Transcript Highlights:

• This includes the right to access and view on medical records.
• Did not accessed many kids. This bureau.
• They need to be have access into state that they can have access to their health care.
• Are teenagers deserve to grow up with accurate and unbiased medical information and access access to
• access to his medical records.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Other people who need medical access.
• Christine Smith with Health Access California.
• and expand access to care for Medi-Cal enrollee statewide.
• 40 percent having access to all 14.
• Shannon Olivia Ehovis with Essential Access Health.

Summary: The committee heard a budget oversight hearing on the Department of Health Care Services, focusing first on the overall Medi-Cal budget and a March General Fund loan to cover a current-year shortfall. DHCS said the 2025-26 budget proposal totals $193.4 billion, with Medi-Cal projected at $188.1 billion total funds and $42.1 billion General Fund, driven by higher enrollment, pharmacy costs, managed care growth, and costs tied to eligibility expansions and the COVID-era redetermination unwinding. The department said the $3.44 billion loan was needed to manage cash flow and ensure timely payments to providers and plans, while the LAO noted Medi-Cal’s cash-basis budgeting creates volatility and that more detailed estimates would come with the May Revision. Members discussed federal Medicaid threats, the need for transparency on cost drivers, and the impact of pharmacy spending, long-term care, and immigration-related coverage expansions. The second major topic was family health programs, including California Children’s Services, the continuous coverage unwinding, and opioid settlement fund spending. DHCS described CCS funding methodology changes, ongoing county stakeholder work, and a delayed rollout of CCS monitoring and oversight until July 1, 2025, while county representatives and advocates argued the program is underfunded and asked for more technical assistance and a delay in implementation. On the unwinding, the department explained that federal redetermination flexibilities helped maintain coverage after the pandemic, but the Governor’s budget proposes ending them at the end of June 2025; advocates urged making the flexibilities permanent to avoid coverage losses. For opioid settlement funds, DHCS and Finance said the budget increases funding for naloxone distribution while reducing other harm-reduction spending based on updated settlement revenues, prompting criticism from members and public commenters who argued the change would weaken effective harm-reduction programs. The hearing also included an update on Proposition 35 implementation. DHCS said the voter-approved measure continuously appropriates MCO tax revenues beginning in 2025, with up to $4.6 billion annually available for specified Medi-Cal and provider investments in 2025 and 2026, but implementation depends on consultation with the required stakeholder advisory committee. The department and LAO noted uncertainty about future federal rules affecting the MCO tax after 2026. Public testimony largely supported maintaining Medi-Cal expansions, protecting immigrant coverage, preserving harm-reduction funding, and increasing support for community health workers, pediatric dental care, and CCS county administration. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are concerned about an inability for patients to access pharmacies.
• Pharmacy services and access to them are under strain throughout the state.
• And that is good for pharmacies to have access, not to improvise... ...to have access, not to improvise
• Patient access.
• Our patients should have access to 503A medications.

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate business committees held a sunset review hearing on the California State Board of Pharmacy, with board leadership describing the board’s consumer-protection role and its priorities around access, enforcement, and updating pharmacy law. The board emphasized a proposed shift toward a standard-of-care model for pharmacists, arguing it would reduce rigid protocol requirements and improve access to services such as HIV PrEP/PEP, contraception, and naloxone. Board representatives also discussed pharmacy deserts, possible fee waivers for pharmacies in underserved areas, concerns about payer practices contributing to closures, continuing education audits, and a request to restore more flexibility in licensure decisions and probationary monitoring for applicants with certain criminal histories. A major focus of the hearing was the board’s ongoing compounding regulations, especially the treatment of sterile versus nonsterile compounding and substances such as glutathione and methylcobalamin. The board said the proposal was not a ban on those substances and described the rulemaking as grounded in federal law, USP standards, and public comment, noting the process had gone through multiple modified texts and hearings. Testimony from stakeholders was sharply divided: pharmacists, veterinarians, firefighters, naturopathic doctors, and patient advocates warned the rules were restricting access to compounded medications and harming patients and first responders, while the California Medical Association, psychiatric physicians, and PhRMA raised concerns that the board’s proposals could expand pharmacist authority beyond training, affect physician practice, or create safety risks. Other public comments addressed pharmacy technician ratios, remote processing, flavoring medications, hospital-specific regulation, budget and enforcement transparency, and whether the board should add members with community compounding or pharmacy technician expertise. Committee members also asked about the board’s oversight priorities and the rationale for its standard-of-care proposal. Board staff explained that consumer protection includes education, licensing, policy, and enforcement, with the highest-priority enforcement cases being those posing imminent public harm. After public testimony concluded, the chairs thanked participants and adjourned the sunset review hearing, announcing an immediate transition to the joint informational hearing on the Department of Cannabis Control.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are providing better access to care.
• But but we are and it's just access to care.
• This legislation simply removes unnecessary barriers to access accessing mental health care while maintaining
• Access to the Florida.
• But access without appropriate supervision is not safe care.

Transcript Highlights:

• get access. get access.
• access.
• Um when people donate for uh accessible Um when people donate for uh accessible access,<01:33:29.600
• <01:34:40.080> I<01:34:40.560> I improve accessible access.
• I I improve accessible access.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 74, which would require agencies issuing certain real-property-related permits to track and report how many permits they issue and how long the process takes. Representative Carol McGuire introduced the bill and said the goal is to gather data on permit timing and fees, especially for DES and DOT permits involving wetlands, alteration of terrain, driveway permits, and similar approvals. Supporters argued the state needs better visibility into permitting delays and whether statutory deadlines are realistic; they also noted the bill had passed the House on a voice vote with no debate. Adam Crapo of the Department of Environmental Services said DES is generally supportive of the reporting concept but warned that the agency’s data are spread across many separate, partly manual databases. He said DES can already do this for some land resources permits through its new system, but not across all of its more than 90 permit types without additional help. DES estimated it would need two part-time positions to compile the reports, especially for waste management and water programs, and said otherwise existing permitting staff would have to do the work, potentially slowing permit processing. He also said the agency is already working to simplify rules and move more permits onto a new online platform, but could not meet the bill’s 2026 reporting deadline with current staffing and systems. Committee members questioned whether delays are often caused by incomplete applications rather than agency inaction, and Crapo said that is frequently the case. He said DES already tracks timelines to some extent for management and statutory compliance, but not at the individual-permit detail the bill would require. He also said some letters and records are captured in One Stop, but not all are. Members expressed support for the bill’s transparency goals while also worrying about added workload and possible slowdowns. The discussion then moved to DOT, where Susan Clawson said DOT is neutral on the bill because it recently implemented Salesforce and now has good data for reporting; DOT’s fiscal note reflects software-related costs, but the agency can already track the required information in its system.

Transcript Highlights:

• It gives them access, um, as necessary.
• It gives them access, um, as necessary.
• It gives them access, um, as necessary.
• It gives them access, um, as necessary.
• It gives them access, um, as necessary.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• make sure that we can access them. make sure that we can access them.
• weakens local access and continuity. weakens local access and continuity.
• difficult to access insurance contracts. difficult to access insurance contracts.
• Contracting exists to limit access for people to have access to the care they need.
• keep treatment accessible. keep treatment accessible.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We really try to primarily focus on being accessible to them.
• It includes a question about having access: are you able to access care that you need within the past
• It includes a question about having access.
• Are you able to access care that you need within the past 12 months?
• So lots of information that they can access at their fingertips.

Summary: The committee spent much of the meeting hearing presentations on student mental health supports at Central Washington University, Washington State University, the University of Washington, and the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. CWU described high levels of student distress, loneliness, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and basic-needs insecurity, along with a campus-wide holistic well-being model that includes behavioral intervention teams, emergency aid, peer outreach, community partnerships, and a collegiate recovery community. WSU emphasized loneliness, common presenting concerns such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and relationship distress, and the role of housing and residence life, resident advisors, living-learning communities, and coordinated crisis response in identifying and supporting students. UW highlighted prevention and support programs through LiveWell, including alcohol and other drug consultations, confidential advocacy, suicide intervention, student needs navigation, peer health educators, and peer wellness coaches. The community and technical college system reported persistent access barriers, especially for students ages 18 to 24 and those facing housing or food insecurity, and said the legislature-funded mental health pilot at four colleges expanded counseling access, telehealth, and referral pathways, while broader system efforts focus on awareness, telehealth, basic-needs supports, and workforce training in behavioral health fields. Members asked each panel how they gather student feedback, and the institutions said they use surveys, evaluations, and ongoing outreach to students in services. Questions also focused on substance-use and recovery resources, Greek life outreach, and whether colleges have enough licensed mental health staff versus academic advisors; the community college board said not all colleges have licensed mental health providers on staff, and some rely on community contracts or telehealth. The committee also discussed whether counseling services are increasing because of post-pandemic effects or because students are more willing to seek help, with presenters saying both factors likely play a role. The committee then shifted to artificial intelligence in higher education. Washington State University, the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and the community and technical college system described campus AI task forces, governance structures, and efforts to set policies for students, faculty, and staff. Presenters said institutions are requiring course-level AI use statements, promoting ethical and transparent use, expanding access to approved tools such as Microsoft Copilot, and using AI for teaching, research, advising, and administrative support while guarding privacy, equity, and academic integrity. Members raised concerns about deepfakes, bias, student monitoring, and whether AI should be used to screen applications or evaluate student work; presenters said human review remains essential and that some institutions prohibit AI use in hiring or admissions screening. The final presentation, from OSPI, described the statewide rollout of the School Links high school and beyond plan platform under 2023 legislation, saying it will standardize career and college planning across K-12, provide better data and student guidance, and connect students to postsecondary pathways and employers; OSPI said the rollout is underway but current funding only extends through June 30, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're going to be hard to access.
• And even when you can access that grant, you can't pay any of that stuff back.
• Like the economics of being able to access a government grant is pretty high.
• the Sounders but don't access it.
• We think these are critical to developing kids' access... ...to outside, access to the things that the

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee heard presentations from the Department of Commerce, the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), and a consultant on the School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) study. Commerce officials described their agency’s role in housing, energy, local government, broadband, and other capital programs, and reported on a $5 million pilot under Senate Bill 5200 that used trusted community messengers and technical assistance to help historically excluded organizations prepare for capital funding. They said 18 organizations received direct support and 79 smaller projects were also funded, but emphasized that statutory match rules, reimbursement-based payments, site-control requirements, insurance and audit costs, and extensive contracting rules remain major barriers. Commerce outlined efforts to expand outreach, digital modernization, internal contracting improvements, tribal MOUs, and innovation centers, and members asked about small business support, housing program placement, and outreach to Eastern Washington and communities of color. RCO described its grant programs for recreation, conservation, education, and salmon/orca recovery, and reviewed equity work done before and after a 2021-23 proviso. The agency had already created a small-communities carve-out in youth athletic facilities, piloted stipends for advisory committee members, and reduced match requirements where allowed. Under the proviso, RCO completed an equity review and a planning program that funded 54 projects across 34 counties, with many applicants being new or long-absent grantees. Staff said the review led to changes in scoring criteria, clearer application guidance, more objective data measures, expanded technical assistance, and targeted community engagement. Members asked about application burden, project sizes, outreach, and how the agency is broadening participation and representation on advisory committees. The final presentation summarized a planning study on SCAP, which examined rising construction costs, fragmented grant programs, local funding barriers, and uneven district capacity. The report recommended nine major changes, including stronger planning support, a new minor-modernization category, a mechanism to use unused funds more quickly, an education-specification prototype, a SCAP enhancement program for low-capacity districts, acceptance of non-SCAP funds, phased modernization, streamlined D-form and reimbursement processes, and revisions to the SCAP formula to better account for grade-band differences, enrollment projections, and regional cost factors. Additional recommendations included ongoing monitoring and evaluation, facilities-impact reviews, matching SCAP increases to construction-cost inflation, earlier locking of funding estimates, flexible program spaces, and updated statewide building-condition assessments. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Diana Douglas with Health Access California.
• Diana Douglas with Health Access California, in support.
• Diana Douglas with Health Access California, in support.
• Access to covered services is a persistent problem.
• Diana Douglas, with Health Access California, in support.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills focused on health care access, oversight, and affordability. The first major item was SB 306 by Senator Becker, a prior authorization reform bill. Becker and supporters, including the California Medical Association and California Hospital Association, argued that prior authorization delays care, adds administrative burden, and can lead to serious patient harm. The bill was substantially amended late in the process to have DMHC and CDI identify services and drugs to exempt from prior authorization based on utilization data, with safeguards for fraud, waste, abuse, and patient safety. Health plans and insurers opposed the measure as written, saying prior authorization remains an important utilization-management tool and raising concerns about the 90% threshold, drug inclusion, and how modifications are counted. The committee also heard SB 35 by Senator Umberg, which would let cities or counties inspect unlicensed sober living homes if DHCS does not act promptly on complaints. Supporters said the bill would address weak enforcement and protect residents, while one behavioral health directors group opposed it unless amended. Members generally supported the measure, citing problems with unlicensed facilities and the need for local enforcement backup. The committee then heard SB 62, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark if approved by the federal government. Senator Wiener said the package would add hearing aids, durable medical equipment, and infertility treatment including IVF, acknowledging that premiums could rise but arguing the benefits were worth it. Health Access California and other advocates supported the bill, while the California Family Council opposed it. The committee also took up SB 596 by Senator Menjivar, which would tighten the rules for hospitals claiming an on-call list as a defense to nurse staffing ratio penalties. Supporters, including nurses and SEIU, said hospitals have used vague or ineffective on-call practices to avoid accountability and that the bill would improve enforcement and patient safety. Hospital groups opposed it, arguing that staffing is highly dynamic, that hospitals need flexibility to manage acuity and emergencies, and that the bill could increase costs and interfere with collective bargaining arrangements. Finally, the committee heard SB 40 by Senator Wiener, the Insulin Affordability Act, which would cap insulin copays at $35 for a 30-day supply and restrict step therapy unless a plan covers at least one insulin in each drug type. Supporters, including physicians, diabetes advocates, nurses, students, and patient groups, said insulin is life-saving and too often unaffordable, forcing patients to ration or choose between medication and basic needs. There was no formal opposition testimony, though one member questioned why insulin remains so expensive. The committee also began discussion of SB 363, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s full presentation or any action on the measures. No votes are recorded in the portion provided, and several bills were noted as consent items earlier in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• struggle to access technical assistance programs, and understand what kind of grants are... ...access
• And also, you know, even... ...you can scan the QR code to access.
• attorney, we have 24 hours a day, seven days a week, access to our clients.
• You know, especially in health care, we know that access to one member actually increases access to the
• Access to one member actually increases access to the rest of the family, especially if it's a Latina

Summary: The Select Committee on Latina Inequities met at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, hosted by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez and joined by Assemblymember Mia Bonta. Rodriguez opened by framing the committee’s work around the economic status of Latinas and the effects of federal policies on the economy and social safety net, while the college president welcomed the committee and described campus services for undocumented and housing-insecure students. Rodriguez also emphasized the local impact of immigration enforcement in the San Fernando Valley and said the hearing would focus on Latinas’ economic conditions, immigration enforcement impacts on the workforce and safety, and H.R. 1’s effects on the safety net. The first panel featured HOPE’s Maria Morales and Dr. Elsa Macias, who presented findings from HOPE’s National Economic Status of Latinas report. They said Latinas are a major and growing part of California’s population and workforce, but face persistent inequities, including a large wage gap, higher unemployment, high uninsured rates, student debt, and affordability pressures around child care, housing, and education. They also discussed entrepreneurship, noting both the growth of Latina-owned businesses and barriers such as limited access to capital, technical assistance, and retirement and health coverage. In response to committee questions, they said higher education can still offer a strong return on investment, but only if students can complete degrees without being overwhelmed by debt and care costs; they also pointed to policy solutions such as SB 642, mentorship, financial literacy, CalSavers access, and support for community development financial institutions. The second panel focused on immigration enforcement and Latina safety in the workforce. Luis Nolasco of the ACLU described arrests tied to apparent ethnicity and Spanish-speaking, the chilling effect on families, and the loss of wages, school attendance, and mobility. Dr. Amada Armenta said immigration enforcement harms California’s economy, public health, and mixed-status families, and noted that undocumented workers are concentrated in agriculture, construction, and child care. SEIU’s Jen Baca Beltran said raids and school-based enforcement traumatize children and families and highlighted the need for Know Your Rights trainings. Megan Ortiz of IDEPSCA described repeated Border Patrol raids on day labor centers, injuries to staff, and the need to protect worker centers, domestic workers, and street vendors. Inclusive Action’s Shannon Camacho said raids have forced many informal workers to stop working, prompted emergency cash assistance and rent relief efforts, and strengthened advocacy for vendor protections and CDFI support. CHIRLA’s Jeanette Zanipatine said the rapid response network has expanded, documented widespread arrests and detention conditions, and is providing direct support and legal referrals; committee members asked about detention, maternal health, and what the state can do, and panelists urged stronger oversight, more legal representation, and protections for pregnant and detained people.

Transcript Highlights:

• Families can no longer wait to access care. There is a huge demand.
• It eases workforce burdens, keeps our classrooms accessible, and increases access for those 2 million
• It eases workforce burdens, keeps our classrooms accessible, and increases access for those 2 million
• Jennifer Robles with Health Access California, in support.
• AB 969 will expand access to CalWORKs domestic violence waivers, ensuring survivors safely access an

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Human Services heard a long agenda of bills focused largely on child welfare, foster care, child care, CalWORKs, mandated reporting, and public benefits. Early items included AB 890, which would ease county transfer rules for nonminor dependents in extended foster care; AB 461, which would replace punitive truancy-related penalties with supportive services for families; and AB 753, which would create an interim associate teacher pathway to help address the child care workforce shortage. Testimony on these bills emphasized barriers faced by foster youth, low-income families, and child care providers, and members expressed support for the general policy direction. The committee also heard AB 926 on foster care visitation, AB 563 on early childhood planning and reporting, AB 601 on standardized mandated reporter training, AB 1074 on CalWORKs reunification aid, AB 822 extending the Commission on the State of Hate, AB 970 creating a Los Angeles County mandated reporter pilot, AB 1161 protecting public benefits during disasters, AB 1172 allowing trained staff to administer emergency seizure medication in community care settings, and AB 363 expanding CalWORKs student supports and work-study. Witnesses generally supported these measures as ways to reduce trauma, improve reunification, modernize reporting and training, and expand access to services. County welfare and child welfare groups, advocacy organizations, and providers largely testified in support, while some bills drew concerns from county representatives about implementation or needed amendments. Several bills were voted out of committee, often unanimously and sometimes as amended, including AB 926, AB 563, AB 601, AB 1074, AB 822, AB 970, AB 1161, and AB 1172; AB 1172 was reported on call. The committee also took up consent items and later voted on subcommittee-held bills AB 461, AB 753, and AB 890, leaving them on call. At the end of the hearing, the committee heard AB 1211, which would protect CalFresh benefits from federal cuts and require a feasibility study on increasing benefits and eligibility; testimony stressed rising food insecurity and the economic importance of food assistance, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Expanding access to respite care for families raising children with medical complexities, Expanding access
• Our publicly accessible buildings are truly accessible to everyone, so thank you for that.
• Our publicly accessible buildings are truly accessible to everyone, so thank you for that.
• If we don't have the ability to access reallotment dollars— ...if we don't have the ability to access
• In conjunction with the reviews, the IRT has access to funding.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was an informational and oversight session of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, with chairs and members hearing agency updates from several commissioners. The Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition described its maternal and child health work, including home visiting, early intervention, WIC, newborn hearing screening, and cross-agency efforts on prenatal substance exposure, respite care, children’s vision, and maternal health initiatives. DPH emphasized that federal grant cuts, layoffs, and the loss of data systems such as PRAMS would weaken services and planning, and members asked about Title V funding and the impact of federal uncertainty. The Massachusetts Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing highlighted communication access services, interpreter and CART referrals, emergency after-hours support, family navigation, and independent living services. Commissioners and members discussed the shortage of ASL interpreters and the need to expand training pipelines, including partnerships with colleges and possible ASL programming for younger students. The Department of Developmental Services reported serving nearly 50,000 people and focused on youth and adult services, transition-age supports, autism services, self-direction, respite, and new high-acuity residential models. Members asked about respite availability, self-direction outcomes, and workforce shortages; DDS said it was expanding clinical capacity and provider rates while monitoring possible federal Medicaid, SNAP, and immigration-related impacts. The Commission for the Blind described services for about 28,000 legally blind residents, most of whom are older adults, including social rehabilitation, orientation and mobility training, children’s services, assistive technology, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 supports. The commissioner discussed a UMass-based effort to build the workforce pipeline for blindness services and said the agency was watching federal restructuring but had not yet seen direct cuts. MassAbility’s leadership then warned about major federal changes affecting Social Security disability determinations, including staff restructuring, office closures, and a new overpayment repayment policy, and said the agency was preparing for possible increases in claims and uncertainty around reallotment dollars that help fund services. The Disabled Persons Protection Commission closed the hearing with an update on its abuse investigations and protective services for adults with disabilities. DPPC reported rising hotline calls and investigations, a growing caseload, its sexual assault response team, the abuser registry, and a new interagency protective services integration system funded by ARPA dollars through 2027. The agency also flagged new federal rules that could affect funding eligibility and said it may need statutory changes to comply. Members asked about funding, reporting pathways, and how complaints reach DPPC, and the commissioner said the agency uses both mandated reporting and proactive outreach to identify and respond to abuse.

Transcript Highlights:

• to that part and we need access.
• OER provides day one access to course material.
• And these access codes only provide limited-time access to the textbooks, meaning students can't resell
• These access codes only provide limited-time access to the textbooks, meaning students can't resell them
• We have to make it accessible to transform lives, to give future generations access to education so that

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard testimony on a broad set of bills focused on making public higher education more affordable and accessible, protecting student information, and changing social work licensure rules. Chair Rogers and Senator Comerford opened by emphasizing the committee’s focus on financial aid, tuition and fee waivers, scholarships, admissions, and institutional changes, and they reminded witnesses about the three-minute testimony limit. No votes were taken during the hearing. A large portion of the hearing centered on the “Super Act” (H. 1423/S. 218), which would eliminate the master’s-level social work licensing exam and create grant support for social work internships. Supporters—including students, practitioners, educators, and advocates—argued that unpaid internships and the exam create financial barriers, worsen workforce shortages, and disproportionately affect Black, brown, older, ESL, and other marginalized candidates. Opponents from the Association of Social Work Boards argued the exam is a necessary public-protection standard, helps maintain uniform licensure, and is important to the social work licensure compact; they said workforce shortages should be addressed through pay, working conditions, and caseloads instead. Committee members asked detailed questions about compact participation, exam accommodations, and how other states such as Rhode Island and Connecticut have handled similar changes. The committee also heard extensive testimony in favor of debt-free public higher education bills (H. 1436/S. 929). Witnesses, including students, faculty, advocates, and Senator Eldridge, said Massachusetts should expand on free community college by covering tuition and mandatory fees at public colleges and universities, with additional aid for living costs for lower-income students. Supporters said student debt delays homeownership, family formation, and career entry, and that the state should use Fair Share revenue to invest in public higher education. Some committee members voiced support but also raised concerns about prioritizing K-12 funding and the cost of expanding free college further. Several witnesses also supported bills to extend tuition and fee waivers to young adults raised by grandparents or other kinship guardians outside the DCF system, arguing that these students face the same trauma and financial barriers as foster youth but do not receive the same benefits. Representative Donato, Joseph O’Leary, Shauna Manning, Sandra Vecchio, Karen Gardner, Judy Walter, Elaine Arsenault, and others described the financial strain on grandparents raising grandchildren and urged parity with DCF-related waivers. In addition, Senator Jake Oliveira testified for a bill to protect public higher education student directory information from data mining and unauthorized sharing, and Deirdre Cummings testified for an open educational resources bill to reduce textbook costs. The hearing concluded with continued testimony on kinship care and college access, with committee members thanking witnesses and indicating follow-up on some bill language issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our decisions around access to care.
• Or less access for people who actually are trying to get into Medi-Cal.
• Christine Smith with Health Access California.
• Access to these funds is crucial for school districts.
• Shannon Olivieri-Hovist with Essential Access Health.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're often centers for collaboration, technology access, and developing research skills.
• They're often centers for collaboration, technology access, and developing research skills.
• <01:05:41.799> and resources and collections accessible and resources and collections accessible
• Those information resources are at your fingertips and accessible 24/7.
• Library budgets and Technology access Library budgets and Technology access literacy<01:38:09.520

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first page says Access navigation.
• METS is fairly new compared to Access.
• And then we reopen it in ACCESS.
• And then we reopen it in ACCESS.
• So in conclusion, 37 years on ACCESS—let's not celebrate the 50th anniversary of ACCESS; I think we can

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• opportunities and their access to post-secondary opportunities.
• access programming and access and access programming and Outreach<00:02:10.479> and<00:02:10.800
• how to fill out a FAFSA how to access how to fill out a FAFSA how to access higher<00:04:03.439>
• <00:05:09.639> higher barrier I think around accessing higher barrier I think around accessing
• are education around um College access are education around um College access and<00:32:17.000><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee received an informational presentation from the Office of Higher Education on college access efforts, with a focus on FAFSA outreach, the Get Ready program, and Direct Admissions Minnesota. Wendy Robinson said OHE’s role is to provide nonpartisan information, partner with K-12, colleges, and community groups, and use statewide programs to expand awareness of higher education options and financial aid. She highlighted outreach through brochures, virtual sessions, conferences, the State Fair, and events serving specific populations, as well as the Lumina-funded Connect College grant and the federally funded Get Ready program, which serves about 7,500 low-income students across 14 capacity-building schools and 28 additional schools with tutoring, college visits, application help, and financial aid support. A member asked for demographic data on Get Ready students, and staff said they would provide it later. Robinson also reviewed FAFSA outreach, noting that last year was especially difficult for students because of federal FAFSA problems. OHE’s Ready Set FAFSA sessions drew 1,300 unique registrations in October and 939 in January, and the agency continued training K-12 and college staff on state aid programs, FAFSA simplification, and implementation of North Star Promise. OHE said it also held FAFSA completion events with partners, including at the State Fair, and planned another financial aid event in Duluth. The bulk of the presentation covered Direct Admissions Minnesota. Robinson said the program is now in its fourth year, with 55 participating colleges and universities and 182 participating high schools in the third cohort, serving just over 32,000 students. She described the program as a broad, collaborative model that sends students letters listing colleges that would admit them based on junior-year performance, while preserving student choice and waiving application fees for participating schools. She said the program is intended to reduce anxiety about admissions, encourage FAFSA completion, and keep more Minnesota students in-state. Robinson previewed second-year data showing continued positive outcomes, including higher FAFSA completion, increased college enrollment, and more students staying in Minnesota. Participation increased among students eligible for free and reduced lunch, rising from 21% in the first year to 40% in the second year. She noted a continuing concern about American Indian and Alaska Native students, whose FAFSA completion declined and whose participation numbers were lower in the newest cohort, and said the agency would continue to study that data. She also said some of the increase in free-and-reduced-lunch participation may reflect the impact of North Star Promise and related financial aid messaging. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's access to 9-1-1, access to relay service, access to directory assistance, and access to Lifeline
• to 9-1-1 access to relay service access to directory assistance and access to lifeline no other Kohler
• They care about having 911 access. They care about disability services.
• No one will lose the ability to have access to 911.
• ensured nearly everyone has voice communications access in the state.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) to examine its history, current operation, and possible future changes in California. Chair Tasha Berner said the hearing was prompted in part by AT&T’s 2023 request for relief from COLR obligations and by broader concerns about public safety, affordability, universal service, and access to modern broadband and telecommunications. The first panel featured a telecommunications expert who traced COLR back to universal service principles and explained how states have handled COLR differently, including full deregulation, limited rural obligations, or transition pathways tied to competition and customer protections. Members asked about affordability, federal and state processes for service withdrawal, and whether COLR remains necessary given modern competition. CPUC staff then described California’s COLR framework, explaining that universal service rests on access, reliability/quality, and affordability, and that COLR requires carriers to provide basic service, including voice-grade calling, 911 access, relay services, and Lifeline. Staff said AT&T’s application sought relief in nearly all of its territory, but no replacement COLR came forward during the proceeding, and public participation hearings drew thousands of comments and strong concern from rural and vulnerable customers. The CPUC outlined its ongoing rulemaking to reconsider whether the 1996 COLR rules and 2012 basic-service definition still fit current conditions, with workshops and public hearings scheduled and a proposed decision expected later in the year or into 2026. Members pressed staff on geographic outreach, wireless coverage, whether broadband can be part of basic service, public safety during wildfires, and what reporting and complaint processes currently exist. In the final panel, industry and public-interest witnesses sharply disagreed. A U.S. Telecom representative argued COLR is outdated, costly, and copper-focused, and said reform should allow technology-neutral alternatives such as wireless, fiber, and satellite while preserving reliable voice and emergency access. The CPUC Public Advocates Office countered that COLR remains a necessary public safeguard, especially for rural and low-income customers, and argued that any transition should maintain or improve service, with public benefits such as broadband investment and continued protections for 911, disability access, and affordability. Committee members focused on the difference between an obligation to serve everyone and a mere option to serve, and on whether the Legislature should provide clearer guidance as the CPUC’s rulemaking moves forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Definitely something new to us: non-emergent care access plans.
• I just want to make sure that we have, if the chair allows, access to that data. ...access to that data
• “So, the plans I talked about are the non-emergent care access plans.”
• And they were approaching that as a rate cut and requiring an access analysis that triggered the access
• Pharmacy to ensure that patients have access to primary care services.

Summary: The committee met to receive implementation updates on recently enacted health care laws from AHCA and the Department of Health. AHCA reported on rural emergency hospitals, explaining the new Class 4 hospital designation, rule changes completed June 1, 2025, and that no Florida hospitals have yet converted, though one North Walton/DeFuniak Springs-area hospital has expressed interest. AHCA also reviewed the non-emergent care access plan requirement for hospitals with emergency departments, saying 83 plans had been received since July 1 and 63 approved, with plans emphasizing patient education, referrals to primary care or urgent care, and coordination for Medicaid managed care enrollees through the Florida HIE/ENS system. Members asked about HIE capacity, data collection, and whether the plans would identify shortages or trigger accountability measures; AHCA said it had moved to a new HIE vendor and would continue gathering data. AHCA also updated the committee on the TEACH workforce program, reporting $6.8 million in FY 2024-25 spending across 59 parent organizations and 229 facilities, with more than 1,800 students and nearly 380,000 clinical hours reimbursed, and said a federal 1115 workforce waiver was unlikely to move forward under CMS. On KidCare, AHCA said House Bill 121’s expansion to 300% of the federal poverty level remains blocked by federal litigation and CMS action tied to premium nonpayment rules, and members and public witnesses urged prompt implementation and asked for enrollment/disenrollment data and the rural health transformation funding outlook. Public testimony largely supported the NCAP and TEACH programs and pressed for action on KidCare. Representatives from health centers said NCAP has strengthened hospital-health center relationships and improved care coordination, including reduced recidivism in some hospitals. A Bond Community Health Center physician said TEACH is helping offset the burden of training students and could help address workforce shortages, especially in rural and underserved areas. Advocacy groups urged the committee to push for implementation of the KidCare expansion, citing children in the coverage gap and rising uninsured rates. The Department of Health then presented on several programs from the 2024-25 session. It reported on the Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education (FRAME) program, including 78 dentists and 15 dental hygienists funded under the dental track and nearly 1,300 medical professionals funded overall, with 123 dental applications and 71 funded dentists in the most recent cycle. DOH also updated the Screening and Services Grant Program, the Health Care Innovation Revolving Loan Program, the statewide telehealth maternity care program, and the swimming lesson voucher program, noting strong participation and outcomes such as reduced ER visits and improved postpartum follow-up in the maternity program. Finally, DOH said implementation of the HIV prevention drug/pharmacist dispensing law is underway, with three certification courses approved and five certifications issued. Members asked about barriers to wider use of HIV prevention drugs, more detailed maternal outcome data, and the dental workforce program report; DOH said more detailed reports would follow.