim riots.
• And here in California, we have seen how online hate fuels real-world violence with devastating results
• And here in California, Disinformation fueled anti-Muslim riots.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Summary: The committee hearing covered several bills on consumer protection, pricing, gift cards, streaming ads, name-image-likeness protections, and online hate. SB 259 by Senator Wahab would prohibit surveillance pricing based on device data such as geolocation; supporters said it would curb discriminatory and opaque pricing, while business groups raised concerns about geolocation language and impacts on legitimate location-based pricing. The bill was moved on a due pass motion and passed the committee 8-1, with the author saying amendments were still being discussed. SB 22 by Senator Laird would raise the amount consumers can redeem from unused gift cards, with the author emphasizing inflation and consumer fairness. Retailers, restaurants, and other business groups opposed the bill, arguing it would increase fraud risk, create safety concerns by requiring more cash on hand, and should also clarify existing exemptions and rules. Consumer advocates supported the measure. The bill was sent out on a 6-1 vote and kept on call. SB 576 by Senator Umberg, the CALM Act, would apply broadcast-style limits on loud commercials to streaming services; the Motion Picture Association and Streaming Innovation Alliance opposed it, citing technical and federal-law concerns, but the committee approved it 8-0. SB 683 by Senator Cortese would clarify that people whose name, image, voice, or likeness is misused can seek injunctive relief or a TRO, with the author saying the bill updates an outdated statute and strengthens privacy protections. The Recording Industry Association of America supported the goal but wanted faster takedown timing, while the First Amendment Coalition opposed the measure over free-speech and prior-restraint concerns. The bill passed 8-0. The final bill, SB 771, sought to hold social media platforms accountable when their algorithms amplify hate, harassment, or violence; supporters from Jewish and Muslim advocacy groups described real-world threats and violence linked to online hate, while TechNet and CCIA argued the bill would conflict with Section 230 and chill protected speech. Members raised questions about constitutional limits and the scope of platform liability, and the discussion continued as the hearing concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• The district request was to change the project delivery method from design-bid-build to construction
• Thank you all for joining us today for the CMAR Delivery Method, which is funded by the CMAR District's
• for the council's review, and the staff recommendation is to continue with the established project delivery
• Ingham's comments, as we've looked at project delivery methods over the last couple of years, you know
• Chairman and members, that is one of the added details that puts a Slight complication in how this delivery

Committee: House Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• A truly equitable system must value all delivery settings, support all types of providers, and recognize
• We’re asking for a mixed delivery system. You want 500 classrooms. We have them in our buildings.
• We’re all here together to provide care, and we’re asking for a mixed delivery system.
• And so a mixed-delivery system is really important, especially even for preschool.
• And so a mixed-delivery system is really important, especially even for preschool.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on California’s child care, preschool, and transitional kindergarten oversight, with chairs emphasizing the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the need to break down silos between programs. CDSS and CDE reported progress toward the plan’s goals, including universal access to TK for all four-year-olds next school year, expanded access for low-income three-year-olds, and more children with disabilities being served in state preschool. They also noted ongoing work on quality rating/review reform, funding structure changes, and the need to address rates, workforce shortages, and federal uncertainty around Head Start. Testimony from advocacy groups and providers largely supported expanding access while simplifying the system. Children Now, Every Child California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that California still has uneven access, especially for infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds, and urged investments in mixed delivery, inclusion, full-day options, and a cost-of-care rate methodology. Every Child California recommended consolidating part-day and full-day contracts, streamlining eligibility priorities, making the two-year-old option permanent, and funding staffing incentives. Parent testimony highlighted how child care gaps and county-to-county transfer delays can disrupt work, safety, and children’s stability, and providers described low reimbursement rates, the need for health and retirement benefits, and support for delinking subsidy rates from private pay. The second panel addressed universal transitional kindergarten. The Learning Policy Institute reported rapid TK expansion, with most districts now offering TK, but said access still depends on facilities, staffing, and whether programs are available at all school sites. The Department of Finance said the governor’s budget would fully implement TK by adding funding for all eligible four-year-olds and lowering the adult-to-child ratio from 12:1 to 10:1. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the administration’s enrollment and cost assumptions were optimistic and estimated lower TK enrollment growth and lower costs for the ratio change. CDE supported the expansion and urged continued funding for UPK coordinators, teacher development, and mixed-delivery planning grants. Members questioned facilities shortages, staffing competition, and how to ensure TK expansion does not displace CSPP or Head Start classrooms. No formal votes or actions were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our high cost of living has put a burden on fuel, and also we do not have a lot of parking.
• updates that improve regulatory certainty, streamline permitting, and support more efficient project delivery

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation heard testimony on a large agenda of transportation-related bills, with several measures discussed before a quorum was established. AB 1588 focused on sideshows and street takeovers, with the author, San Francisco Police Department, and Streets Are for Everyone arguing the bill would modernize enforcement, add motorbikes and dirt bikes to the sideshow framework, and improve public safety; there was no opposition testimony. AB 2015 would require Caltrans to study the effects of third-party navigation apps on congestion, local streets, infrastructure, and emergency response, and was supported by Streets for All, AAA, and local agencies, with no opposition. AB 2717 would extend a sunset for off-site advertising displays at large sports venues; the Dodgers supported it, the San Jose Sharks and others noted amendments, and no opposition was heard. AB 1608 would strengthen the independence and transparency of the High-Speed Rail Office of Inspector General by requiring public reports, adding confidentiality protections for sensitive security information, and granting staffing and purchasing authority; the First Amendment Coalition supported the amended bill, while the Vice Chair raised concerns about transparency and limiting confidential notices to committee chairs. The committee also heard AB 2346 on e-bike safety, which would require speedometers on Class 2 e-bikes, lights, a statewide sidewalk speed limit, local authority over bike-path speeds, and point-of-sale disclosures. Support came from medical, law enforcement, local government, and safety groups citing rising injuries and confusion over e-bike rules; PeopleForBikes remained opposed unless amended, mainly over lighting and disclosure requirements, though Streets for All withdrew its opposition after amendments. Members broadly supported the bill and discussed helmet use, youth safety, and the distinction between e-bikes and higher-powered e-motos. AB 1919 would let Santa Cruz Metro place a citizens’ initiative on the ballot to secure transit funding and protect service and jobs; the sponsor, bus operators, and labor supported it, with no opposition testimony. AB 2012 would streamline permits for moving manufactured homes under an annual permit, and AB 2024 would clarify Outdoor Advertising Act permitting and relocation procedures; both drew support from industry and housing groups and no opposition. After quorum was established, the committee adopted the consent calendar, which included items 13, 6, 8, 11, 14, 15, and 21, by roll call vote. The committee then heard AB 2484, which would allow San Diego voters to authorize a local transit tax initiative for MTS; the author and MTS argued it would preserve service and allow voters to decide future funding, and the bill advanced on a 5-2 roll call with the roll left open for absent members. The committee also heard AB 2560, which would codify the state transportation climate principles known as CAPTI; supporters said it would lock in goals for transit, rail, active transportation, equity, and greenhouse gas reduction, while Orange County Transportation Authority opposed. The author closed by asking for aye votes, and the committee proceeded toward roll-call action on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are many indicators that suggest we are at the top of a bubble, fueled by enthusiasm for artificial
• in there and do civil engineering work to fix the sloping aqueduct to ensure that it's efficient delivery

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview of the May Revision from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office, focused on resources, environmental protection, energy, and related budget issues. Finance said the May Revision keeps the budget balanced in 2026-27 and 2027-28, narrows the structural deficit, and proposes major investments in natural resources, including Proposition 4 bond funding for the Golden Gate Fields acquisition, wildlife refuge and wetland projects, Fort Ord Dunes campground operations, Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, wildfire-human coexistence, and beverage container recycling. The LAO praised stronger-than-expected revenues but argued the state still has a structural deficit and is relying too heavily on reserves, recommending more reserve deposits and fewer new discretionary expenditures. Members questioned several proposals, especially the Golden Gate Fields purchase and the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. Agency officials said the Golden Gate Fields site is a time-limited opportunity, would be remediated by the current owner, transferred to East Bay Regional Park District after closing, and restricted to park/open-space uses rather than commercial development. On Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, Finance and the Natural Resources Agency said the $25 million request would help launch year one of the program, support scientific monitoring, and maintain commitments to environmental flows and habitat restoration; the LAO said the request was premature because the Bay-Delta plan has not yet been formally adopted and the state’s total funding commitment remains unclear. Officials also discussed water storage, subsidence, and the need for ongoing investments in aquifer recharge, aqueduct repairs, and recycling. The committee also reviewed a proposed $1 million shift for the Coexisting with Wildlife Initiative. Fish and Wildlife and the Cattlemen’s Association said the money would support limited-term staffing, deterrence tools, and livestock-loss compensation, while acknowledging the amount is modest compared with the need. Members emphasized the growing human-wildlife conflict problem and the importance of nonlethal deterrence and public education. The discussion then turned to greenhouse gas reduction fund revenues and transit; members warned that lower auction revenues and possible CARB rule changes could leave little or nothing for Tier 3 programs such as transit, clean water, and air-quality programs. Finance and the LAO said the Legislature should plan for multiple revenue scenarios and consider whether the existing cap-and-invest spending framework still matches current revenue expectations and priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're an industry association of businesses involved in the design and delivery of energy efficiency
• burdens on Californians, including air and water quality, water availability, and our reliance on fossil fuels

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a real, real problem and Mexico has not met its water delivery needs. cycles.
• These shortfalls in water deliveries has had profound consequences.
• the fifth year of this five-year cycle, and Mexico is over a million acre-feet behind in water deliveries
• Despite the U.S. accepting non-treaty deliveries to satisfy parts of this debt, today Amistad and Falcon
• However, the treaty does not stipulate a timeline for when those deliveries must happen. The U.S.

Bills: SCR13 , SB1248

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs