Transcript Highlights:

• /c><01:57:07.360><c> this</c> very important components of this very important components of this package
• 57:09.040><c> I</c><01:57:09.280><c> would</c><01:57:09.520><c> ask</c><01:57:09.679><c> that</c> package
• I would ask that package moving forward.
• Their operating costs are completely self-sustained. They pay for their own operating costs.
• Why should we not expect that sustained.

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• As a state agency, we are bound by the state collective bargaining rules and benefit packages.
• I should say we want to be cognizant of, you know, not asking for more than what we need to sustain our
• I should say we want to be cognizant of, you know, not asking for more than what we need to sustain our
• The governor has recommended those amounts, and that's in his admin package as well.
• </c> amounts and that's in his admin package amounts and that's in his admin package as<05:52:12.920>

Summary: The Committee on Finance held an informational briefing with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations on its budget, staffing, and operations. The director reviewed department leadership and reported on recruitment and retention efforts, including a 14% vacancy rate, a 10.5% workforce increase from filling 189 positions, and the Hela Imua internship program, which has placed 516 interns since inception and led to 62 permanent hires. The department also described modernization efforts, including the UI Huakai project and the Disability Compensation Division’s electronic case management system, and said the unemployment compensation trust fund exceeded $71.5 million, triggering Schedule C for calendar year 2025. The department’s main budget requests included $2.9 million for fiscal year 2026 to support maintenance and operations of the electronic case management system, plus restoration of two enforcement specialist positions. Officials said those positions are needed to address a decline in investigators from 11 to six since 2009, improve compliance, and handle Hawaii Compliance Express certificate work. Additional requests included two human resources specialists to address recruitment backlogs, two labor enforcement specialists to reduce a backlog of Chapter 104 prevailing wage and wage cases, and two positions for the Office of Community Services to expand immigrant services and access centers. The department also discussed federal funding for unemployment insurance and workforce programs, including National Dislocated Worker Grants and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds, and said some funding is received in increments and may require extensions. Members asked about Kauai inspection coverage, federal funding uncertainty, the size of the special unemployment insurance fund, and whether the department could ramp up staffing during a future crisis. Officials said Kauai is currently served by inspectors from Honolulu and there are no plans to open a permanent island position because of staffing constraints. They said the department is meeting federal guidelines and is not in jeopardy, and that the special unemployment insurance fund has about $10 million, with current UI operations funded at a little over $15 million, meaning the fund may need to cover roughly $5 million if federal support declines. The director said the department would use the special fund to supplement shortfalls, but noted that federal funding cuts and the loss of ARPA support have already affected operations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Younger. for missions to pay and serve affordable sustainable homes for Californians, so we do that a
• We also have high research and sustainable housing is a part of the work we do.
• We also have a member of a number of... ...and sustainable housing is part of what we do.
• I've done a lot of work on the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program this year, as it
• But do they have the ability to sustain the housing that we are currently providing?

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Housing Finance and Affordability held its first hearing of 2025 to examine how California finances affordable housing and homeownership. Co-chairs opened by describing the state’s severe housing shortage, high costs, and the need for the committee to identify practical recommendations. Panelists from the California Housing Partnership, the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, the Treasurer’s housing finance committees, CalHFA, and Related discussed the layered financing structure used for affordable housing, including federal low-income housing tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, state subsidies, local funds, and rental assistance. Witnesses emphasized that affordable housing projects typically require multiple funding sources and that the system is often slowed by complex applications, overlapping rules, and too many layers of financing. Several speakers noted recent federal changes that expanded the 9% and 4% tax credit programs, including a lower bond-financing threshold for 4% credits, which should allow more projects to move forward. State officials also highlighted ongoing efforts to streamline the system, including the SuperNOFA, AB 519’s one-stop-shop working group, and the planned California Housing and Homeless Agency, which is intended to align housing, homelessness, and civil rights functions. CalHFA described its homeownership and multifamily programs, including My Home, Dream For All, Cal Assist Mortgage Fund, and the Mixed Income Program, and said its financing tools help first-time buyers and developers. Related and other housing providers said the state has made real progress through land-use reform, accountability enforcement, and faster tax credit allocation, but argued that funding remains far below need. They called for more state and permanent funding sources, more efficient administration, more support for ADU and modular financing, and better attention to deeper affordability, the “missing middle,” and equity impacts on renters, women, and communities of color. The hearing was informational only; no votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• 42.160><c> to</c> And so any attempt here today to try to And so any attempt here today to try to package
• So all we're saying is having affordable, dispatchable, sustainable energy is important to America.
• to secure resources for the agricultural producers, rural communities, and nutrition programs that sustain
• communities, and nutrition<05:46:17.280><c> programs</c><05:46:17.760><c> that</c><05:46:18.080><c> sustain
• </c><05:46:18.558><c> our</c> nutrition programs that sustain our nutrition programs that sustain our

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is the Department of Environmental Protection Agency's package.
• And with that, I'm going to ask for your favorable support because this package is an agency that will
• you're dealing with the geographic diversity, the types of instruction, and then all the different packages
• or create new bureaucratic costs may ultimately make communities less stable and more expensive to sustain
• , not the bits and not the pieces, but the whole package.

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of bills, beginning with several measures that were amended and reported favorably, including a strike-all to SB 4 on child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, SB 1570 restoring a statewide missing-persons project for individuals with special needs, and SB 182 creating a teacher training and mentoring program for schools needing improvement. Members also advanced SB 794 on APD background screening and support coordination standards, SB 1168 on background screening for athletic coaches and related entities, and SB 214 to let rural special districts pay verified invoices directly for state- and federally funded work. Supporters emphasized improved child welfare investigations, help for families of vulnerable individuals, teacher retention, and better administrative efficiency; the APD bill drew especially strong testimony from waiver clients and providers about the importance of competent support coordinators and stable services. The committee also favorably reported SB 1376 on grants for genetic counseling education, SB 1574 requiring newborn screening for biliary atresia, SB 1510 as the DEP agency package with environmental, septic, water quality, solar, and permitting changes, and SB 598 updating funeral and cemetery licensing and consumer protections. SB 688, after a delete-all amendment, would create licensure for naturopathic doctors and a board of naturopathic medicine; it drew strong support from naturopathic advocates and sharp opposition from a critic who argued the bill would authorize diagnosis and treatment beyond appropriate limits. SB 1318 made a technical change to scholarship account reversion language, with senators clarifying that remaining funds would return to the scholarship funding organization for future use rather than to the state. Later, the committee approved SB 682 on domestic violence and protective injunctions, SB 130 on workforce training for current and former inmates, and SB 1548, the latest Live Local Act iteration expanding affordable housing options and limiting local barriers. It also reported favorably SB 536 on criminal gang membership criteria after extensive debate about constitutional issues and modern gang activity, SB 762 allowing cross-jurisdiction assignment of capital cases among regional conflict counsel offices, SB 1332 strengthening career offender registration requirements, SB 1742 creating a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a minor, and SB 1750 increasing penalties for serious sex offenses and child sexual abuse material crimes. The most contentious discussion came on SB 1226, which would overhaul Public Employee Relations Commission rules, require majority support for union certification, and impose new limits on union activities and dues-related practices; members debated constitutional concerns, differences between first responders and other public employees, and the bill’s impact on union representation and public-sector labor rights. Most bills were reported favorably by roll call, with SB 536 drawing several no votes and SB 1226 still under active debate at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:26:09.279><c> that</c> can get that started and sustain that can get that started and sustain
• This work needs sustaining. Currently, the Scott County FRCs are funded solely by our county.
• This work needs sustaining. Currently, the Scott County FRCs are funded solely by our county.
• </c> Workforce this work needs sustaining Workforce this work needs sustaining currently<02:10:21.960
• </c> sincerely appreciate it in your package sincerely appreciate it in your package the<02:25:59.160

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> I also worked with victims who sustained I also worked with victims who sustained injuries<02:04
• He said this bill is very specific and is not part of a bigger package.
• </c> that should be part of a um a a package that should be part of a um a a package of<03:58:02.399>
• </c><03:58:22.560><c> And</c><03:58:22.720><c> I</c> it's not part of a bigger package.
• And I it's not part of a bigger package.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Summary: The hearing focused primarily on House Bill 1087 and House Bill 123, both related to firearms. HB 1087 was introduced as a Second Amendment measure, but after questions from the chair and discussion with law enforcement, the sponsor agreed it should be set aside and referred to a study committee for further review, rather than advanced as written. The New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association testified in opposition to the bill as written, while also indicating support for the sponsor’s proposed amendment or a study approach. The bulk of the discussion centered on HB 123, which would require the return of firearms after a not guilty verdict or dismissal. The sponsor and several members described the bill’s purpose as speeding up the return of property, but law enforcement and judicial branch witnesses raised concerns about federal law, the need to ensure a person is still legally eligible to possess firearms, and the bill’s 24-hour return requirement. Witnesses from the State Police and judicial branch explained the current process, including background checks through the state police gun line, and said the existing procedure already aims to return firearms promptly while allowing time to verify disqualifying information. Members and witnesses discussed possible amendments, including removing language that would bar background checks and instead tying return of firearms to completion of the check within a set time frame. Judicial branch and State Police witnesses said a process that requires a background check and return within a reasonable period, with notice if there is a delay or denial, would better address safety and legal concerns. The hearing ended without a vote; the committee closed the public hearing and indicated it would continue working on the language before executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> I also worked with victims who sustained I also worked with victims who sustained injuries<02:04
• This one, as it is, it’s very specific and it shall be, and it’s not part of a bigger package.
• </c> that should be part of a um a a package that should be part of a um a a package of<03:58:02.399>
• </c><03:58:22.560><c> And</c><03:58:22.720><c> I</c> it's not part of a bigger package.
• And I it's not part of a bigger package.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• :01:52.640><c> to</c> them the resources uh they need to to them the resources uh they need to to sustain
• 01:54.159><c> grow</c><00:01:54.320><c> that</c><00:01:54.560><c> in</c><00:01:54.799><c> our</c> sustain
• that and to grow that in our sustain that and to grow that in our community.<00:01:55.680><c> I</c><
• and provides an additional tool package and provides an additional tool in<00:38:46.000><c> the</c><
• </c> working very hard um on this package. working very hard um on this package.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• yeah, no, I can understand that that is the one area where it was like, well, I know that they have packages
• yeah, no, I can understand that that is the one area where it was like, well, I know that they have packages
• was like, well, I know that<00:30:36.520><c> they</c><00:30:36.920><c> have</c><00:30:37.120><c> packages
• to</c><00:30:38.000><c> to</c><00:30:38.200><c> fix</c><00:30:38.600><c> them</c> that they have packages
• to to fix them that they have packages to to fix them up<00:30:39.000><c> or</c><00:30:39.080><c> do

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, which really identifies the key sectors to support sustainable
• the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, which really identifies the key sectors to support sustainable
• However, sustained state funding is critical to our shared success.
• However, sustained state funding is critical to our shared success, particularly as government entities
• We'll buy a truck and we'll lease it, and we'll provide charging and a truck together as a package.

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Select Committee on Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure focused on California’s EV market, charging infrastructure, and the effects of recent federal actions on state clean-transportation programs. The chair emphasized California’s progress on EV adoption and charging reliability, but also noted ongoing problems with affordability, charger access, interoperability, and the need to support light-duty, heavy-duty, and fleet electrification. She also highlighted interest in inductive charging, bidirectional charging, and the transition to NACS, and said the hearing would help shape future legislative action. State agency witnesses from Go-Biz, CARB, and the California Energy Commission described their roles in market development, emissions regulation, incentives, and charging deployment. Go-Biz outlined its ZEV market strategy, equity action plan, and permitting streamlining work, while CARB detailed federal challenges to its clean vehicle rules, the need to defend waiver authority in court, and the importance of incentives and regulatory stability. The CEC discussed charger reliability rules, statewide inventory and planning, funding for public and multifamily charging, and efforts to expand fast charging and improve access in charging deserts. All three agencies stressed that federal rollbacks and the expiration of federal tax credits make state policies and funding more important. Testimony from industry, local government, and advocacy groups largely supported continued state investment. Cal ETC urged a continuous Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund appropriation, more support for multifamily charging, and managed charging programs. The American EV Jobs Alliance proposed a state “conquest” incentive for new and used EV buyers and argued that multifamily charging is the biggest untapped market. Los Angeles County and LADWP described large-scale fleet and charger deployments, public housing and multifamily projects, and the need for sustained funding, agency coordination, and utility/grid interconnection support. The Union of Concerned Scientists recommended prioritizing Clean Cars for All, using fees on non-CARBOB gasoline to fund cleaner vehicle replacement, and expanding authority for bidirectional EV deployment. Members and witnesses also discussed Level 1 versus Level 2 charging for multifamily housing and other use cases. The chair noted that Level 2 is essential for many drivers but asked whether Level 1 could be a cheaper, faster option in some settings. Witnesses agreed that Level 1 can work in certain contexts, especially airports or some multifamily installations, but emphasized that consumer confidence, overnight range, dealer education, and reliable access to charging remain central to broader EV adoption. No formal votes or actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill before us is designed as an opportunity to make sure that we could provide an economic recovery package
• bill before us is designed as an opportunity to make sure that we could provide an economic recovery package
• bill before us is designed as an opportunity to make sure that we could provide an economic recovery package
• ideas</c><00:46:08.920><c> into</c> from turning their ideas into from turning their ideas into sustainable
• </c> sustainable businesses. sustainable businesses.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• impacted by the Federal money associated with this project has now happened in the FY26 appropriations package
• It's going to fire up and it's going to sustain for whatever the life cycle of that engine's going to

Committee: House A&B Transportation Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not something that the state could easily sustain over a long period of time in terms of trying
• over extending the ACA subsidies, and with the concern that Congress has over continued rescission packages

Committee: House Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• It removes Section 1, which would have required labeling on packaging.
• They care about sustainability, they care about the ocean, and they care about us. ...care about our

Bills: HB2226 , HB2269 , HB2343 , HB2760 , HB3621 , HB4079 , HB4204 , HB4518 , HB4531 , HB4555 , HB4850 , HB4876 , HB4903 , HB4996 , HB5122

Committee: House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Keywords: construction trust funds, Property Code, Chapter 162, construction payments, mechanics lien, contractors, subcontractors, laborers, material suppliers, materialmen, real property improvement, assignment of payment rights, unpaid trust funds, trust fund beneficiaries, construction industry, payment protection, Texas construction law, property owners association, landscaping, grass maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• And with that, I respectfully urge your aye vote not only on this bill, but on this entire package.
• will enhance transparency and accountability in groundwater management by requiring groundwater sustainability

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and pledge, then took up a series of procedural motions and a large third-reading file focused heavily on housing, wildfire recovery, insurance, and related regulatory changes. Early actions included a successful motion to place Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 on the third-reading file, followed by a unanimous vote on SB 26, a cleanup measure related to lemon-law civil discovery procedures and automaker opt-outs from the AB 1755 framework. The chamber then moved through a package of urgency bills tied to the January 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires and broader housing affordability concerns. Measures approved included AB 311 allowing displaced tenants to temporarily house wildfire victims and pets, AB 299 extending hotel/motel/short-term rental stays beyond 30 days for disaster-displaced families, AB 226 giving the California Fair Plan access to bond financing in catastrophic-loss scenarios, AB 253 allowing third-party plan checks when local review exceeds 30 days, AB 301 aligning state permitting timelines with local deadlines, AB 306 imposing a six-year pause on new residential building-code updates, AB 462 exempting certain ADUs in Los Angeles County coastal zones from coastal development permits, AB 493 requiring interest to be paid to homeowners on insurance proceeds held by lenders, and AB 597 tightening rules on public adjuster solicitation, fees, and contract transparency. Each of these urgency bills passed, generally with strong bipartisan support and mostly unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The Assembly also approved several non-urgency measures, including AB 293 on groundwater transparency and board disclosure, AB 251 on elder abuse litigation standards when evidence is intentionally destroyed, AB 59 removing a sunset on Reclamation District 108’s hydropower authority, AB 417 streamlining EIFD and CRIA financing tools, and AB 312 updating procedures for agricultural theft proceeds. In addition, ACR 6 was adopted by voice vote, recognizing Black April Memorial Month and the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, with extensive remarks from Assembly Member Ta and support from other members. The consent calendar was adopted, and the body later heard adjournment-in-memory tributes for David Myers and Olivia Guerrero before adjourning to April 3, 2025. Several vote changes were announced after adjournment, including changes on AB 251 and AB 417.

Transcript Highlights:

• MAINTAIN A AT 28 ACROSS THE STATE WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A LARGE NUMBER BUT IT'S GOOD, $500,000 TO SUSTAIN
• I THINK THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT PERHAPS COULD BE PACKAGED IN A WAY THAT COULD BE PROVIDED ACROSS THE STATE

Transcript Highlights:

• But we know that that is not sustainable. It's not a good way to spend monies.
• But we know that that is not sustainable. It's not a good way to spend monies.
• But we know that that is not sustainable. It's not a good way to spend monies.
• </c><01:21:30.719><c> the</c> order to continue to sustain the order to continue to sustain the Staffing
• </c><02:11:39.800><c> of</c> Council approved a a package of Council approved a a package of contracts

Summary: Division 3 opened a work session focused on direct care agencies, with the chair saying the day would center on the Veterans Home and other state hospitals and homes. Members first discussed the upcoming Finance Committee process, including how many bills would be assigned to Division 3, whether they would appear on the House calendar, and how much time would be allowed for each bill. The chair said the division would likely spend about an hour on each bill, then return for a second day of review before making recommendations. Staff later identified three bills expected on the calendar: House Bills 704, 751, and 54. Members also raised a question about the use of educational trust fund money in the budget, but that issue was deferred. The main presentation came from Kim McKay, commandant of the New Hampshire Veterans Home, who described the facility as a long-term care intermediate facility serving eligible veterans. She said the home is licensed for 250 beds, budgeted for 225 veterans, and currently has 135 residents with four more scheduled to arrive. McKay highlighted improvements over the last two years, including a reduction in the admission wait list from more than a year to about three to six months, the creation of an LNA training program, energy-saving and Wi-Fi upgrades, and a new electronic learning management system that will provide mandatory training and continuing education units for staff. She said the home’s long-term goal is to return to a 225-bed census, but staffing remains the biggest hurdle. Members asked about admissions, wait times, staffing, vacancies, and the home’s use of contract nurses. McKay explained that the wait time is measured from the initial application date, not from a completed packet, and that staff now help families gather records and paperwork more quickly. She said the home averages about 45 deaths per year, residents stay about 2.5 years on average, and the vacancy rate is around 35 percent, though some positions are intentionally held open until census grows. She attributed staffing shortages largely to retention problems, citing higher private-sector pay, bonuses, and more flexible hours, and said the home has a handful of contract nurses, mainly on second shift. On finances, she said pharmacy services are contracted, the VA reimburses some medication costs based on disability, and the home is pursuing federal changes to cover high-cost medications and catastrophic disability cases. The discussion also covered the home’s off-book donation account, which is overseen by the state and transferred into the state system when funds are spent.

Transcript Highlights:

• also about improving our quality of life and building healthier communities and fostering strong sustainable
• for innovative solutions to attract people and keep people because that's really the only way to sustain
• I am the sustainability officer for the City of Las Cruces.
• Because as we mentioned earlier, if you have packaged heated energy, you are not provided with the capacity
• while also sustaining agriculture in our lower Rio Grande.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, we know that, especially in our rural communities, this funding is so critical to sustain hospitals
• And finally, I urge you to not delay revenue conversations until 2027, as noted in the budget package
• California has worked hard to build sustainable financing models such as voter-approved Proposition 35
• As reproductive health and abortion care providers, current Medi-Cal rates are also critical to sustain
• As reproductive health and abortion care providers, current Medi-Cal rates are also critical to sustaining

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused first on the impacts of H.R. 1 on Medi-Cal and California’s health care system. Department of Health Care Services Director Michelle Bass outlined provisions including work requirements, semiannual redeterminations, reduced retroactive coverage, new cost-sharing, limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments, reduced federal matching for emergency services for some immigrants, restrictions on lawful immigrant coverage, and a one-year ban on Medicaid funding for certain abortion providers. She said the law could put tens of billions of federal dollars at risk, with estimates of up to 3 million members losing coverage from work requirements, about 400,000 from more frequent redeterminations, and major pressure on hospitals, clinics, and rural providers. She also noted the state is considering implementation timelines, possible delays, and planning for communications, county systems, and a rural health transformation fund. Testimony from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the California Hospital Association, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty echoed those concerns. Planned Parenthood said the federal defunding provision would immediately threaten access to reproductive health care, with possible clinic closures, reduced hours, and workforce cuts if injunctions are lifted; it estimated about $305 million in annual federal matching funds are at stake in California. The hospital association warned that reduced provider taxes and state-directed payments could cut hospital revenue by an estimated $66 billion to $128 billion over 10 years, risking service reductions and closures, especially in rural areas. The Western Center argued the changes would reverse ACA-era coverage gains, increase churn and administrative burden, and disproportionately harm working poor people and those experiencing homelessness. Committee members asked about implementation, notification, state mitigation options, and the effect on hospitals and patients; no votes were taken. The second panel addressed community health impacts of recent immigration enforcement actions. CHIRLA described raids as a public health crisis that creates fear, trauma, family separation, and avoidance of health care. Los Angeles County Department of Health Services reported declines in emergency, urgent care, and clinic visits in immigrant-heavy areas after enforcement actions, and said it has responded with multilingual outreach, patient navigation, telehealth, and assurances that patient information remains protected. The Children’s Partnership said enforcement also disrupts children’s access to early childhood education and schools, citing increased absences and fear among families, and urged stronger protections, legal services, and funding for child care and school-based supports. Members asked for more data on visit declines, the effects on children and families, and how to reduce the chilling effect on care-seeking and benefit enrollment.