Transcript Highlights:

• have the Public School Capital Outlay Council, a nine-member committee that really manages the allocation
• I'm going to go to high school junior high school, high school grants, high school, Valley Middle School
• And then we have five demolition awards to New Mexico school districts, which include Corona, Grants,
• You can go back to every school district in Grants. It was the Blue Water Village.
• The purpose of this program is to support charter schools by providing grants that cover either part

Transcript Highlights:

• Now we'll move to the first panel with State Auditor Grant Parks and Senior Auditor Grayson Hugh.
• State Auditor Grant Parks and Senior Auditor Grayson Hugh. You could begin when ready.
• My name is Grant Parks, the State Auditor.
• The campus didn't realize that it failed to fully allocate NAGPRA funds to the NAGPRA team, and they
• our questioning, the campus realized it needed to transfer another $900,000 to make up for allocating

Summary: The joint hearing of the Select Committee on Native American Affairs and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee focused on the University of California’s compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA and the return of Native American human remains and cultural items. Senators and Assembly Members opened by emphasizing the sacredness of repatriation, the ongoing trauma caused by delayed returns, and the need for stronger systemwide accountability. The State Auditor presented the third audit of UC’s repatriation efforts, concluding that UC still lacks the urgency, oversight, and clear timelines needed to promptly return remains and belongings. The audit found thousands of remains and hundreds of thousands of cultural items still in UC custody, new undisclosed collections at several campuses, weak budgeting and underspending, and repatriation plans that often lacked concrete deadlines. The auditor recommended stronger UCOP oversight, performance metrics, proactive searches for undiscovered items, and possible legislative action to tie funding to measurable progress. UC officials responded that the system is committed to full compliance and has accelerated its work since adopting a new policy in 2022. UC Provost Catherine Newman said the system repatriated more than 2,800 ancestors and nearly 80,000 funerary belongings in the past year, and that UC now says 80.3% of Native American remains are either repatriated or available for repatriation. UC announced a new systemwide plan to complete repatriation of human remains by the end of 2028, to finish high-risk campus reviews by June 2026, to recall all loans by January 2026, and to require quarterly reporting to UCOP. UC also said it will spend an additional $8.8 million over three years, expand staffing, improve databases, support tribal consultation costs, and identify potential reburial sites on UC land. Berkeley and San Diego described increased staffing, consultations, and repatriation activity, while Santa Barbara said it had corrected earlier omissions, notified tribes about previously unreported ancestors, and was working toward completing repatriations and updated inventories. Committee members pressed UC on why progress has been so slow, why the audit’s timelines differed from UC’s public reporting, and whether the 2028 goal applies only to human remains rather than all cultural items. UC said the 2028 target is for human remains, while cultural items will take longer, and acknowledged that more work remains. Members also asked about the technical expertise needed for repatriation, the role of tribal experts, and whether repatriation should be embedded more permanently in UC governance or statute. Tribal leaders and representatives then testified that remains and belongings were taken without consent and must be returned with tribal consent and leadership. They criticized the repeated delays, stressed that tribes are the experts on their ancestors and cultural heritage, and urged UC to treat repatriation as a top priority and to return all associated items, not just human remains, so ancestors can truly rest.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and proposals to revise the allocation of federal funding for schools in the future.
• . ...a customized addition to our state grants and the maintenance of the system.
• than there are for federal grants.
• So, for example, if I was going for a federal grant and a state grant, there's not a unified system currently
• Chair, Representative, many of our grants do have evaluation systems with them.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on strategic resource management in public education. LESC staff and PED officials argued that New Mexico has increased school funding, but local budgeting and planning remain fragmented and overly compliance-driven. They described long-term pressures including declining enrollment, rising special education costs, falling cash balances, changes in federal funding, and leadership turnover, and said schools need more intentional multi-year planning tied to student outcomes. They also outlined the many disconnected planning requirements schools must complete, compared New Mexico’s current approach with Ohio’s three-year budget forecasting model, and recommended continuing multi-year appropriations, adding $2.5 million for state grants in the unified application, and directing LESC, LFC, and PED to develop a long-term financial planning proposal. PED said it is working to reduce administrative burden through school accreditation, a unified application for federal and state funds, and internal alignment of guidance and coaching, with pilot schools reporting time savings and better alignment. Members raised concerns about four-day school weeks, the burden on small districts, the need for outcomes and return on investment, and whether the state should move toward a two-year or three-year planning cycle; staff clarified that the proposal was to streamline or eliminate redundant requirements, not add another layer. The committee then received an update on the Educator Fellows program. PED described it as a Grow Your Own pipeline that employs candidates as supplemental educational assistants while they work toward licensure, providing salary, benefits, paid leave, mentoring, and coursework support. Officials said the program helps address teacher shortages, improves student-to-teacher ratios, increases workforce diversity, and supports the Martinez-Yazzie action plan. They reported 370 current fellows across 86 LEAs and about 180 schools, with many fellows being people of color, first-generation college students, or second-career educators; roughly 85 are expected to become certified this year. A local HR director from Belen testified that the program has been especially valuable in small communities, where fellows are already rooted in the community and several have moved into teaching roles. Members asked about high school recruitment, tuition, retirement and benefits, the relationship to the Higher Education Department’s Grow Your Own scholarship, and the role of university partners. PED said fellows choose among accredited higher education partners, the program is separate from the scholarship but complementary, and the state is also building an apprenticeship model and seeking to expand the program to more LEAs, though some districts are on a waiting list because of funding and local match requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• TRUST FUND REQUESTING IT TO MATCH THE TOTAL GRANT AWARD FROM THE LIBRARY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY ACT
• THE AGENCY IS REQUESTING $153,711,287 IN THE GRANTS DONATION TRUST FUND AND $205,175,676 IN THE MEDICAL
• THE AGENCY REQUESTS BUDGET AUTHORITY AND THE AMOUNT OF $922,464,608 IN GRANTS DONATIONS TRUST FUND.
• AND $1,231,307,005 IN THE MEDICAL IN GRANTS DONATIONS TRUST FUND.
• THE AGENCY IS REQUESTING 231,780,000 $700,041 IN GRANT AND DONATION TRUST FUND AND 309,209,144 IN THE

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to resolve as many issues as possible, and the House is pleased to bring forth number one on budget grant
• Grant projects remain unresolved and are related to the budget spreadsheet.
• DOT projects have yet to be resolved, and the project allocation has been agreed to previously.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• funded through the Water Trust Board, as well as about 150 million for local road programs through grant
• To put in their reporting quarterly, as required by their grant agreements, it's data-driven.
• The first one is grant agreements. Getting out grant Agreements to local communities.
• So our goal is to try to get these systems built so that we can track those grant agreements and make
• Chair, on line 35 of B, the Recreation and Quality of Life Grants.

Bills: HB1

Keywords: feed bill, legislative appropriations, legislative branch, New Mexico Legislature, general fund, legislative council service, legislative finance committee, legislative education study committee, house chief clerk, senate chief clerk, per diem, mileage, session expenses, interim committees, district staff, capitol complex, capital outlay data system, legislative processing system, redistricting, census redistricting

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to be giving out grants any day now. We need that million dollars."
• board said, "No, we we had a grant board said, "No, we we had a grant program.<00:33:49.360>
• <00:33:53.760> any We're going to be giving out grants any We're going to be giving out grants
• list of the groups, these 13 grants list of the groups, these 13 grants that'll<00:46:46.560>
• healthcare transformation grant healthcare transformation grant are<00:49:40.800> are<00:

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And there are times that we allocations.
• So we were able to apply for that federal grant.
• So we were able to apply for that federal grant.
• So we were able to apply for that federal grant.
• So we were able to apply for that federal grant.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education heard several advice-and-consent nominations to the School Facilities Authority. For GM779, Shelley Pa was introduced as a nominee for a term ending June 30, 2029. The Department of Education supported her nomination, citing her large-scale operations and stakeholder-engagement experience. In her testimony, Pa said she retired from community policing, wanted to give back to teachers and students, and believed her strengths were collaboration, listening to community input, and helping balance differing priorities. Committee members questioned her about the construction and infrastructure focus of the board, her lack of direct construction experience, and how she would handle disagreements and budget limits; she responded that she would rely on collaboration, ask questions, and keep decisions centered on students, teachers, and the community while staying within budget. The committee then heard GM777 and GM778 for Robert Davis, with terms ending June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2029. Davis described more than 30 years with the Department of Education, including roles as teacher, coach, counselor, vice principal, principal, and complex area superintendent, and said he had worked on major facilities projects and managed pandemic-era funding. He emphasized communication, transparency, and trust, and explained that his experience on the Early Learning Board helped him understand how to set policy, identify schools for pre-K, and use data and community factors in decision-making. Members asked how he would handle SFA’s growing pains, the need to balance DOE wishes with practical and budgetary limits, and the board’s role when the legislature controls funding; Davis said the board must keep communication open, include the right people, and make sensible decisions that move projects forward without stalling. For GM780, nominee Michael Unbasami was introduced for a term ending June 30, 2029. The Department of Education supported him, highlighting over five decades of public service and experience in facilities management, finance, and legislative affairs. Unbasami said he had recently retired after 31 years as associate vice president for administrative affairs for the community colleges and had extensive experience with facilities planning, construction, renovation, repairs, and working within budgets. He stated that the DOE should be treated as the SFA’s client because it knows student, teacher, and facility needs best, while SFA’s role is to implement construction work and collaborate on priorities. Committee members pressed him on how to balance DOE requests with practical project delivery, especially for teacher housing and other non-classroom needs, and he said the legislature funds the work, SFA must keep projects moving, and the workflow should involve collaboration but also realistic decisions that fit the budget and avoid delays.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, yes, we were challenged with two major grants that were already committed, and the federal
• I think, Jamie, can we talk more about whether there are federal grants still available for us?
• We've completed the match on our largest grant, which was the R grant that came back a number of years
• I'll say this, Senator, that today in the program, the way we have allocated funds and appropriated..
• grants open, because I think it's the right thing to do, is to apply for those grants.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan, with testimony from the authority, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General. Chair Cortese framed the hearing around the project’s recent changes: a new CEO, revised delivery strategy, loss of federal funds, renewed interest in private financing and value capture, and proposed adjustments to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment. He also raised concerns about statutory compliance, transparency, and whether the draft plan fully reflects required elements and true costs and timelines. Authority CEO Ian Chaudhry said the project has made substantial construction progress in the Central Valley and is moving toward track installation, with the state’s $1 billion annual cap-and-invest funding providing a stable base. He argued the plan uses design optimization, direct procurement of materials, and revised sequencing to reduce costs and support an early operating segment by about 2032-33. He also promoted broader commercialization of the corridor through real estate, energy, broadband, logistics, and public-private partnerships, saying private sector interest is now real. Several senators pressed him on station locations, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, permitting delays, transparency, and whether the project can realistically reach Los Angeles and San Francisco on the current timeline and budget. The LAO and Inspector General were more skeptical. LAO analyst Helen Kirstine said the draft plan assumes major scope changes, including a shorter segment, a Merced station outside downtown, more single-tracking, and several statutory changes that have not yet been enacted. She warned that the plan may not comply with recent legislative requirements, that funding may still be insufficient even for the reduced segment, and that borrowing against future cap-and-invest revenues is risky because those revenues are uncertain and volatile. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan fails to comply with newer statutory requirements, especially regarding the Merced-to-Bakersfield scope, the funding plan, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the presentation obscures cost increases and schedule delays and limits the Legislature’s ability to compare current estimates with prior reports. Committee members generally supported continued oversight and some form of project delivery reform, but several expressed concern that the plan relies on legislative changes that have not been approved and on private financing that may not materialize. Chaudhry said the authority would address the Inspector General’s findings in the final business plan and continue to pursue federal grants, private capital, and corridor commercialization. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mine is—and I go, Senator Blakespeare, I believe, brought this up—but you're proposing that we grant
• I think, Jamie, can we talk more about whether there are federal grants still available for us?
• It's a great question, because we still have about $270 million worth of grants that we have left.
• We've completed the match on our largest grant, which was the R grant that came back a number of years
• grants open, because I think it's the right thing to do, is to apply for those grants.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan and next steps for the project. Chair Cortese opened by noting major changes since the 2024 plan, including new leadership, a bottoms-up review, scope changes in the Central Valley, loss of federal funds, and renewed interest in private investment and value capture. The Authority’s CEO, Ian Chaudhary, presented the project as moving into a construction and track-laying phase, citing progress on Central Valley structures, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocations, and a new procurement for track and systems. He said the plan reflects a more disciplined, optimized approach, with the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment targeted for revenue service around 2033 and the broader Phase 1 corridor envisioned as commercially viable through ancillary revenues, public-private partnerships, and future private financing. Committee members questioned the Authority about station relocations, single-tracking, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, transparency, and the feasibility of private financing. Chaudhary said the Merced and Bakersfield station locations were still under discussion with local governments and that no contracts had been finalized. He defended the reduced scope and single-track approach as a just-in-time strategy to avoid overbuilding, while maintaining high-speed standards. He also said the Authority was exploring land value capture, broadband, energy, and other corridor-based revenue sources, but acknowledged that some tools would require legislative action and that private financing options were still being evaluated. Several senators expressed support for the project but raised concerns about permitting delays, local opposition, constitutional and statutory limits, and the need for stronger accountability. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General then gave critical assessments of the draft plan. LAO staff said the plan assumes major statutory changes, understates risk, lacks transparency about scope changes, and may not fully fund even the smaller Merced-to-Bakersfield segment once borrowing costs and other uncertainties are considered. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan does not comply with newer statutory requirements in SB 198 and AB 377, citing three main deficiencies: unauthorized scope changes to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, an inadequate funding plan that omits financing costs, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the Authority’s presentation obscures the true cost and schedule impacts of the project changes, and that incomplete reporting limits legislative oversight. The Authority responded that it would address the OIG’s findings in the final business plan, and committee members indicated they expected a written response on compliance issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• grant money. grant money.
• The department shall withhold state grant funding, not including RSA 198:40, allocated to any non-compliant
• funding not including RSA 19840 grant funding not including RSA 19840 allocated<01:51:23.119> to<
• Um, adequacy<02:03:22.000> grants, adequacy grants, adequacy grants, if<02:03:23.679> that's
• capacity disparity grants. capacity disparity grants.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So thinking about how if we're giving out grants, there could be a certain portion of those grants maintained
• We also had zero home hardening grants to point to.
• Cal Fire and other agencies are now moving to block grants.
• So those will be increasingly block grants to these individual sub-regions or block grants to the region
• grants that Cal OES administers or the grants that Cal Fire administers.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• so I really hope that we do allocate so I really hope that we do allocate a<00:12:32.680> good
• created this train and retain uh grant created this train and retain uh grant program.<00:24:59.320
• million for that community grants million for that community grants program<00:28:28.240> that
• <00:52:56.120> for<00:52:56.240> Public all funding grants for Public all funding grants
• /c><01:03:12.040> the parental permission is granted, the parental permission is granted, the

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Families are told to wait for the next quarterly allocation, but if you're a single mom, a single parent
• 04:49.080> the<00:04:49.199> next<00:04:49.400> quarterly<00:04:49.919> allocation
• <00:04:50.919> but<00:04:51.039> if Al the next quarterly allocation but if Al the
• next quarterly allocation but if you're<00:04:51.360> a<00:04:51.479> single<00:04:51.800
• more seen as a grant more seen as a grant to<01:20:39.560> I<01:20:39.639> don't<01

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• result the state's resource allocation result the state's resource allocation becomes<00:04:51.360
• The school-linked grants are codified in state law, but the intermediate grants are in session law from
• The school-linked grants are codified in state law, but the intermediate grants are in session law from
• The school-linked grants are codified in state law, but the intermediate grants are in session law from
• School-linked behavioral health grants are codified in state law, but the intermediate grants are in

Bills: HF1662, HF2115, HF2159, HF1095, HF2160

Keywords: veterans, veterans affairs, State Soldiers Assistance Program, Veterans Stable Housing Initiative, MAXIS, human services data, data sharing, eligibility verification, informed consent, private data, benefits coordination, veteran housing, veteran assistance, Department of Human Services, Children Youth and Families, state benefits, federal benefits, privacy, public assistance, human services

Transcript Highlights:

• Arizona high school seniors leave more than $100 million annually in federal grant aid unclaimed.
• Lastly, Senate Bill 1741 grants a private cause of action to any person who is adversely affected by
• Madam Chair and members, by way of 163, if a school district receives a grant or a gift that is less
• or gift with the county treasurer, the governing board must deposit the grant or gift in a separate
• a separate bank account if the grant or gift is not deposited with the county treasurer and directs

Bills: SB1004, SB1424, SB1497, SB1507, SB1572, SB1684, SB1711, SB1741, SB1754, SB1763, SB1798, SCR1012, SCR1041, SCR1051

Keywords: sex offender registration, sex offender registry, A.R.S. 13-3821, sexual offenses, public safety, GPS monitoring, electronic monitoring, transient offender, homeless registrant, online identifiers, internet identifiers, sheriff notification, Department of Public Safety, DPS, DNA collection, juvenile adjudication, kidnapping of a minor, unlawful imprisonment of a minor, lifetime registration, community notification

Transcript Highlights:

• Myself, I also was raised hunting deer with dogs, particularly in Grant Parish and Rapides Parish.
• I made some allocations, so there's not going to be any possibility of commercial development.
• Do you have any idea how DEQ has come along on how to allocate those funds for this to happen?
• So it does four different things, really increases the grant capacity. ...really increases the grant
• This will be the grant cycles be permitted for the trust fund for the tanks. ...grant cycles be permitted

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee took up a series of natural resources, wildlife, environmental, and infrastructure measures. HCR 79 by Chairman Butler, which memorializes Congress and the U.S. Forest Service to allow dog hunting in Kisatchie National Forest, drew testimony in support from hunters and a former NRCS official describing it as a rural Louisiana tradition, and opposition from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, which said it supported hunting with dogs generally but opposed the deer/hog hunting portions while favoring the recovery-of-wounded-deer component. The committee reported HCR 79 favorable. It also reported favorable on SB 419, allowing pre-charged pneumatic devices for deer during primitive firearms season, and on SCR 29, creating a study committee on Atchafalaya Basin water quality and sediment impacts, and SB 111, setting black bass and crappie bag and size limits in the basin, with Wildlife and Fisheries saying it would monitor the effects through sampling and creel data. Several resolutions and bills focused on environmental management and state property. SB 174 authorized transfer of certain state property in Caddo Parish from Louisiana Tech University to the Caddo Parish School Board and was reported favorable. SB 189, a preemptive ban on intentional release or dispersion of fuels or chemicals to affect temperatures, was also reported favorable after discussion of geoengineering-related additives. SB 99, which updates DEQ communications to allow optional electronic notices for permits and public notifications, was supported by DEQ and reported favorable. HCR 104, from Rep. Coates, asked the Department of Conservation and Energy and the Louisiana Geological Survey to study and recommend improvements to subsurface data collection and access; testimony described efforts to modernize core and well-log records and build a statewide 3D subsurface model, and the resolution was reported favorable. The committee also considered river, boating, and wildlife-related measures. SB 331 would temporarily remove portions of the Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act for five years to allow work on the lower Pearl River, including dredging and channel realignment, while prohibiting commercial development and reservoir construction; environmental groups opposed it as a bad precedent and urged a shorter sunset, but the bill was reported favorable. HCR 54 urged a federal study of flooded corn and migratory waterfowl behavior and was reported favorable after support from the Flyway Federation and Louisiana Wildlife Federation. HCR 94 would require annual Wildlife and Fisheries reports on boating safety data, and HCR 87 expressed support for a U.S. senator’s correspondence on migratory flyways; both were reported favorable. SB 505, dealing with the Motor Fuels Underground Storage Tank Trust Dedicated Fund, was reported favorable after testimony that it would expand grant capacity, create a two-cycle application process, and address LLC-related issues. The committee also advanced several measures on public policy and cleanup issues. HCR 85 created a task force on illegal dumping; after amendments added Keep Louisiana Beautiful and the Louisiana Police Jury Association, members discussed statewide tire dumping problems, DEQ staffing, and cleanup funding, and the resolution was reported favorable as amended. HR 216, as substituted, was changed from a repudiation of the Louisiana Climate Action Plan to a resolution authorizing the committee to hold a hearing and receive input from agencies and stakeholders on the plan; after reconsideration and adoption of the substitute amendment, it was reported favorable. One item, SB 243, was voluntarily deferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• I myself also was raised hunting deer with dogs, particularly in Grant Parish and Rapides Parish.
• I made some allocations, so there's not going to be any possibility of commercial development.
• So it does four different things, really increases the grant capacity. Several times.
• So it does four different things, really increases the grant capacity.
• This will be the grant cycles be permitted for the trust fund for the tanks.

Summary: The House Natural Resources Committee met with a quorum and took up a series of hunting, wildlife, environmental, and property measures. It reported favorably HCR 79, which urges Congress and the U.S. Forest Service to allow deer hunting with dogs in Kisatchie National Forest, after testimony emphasizing the cultural importance of dog hunting and opposition from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, which supported only the wounded-deer recovery component. The committee also reported favorably SB 419 on using pre-charged pneumatic devices during primitive firearms season, SCR 29 creating a study committee on Atchafalaya Basin water quality, and SB 111 setting black bass and crappie bag and size limits in the basin, with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries saying it would continue sampling and monitor impacts. Members then approved SB 174 transferring state property in Caddo Parish from Louisiana Tech University to the Caddo Parish School Board, SB 189 prohibiting intentional release of fuels or chemicals for temperature-affecting purposes, and SB 99 modernizing DEQ communications to allow optional electronic notices. They also reported favorably HCR 54 requesting a federal study of flooded corn and migratory waterfowl behavior, and HCR 94 requiring annual boating safety reports from Wildlife and Fisheries; witnesses supported the reporting idea and suggested adding a 10-year average for context. The committee next approved HCR 104, which asks the Department of Conservation and Energy and the Louisiana Geological Survey to study collection and access to subsurface data, with LSU’s Greg Upton describing ongoing modernization of core samples, well logs, and 3D subsurface mapping. It also passed SB 331, which temporarily removes a section of the Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act for five years to allow work on the lower Pearl River; conservation groups opposed the bill, warning about precedent, flooding, erosion, and habitat impacts, while the author said the measure was narrowly tailored to address severe silting and channel problems. Finally, the committee created a task force on illegal dumping in HCR 85 after amending its membership, adopted a substitute for HR 216 to authorize a committee hearing on the 2022 Louisiana Climate Action Plan, and reported favorably HCR 87 supporting a U.S. senator’s migratory flyway correspondence and SB 505 revising the Motor Fuels Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund grant process and related tank requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• California's Central Valley produces much of the nation's food, yet faces severe water security and allocation
• Now DGS would still maintain its waiver authority, so it would only grant it for departments that had
• In my district alone, the Wildlife Conservation Board has allocated $139 million in HCF money for projects
• Importantly, the benefits of the Habitat Conservation Fund are not limited to these actual grant dollars
• So it's only $30 million, but that's a lot of money when it can be leveraged against other grants and

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several natural resources and water-related bills. SB 224 by Senator Hurtado would require the Department of Water Resources to implement audit recommendations, improve climate-informed water supply forecasting, and provide annual updates to the Legislature; supporters emphasized the need for better transparency and more accurate water planning, and the bill passed as amended to Appropriations. SB 556, also by Senator Hurtado, would fund floodplain restoration in the Tulare Basin to reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, and provide habitat and other community benefits; local officials and conservation groups supported it, some initial concerns about Proposition 4 were resolved, and the bill passed as amended. SB 630 by Senator Allen would streamline State Parks and other state real property acquisitions by raising review thresholds and reducing duplicative approvals; conservation groups and park advocates supported the measure, while some members raised oversight and fiscal concerns, and it passed as amended. SB 718 by Senator Allen would reduce hunting and fishing license costs for low-income Californians, framed as helping subsistence users and disabled veterans and seniors, and it passed as amended. The committee also approved SB 427 by Senator Blakespear, which extends the sunset of the Habitat Conservation Fund from 2030 to 2035. Supporters said the fund has protected more than 1.2 million acres, leverages other funding, and supports habitat, recreation, and climate resilience; members highlighted its importance for areas like the Salton Sea and the need to protect the funding stream from future sweeps. SB 586 by Senator Jones, an e-moto off-highway vehicle bill, was taken up with little discussion and passed as amended. SB 639 by Senator Ashby would extend the deadline for Sacramento-area flood protection projects in the Natomas Basin and Beach Lake subareas from 2025 to 2030 to allow completion of remaining work and avoid delays to infill housing; city, county, and flood agency representatives supported it, and it passed as amended. Throughout the hearing, witnesses and members repeatedly emphasized water reliability, flood protection, conservation funding, and reducing bureaucratic delays. Several bills drew broad support from local governments, water agencies, tribes, and conservation organizations, and multiple members requested to be added as coauthors. All of the measures discussed were reported out of committee, generally with amendments and with some items left open for add-on votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• But as the current CEO of Banner Health says in her statement provided today, this... ...grant money
• out of the public safety equipment training fund, and then it's allocated out.
• Chairman, that they have the legislature allocating this money is it was put... there was another fund
• It's a fund that was created when I represented the police union, and it was specifically allocated..
• There was a number of bills that allocated money out of the fund.

Bills: SB1112, SB1517, SB1537, SB1584, SB1673, SB1776

Keywords: mental health, hearings, acquaintance witnesses, patient rights, treatment evaluation, barbering, cosmetology, appropriation, funding, licensing, board operations, peace officer, training, public safety, traffic offenses, judicial system, corrections, recruitment, state budget, crime victims