Transcript Highlights:

• Beyond state-of-the-art technology, I'm not a very...
• You've been developing over the past 30 years that others do not have.
• Or is there some other areas that we could develop this?
• by any quantum technology because of the laws of physics.
• And quantum secure networks are technology that's already available.

Bills: SB145, SB143

Keywords: auditing, financial reporting, state auditor, public agencies, capital outlay, compliance, federal audits, agriculture, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, fee update, regulatory fees, egg inspection, egg grading, egg dealer, pesticide control, pesticide registration, pesticide applicator, pest management consultant, plant protection, nursery license

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, can technology change?
• So the technology that is eligible for the program... Sure, yes.
• So the technology that is eligible for the program is already changing.
• The technologies and the services need to be paid for.
• Unfortunately, the PUC and CEC's IRP modeling processes don't treat all storage technologies in a technology-neutral

Summary: The hearing was an informational budget session on energy agency proposals, with no votes taken. Early discussion focused on Proposition 4 climate bond implementation, including funding for demand-side grid support, offshore wind development, and transmission financing. The Department of Finance said the budget includes allocations for demand-side grid support and offshore wind, but not yet for the $325 million transmission financing piece pending a required study. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged the Legislature to consider whether to wait on offshore wind funding, whether to keep shifting funds into demand-side grid support, and how to direct future transmission financing. Members also raised concerns about local technical assistance for offshore wind, Salton Sea priorities, and the need for more information before final decisions. The California Energy Commission and CPUC then reviewed the broader energy package. The CEC highlighted the demand-side grid support program’s growth, distributed energy backup assets, long-duration storage, hydrogen grants, and the SIRP clean energy reliability program. CPUC testimony emphasized affordability, wildfire mitigation costs, rooftop solar cost shifts, and efforts to reduce rates while maintaining reliability and clean energy goals. Members questioned CPUC staffing, delays in proceedings, coordination with the CEC and CAISO, and the impact of rate increases on customers. The agencies also discussed the AB 3264 transmission financing study, with CPUC saying work on the study had already begun and was on track for the July 1 deadline. Several trailer bill and implementation items were also discussed. The committee reviewed a proposal to extend the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program surcharge, with members split over whether it should be handled in budget trailer bill language or policy legislation; the administration said the surcharge supports a critical program serving about three-quarters of a million Californians. The committee also heard a CPUC data-sharing proposal to allow nondisclosure agreements for transmission and reliability data, which members generally supported as a technical fix. DWR explained a proposal to clarify language for the Electricity Supply Strategic Reliability Reserve so it can potentially sell three gas-fired units it owns, and the CEC presented a federal transmission grant proposal tied to grid-enhancing technologies and ratepayer cost recovery. Finally, the committee discussed California Lifeline and possible broadband pilot reforms in light of uncertainty around federal Universal Service Fund support, with CPUC saying it is exploring a statewide standalone broadband option for eligible customers.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's very simple technology, and we're storing it permanently in cement.
• It's very simple technology, and we're storing it permanently in cement.
• So to me, to exclude that type of development doesn't make any sense.
• energy production and mineral supply chain map development.
• Do pass as amended to Business, Professions and Economic Development.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so we cover all aspects related from technology development, economic analysis, making sure that
• Um, so we cover all aspects related from technology development, economic analysis, making sure that
• Um, so we cover all aspects related from technology development, economic analysis, making sure that
• Um, so we cover all aspects related from technology development, economic analysis, making sure that
• Um, so we cover all aspects related from technology development, economic analysis, making sure that

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I hear from architects and developers about code challenges and their need to know more about technologies
• building um, architects, developers, building um, architects, developers, building operators,<00:
• technology is out there. technology is out there.
• And that's that's why technologies.
• <00:48:24.560> are people because these technologies are people because these technologies

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 459 will streamline the process by embracing modern technology.
• Assembly Bill 459 will streamline the process by embracing modern technology.
• Assembly Bill 459 will streamline the process by embracing modern technology.
• The technology does exist. And if Ms.
• The technology does exist. And if Ms.

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on April 30, 2025, beginning as a subcommittee until a quorum was established. The committee first approved six bills on consent, including AB 950, AB 953, AB 1214, and three committee bills. It then heard several measures dealing with election administration, ballot transparency, and campaign finance, with most authors accepting committee amendments and several bills being held on call for absent members. AB 930 by Assembly Member Ward would extend the deadline for counting timely postmarked vote-by-mail ballots from three to seven days after Election Day and update recount procedures, including online posting of recount results and clearer rules for recount requests. The bill was supported by county election officials and passed out of committee with a due-pass recommendation, though it was initially held on call. AB 459 by Assembly Member DeMaio proposed allowing electronic signatures for initiatives, referenda, and recalls; the Secretary of State and labor groups opposed it over security, implementation, and cost concerns, and the committee ultimately rejected the bill after reconsideration. AB 699 by Assembly Member Stephanie would change how local tiered tax and bond measures are described on ballots by allowing more detail to be placed in the voter guide; housing, school, and local government groups supported it, while taxpayer and realtor groups opposed it as reducing ballot transparency. AB 1188, presented on behalf of Assembly Member Ortega, would list the top three funders supporting and opposing statewide initiatives and referenda directly on the ballot; transparency advocates and labor supported it, while county election officials and business groups raised concerns about ballot length and processing costs. Both AB 699 and AB 1188 passed out of committee with amendments and were held on call. The committee also heard AB 827 by Assembly Member Berman, which would standardize and extend the deadline for curing vote-by-mail signature problems, add a link to cure forms in ballot-tracking notifications, and make other changes to improve ballot curing. It drew no opposition in the hearing and passed with a due-pass recommendation. AB 351 by Assembly Member McKenna would raise the Levine Act contribution threshold for local officials to $1,500 and add CPI adjustments; supporters said it would reduce administrative burdens and reflect modern campaign finance realities, while good-government groups and the League of Women Voters opposed it as weakening anti-corruption protections. The committee initially failed AB 351, then granted reconsideration, but the transcript ends before a final disposition is clearly completed. Finally, AB 1079 by Assembly Member Farías would eliminate the automatic appellate stay in California Voting Rights Act and Fair Maps Act cases; it was supported as a way to prevent delayed remedies in voting rights cases, opposed by the City of Santa Monica over impacts on ongoing litigation, and passed with amendments. After taking up the held items, the committee recorded final votes on the bills, including passage of AB 930, AB 699, AB 1188, AB 827, and AB 1079, and rejection of AB 459.

Transcript Highlights:

• -China Science and Technology Agreement. Was this a good idea?
• Is there something technologically that can help us do that more actively or quickly?
• I'm honestly not sure what the technological solution is.
• Some of the nation's strategic advantages come from our innovation, technology, and research and development
• China holds that expertise and technologies.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jose Palayo, Director of Workforce Development at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
• I'm the director of Workforce Development with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
• importance of workforce development.
• Workforce development boards, the regional planning units, there's 15, there's 45 workforce development
• Economic Development Corporation and, you know, LAEDC and all the regional economic development corporations

Summary: The hearing opened the Select Committee on Effective Postsecondary Career, Technical Education, and Workforce Development Programs at Santa Ana College, with Assemblymember Mike Fong emphasizing the need for affordable, accelerated pathways into high-demand careers and noting his bill AB 1098 creating the California Interagency Education Council. Chancellor Marvin Martinez welcomed the committee and urged changes to AB 927 to remove the “duplication” barrier for community college bachelor’s degrees, arguing that applied baccalaureate programs can lead to high-wage jobs and expand access for low- and middle-income students. The first panel focused on statewide workforce trends and policy. California Community Colleges Vice Chancellor Anthony Cordova highlighted credit for prior learning, Strong Workforce funding, dual enrollment, and apprenticeship growth, asking the Legislature to restore and increase Strong Workforce funding and expand applied baccalaureate degrees. LAEDC’s Josep Bilayo described regional labor market data showing growth in health care, education, construction, bioscience, and clean energy, while stressing the need for employer-led, data-driven programs, wraparound supports, and flexible funding. Andrew Gonzalez of the Building and Construction Trades Council argued that registered apprenticeship must be paid, combine classroom and on-the-job training, and end in a portable credential; he also promoted apprenticeship readiness programs, community workforce agreements, and stronger exposure to trades starting in K-12. Eric Morrison Smith of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color discussed the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program and related youth apprenticeship recommendations, including bridge programs, intermediary infrastructure, reduced employer barriers, and better coordination of state funding. A later panel highlighted Santa Ana College’s fire technology and firefighting academy programs. President Annabelle Neri and Vice President Jeffrey Lamb said the college is one of the state’s largest fire training providers, with strong partnerships with local fire agencies, law enforcement, and the U.S. Forest Service, and with high job placement and six-figure starting salaries for some graduates. They also described related certificates, advanced officer training, wellness services, and workforce preparation such as mock interviews and sponsorships. Throughout the hearing, members and panelists repeatedly stressed the importance of aligning education with labor market demand, expanding apprenticeships and work-based learning, and using regional collaboration to connect students to living-wage careers.

Transcript Highlights:

• School Book Fairs Workforce Development School Book Fairs Workforce Development resources<00:03:
• /c> resources and Technology classes for resources and Technology classes for older<00:03:44.480>
• They're often centers for collaboration, technology access, and developing research skills.
• They're often centers for collaboration, technology access, and developing research skills.
• They're often centers for collaboration, technology access, and developing research skills.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the AS in engineering technology, we have short-term certifications.
• Eighty of those serve in the engineering technology one.
• And we need this type of technology to be made in our communities.
• They even assist in curriculum development. Lecturing and classrooms.
• It's an... ...and the digital information technology course in middle school.

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee heard a panel discussion focused on how Florida schools and colleges are exposing students to in-demand careers in manufacturing, semiconductors, transportation, and related fields, and how they are building pathways from middle school through postsecondary training. Panelists from Seminole County Public Schools, Lake Technical College/Lake County Schools, and St. Petersburg College described their career academies, dual enrollment options, industry certifications, and partnerships with employers, local governments, and state colleges. They emphasized early career awareness, counseling, and parent outreach as key to helping students understand technical education as a viable and prestigious path. Seminole County highlighted 51 career and professional education academies and new offerings in agricultural biotechnology, global finance, firefighting, and planned aerospace engineering. Lake County described Lake Technical College’s programs, strong completion and placement outcomes, and three partnerships: a flexible-day high school/workforce model at Lincoln Park Education Center, the Lake Works pathway collaboration with Lake Sumter State College, and a Transportation Innovation Hub with the City of Tavares that trains students on municipal vehicles and serves multiple local governments. St. Petersburg College discussed its manufacturing and engineering technology programs, including semiconductor processing, mechatronics, soldering, and clean-room training, along with new grant-funded expansion at its Midtown campus. Members asked about wages, the semiconductor workforce, how to change perceptions of technical education, how parents are engaged, and how Bright Futures CAPE and Gold Seal scholarships are communicated. Witnesses said school counselors, CTE teachers, parent nights, and district communications are used to promote these options, and that many students can earn strong wages through short-term certifications or two-year degrees. Lake Technical College also raised concerns about workforce funding not keeping pace with teacher pay increases and inflation, noting that funding covers only about 80% of what it earns and tuition has remained unchanged for 18 years. The meeting ended with members praising the programs, and the subcommittee adjourned without any vote or formal action beyond rising and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've held public listening sessions on sterile fly production technology, eradication tools and technology
• Once that happens it will take some time to develop a brewed.
• And in many ways, you can use this technology for bacteria, for viruses.
• EPA will have to go through their process to review that technology.
• I'm not we're not as versed in where those technologies are.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With amazing state-of-the-art labs in nursing, radiological technology, paramedicine, and surgical technology
• Private development has slowed to a crawl. Office towers sit empty.
• Now we have the chance to lead in inclusive economic development too.
• and for other decarbonization technologies.
• So geothermal networks are the most efficient technology.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its second public hearing of the 194th General Court on capital investments in higher education, focusing primarily on H.54, the Bright Act, along with H.1426/S.949 on green and healthy public colleges and universities and deferred maintenance, and H.1424 on capital investment in Gateway Cities. Chairs and administration officials framed the hearing as a response to aging campus infrastructure, climate goals, workforce needs, and federal pressures on higher education, and explained that testimony would be taken from pre-registered speakers in person and virtually. University of Massachusetts leaders strongly supported the Bright Act, describing large deferred maintenance backlogs, aging buildings, and the need to decarbonize campuses while modernizing research and teaching facilities. UMass officials said the bill would help keep tuition and fees lower by reducing the need for campuses to finance capital work themselves, and argued that the investments would improve competitiveness, support research, and create construction jobs. Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary of Education Tuttweiler, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Gorzkowicz also backed the bill, saying it would leverage Fair Share surtax revenues for a proposed $2.5 billion in campus investments plus additional targeted grants, and that it would support affordability, economic growth, and climate resilience. Committee members asked about the balance between deferred maintenance and decarbonization, the role of grant programs versus direct spending, the impact on tuition and fees, and how the plan would help campuses respond to federal cuts such as NIH and NSF funding. Administration officials said the proposal was designed to be phased in quickly, with some projects ready to start immediately and others taking longer, and that the grant programs would be structured to include all campuses equitably. They also said the plan would build on an existing financing model similar to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and could help campuses avoid future tuition increases tied to capital costs. Additional testimony came from MassBay Community College, where President David Podell and recent nursing graduate Deanna Cavazos described the benefits of a new Framingham campus building and said community colleges need modern labs, better planning capacity, and deferred maintenance support to serve the enrollment growth from MassReconnect and MassEducate. State university leaders, including President Mary Grant, President Linda Thompson, and President John Keenan, said their campuses face outdated classrooms, insufficient electrical capacity, and aging facilities, and urged passage of the Bright Act as a long-overdue investment in student success and workforce preparation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they are fully developed. And they are both set to go live in the spring timeframe.
• This is technology from the late '80s and '90s that they're doing that.
• How closely have you been working with them in developing that methodology to develop that unique identifier
• We're looking to achieve operational efficiencies through our technology.
• time frame is when we plan to wrap up all development activities.

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs received a Department of Children and Families update from CIO Cole Sousa on three major technology modernization efforts: ACCESS, CWIS, and FASMS. For ACCESS, he described the six-year, $205 million project to replace the aging eligibility system used for SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid applications, noting completed releases such as the MyACCESS portal, document management, partner portal, workload management, and client registration modules. He said the system now supports mobile applications, multi-factor authentication, and bot detection, and that the next budget request is $36.625 million to continue moving workers off the mainframe, modernize notices, and complete more worker-portal functions. Members asked about performance data, interoperability with other systems, and the relationship to the FX project and APD; Sousa said API-based real-time exchanges are the goal and that current average case processing time is about 30 days, though he would provide a more exact figure later. The committee then heard about CWIS, a four-year, $75 million child welfare modernization project. Sousa said phase one is complete, including hotline intake, investigations, mandatory reporter, youth, parent, and mobile portals, along with mobile field tools, e-signatures, and customizable dashboards. Current work is focused on case management, assessment and safety planning, licensure, and placement modules, with collaboration from community-based care providers through advisory sessions. For the next fiscal year, DCF is requesting $28 million and expects to finish development by summer and launch in September, while continuing change management and training. Senators pressed on interoperability with ACCESS, FX, and FASMS, the use of a single unique identifier, and whether CBCs would be required to use the statewide system; Sousa said the department’s goal is one statewide system, with licensing costs absorbed by the state and no plan for dual systems after go-live. Finally, Sousa gave a brief update on FASMS, the financial and services accountability system used by managing entities. He said it remains in maintenance mode while DCF prioritizes ACCESS and CWIS, and that modernization of FASMS is still being planned with partner agencies. He estimated current maintenance costs at about $1.3 million and suggested a future modernization could cost roughly $5 million to $7 million, though no firm timeline has been set. The committee expressed support for using data and interoperable systems to improve decision-making, and the meeting adjourned without any votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Technology centers operate in two houses.
• Question on. a slide 10 in regards to the technology centers and the programs that are being developed
• The biggest change has been AI technology.
• And, I developed an eye twitch over the next 10 days.
• and professional development services across the state.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Technology and societal habits are changing.
• The fund is critical for the development and creation of dispatchable energy.
• Development at a time when we need all the megawatts we can get.
• That technology is going to keep getting better for these batteries on wheels.
• Technology changes, and maybe the products are better.

Bills: HB1951, HB2715, HB3092, HB3237, HB3278, HB3511, HB3592, HB3675, HB3778, HB3782, HB3826, HB3970, HB4016, HB4049, HB4341, HB4344, HB4406, HB4427

Keywords: collective bargaining, public works, government contracts, labor agreements, state funding, removal from office, political subdivisions, local government, judicial proceedings, administrative judicial region, electric transmission, public convenience, landowner consent, utility regulation, energy infrastructure, energy consumption, higher education, governmental entities, sustainability, electricity reduction

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:47.479> moves of life phase and Technology moves of life phase and Technology moves
• <00:08:52.399> gets cameras get old or when technology gets cameras get old or when technology
• <00:10:01.200> to we're going to need the technology to we're going to need the technology
• to develop those new products.
• <01:40:22.760> new developing helping to develop those new developing helping to develop those

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And we don't hear that very often for state technology projects.
• new emerging technology.
• For Navajo Tech, we have developed a very well-advanced manufacturing program.
• And I was just thinking about the same thing in terms of economic development.
• IAEA, there's also a creative industry division within economic development.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Economic Development Corporation.
• At CSUSM, workforce development is embedded into our mission of social justice. mobility.
• And my hope is that you and your loved ones see our hydration monitoring technology in action.
• technology. technical assistance to any small business seeking support.
• We are a financial development corporation.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because they may need some type of development.
• Research and development with the Department of War, now the Department of Defense.
• We did not develop technology for technology's sake.
• From my time within the DoD, I can tell you that often a vendor or an OEM will develop a technology and
• We have a formalism that we have developed around looking at human-machine teaming.

Transcript Highlights:

• Government technology typically lags anywhere from 5 to 15 years behind the private sector and technology
• There is a large language models being developed.
• So the co owns all of the technology, right? There's very specific.
• And at the end the day we want to enable the business to technologies.
• So that way, we do have the ability to explore emerging technology.