Transcript Highlights:

• file, and the details about the procedures are spelled out on the committee rules and posted on our website
• In summary, bills of revenue... ...and posted on our website.
• The laborers, the people working in the Central Valley, the hotel workers, the restaurant workers, the

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation heard several bills, with the chair explaining that measures with significant revenue impacts would be sent to the suspense file. AB 1726, which would create a catastrophe savings account for homeowners to save pre-tax dollars for disaster mitigation and recovery costs, drew support from the Department of Insurance and the California Bankers Association, while the California Teachers Association opposed it because of the effect on the General Fund and Prop. 98. The bill was referred to suspense. AB 1768, authorizing Los Angeles and Contra Costa counties to ask voters to approve a local transaction and use tax to offset federal funding cuts to health and social services, received broad support from county, health care, labor, and community groups. Opposition focused on the bill as a tax increase and on concerns about local spending priorities, while supporters argued it would preserve access to care and essential services. The committee approved the bill on a 5-2 vote and sent it to the Assembly Local Government Committee. AB 1790, which would repeal California’s water’s-edge corporate tax election and require worldwide combined reporting for multinational corporations, generated extensive testimony. Supporters argued it would close a major corporate tax loophole, raise billions in revenue, and make the tax system fairer; opponents warned of double taxation, compliance burdens, retaliation from foreign governments, and job losses. After lengthy debate, the committee referred the bill to suspense. The committee also heard AB 2020, providing a full property tax exemption for the primary residence of 100% disabled veterans and surviving spouses, and AB 2069, creating a sales and use tax exemption to spur development on fairgrounds; both drew support but were referred to suspense. Finally, AB 2705, which would cap fees and require disclosures for third parties assisting with claims to excess proceeds from tax sales, was presented as a consumer protection measure and drew support from county officials, while asset-finder companies opposed it as too restrictive and harmful to claimants; the transcript ends during that item’s testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• As the largest Army-led joint base, Joint Base Lewis-McChord remains central to ensuring readiness and
• We do have, for many of these on this list, special websites for them.
• So while we've always had information about the sales tax relief on our website, we're going to start

Summary: The committee heard updates from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest, Fairchild Air Force Base, the Coast Guard, state licensing agencies, the Professional Educator Standards Board, the Washington National Guard, and a veterans behavioral health presenter. Across the military briefings, common themes were readiness, infrastructure, and quality-of-life issues for service members and families, especially child care, housing, food insecurity, medical and dental access, and military spouse employment. JBLM highlighted its role in Indo-Pacific readiness, ongoing PFAS cleanup, 212 new family housing units under construction, efforts to expand child care, and continued work to keep the Lewis Army Museum open. Navy Region Northwest discussed its major installations and economic impact, the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan, future carrier and submarine homeporting needs, and asked the legislature to continue support for licensure compacts, educational stability for military children, housing, and medical access. Fairchild emphasized its tanker and survival missions, child care shortages, food insecurity, aging housing, and concerns about wind turbine development near flight paths, while the Coast Guard focused on rebuilding Base Seattle for new icebreakers and on rural access to housing, medical care, and child care at dispersed stations like Neah Bay. Members repeatedly raised food insecurity and asked for follow-up on solutions. JBLM and Fairchild both described increased demand for food assistance during the shutdown, and committee members noted progress in getting mobile food vans onto JBLM. The presenters also praised state action on military spouse licensure and child care, including Senate Bill 5545 and related compact and portability efforts. The Department of Licensing reported about 9,000 self-identified military members or spouses licensed, with average time-to-license just under nine days, and said applications are prioritized when military status is self-identified. The Department of Health said its military-to-civilian crosswalk now covers more than 35 health professions, that temporary practice permits and expedited processing are in place, and that 1,300 credentials were issued to military spouses and domestic partners and 129 to military-trained health professionals in the last fiscal year, all within 30 days. The Professional Educator Standards Board explained that military spouses and service members can receive expedited teacher certification with reduced documentation, and that they are moved to the front of the review queue when they self-identify. Members asked about verification, and staff said the process relies on attestation with investigatory safeguards if needed. The Washington National Guard briefed on its dual state and federal mission, the impact of the recent shutdown on nearly 700 employees who worked without pay, and policy and budget requests including youth academy protections, alignment of the Washington Code of Military Justice with the UCMJ, making Civil Air Patrol a division of the Military Department, 911 funding, disaster assistance, and capital funding for headquarters and readiness facilities. The Guard also warned about drone threats and said it wants authority to identify, track, and monitor suspicious drones. A veterans behavioral health presenter, an Army combat veteran and clinical social worker, described high suicide risk, barriers to care, and the need for more culturally competent services, especially for women veterans and caregivers. He said Washington veterans’ suicide rate remains above the national average and emphasized that childcare, transportation, and provider shortages can prevent timely treatment. Members generally responded supportively throughout, asked for follow-up on food security and other issues, and encouraged agencies to bring forward legislative ideas for future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Areas of most concern are in the west-central part of the state, especially down in the lower southwest
• We've started a website that will have information for both practitioners and for patients and caregivers
• Nevada has had a website like that, and we're patterning ours off of theirs.

Transcript Highlights:

• A Q&A for frequently asked questions is found on our website.
• and so, um, it varies across the state, but, um, we are collecting those and they will be in a centralized
• location on our website for other schools to be able to look at that because what is stated is when

Transcript Highlights:

• We're updating our website to make it more available for the public to know where our properties are
• I'm just, overall, is it the Central Valley? Is it the refinery areas of Long Beach?
• That is publicly posted on our Department of Finance website, so I'll provide that to staff.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, you know, it’s right off their website where I pulled this from.
• And so, you know, it’s right off their website where I pulled this from.
• And so, you know, it’s right off their website where I pulled this from.
• And so, you know, it’s right off their website where I pulled this from.
• <01:02:21.559> voter registered through the centralized voter registered through the centralized

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• other forecasted programs that we'll go over today as well, 3% is towards grants, and 2% is towards central
• /c><00:02:14.239> is<00:02:14.440> towards<00:02:15.080> um<00:02:15.239> central
• grants and 2% is towards um central grants and 2% is towards um central office<00:02:16.040>
• the opioid crisis, pauses in their funding and a complete wiping out of all information on their websites
• pertaining to HIV and AIDS and websites pertaining to HIV and AIDS and its<00:47:19.880> care

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the budget proposals are described in detail in change pages, and Anna had sent out the link to the website
• link<00:01:11.159> to<00:01:11.560> the<00:01:12.159> the<00:01:12.320> website
• <00:01:12.759> where out the link to the the website where out the link to the the website
• we testified to last year, is just establishing a database so each state can communicate with this central
• we testified to last year, is just establishing a database so each state can communicate with this central

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on January 28, 2025, to review Governor’s budget proposals for several health-related licensing boards. The chair said no formal action would be taken and noted that final budget language was not yet available. The committee began with an overview from Bridget Anderson of the health-related licensing boards, who explained that the boards are fee-funded, operate as independent executive agencies, and handle licensing, complaints, rulemaking, and disciplinary matters. She also noted that the Board of Dentistry’s budget includes the Administrative Services Unit and criminal background check program, which can make the budget graphs appear larger than the dentistry board’s own operations. The Board of Dentistry requested funding for a new administrative staff position, estimating about $100,000 in salary, insurance, and fringe costs, to replace support lost when an administrative position was reclassified. Anderson said the board handled more than 300 complaints last year, with cases becoming more complex, especially involving surgical and implant procedures and imaging. Members asked about dental Medicaid access, but Anderson said that issue would be better directed to DHS’s Medicaid oral health division. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requested a full-time position due to rapid growth in the number of regulated professionals, from about 4,000 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 now, and also sought authority to set a fee for out-of-state applicants under the Counseling Compact, with a cap of up to $100 though the board expects to charge much less. The Board of Podiatric Medicine asked to raise its fee ceiling, saying fees had not been increased since 1999 and that the board now faces a structural deficit of about $40,000 per year and declining reserves. Several senators expressed concern about “not-to-exceed” fee authority, calling it too open-ended and suggesting the legislature should scrutinize specific fee needs rather than approve broad ceilings. Similar concerns were raised during the Board of Chiropractic Examiners presentation, where the board sought $100,000 in additional spending authority and a fee increase after 32 years without an adjustment; members questioned the proposed ceiling approach and asked for more historical information before deciding. The Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice also discussed fee-setting authority, with the executive director explaining that the board had previously lowered fees without clear authority and later faced audit questions; she requested funding for a vacant administrative position, saying applications and revenues have increased sharply and no fee increase would be needed. The final presentation began with the Board of Pharmacy, which said it serves more than 26,000 licensees and oversees the Prescription Monitoring Program and opioid product registration. The board requested an extension of previously appropriated general fund dollars through fiscal year 2027 to continue paying legal costs tied to the insulin safety net lawsuit, emphasizing that this was not a new funding request but an extension of existing authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• These infections are central line bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections
• 25:27.960> these<00:25:28.360> infections<00:25:28.760> are<00:25:28.919> central
• well um these infections are central well um these infections are central line<00:25:29.440>
• we do publish monthly a report<01:21:06.080> on<01:21:06.280> our<01:21:06.560> website
• ><01:21:07.520> that<01:21:07.800> highlights<01:21:08.639> um report on our website

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first handled organizational business, electing Representative Mark Pearson as chair for the coming term, appointing Representative Lucy Weber as clerk, and approving the November 22 minutes with abstentions from members who were absent. Members also noted excused absences for Senator Avard and Representative Jessica Lontine. After the vote, the committee moved to the DHHS commissioners’ update. DHHS associate commissioners Patricia Tilly and Chris Santinello described a process-improvement effort to improve transitions for youth moving from DCF care into adult developmental services and Medicaid. They said the old process was fragmented, dependent on personal relationships, and not sustainable, so staff from DCF, the Bureau of Family Assistance, Developmental Services, and public health used a Kaizen/Lean event to map the workflow, identify bottlenecks, clarify roles, and create a more consistent playbook. Members asked about IT support and whether the process would create new bureaucracy; DHHS said current systems are antiquated, especially DCF’s CWIS, but the goal is to streamline coordination, not add bureaucracy, and future systems like Granite Families may help with reminders and age-based ticklers. Several members praised the work, including a CASA volunteer who said the added attention has improved services for vulnerable youth. The committee then received the annual healthcare-associated infections update from Ctin Hansen of the Division of Public Health Services. Hansen reported that New Hampshire’s HAI program, created by statute, tracks infections in hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dialysis centers, and long-term care facilities. For 2023, hospitals reported fewer infections than predicted nationally, with 135 infections statewide and 174 C. diff infections also below national rates; hospital influenza vaccination was 89.9%. Ambulatory surgery centers reported low infection counts and an 80.1% staff flu vaccination rate; dialysis centers reported fewer infections overall than the prior year but higher local access-site infections, with staff vaccination at 52.6%; and long-term care facilities reported a 50.1% flu vaccination rate, up from 37.8%. Hansen also said the program conducted over 100 investigations, handled 84 antibiotic-resistant organism reports, completed 20 infection-prevention assessments, and operated on a budget of about $348,000 plus grant funding, including an Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity Grant that was later reduced.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is central to public health and consumer protection.
• <00:41:38.880> It<00:41:39.040> is<00:41:39.280> central<00:41:39.680> to
• It is central to longer a niche issue.
• It is central to public<00:41:40.240> health<00:41:40.560> and<00:41:40.880> consumer
• Just like any other vehicle out... website at nova.org. website at nova.org.

Keywords: 928, house, all

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:

• comments, we are accepting written testimony through the position letter portal on the committee's website
• The crisis is even more dire in rural regions like the Central Valley, where the nearest access to spay
• and neuter services may be... ...regions like the Central Valley, where the nearest access to spay and
• health and patient safety, because in places like Fresno, Madera, and the high desert, and across the Central
• authority figure and the vulnerability of those they serve, particularly in communities where clergy are central

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with extensive testimony on each and repeated reminders that no quorum was present for much of the hearing. AB 1693 would speed local permitting for retail tenant improvements by requiring review by a qualified professional certifier and imposing 20-business-day approval/denial deadlines; the author and California Retailers Association said the bill would reduce costly delays, and there was no opposition testimony. AB 2010, the SNIP Act, would expand access to high-volume spay/neuter and mobile sterilization clinics by exempting them from certain surgical-room requirements; supporters cited California’s pet overpopulation crisis and rural access barriers, while opponents and the Veterinary Medical Board raised safety, oversight, and implementation concerns and sought amendments. The author said the bill was needed now and not after years of rulemaking, and the committee indicated it would support the measure when a quorum was available. AB 2195 would bar automatic suspension of occupational licenses for low-income parents behind on child support, arguing that keeping people employed is more effective than punitive suspension. Supporters said the bill would help parents pay support and cited evidence that similar driver’s-license reforms did not reduce collections, while the California Child Support Association and others argued license suspension is an important enforcement tool that brings obligors to the table. AB 2311 would allow public health care district hospitals to directly employ physicians, with supporters saying it would improve recruitment and retention and opponents warning about physician autonomy, institutional pressure, and the need to narrow the bill to financially vulnerable hospitals; the author said the bill would level the playing field with other public hospitals. AB 1796 would create a licensure pathway for professional interior designers and add a designer seat on the California Architects Board; supporters framed it as a public-safety and professional-equity measure, while opponents argued it would create confusion, duplicate existing certification, and lacked evidence of consumer harm. After a quorum was established, the committee voted AB 1796 out on a due-pass motion to Appropriations, with several members voting aye and the bill left on call. AB 1739 would make it a crime for clergy providing therapeutic services to engage in sexual contact with a current or former counselee within two years, aligning clergy counseling with existing rules for other licensed professionals. Supporters described personal experiences of abuse and said the bill closes a gap in the law without regulating religious doctrine, while no opposition testimony was heard; the committee moved the bill due pass as amended to Appropriations, with some members not voting and the bill left on call. The committee also began hearing AB 2497, which would modernize the Physical Therapy Practice Act by expanding direct access and other practice authorities, but the transcript cuts off before the full testimony and any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• This experience reinforces a critical central truth that I know this commission understands well.
• 18:33.360> that<00:18:33.600> I<00:18:33.840> know<00:18:34.080> this central
• truth that I know this central truth that I know this commission<00:18:34.799> understands<00
• But we really feel that emergency management was like the central hub, guiding and ensuring and doing
• So after somebody goes to a malicious website or clicks something or something downloads to the computer

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The senator from Chitten Central. Thank you. May I interrogate the presenter of the budget?
• Senator from Chitten Central. Thank you, Mr. President.
• Senator from<01:06:41.359> Chitten<01:06:41.839> Central.
• from Chitten Central. from Chitten Central.
• Seeing none, the senator from Chitten Central has moved that the Senate stand on adjournment until 9:

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we want to protect all of our people—northern, central, southern tribes.
• A central part of our work helps to rebuild trust with families who have often experienced neglect and
• Task Force for extending the support of their BSC funding to non-federally recognized tribes in the Central
• In addition, the department continues to update its website to ensure these resources are accessible

Summary: The hearing focused on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) grant program under the Board of State and Community Corrections and related Department of Justice efforts. BSCC reported that it now administers 36 MMIP grants across three cohorts, with awards ranging from $436,000 to $1 million, plus five collaborative grants at $2 million each, totaling $35.4 million awarded to federally recognized tribes. Testimony from tribal leaders and grantees described how the funding supports prevention, family advocacy, domestic violence services, law enforcement coordination, youth programming, culturally grounded healing, and new tribal public safety positions such as investigators, social workers, and drone operators. Speakers repeatedly emphasized that the crisis is longstanding, tied to generational trauma, and that the grant has helped build trust and infrastructure in tribal communities. Several witnesses and committee members urged continued and preferably ongoing funding, noting that demand now exceeds available one-time money. BSCC and tribal representatives described outreach efforts that increased participation from four applicants in cohort one to 20 in cohort two and more applicants than funding in cohort three. Tribes also raised implementation concerns, especially the burden of quarterly narrative reporting, limited staff capacity, and the need for flexible administration. BSCC said it uses steering committees, separate small- and large-project categories, orientations, monitoring visits, and technical assistance to support grantees. Tribal leaders and advocates stressed that the program should remain accessible without requiring a waiver of tribal sovereignty. The second major topic was DOJ’s update on AB 3099, the Tribal Assistance Program, and the tribal police pilot under AB 134. DOJ officials said the Office of Native American Affairs and the Division of Law Enforcement have been conducting outreach, trainings, listening sessions, and coordination with tribal, local, state, and federal partners to address Public Law 280 jurisdictional issues, improve reporting and data, and support Feather Alert and MMIP-related resources. DOJ said the AB 3099 report is in internal review and that the tribal police pilot is moving forward with the Yurok Tribe as a participant, with a July 1, 2026 start date. DOJ and tribal witnesses said the pilot’s main barriers are cost and, for some tribes, the waiver of sovereign immunity. No votes were taken, and the hearing ended with broad support for expanding and sustaining MMIP-related funding and infrastructure.

Transcript Highlights:

• The most important scientific website looking at the thing is c19study.com.
• It's over the counter in the southern hemisphere and in Central America. Dr.
• It's over the counter in the southern hemisphere and in Central America. Dr.
• It's over the counter in the southern hemisphere and in Central America. Dr.

Bills: HB161, HB146, HB289, HB290, HB31, HB146, HB289, HB290, HB31

Keywords: consumer protection, app store, age verification, parental consent, data protection, minors, HB146, ivermectin, pharmacist, standing order, prescription drug, non-patient-specific order, dispensing, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, licensed health care provider, pharmacy board, medical licensure, disciplinary action, drug access

Transcript Highlights:

• But the problem was is that there was no real centralized location to be able to feed these places the
• /c><00:55:16.720> was<00:55:16.880> no<00:55:17.200> real<00:55:17.520> centralized
• is that there was no real centralized is that there was no real centralized location<00:55:18.640
• hub for this type of centralized hub for this type of information information information didn't<00:
• "Public data that he got off of a website somewhere through a data broker to get our names and addresses

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. The journal was approved as corrected, several Senate files were given second reading, and House files 5099 through 5102 were introduced. The Rules and Legislative Administration report placed a large group of bills on the May 4 calendar with pre-filing requirements for amendments. The first major floor bill was House File 3426, the annual LCCMR bill appropriating about $102.036 million from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for 108 projects, including a new community grants program. Members spoke in support, emphasizing natural resources, outdoor recreation, and added integrity safeguards; the bill passed 117-15. The House then passed House File 4151, a bipartisan occupational licensing bill for private detectives and protective agents. It ends partnership detective licenses and requires background checks for controlling officers and qualified representatives, while preventing licensure of people with disqualifying offenses from other states or federal law. The bill passed 133-0. After that, the chamber took up Senate File 4760, a public safety package incorporating multiple previously heard House bills and additional provisions. The package included items on recognizing Canadian protective orders, sextortion penalties, gift card fraud, firearm age restrictions, restitution, juvenile detention licensing, corrections data and terminology, chemical irritant disclosure, victims’ rights, BCA fraud statutes, and the private detective bill. Several amendments to Senate File 4760 were adopted, including one inserting House language, one changing the effective date for public-employer discretion provisions, one allowing the Office of the Legislative Auditor to request BCA fingerprints for federal tax information compliance, and one clarifying jail medication provisions. Another amendment, A3, drew a roll call after Representative Duran argued it would keep the current juvenile delinquency age and allow more time to build infrastructure; Representative Feist urged a no vote, citing opposition from other stakeholders. The transcript ends during discussion of that roll call, before the final outcome on A3 or the overall public safety package is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and I maybe you can answer, but I was trying to look previously: is there on that website, does it
• The MnDOT website, and I maybe you can answer, but I was trying to look previously: is there on that
• website, does it list the projects that are kind of in queue, or what would we find there?
• and maybe they 2021 are on the website and maybe they are<00:37:28.599> for<00:37:28.839>
• <00:38:22.280> you projects if it's not on the website you projects if it's not on the website

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• intake function and then sort of central intake function and then sort of split<00:14:33.120> off
• Crease, but I believe there's also information on the OCA website.
• website. Um, I won't speak for for Mr. website. Um, I won't speak for for Mr.
• <00:34:58.640> So,<00:34:58.720> I information on the OCA website.
• So, I information on the OCA website.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Central Command.
• In central and southern the Senate.
• In central and southern Oregon,<02:26:26.399> my<02:26:26.640> district,<02:26:27.120><
• Descendants of the Miwok Indians once lived throughout North Central California, inhabiting land from
• Sierra Nevada mountains and the central Sierra Nevada mountains and the central valley<02:56:40.160

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A full list of bills and sponsors is posted on the committee's website.
• And I would just say, very briefly, in the district I represent, a sort of Metro-South Central Mass.
• In Central Massachusetts, Greystar manages more than 2,700 apartment units and owns three residential
• In this process, tenants become Sensitive data into a centralized database.
• So I represent Central Square Tenants Union.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing held a hybrid hearing on a broad slate of landlord-tenant and home rule bills, with most testimony focused on rent stabilization, tenant opportunity to purchase (TOPA), tenant fees, access to counsel, algorithmic rent fixing, and tenant protections in subsidized housing. Chairs Cyr and Haggerty outlined the hearing procedures and noted that written testimony could also be submitted. Several members and invited speakers emphasized that the committee was hearing from both local officials and residents affected by housing instability, especially in Somerville and other communities facing high rents and displacement. Supporters of rent stabilization and local-option rent control argued that Massachusetts needs tools to prevent displacement while new housing is built. Senator Eldridge, Senator Jalen, Somerville officials, tenant organizers, and residents described steep rent increases, no-fault evictions, and the loss of naturally occurring affordable housing. Somerville’s home rule petition was described as allowing annual increases tied to CPI plus 2%, capped at 5%, with exemptions for owner-occupied two- and three-family homes and a 15-year exemption for new construction. TOPA supporters said it would let tenants or their designees buy buildings before speculative buyers, preserving affordable housing stock; opponents, including small landlords and property managers, argued rent control would reduce supply, discourage investment, and that TOPA could delay sales and harm properties. The committee also heard testimony on bills to curb junk fees and regulate tenant charges, including limits on late fees, lease renewal fees, payment portal fees, attorney’s fees, and other add-on charges. Advocates said these fees can add hundreds of dollars a month and disproportionately harm low-income renters and renters of color. Another major topic was algorithmic rent fixing: Senator Moore and Representative Sabadoza said landlords should not use software such as RealPage to coordinate pricing, citing federal antitrust actions and arguing that competition is essential to lowering rents. Additional testimony supported a statewide right to counsel in eviction cases, with legal services providers saying representation dramatically improves outcomes and can save the state money, and a bill to create an office of tenant protections to better enforce sanitary code violations. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.