Transcript Highlights:

• the spigot off until we figure out what is so broken that is losing so much of our tax dollars to waste
• Have we had reports of fraud or waste in the LIHEAP program that the department's aware of?
• </c><00:56:59.480><c> in</c> have we had reports of fraud or waste in have we had reports of fraud or
• are receiving this money, who know where the need is, and have a much better grasp on finding that waste
• and fraud than on finding that waste and fraud than having<01:05:32.720><c> it</c><01:05:32.880><c>

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• The lifelines as quote unquote waste.
• The tools families need is not waste.
• </c> for economic survival are not waste. for economic survival are not waste.
• And it doesn't waste federal resources.
• It it doesn't waste federal resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• some rules and regulations around how local communities can regionalize both their water and their waste
• ago, uh Medford is now ago, uh Medford is now sending<01:02:30.280><c> their</c><01:02:30.440><c> waste
• /c><01:02:30.720><c> water</c><01:02:31.280><c> to</c><01:02:31.520><c> Owatonna</c> sending their waste
• water to Owatonna sending their waste water to Owatonna and<01:02:32.320><c> they've</c><01:02:32.440
• </c> water and their waste water treatment. water and their waste water treatment.

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• Receipts are known to generate millions of pounds of waste and billions of pounds of carbon dioxide per
• are Nancy Bumeier with Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and Tony Hackett with Californians Against Waste
• California Against Waste. Thank you. Thanks so much. Is this on? It's good.
• My name is Tony Hackett with Californians Against Waste, and we are a proud co-sponsor of AB 1604.
• The Last Plastic Straw, Plastic Pollution Coalition; Zero Waste San Diego; Zero Waste Ithaca; 350 Sacramento

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with testimony largely focused on transparency, public health, labor enforcement, health privacy, high-speed rail oversight, and antitrust policy. AB 1544, by Assemblymember Crowell, would strengthen transparency and access to courthouses; the author said it was aimed at protecting press and public access, and the bill was pulled pending quorum. AB 1604, by Assemblymember Stephanie, would ban BPA and other bisphenols in thermal receipt paper by 2027-2028; supporters from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Californians Against Waste, and a broad coalition argued receipts are a major source of toxic exposure and recycling contamination, while the author said she would continue working with opposition. AB 1859, by Assemblymember Jackson, would let Joint Labor Management Committees visit public works sites to help identify wage and safety violations; labor groups supported it as a low-cost enforcement tool amid a large wage-theft backlog, while contractors and local government groups opposed it as creating private enforcement, liability, and safety concerns. The committee later took up AB 1930, by Assemblymember Burr and sponsored by Attorney General Bonta and Equality California, which would require notice to the Attorney General before certain entities respond to subpoenas or inquiries involving legally protected reproductive or gender-affirming care; supporters framed it as a patient privacy and anti-intimidation measure, while opponents said it would shield providers from scrutiny and interfere with lawful investigations. The bill was approved on a 6-2 vote and placed on call. The consent calendar, including several unrelated bills, was also approved. The committee also heard AB 1584, by Assemblymember Jackson, which would create an Office of Civil Rights within the California Air Resources Board to provide training, language access, and compliance oversight. Supporters said CARB needs a stronger legal framework and dedicated office to enforce civil rights commitments, while an opponent argued CARB already has a civil rights office and should expand existing structures instead of creating a new one. The bill was moved to Appropriations after a roll call vote. AB 1608, by Assemblymember Wilson, would expand the powers and staffing tools of the High-Speed Rail Office of the Inspector General, including public reporting requirements and authority over classifications and purchasing; supporters said stronger independent oversight is needed for the costly project, while opponents criticized the project itself and raised concerns about confidentiality and who should receive reports. The bill was also passed to Appropriations after extended discussion. Finally, AB 1776, by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, would revise California antitrust law to address single-firm conduct under the Cartwright Act. Supporters, including small business and labor advocates, argued dominant firms can harm competition and that the bill would protect small businesses and workers; opponents from business, biotech, retail, housing, and other sectors warned it would create legal uncertainty, expand litigation, and chill investment. The transcript ended during that bill’s testimony and debate, before a final vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't want to waste your time going through all of those individually.
• All right, I'll move on to food waste. NDDPI does not specifically track waste in schools.
• It helps them reduce their waste and improves their perception of our programs.
• And then the last part that we do to reduce waste... ...rules of that city.
• And then the last part that we do to reduce waste is called production records.

Committee: Joint Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee

Summary: The Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with approval of the prior meeting minutes and a review of the state’s annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and the Office of Management and Budget reported a clean opinion on the state’s financial statements and described continued growth in net position, strong general fund balance, and significant Legacy Fund investment income. Committee members asked about how the report reflects long-term finances and how North Dakota compares with other states, and OMB noted that the ACFR is based on audited actual results rather than budget forecasts. The committee then heard the North Dakota University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund construction money, insufficient monitoring of service organizations, improper bank reconciliations at several campuses, and investment/cash recording issues at Bismarck State College. University System officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations and greater use of shared services. Members also questioned practices such as campus use of certificates of deposit and whether repeated findings were being adequately addressed. Additional audits were presented for the State Fair Association, State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Securities Department, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Most received clean opinions with no findings; exceptions included a repeat component-unit issue at the State Fair Foundation, a securities personnel-evaluation finding, and a Housing Finance Agency finding involving a late return of escrow surplus. The committee also discussed broader oversight issues, including the need for independent auditing of the Ethics Commission, possible legislative changes to give the State Auditor more subpoena power and independent legal counsel, and future work on data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, and audit capacity. The meeting recessed for lunch after these discussions.

Transcript Highlights:

• <c> pharmaceutical</c> agencies that regulate pharmaceutical agencies that regulate pharmaceutical waste
• and um there are no compliance waste and um there are no compliance concerns.<01:24:44.600><c> Um</c
• ,</c><01:25:28.760><c> removing</c> stewardship, reducing waste, removing stewardship, reducing waste
• and I'm just, it's amazing how much we can do to try and help more people and keep this out of our waste
• So, thank you very much, waste stream.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• really doesn't do anything, and I would urge everyone to vote no and not really, in many respects, waste
• </c> and to not really in many respects waste and to not really in many respects waste our<00:21:14.080
• Let's please stop wasting our time with these messaging bills and get to work. harm their communities
• Let's please stop wasting our time with these messaging bills and get to work.
• </c> votes again let's please stop wasting votes again let's please stop wasting our<01:01:31.280><c>

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Here in New Hampshire, we are seeing our landfills overflow with this plastic waste.
• And if overflow with this plastic waste.
• Um, and at the same time, we have the New Hampshire solid waste management plan, which hopes to cut waste
• </c> we have the New Hampshire solid waste we have the New Hampshire solid waste management<04:46:16.718
• </c> terms of waste disposal and human. terms of waste disposal and human.

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Summary: The committee first took up HB 163FN, dealing with requiring current, verifiable evidence of a species’ presence before land-use restrictions are imposed for habitat protection. Members discussed an amendment that had been worked on with agencies and stakeholder groups. Fish and Game testified that, while the amendment improved the bill, the agency still opposed it because of concerns about citizen science, how the proposal would apply to public versus private property, and how the transition to DES would work. Representative Darby argued the amendment was ambiguous, lacked a full hearing, and did not clearly address record verification or private-property access issues. The amendment passed 8-7, and the committee then voted OTPA 8-7, with a minority report noted. The committee then moved to HB 1752FN, which would create a chain of custody for timber and carbon credits. Representative Davis presented an amendment saying it would help law enforcement investigate timber theft and add transparency to New Hampshire’s carbon registry by identifying buyers of carbon credits. Supporters said the change would impose little burden and align with practices in other states. Opponents, including Representative Darby, Representative Vale, and the state forester from DNCR, said the carbon market is complex, the amendment was not fully vetted, and a hearing with all stakeholders was needed; they also raised fiscal-note concerns. The amendment passed 8-7, and the committee then voted OTPA 8-7, again with a minority report. Finally, the committee opened a hearing on HB 1019, which would add an active water treatment professional to the state water well board. Representative Peter Petrino and Representative Wendy Thomas said the board should include expertise on contamination risks and treatment technologies, citing concerns about arsenic, radon, and PFAS in private wells. The chairman of the Water Well Board testified in opposition to the bill as drafted, saying the board supports the general idea of licensing water filtration work but does not currently have authority or rules to oversee that field and believes the proposal would put “the cart before the horse.” Members questioned whether the board’s current mandate even covers filtration systems, and the discussion ended with those concerns unresolved.

Transcript Highlights:

• I grew the food, and the food went to waste, so most of it died, but I didn't give up.
• He says industrial processors run their waste into the sanitary system the same as household waste, and
• /c> the sanitary system same as uh uh the sanitary system same as uh uh household<01:44:02.840><c> waste
• and I I think that that household waste and I I think that that really<01:44:04.440><c> brings</c><01
• He says that where he comes from, they call animal waste manure, and if he were going down the highway

Bills: HF44 , HF2102 , HF2279 , HF2280 , HF2281

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• I’m with the Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch in the Environmental Health Administration, Department
• I’m with the Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch in the Environmental Health Administration, Department
• One of the most critical is that toxic waste streams like construction and demolition waste and other
• waste as feedstocks should not be permitted in the making of so-called sustainable aviation fuel.
• </c><00:07:50.280><c> with</c> construction and demolition waste with construction and demolition waste

Committee: Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on Senate Bill 103, relating to electric vehicle batteries, and then moved to Senate Bill 995, relating to renewable fuel. On SB 103, the Department of Health and the State Energy Office supported the measure, and Redwood Materials said it supported the bill’s intent but requested an amendment to add a battery recycler to the commission. Other testimony on SB 103 included support from several individuals and organizations, with one opponent noted. A committee member also raised a possible deadline change requested by the Alliance of Automobile Innovation for future work on the measure. The bulk of the hearing focused on SB 995, which would create tax incentives for sustainable aviation fuel and related renewable fuel production. Supporters included the Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition, Pono Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines/Alaska Airlines, the Tax Foundation, PAR Hawaii, Pacific Biodiesel, and others. Supporters said the bill would help build a local SAF industry, encourage camelina and other feedstocks, and advance decarbonization goals. Several supporters also said they had proposed amendments or technical comments and stood on their written testimony. Opposition testimony argued the bill could allow toxic waste feedstocks, such as construction and demolition waste, into fuel production, and questioned whether the incentives would truly benefit Hawaii farmers or consumers. One opponent said the bill’s benefits could flow to the producer and to imported feedstocks rather than to local agriculture, and another questioned the scale of local land and water available for camelina production. Committee members pressed witnesses on acreage, water use, expected yields, the role of PAR Hawaii’s refinery investment, and whether the state would be subsidizing a business decision that might not produce significant local fuel. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Stores right now are wasting time. They're actually trying to find pennies.
• But the point is that stores are wasting all this time trying to find ways to find pennies.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure held a public hearing on two bills: House Bill 5138, concerning consumer protections for cash transactions amid penny scarcity, and House Bill 5036, concerning consumer information related to tariffs. Chairs Tackey Chan and Senator Payano opened the hearing, noted the committee’s one-year anniversary, reviewed procedures, and explained that the Senate and House were both in session, with Senator Payano prepared to take over if needed. The committee heard from several industry and legislative witnesses, and the hearing was eventually closed by motion and voice vote. Supporters of H. 5138, including Senator Paul Feeney, the Massachusetts Package Stores Association, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, and the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association, said the bill would create a clear statewide rounding standard for cash transactions if pennies become scarce. They argued it would improve operational efficiency, reduce confusion, provide legal clarity, and protect businesses and consumers by requiring notice and limiting the rule to cash payments. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts also supported the concept but suggested amendments, including changing mandatory rounding language to allow flexibility and clarifying that taxes and fees would not be affected. Witnesses were largely opposed to H. 5036. The Retailers Association, the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association, and the Massachusetts State Auto Dealers Association said tariff-related shelf or price disclosures would be difficult or impossible to implement because tariff costs change frequently and are hard to trace through complex supply chains. Auto dealers emphasized the challenge of calculating tariff impacts across thousands of vehicle parts and models, while retailers said the proposal would add burdens and could increase costs. No votes on the bills were taken during the hearing; the only formal action was adjournment of the hearing after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• something you've said relating to policy is the state needs reforms to rein in the budget and eliminate waste
• We need to crack that open, really inspect what's happening, and figure out where the money's been wasted

Transcript Highlights:

• And stores right now are wasting time. They're actually trying to find pennies.
• But the point is that stores are wasting all this time trying to find ways to find pennies.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure held a public hearing on House Bill 5036, concerning consumer information related to tariffs, and House Bill 5138, concerning consumer protections for low-value tender scarcity and penny rounding. The chairs opened with procedural remarks, noted both chambers were in session, and explained that testimony would be limited to three minutes. The hearing also included light discussion of the committee’s one-year anniversary and the large volume of bills the committee handles. Testimony on H. 5138 was broadly supportive. Senator Paul Feeney, the bill’s co-sponsor, said the measure would address confusion caused by the penny’s scarcity by creating a statewide cash-rounding standard to the nearest five cents, with rounding up or down depending on the final digit. He emphasized that the bill would apply only to cash transactions and would require consumer notice rules from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. Representatives from the Massachusetts Package Stores Association, Massachusetts Retailers Association, Massachusetts Restaurant Association, and New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association all supported the bill, citing operational efficiency, legal clarity, fairness, and reduced burden on retailers and restaurants. The Retailers Association suggested amendments to make rounding discretionary rather than mandatory and to clarify that taxes and fees would not be affected. Testimony on H. 5036 was largely opposed by business groups. The Massachusetts Retailers Association, New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association, and Massachusetts State Auto Dealers Association all said the tariff disclosure requirements would be difficult or impossible to implement in practice, especially given frequent tariff changes and the complexity of pricing goods and vehicles. They argued the bill would create compliance burdens and could increase costs rather than help consumers. No votes were taken on either bill. The hearing concluded after no further witnesses came forward, and the committee voted to close the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ybarra: Yes, this particular amendment is put in place for companies that produce their own energy with waste
• This is the best way to use that waste and create energy for a company so they don't use more energy

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on SSB 6269, which updates the Motor Fuel Quality Act by removing the separate definition of alternative fuel and broadening the definition of motor fuel to include gaseous products and fuels used for transportation purposes. The Washington State Department of Agriculture testified that the change would let weights and measures staff test a wider range of fuels, including hydrogen and other clean fuels, and Douglas County PUD supported the bill as necessary to help regulate the state’s first hydrogen fueling station and future hydrogen infrastructure. A question clarified that the bill concerns the purity of the final hydrogen fuel product, not certification of the production process. The committee then received a briefing on three amendments to SB 5982, which expands Clean Energy Transformation Act coverage to additional entities. Amendment 170 would remove a requirement tied to affected market customers consuming the same or greater share of non-emitting and renewable electricity for the same end uses; Amendment 171 would exempt electricity used solely for emergency backup purposes; and Amendment 173 would similarly exempt backup generation using de minimis fossil fuels and related load from CETA compliance. Members discussed whether the amendments were needed to protect cogeneration facilities and emergency backup systems, while others argued they could weaken CETA’s clean-energy goals. In executive session, SB 6013 was reported out of committee with a do pass recommendation by a 21-0 voice vote. On SB 5982, Amendment 170 failed, Amendment 171 failed, and Amendment 173 passed. The committee then adopted the amendments into a striking amendment and voted 12-8 to report Substitute Senate Bill 5982 out of committee with a do pass as amended recommendation. Members supporting the bill said it levels the playing field and preserves exemptions for backup power and existing cogeneration, while opponents argued it could undermine CETA and allow continued fossil-fuel use or create loopholes.

Transcript Highlights:

• House of Representatives, House Bill 555 by the Local Government Committee, an act relating to solid waste
• duties of the District Board of Health, and to revise legislative findings and purposes of the Solid Waste

Transcript Highlights:

• I know a lot are worried about accountability, and, you know, we talk about the fraud and the waste and
• But we have to make sure it's also done in a responsible way, so there isn't fraud, waste, and abuse.

Committee: Senate Social Services

Summary: The Social Services Committee met for its first meeting of the session, with Chair Senator Roxanne Persaud noting a quorum and reviewing the committee’s prior-year activity. She said the committee handled 87 referred bills in 2025, reported 31, passed 25 committee bills in the Senate, and saw five bills pass both houses, with two signed and three vetoed. She also highlighted stakeholder workshops and hearings on rental assistance, youth employment, and human trafficking in the transportation sector, and said the annual report would be posted soon. The committee then heard from Paul Brady of the New York Public Welfare Association and Dave Lucas of the New York State Association of Counties. They focused on federal and state budget pressures, including the HHS withholding letter, TANF, child care, Social Services Block Grant funding, and the implications of HR1 for SNAP and Medicaid work requirements. They warned about staffing shortages, county budget strain, and the need for more time, training, and technology to implement new requirements. Both also emphasized housing instability, supporting rental assistance and shelter-related programs, and Brady urged attention to shelter allowances and safety-net cost sharing. The committee reported several bills to Finance: S.180B to increase enhanced residential care eligibility amounts; S.182 to raise the federal poverty level threshold for a one-time income disregard after job entry; S.184 to establish a full-year youth and young adult employment immersion program, with members questioning how it would be funded; S.1465 to implement an electronic benefit transfer system, which members strongly supported as a fraud-prevention measure; S.3787 to eliminate rent for homeless shelters; and S.7730 to authorize reimbursement for shelters housing a single individual in a double-occupancy room. The committee also advanced S.8570, creating a Fiscal Cliff Task Force to study public assistance program funding shortfalls, despite discussion of prior gubernatorial vetoes of similar measures. All bills were reported, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Alternative septic systems are much safer and provide a much cleaner system of getting rid of the waste
• These decentralized systems can include septic tanks, which pre-treat household waste through a framework

Committee: House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Summary: The House Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water heard three bills related to the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) and water conservation funding. HB 2029 would require grant applicants to provide additional information about how water-conservation grant funds will be used, including expected long-term water savings, efficiency improvements, or reliability benefits. WIFA testified neutral, saying most of the information is already collected in agency policy and that the program is voluntary and reimbursement-based. The bill passed 9-1 with a due pass recommendation. HB 2030 would remove education and research programs from the list of allowable uses for the water conservation grant fund. Committee discussion focused on how much funding had gone to education/research projects and whether those projects still produced meaningful water savings. WIFA said about 15 projects with education or research components received roughly $10.5 million and were associated with an estimated 180,000 acre-feet in savings, though those savings were projections and the projects were not purely educational. Several members opposed removing those categories, but the bill passed 6-4 with a due pass recommendation. HB 2096 would expand WIFA financing to include remediation, closure, or replacement of cesspools that threaten groundwater, surface water, or public health, and would allow counties to use revolving-fund financing and income-based assistance for such projects. County and association witnesses supported the bill, describing the public health risks of aging cesspools and the need to help homeowners afford replacement systems; ADEQ was neutral. WIFA said the bill clarifies county authority to enter loans for this purpose and noted the funding would come from existing federal revolving-fund resources. The bill passed unanimously, 10-0, with a due pass recommendation, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• alternative septic systems, which are much safer and provide a much cleaner system of getting rid of the waste
• These decentralized systems can include septic tanks, which pre-treat household waste through a framework

Bills: HB2029 , HB2030 , HB2096

Committees: House Natural Resources, Energy & Water , House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Keywords: water conservation, grants, infrastructure, environmental protection, sustainability, grant fund, Arizona water law, A.R.S. 49-1332, water efficiency, water reuse, education programs, public outreach, rainwater harvesting, gray water, graywater, drought-resistant landscaping, xeriscaping, turf removal, groundwater recharge, aquifer health

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked in research and development for diagnostic devices for infectious diseases, and I've worked
• So it was a big waste of time, and I might add this might be a good argument for having more access to
• > it</c><05:10:54.718><c> was</c><05:10:54.878><c> a</c><05:10:55.080><c> big</c><05:10:55.400><c> waste
• > of</c><05:10:55.920><c> time</c><05:10:56.240><c> and</c><05:10:56.400><c> I</c> so it was a big waste
• of time and I so it was a big waste of time and I might<05:10:56.798><c> add</c><05:10:57.280><c> this

Summary: The committee opened with House Bill 184, which would create a committee to study changing school start times. Members discussed Amendment 0394, which made the study committee’s duties more investigative and adjusted reporting recipients, including the Governor. Several members raised questions about whether the committee should review evidence-based studies, local district decisions, and existing district reports; supporters said the amendment would better allow the committee to gather information and recognize local control. The amendment passed 17-0, and the bill as amended also passed 17-0. Representative Litchfield noted that no one had testified in opposition and encouraged the future study committee to review an Oyster River School District report on school start times. The committee then took up House Bill 394, concerning cooperative school district budget committees and board member representatives. Amendment 0476 was adopted 17-0 after discussion that it clarified the bill’s language and reflected work with the School Boards Association. The committee then voted OTPA on the bill, which also passed 17-0. House Bill 738, requiring background checks for employees and volunteers at certain non-public schools or education service providers receiving public funds, was moved inexpedient to legislate. Supporters said the bill would create practical and legal problems for private citizens and homeschooling families, and the motion passed 15-2 with no minority report, placing the bill on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 235, which would amend the educator code of ethics and conduct to add responsibilities to parents. Supporters argued parents should be explicitly included in the code, while opponents said parents were already covered in existing ethics language and statute. The bill passed narrowly, 9-8. The committee then returned to House Bill 532 on alternate dispute resolution and individualized education plan team meeting facilitation. Amendment 0480H clarified that different rules would apply separately to neutral conference, mediation, and IEP facilitation; it passed 17-0, and the bill as amended also passed 17-0. Finally, the committee moved to House Bill 564, concerning adoption of school administrative unit budgets, and voted to retain the bill for further review because members said there was still confusion about how it would apply to single-district and multi-district SAUs.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1371 ensures that solid waste companies cannot use force majeure clauses to suspend service during
• Solid waste collection is an essential public health service that our communities rely on every single
• lose their ability to enforce liquidated damages or penalties that they would otherwise use to bring waste
• spending on these prostitution sting operations, are being renamed as human trafficking operations, is wasting

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on August 5, 2026, and first approved a large consent calendar of bills, then heard and voted on a long series of measures covering health care, housing, energy, labor, public safety, insurance, and immigration-related issues. Several bills were moved on roll call with no or limited opposition, including SB 999 on delaying the Health Minimum Essential Coverage report deadline, SB 931 on Diablo Canyon’s mitigation fund, SB 952 on State Water Project clean energy procurement, SB 1288 on nonprobate asset beneficiary notification, SB 1371 on solid waste labor-dispute contract clauses, SB 1014 on housing development fee estimates, SB 1283 on EV charging station permitting, SB 1209 and SB 1244 on insurance enforcement and broker compensation disclosure, SB 1359 on gas utility infrastructure oversight, SB 677 and SB 908 on housing streamlining, SB 1323 on medical facility procedures for people in immigration custody, SB 938 on peace officer training waivers for former federal immigration officers, SB 1272 on code-violation enforcement timelines for new homeowners, SB 1117 on ADU impact fees, SB 1196 on utility hookups for small energy projects, SB 1299 on sprinkler fitter certification, and AB 2597 appropriating funds for state legal settlements. The committee also approved its suspense calendar and later lifted SB 1359 from call with an added aye vote. Testimony generally followed the bills’ themes. Supporters argued that the measures would improve transparency, reduce costs, streamline housing and energy projects, protect consumers, and strengthen public safety or worker protections. Opponents or “opposed unless amended” witnesses raised concerns about implementation burdens, disclosure mandates, labor and compliance issues, local government costs, and the scope of some proposals. Notable points of contention included SB 869, where restaurant groups objected to the on-menu sugar warning approach and urged more flexible disclosure methods, and SB 1244, where insurance industry representatives argued the bill would impose unworkable disclosure obligations on brokers and agents. SB 1272 drew opposition from code enforcement and county groups who warned it could delay health-and-safety enforcement, while SB 1117 drew opposition from special districts, counties, and fire-related groups concerned about reduced fee revenue for infrastructure. The committee also heard public comment on several bills not presented that day, including opposition to wildfire mitigation/CEQA-related legislation, staffing regulation fees, and education and demographic-data bills. Overall, the hearing was dominated by fiscal and policy debates over housing affordability, energy infrastructure, consumer transparency, and the balance between regulatory streamlining and local or industry compliance costs.