Transcript Highlights:

• And then with this also, while it says limit data collection, retaining the data to maintain compliance
• probably means that the data has to be retained indefinitely so that they wouldn't be legally liable
• Is it because it can't be regulated? Is it just really hard to regulate?
• Some will challenge that by requiring a mark, saying that you're regulating free speech.
• broadly interpreted: engineered or machine-based system for explicit or implicit objectives from the input

Committee: House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Summary: The committee met in executive session and first adopted a House committee substitute for House Bill 1611, then voted the bill do pass on a roll call vote. House Bill 2032 was also taken up in executive session; after adopting a substitute, members discussed concerns about liability, age verification, data retention, and the $100,000 per-case aggregate, and the committee voted the bill do pass by a 9-3 roll call. The committee then considered House Bills 3393 and 2392 together, adopted a committee substitute and a further amendment after a point of order challenge was rejected, and voted the combined substitute do pass by 12-1. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 1747, which would address AI-generated images, video, and audio by creating a cause of action for damages when realistic synthetic content causes harm, while also allowing optional labeling or watermarking to provide legal protection. The sponsor said he intended to change the labeling requirement from mandatory to permissive, partly due to First Amendment and cost concerns, and emphasized that the bill was aimed at photorealistic content that could be mistaken for reality. Members asked about standing, global enforcement, the definition of artificial intelligence, incidental sharing by users, and possible application to political content. Testifying in opposition, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it appreciated the sponsor’s willingness to work on the bill but argued that even a permissive watermarking approach would still create significant liability and uncertainty for businesses unless the cause of action was also narrowed or removed. The chamber also raised concerns about retroactive application and the burden of going back to watermark existing AI-generated content. After public testimony, the chair closed the hearing and adjourned the committee, noting there might be a quick hearing later in the week.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regulating those dominant Exchange.
• </c><00:13:58.959><c> outofstate</c> legislature to regulate outofstate legislature to regulate outofstate
• </c> know, this is 16 pages of regulations know, this is 16 pages of regulations just<01:27:08.719><c
• ,</c><01:52:48.320><c> it's</c> of the layers of regulations, it's of the layers of regulations, it's
• </c> contradicting I think what your data contradicting I think what your data seems<01:54:42.960><c>

Summary: The committee took up Senate Bill 3019, which would cap ticket resale prices at face value for events in Hawaii and authorize DCCA to enforce violations. DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection opposed the bill and said it preferred a ticket transparency approach focused on upfront disclosure of fees, while supporters argued the measure would curb scalping, bots, and extreme markups. Testimony from the National Independent Venue Association and a concert promoter emphasized that resale does not add inventory and said the bill would protect consumers; committee members questioned DCCA about enforcement and cited examples of very high resale prices for local concerts. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair said the measure would be moved along for further consideration. The committee then heard Senate Bill 3311, which would create the Strengthen Hawaii Homes Program within DLNR to fund fire-mitigation grants for residential property owners. DLNR supported the bill, saying the need is immediate and that the program is modeled on successful mainland efforts, though the department said it ultimately belongs under the State Fire Marshal once that office has capacity. DCCA’s Insurance Division submitted written comments only. The measure was received without further action in the excerpt. Senate Bill 2979, authorizing DLNR and community-based organizations to enter community co-management agreements for state lands, drew broad support from OHA, community groups, and several individuals, who said the bill would formalize partnerships, strengthen shared responsibility, and help community stewardship efforts. Testifiers clarified that the bill does not require 65-year agreements and said the term should be left to DLNR’s discretion. The committee then moved on without questions or a vote shown in the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2351 on the state park special fund, which would allow DLNR to use fund monies for environmental protection programs. DLNR’s state parks administrator opposed the bill, saying the special fund is already fully committed to urgent maintenance and infrastructure needs across an aging park system, and warned that diverting money would weaken the fund’s ability to support parks. The Tax Foundation also submitted written testimony, and a community witness opposed the measure for similar reasons. The excerpt ends as the committee begins Senate Bill 2918, which would require HCDA to establish a community action center in Chinatown; HCDA’s executive director expressed concern about jurisdiction and said the city and county should continue leading that work.

Transcript Highlights:

• PII data, would be encrypted.
• The matching criteria is not specific in federal regulation, but the federal regulation...
• The matching criteria is not specific in federal regulation, but the federal regulations point to the
• The data that it contains, what remedies does California actually have to try to protect this data?
• data?

Transcript Highlights:

• justice data.
• Everyone wants to share data. Everyone wants everyone else's data.
• be able to pull that data off the data exchange.
• holes in the data.
• So we do regular data downloads on them. We do get certain data.

Bills: SB100 , SB100

Committees: Senate Senate Judiciary , Senate House Judiciary

Keywords: burglary, aggravated burglary, dwelling, criminal law, property rights

Transcript Highlights:

• That statewide plan, again, very much informed by input from the regions.
• So verifying payroll data is very labor-intensive compared to income tax data, for example, and we did
• So there is some data on this based on earlier versions of the program.
• I realize we're not going to have any data on the existing program.
• Yeah, so the request is for one position for our data team lead who will assist with doing the data work

Summary: The subcommittee heard an informational update from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development on the state’s Jobs First economic development strategy and related budget requests. Go-Biz described its regional planning process, priority sectors such as ag-tech, space defense, life sciences, and semiconductors, and requests including an extension of the CalCompetes tax credit, support for export promotion, additional film commission staff, innovation and emerging technology capacity, and a California brand campaign. Members questioned the campaign’s purpose, with some supporting efforts to counter misinformation about California and others warning it should not obscure regulatory and business-climate concerns. Go-Biz said the campaign would be nationally focused, could include business attraction efforts, and was intended to complement—not replace—policy work on permitting and workforce development. The item was informational only. The committee then heard from the California Office of the Small Business Advocate on the California RISE program, the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, and the Technical Assistance Program/Capital Infusion Program. CalOSBA reported that California RISE’s first round awarded $16.9 million to 61 employment social enterprises, which collectively increased revenue, secured contracts, and employed thousands of people facing barriers to work; a second round is being launched with a new administrator and expanded services. For the performing arts payroll fund, the office said all 100 awardees had been paid, but demand far exceeded available funding, and the program was oversubscribed within days. California for the Arts testified that the sector remains fragile after COVID and urged statutory changes to simplify eligibility and stretch dollars further. SBDC representatives described TAP/SIP as a statewide network supporting small businesses, capital access, and disaster recovery, emphasizing their role in underserved communities and the leverage of federal matching funds. Committee members focused on whether these programs produce durable outcomes and reach smaller or disadvantaged businesses. Questions centered on long-term job retention in California RISE, outreach to ethnic and community media in the civic media program, and whether TAP/SIP are accessible to entrepreneurs with limited capital or capacity. CalOSBA and its partners said they rely heavily on local community organizations for outreach, provide one-on-one counseling and training, and are working to collect more longitudinal data. The committee also discussed the film and television tax credit program, for which Go-Biz requested funding for three permanent positions and ongoing program support. Film Commission staff said the expanded program is tracking demographic and career-pathway data, with most productions opting into new diversity provisions, and that a formal report to the Legislature is expected in 2027. The item concluded without a vote, as the hearing was for oversight and budget discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:57.440><c> from</c> after receiving additional input from after receiving additional input
• </c><00:41:45.280><c> Executive</c> Financial Regulation. Executive Financial Regulation.
• House Bill 727 is an act relating to sustainable data center deployment.
• House Bill 727 is an act relating to sustainable data center deployment.
• </c> PFAS discharges from data centers. PFAS discharges from data centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you have data? Oh, thank you. Mr. Chair, Senator, it is appropriating $20 million. Okay.
• When we sought to provide input and voice our position to the city, we did not feel...
• , and certainly those parties are big players and they have qualified input.
• , and certainly those parties are big players and they have qualified input.
• I was working on this 14 years ago after extensive public input and particularly input from these two

Summary: The committee met to hear and vote on a series of appropriations and transportation-related bills, beginning with SB 1550, which would fund a Queen Creek police pilot program focused on runaway youth prevention, at-risk youth protection, and anti-trafficking work. Supporters said the town and local facilities already contribute personnel and administrative support, while some members urged Queen Creek to add local matching funds. The bill received a due pass recommendation on a 7-2 vote. The committee then considered SB 1156 and SB 1157, both $20 million border-related reimbursement bills sponsored by Senator Rogers. SB 1156 would reimburse cities, towns, and counties for short-term detention hold costs for unauthorized non-citizens, and SB 1157 would reimburse local governments for supplemental fencing or bollard walls in high-crossing border areas. Both bills drew strong opposition from public commenters who described them as funding detention and border enforcement at the expense of other needs, while supporters framed them as backfilling local costs already incurred. SB 1156 passed 5-3, and SB 1157 passed 5-3. The committee also approved SB 1245, which would fund pavement replacement on Rodeo Road in Williams, and SB 1707, which would provide $5 million for AI-related border security at DPS. SB 1245 passed 6-3, with some members objecting that the state highway user revenue fund is underfunded and local contributions should be required. SB 1707 passed 6-4 after testimony split between supporters who favored using AI and surveillance tools for border security and opponents who said the bill was too vague, too expensive, or inappropriate given other state priorities. Later, the committee advanced SB 1273, funding pavement rehabilitation on Ogle Frontage Road between Bowie and San Simon, and SB 1811, which would clarify that school districts and charter schools may allow wireless device use in the case of an emergency rather than during an emergency. SB 1273 passed 6-4 amid debate over state versus local funding responsibility, and SB 1811 passed 8-1 after testimony that the change would give schools more flexibility and avoid practical problems during emergencies. The committee also heard SB 1088, a cybersecurity appropriation for DHS, and SB 1332, which would require ADOT to study light rail expansion in Maricopa County versus autonomous or semi-autonomous transit options. SB 1088 passed 6-4 despite concerns that the appropriation was vendor-driven and not requested by the department. SB 1332 drew extensive testimony from small business owners along Indian School Road who said light rail construction had harmed access and sales, while Phoenix/Valley Metro opposed the bill and questioned ADOT’s role; the discussion continued as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• That statewide plan, again, very much informed by input from the regions.
• Verifying payroll data is very labor-intensive compared to income tax data, for example, and we did learn
• I realize we're not going to have any data on the existing program.
• Major summary of career pathways and then some of the additional data like data points like zip codes
• Yeah, so the request is for one position for our data team lead who will assist with doing the data work

Transcript Highlights:

• My concern is data protection.
• We follow existing data protection regulation governed by legislation that We follow existing data protection
• My concern is data protection.
• We follow existing data protection regulation governed by legislation that... follow existing data protection
• Now we had little bits of special ed regulation throughout the PED.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 124, which would create a permanent Office of New Americans within the Department of Workforce Solutions. The sponsor and supporters said the office would help immigrant and refugee workers access training, licensing, language support, and other workforce resources, while also helping employers fill labor shortages in industries such as construction, agriculture, oil and gas, health care, and child care. Support came from advocates, business groups, faith organizations, and immigrant-rights groups; there was no opposition. Members asked about data protection, the number of other states with similar offices, and whether the office could help recruit and credential foreign-trained medical professionals. The bill passed on a do-pass motion with several yes votes and some no votes recorded, and the sponsor explained the vote as a way to support families and workforce integration. The committee then considered House Bill 314, which would authorize zero-interest loans through the Local Government Division for political subdivisions to repair flood- and debris-damaged public infrastructure and remove debris from the October 19, 2024 storm event. There was no public testimony in support or opposition. Members briefly asked about the $150 million appropriation and whether it was already in the budget, and the sponsor said it was. The bill received a do-pass motion, a second, and was approved without opposition. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 64, as amended, to codify the Office of Special Education and a deputy secretary position within the Public Education Department. The sponsor and department officials said the bill would formalize an office already created by executive order, improve statewide coordination, support compliance with IDEA and the Yazzie-Martinez case, and develop a statewide IEP template to reduce inconsistency across districts. They emphasized that gifted education would remain in Curriculum and Instruction and that the bill would not add new paperwork or mandates for districts. Supporters included education leaders, disability advocates, vocational rehabilitation, and special education professionals; there was no opposition. Members raised questions about parent understanding of IEPs, monitoring and enforcement, funding, charter school coverage, and the treatment of gifted and twice-exceptional students. The bill passed on a do-pass motion with unanimous support from those present.

Transcript Highlights:

• Verifying payroll data is very labor-intensive compared to income tax data, for example, and we did learn
• I realize we're not going to have any data on the existing program.
• summary of Career Pathways and then some of the additional data like data points such as zip codes and
• It is very, at this point, very analytics, very data-driven.
• Yeah, so the request is for one position for our data team lead, who will assist with doing the data

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview from Go-Biz Director D.D. Myers on the administration’s economic development strategy, centered on the California Jobs First framework. Myers described regional planning across 13 regions, the Jobs First Council, and pilot sectors including ag-tech, space and defense, life sciences, and semiconductors. She also outlined budget requests for CalCompetes, CalExport, the California Film Commission, innovation/emerging technologies, and the California Civic Media Fund, along with the new California brand campaign. Committee members raised questions about misinformation about California, regulatory burdens, tourism versus broader economic messaging, and how the brand campaign would highlight underrepresented communities. No vote was taken; the item was informational. The committee then reviewed CalOSBA’s work on small business support, including California RISE, the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, and TAP/SIP technical assistance and capital infusion programs. CalOSBA reported that California RISE’s first cohort awarded $16.9 million to 61 employment social enterprises, with growth in revenue, contracts, and jobs; the performing arts payroll fund paid all 100 recipients but was heavily oversubscribed; and TAP supported more than 112,000 businesses in the past year, helping leverage federal and local funds. Testimony from program partners emphasized the importance of small business counseling, community-based outreach, and support for arts organizations facing post-pandemic and AB 5-related cost pressures. Senators pressed for more data on long-term job retention, better outreach to smaller and ethnic media, and possible program changes to speed grants and stretch funding further. Finally, the committee heard Go-Biz’s request for additional staff and funding for the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Staff said the request would support application review, DEIA implementation, and data tracking. The Film Commission reported that about 147 productions had been approved and roughly 90% were opting into the new diversity provisions, with career pathways reporting to include demographic and participation data and a future report expected in 2027. Senators asked about accountability, apprenticeship and internship hours, and whether the program was producing real career pathways and inclusive hiring outcomes. The item remained informational, with no vote or action taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also the input that's very important from the legislature.
• It is 90,000 children across the state of Texas as of the latest data on TWC's website.
• Included in my written testimony there are data tables.
• Child care centers are highly regulated. Those regulations drive ratios.
• However, there are critical gaps in this data, like occupation. data or accurate employment location

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• It's something that has serious regulation behind it. The Fed already does all these steps.
• And no safety regulations are being sidelined or anything like that.
• HB 2795 will remove one of those opportunities for input.
• Gas prices are not something that we can regulate at the local level. Okay, thank you.
• and all the regulations for our state.

Committee: House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee took up several energy, transportation, and land-use bills. HB 2428, dealing with county and ADEQ authority to issue voluntary permits certifying emission reduction credits for mobile and non-road sources, received neutral testimony from ADEQ and support from Maricopa County; the committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed the bill 10-0 with a due pass recommendation. HB 2145, which expands who may request certain gasoline fuel reformulation actions and is contingent on EPA approval, also passed on a 5-4 vote after brief staff explanation and no amendment. The committee then considered HB 2331, a strike-everything amendment requiring electric utilities to ensure 85% of generating capacity serving retail load comes from “reliable resources” by 2030. Supporters, including the sponsor and Arizona Free Enterprise Club, argued it would protect affordability and grid reliability by favoring dispatchable power; opponents, including the Sierra Club and Rural Arizona Action, said it would effectively favor fossil fuels, raise costs, and limit cleaner resources. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 6-4. HB 2795, which would bar counties from using zoning to block small modular reactors once federal permitting conditions are met, drew strong support from the sponsor and industry advocates who framed it as pro-property-rights and pro-nuclear, and opposition from county, city, and environmental groups who raised preemption, local control, safety, waste, and siting concerns; it passed 6-4. The committee also passed HB 2340, which allows the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee to evaluate proposed generating facilities along with transmission lines, on a 5-4 vote. HB 2400, an emergency measure to suspend the motor vehicle fuel tax in Areas A and C during part of the year and replace the lost revenue through state highway funding, drew opposition from cities and counties over transportation funding impacts but support from the sponsor and some members focused on gas affordability; the Griffin amendment was adopted and the bill passed 6-4. Finally, HB 2401 was introduced as a requirement for ADEQ to conduct a biennial review of available fuel formulations and their air-quality impacts in Areas A and C, but the transcript ends before testimony or action on that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of them was allowing more input into the qualifications for the grades A through F.
• produces pages and pages of data on school performance, but digging through those reports is complex
• The schools already have this data.
• I think there's a lot of this data that you can go and dive through the website right now on DESE and
• I think putting that data together with something that most everybody across Missouri and the United

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:20.320><c> center</c> least partially driven by data center least partially driven by data
• </c> resources online at pace with the data resources online at pace with the data center<00:10:35.040
• And questions or provide a little input.
• <00:43:21.359><c> regulated</c><00:43:21.920><c> monopolies.
• regulated monopolies. um we have a regul regulated monopolies. um we have a duty<00:43:25.440><c> to

Summary: Representative Craft presented House File 2986, as amended with the DE6, and asked that it be laid over for possible inclusion. He described the bill as an affordability measure centered on virtual power plants, explaining that aggregating distributed energy resources such as solar panels, batteries, EVs, smart thermostats, heat pumps, and water heaters can help utilities reduce peak demand and avoid costly generation and distribution investments. He said the bill would require utilities to reduce system peak through a virtual power plant program by 5% by the end of 2028 and 10% by the end of 2032, using an independent third-party RFP process, with plans incorporated into integrated resource planning and a savings clause if requirements prove infeasible. Testimony in support came from the Department of Commerce, Vote Solar, Solar United Neighbors, Kite Rocket, and Mincia. Supporters said virtual power plants can function like grid-scale resources, lower spot-market and peak costs, improve reliability and resilience, and make better use of existing distribution infrastructure. Commerce said the approach fits an all-of-the-above strategy and noted consumer protections in the bill, including standards for contracts, disclosures, dispatch frequency, notice, opt-out, and compensation. Several supporters cited estimates of significant savings, including a national DOE estimate of 10% to 20% of peak load by 2030 and a Minnesota-specific estimate from Solar United Neighbors of about $63.5 million in savings if 10% of peak demand were met with VPPs in 2030. Committee members raised questions about how much cheaper VPPs are than peaker plants and whether utilities, especially Xcel Energy, are already implementing similar programs. Representative Baker expressed concern that the bill could move faster than the technology or market would naturally develop and asked about the risk of forcing utilities into a mandate before the economics are fully proven. In response, a Solar United Neighbors witness pointed to a fact sheet and Brattle Group-based analysis comparing VPP costs and benefits in Xcel territory, while an Xcel representative said the company has been discussing the bill with Representative Craft for months. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion, and no final vote on the bill itself was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:46:02.560><c> from</c> there's obviously a lot of input from there's obviously a lot of input
• </c><00:47:44.880><c> these</c> thinking about regulating these thinking about regulating these substances
• ><c> corn,</c> regulates neonicotenoid treated corn, regulates neonicotenoid treated corn, wheat,<02:
• </c> farmer to submit some sort of uh of data farmer to submit some sort of uh of data about<02:49:37.760
• </c> they analyzed all of the existing data they analyzed all of the existing data available<02:59:18.640

Committee: House Environment and Agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, if you do look just about the data.
• </c><01:37:29.440><c> that</c> when we deal with these the data that when we deal with these the data
• used and whether the emissions data versus the CO2 outcomes are part of the compelling data. >> Miss
• He said he would love to see the source and cite the data.
• He said he would love to see the source and cite the data.

Bills: HF3556

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The most recent data we have from UCOP, as of last spring, which was UCOP's one-year update, suggests
• So these will be the CalNAGPRA enforcement regulations. Thank you. Thank you so much.
• The report names the 2024 federal NAGPRA regulation changes as a direct threat to CalNAGPRA's promise
• The same university that sits on our territory continues to hold them, while the federal regulations
• The 2024 regulations create a federal supremacy conflict that makes CalNAGPRA... ...regulations create

Transcript Highlights:

• But we don't have that data readily available, unfortunately.
• Today, the program regulations determine the slices of the pie.
• being told the data is useless feels sad to me.
• told the data is useless, feels sad to me.
• If not, I think that we do need a bit more comprehensive data.

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee No. 4 hearing focused on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) and cap-and-trade reauthorization, with members and panelists discussing how to balance climate goals, affordability, and legislative oversight. The chair emphasized the hearing as a broad review of past GGRF spending and future options, while the LAO outlined how GGRF revenues are generated, how variable they have been, and the tradeoffs between continuous appropriations and annual budget control. Two academic panelists, Dr. Kyle Meng and Danny Cullen Ward, argued that cap-and-trade remains an effective climate policy, but stressed that future revenue will depend heavily on market design, allowance allocation, and price levels. They also raised the idea that GGRF could be used more directly for affordability, especially by lowering electricity costs, and for targeted investments in technologies that the market would not otherwise support. Committee members pressed the panelists on where revenues come from, how much has actually been spent, and whether continuous appropriations reduce oversight. CARB staff said more than $33 billion has been generated to date and a little over $11–12 billion has been spent, with the rest committed or in process, and noted that project timelines can be lengthy. Members also asked about ways to lower electricity rates, reduce wildfire-related utility liabilities, and support electrification. The panelists said transportation fuels are the largest source of GGRF revenue, that industrial emitters receive a smaller share of free allowances, and that reducing wildfire liability and investing in grid-scale batteries could help lower costs and speed decarbonization. Public commenters largely urged the Legislature to preserve or expand continuous appropriations for specific climate programs. Speakers supported funding for nature-based solutions, natural and working lands, urban greening, agricultural climate solutions, waste and composting programs, clean transportation, AB 617 community air protection, clean cars, transit, affordable housing near transit, and dairy digesters. Several groups argued these programs are cost-effective, provide public health and affordability benefits, and should receive dedicated shares of GGRF. Others urged reducing free allowances and using more GGRF revenue to directly lower energy costs for households. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have to get the relevant data, and I really appreciate that last year we asked CAL FIRE to start to
• get more data on the effectiveness of these programs, so I'm really happy that you have 45 treatments
• We need the experts to give us the analysis of that data.
• And identified programs that you're looking for input from us on.
• So they're based on point-in-time data that was pulled.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um does NAIDA have data?
• Um does<00:15:45.279><c> NAIDA</c><00:15:45.839><c> have</c><00:15:46.079><c> data?
• Can I go to NAIDA does NAIDA have data?
• Blue envelope, we, um, you know, I was one of the members who was giving input.
• </c><01:17:50.880><c> Um</c> federal law uh and regulations. Um federal law uh and regulations.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services