Transcript Highlights:

• identified during the design and drawings phase of the project to ensure safety, code, and energy efficiency
• or years of software development to days or weeks, using low-code technology and fostering more efficient
• Can you speak to the need, potentially, to streamline those programs for efficiency? Certainly.
• Can you speak to the need, potentially, to streamline those programs for efficiency? Certainly.
• performance and could require repayments estimated at the billions annually through various federal audit

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health heard presentations on several May Revision proposals, beginning with an overview from the Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Finance on the state’s budget condition and the administration’s efforts to reduce out-year deficits through a mix of revenue measures, fund shifts, and program reductions. The chair expressed support for some administration proposals, such as added health IT funding, county administration support, a delay in Medi-Cal cuts for some immigrants, and additional Covered California subsidy backfill, but also criticized proposed Medi-Cal premiums, changes to senior eligibility, the lack of a Medi-Cal dental solution, and other cuts affecting counties, workforce, and rural access. The LAO said the budget still relies heavily on reserves and borrowing and urged more reserves and caution on new commitments. The Department of State Hospitals presented several proposals, including reduced county bed billing authority, limited contract exemption authority for online clinical subscriptions, reversion of unspent prior-year funds, additional lease revenue authority for the Metro Central Utility Plant replacement, funding for electronic health record implementation, and a shift of workforce development costs to Behavioral Health Services Act funds. The department also described savings and realignments in its IST and CONREP programs, including making the Independent Placement Panel permanent and adjusting funding for jail-based competency treatment and conditional release services. Members questioned the BHSA workforce funding swap, and the administration said it was part of a broader General Fund offset strategy. The Emergency Medical Services Authority requested funding for statewide behavioral health crisis response guidance and for continued operation of its enterprise systems, and the Department of Managed Health Care sought funds to modernize its complaint system and claims settlement data systems. The largest debate centered on the administration’s proposed use of Behavioral Health Services Act revenues to offset General Fund spending and fund state-directed behavioral health programs. The Department of Finance said the proposal would support population-based prevention, workforce programs, mobile crisis services, and other state-directed uses, while the LAO said it was still reviewing whether the uses comply with Proposition 1 and whether the non-supplement and eligible-use requirements are met. The Commission for Behavioral Health strongly opposed proposed cuts to its Innovation Partnership Fund and community advocacy grants, arguing that both programs are central to community voice, culturally responsive services, and statewide innovation. Commissioners and many public commenters said the cuts would reduce grants to community-based organizations, tribal groups, veterans, LGBTQ communities, youth, and other underserved populations, and that the advocacy program helps communities participate in local planning and access services. The Department of Finance defended the reductions as a way to prioritize direct services and said the programs fit within Proposition 1, but members criticized the proposal as a midstream shift that would weaken community engagement and redirect funds away from prevention and advocacy.

Transcript Highlights:

• It may take time to see the benefits of farming practices that utilize fertilizer more efficiently, improve
• utilize fertilizer more efficiently utilize fertilizer more efficiently improve<00:03:09.000>
• They're compacted to provide more efficient hauling and spreading of the products in the field.
• <01:06:12.319> and both make our farm more efficient and both make our farm more efficient
• <01:07:28.880> and drill allowed us to efficiently and drill allowed us to efficiently and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And last Friday, the legislative auditor had an audit on DEED grants and direct earmarks.
• 14:26.160> a Friday uh the legislative auditor had a Friday uh the legislative auditor had a audit
• > grants<00:14:28.839> and<00:14:29.240> direct<00:14:29.800> earmarks audit
• on deed grants and direct earmarks audit on deed grants and direct earmarks uh uh uh two<00:14:32.480
• <00:23:39.120> hauling to provide much more efficient hauling to provide much more efficient

Bills: HF1621, HF1701, HF1796, HF1676, HF40, HF1428, HF1540

Keywords: HF1621, CelluComp, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, appropriation, grant, commercialization, fiber-based barrier packaging, packaging materials, PFAS, perfluoroalkyl substances, polyfluoroalkyl substances, plastic reduction, sustainable packaging, environmental health, materials innovation, bio-based packaging, food packaging, agriculture finance, one-time grant, state subsidy

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:45.519> uh even know that there's an old audit uh even know that there's an old audit
• Once they get over the audit, they're shell-shocked, and then if they can forget about the audit too,
• Once they get over the audit, they're shell-shocked, and then if they can forget about the audit too,
• I'll just go in the audit.
• further audits. further audits.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first accepted the minutes from the April 4 meeting, then moved to a discussion of potential audit topics and follow-up on prior performance audits. Christine Young, Director of Audits, and Jay Henry, performance audit supervisor, walked members through a spreadsheet showing the status of roughly 30 performance audit reports from the past 10 years, including the number of observations, whether agencies concurred, how many observations were fully addressed, and when each report was last updated. They explained that “fully addressed” only means the agency addressed the observations it agreed with, and that some reports include rejoinders when the audit office disagrees with an agency’s response. Members also discussed how some audits have been updated and others have not, including an example from the prescription drug monitoring program, which moved from the Board of Pharmacy/OPLC to HHS and was recently updated after staff contacted HHS. A major focus was the mental health workforce licensing audit, which was described as having little or no follow-up in the spreadsheet. Several members said this was especially concerning given the ongoing mental health crisis and argued that the committee should require a response. The committee agreed to start by sending letters to the chairs of the boards listed under that audit, asking the chair or designee to appear at the next meeting or respond in writing about what has been done and what remains unresolved. Members noted that the current process is voluntary and self-reported, which can lead to long delays or no response, especially for boards that meet only monthly and may have changed membership or leadership since the audit was issued. The committee also discussed other audit follow-up issues, including the liquor commission division of enforcement and licensing, which staff said was farther along than its percentage suggested, and a recently released human rights report that was not yet due for update. Members raised the possibility of using future budget reviews to ask agencies what they have done about old audit findings. In addition, the committee briefly discussed future audit topics, including a possible audit of local school districts related to special education, and staff explained that the statute allows the LBA to audit a limited number of non-state entities over a five-year period. The motion to authorize the chair and LBA to draft and send letters to the mental health workforce licensing boards passed by show of hands with one abstention. The next meeting was tentatively set for June 6 in State House 100, with staff to confirm the room and schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the audit, providing that the audit-related concerns of Representative Basabe are considered.
• of the audit, providing that the audit-related concerns of Senator Bernard are considered.
• of the audit, providing that the audit-related concerns of Senator Bernard are considered.
• Was that an audit? It was not an audit. No, but yes, they were here.
• of the audit, providing that the audit-related concerns of Senator Wright are considered.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to consider several audit requests and enforcement items involving local governments and special districts. The committee approved operational audits of the City of Miami Beach, the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority, and the City of Daytona Beach. In each case, the requesting member described concerns about transparency, financial management, or internal controls, while local officials or representatives generally said they were willing to cooperate and, in Delray Beach’s case, noted that an internal audit had already been completed and that some issues were being corrected. The committee also received a presentation on the statewide review of neighborhood improvement districts. The reviewers reported that 15 of 21 districts were active and six inactive, with common findings including outdated or missing performance plans, weak web presence, inadequate meeting notices, and limited management mechanisms. They said staffing levels often correlated with the ability to meet statutory requirements, and they recommended updates to district governance and transparency practices. On enforcement, staff reviewed local governments and special districts that had failed to file required financial reports or had submitted audit reports missing required information. The committee approved staff recommendations to proceed under the statutory enforcement process for the noncompliant entities, with flexibility for the chair and vice chair to delay action if additional information is provided in good faith. The committee also voted to send a letter to the Union County Legislative Delegation encouraging a local bill to dissolve the Town of Rayford, based on staff’s view that the town lacked employees, services, debt, and a clear reason to continue existing as an incorporated municipality.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the audit, providing that the audit-related concerns of Representative Basabe are considered.
• audit of the Delray Beach DDA.
• of the audit, providing that the audit-related concerns of Senator Bernard are considered.
• Was that an audit? It was not an audit. No, but yes, they were here.
• of the audit, providing that the audit-related concerns of Senator Wright are considered.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to consider several audit requests and enforcement items related to local government accountability. The committee heard requests for operational audits of the City of Miami Beach, the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority, and the City of Daytona Beach. In each case, the requesting member cited concerns about transparency, financial management, or compliance with state law. Representatives from Delray Beach DDA testified that an internal audit had already been completed, that findings were limited, and that they were working to cure issues such as procurement, credit card, and disbursement policies; the DDA chair also said the organization was willing to cooperate and was considering transitioning out of operating Old School Square. For Daytona Beach, the sponsor pointed to excess building permit revenues, vehicle purchases, and reported P-card irregularities as reasons for a broader audit. The committee approved all three audit requests, directing the Auditor General to finalize the scope while considering the stated concerns. The committee also received a presentation on the statewide performance reviews of 21 neighborhood improvement districts. The reviewers reported that 15 districts were active and six inactive, with common issues including outdated or missing performance plans, weak web presence, inadequate meeting notices, and limited management mechanisms. They said staffing levels often correlated with the ability to meet statutory requirements, and recommended that several districts be reviewed to determine whether they were still needed. Members asked about staffing, inactivity criteria, and how the districts were administered, and staff explained that city or county liaisons often supplement district staffing. Later, staff reviewed enforcement actions for local governments that failed to file required financial reports or omitted required information from submitted audits. The committee discussed a list of noncompliant counties, municipalities, and special districts, including the town of Rayford, which staff said had long-standing reporting problems, no apparent municipal services, and no response to repeated outreach. The committee voted to send a letter to the Union County legislative delegation encouraging a local bill to dissolve Rayford. It also approved staff recommendations to proceed against entities still missing required filings or missing audit information, with authority for the chair and vice chair to delay action if additional information is later provided in good faith.

Transcript Highlights:

• She is the audit manager over college, university, financial, and operational audits.
• We audit our audits on a three-year rotation.
• I'm the audit manager over college and university audits.
• He mentioned we did six university audits this audit cycle. We have finalized four of those audits.
• And these type of audits, these charter school audits, these charter school audits, And these type of

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee received a presentation from Auditor General staff on recurring findings from audits of district school boards, colleges, and universities. For school districts, the main issues discussed included missing or outdated safe-school officer training documentation, weak purchasing-card controls, vendor banking-change fraud risks, incomplete background screenings and disqualification-list procedures, missing website budget disclosures, excessive or untimely IT access, late deactivation of former employees’ access, missed emergency drill deadlines, inaccurate capital outlay and resiliency education records, weak tangible property inventories, adult education reporting errors, untimely bank reconciliations, and improper use of workforce development funds. The auditors said many of these issues are repeated from prior years and are summarized in their annual report on significant findings and financial trends. For universities and colleges, the auditors highlighted similar control weaknesses, including vendor information change controls, IT access issues, cash and investment reconciliation problems, purchasing and procurement deficiencies, personnel and compensation issues, and student fee compliance concerns. Specific examples included a UF consulting contract totaling about $6 million, FAU underreporting carry-forward balances by about $77 million, UCF’s payment loss of about $107,000 from an email scam tied to vendor changes, and a North Florida College unauthorized transfer involving a few hundred thousand dollars. The committee asked questions about the UF consulting work, the FAU carry-forward issue, and whether the listed findings meant every named entity had every issue; auditors clarified that the lists reflected entities with findings in those categories, not necessarily each specific problem. The committee then turned to enforcement for entities with long-standing uncorrected audit findings. Staff reported 144 entities with 197 findings repeated in three or more successive audit reports and recommended sending letters requesting updated corrective-action status, including for late-filed 2022-2023 reports where appropriate. The committee approved the staff recommendation and directed letters to be sent. The meeting ended with members emphasizing the importance of audit oversight and taxpayer accountability.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they tend to, in our law, we have some specifics about how audits are done and who they can audit
• We have some specifics about how audits are done and who they can audit and how they can pick those audits
• If you've ever been through an audit, which my businesses have, sales tax audits, it's a lot of work.
• That would do the auditing.
• Then do the whole audit process.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on May 5, 2026, and first considered Senate Bill 436 by Senator Cloud, which revises how annual aviation fuel estimates are calculated for the Aviation Trust Fund. Senator Cloud explained that the fund supports airport and aviation projects and is used to draw down federal matching dollars, but its credited amount has remained flat for years despite changing fuel sales. The committee adopted a set of amendments allowing DOTD’s Office of Multimodal Commerce to use federal and other public data sources, requiring annual sales tax collection reports from the Department of Revenue, and making a technical change. The bill was then reported favorably as amended, with several supporters’ cards entered into the record. The committee next took up House Bill 1039 by Representative Desotel, dealing with local sales and use tax audit procedures. Desotel said the bill was intended to improve fairness, transparency, and consistency in local audits, especially where businesses face multiple simultaneous audits by different parishes. A nine-amendment set was offered; after discussion, the committee adopted all amendments except Amendment 4, which would have required private auditing firms to be domiciled in Louisiana, and authorized staff to make technical changes. Members raised concerns about whether the bill could unintentionally encourage delays in audits and about whether audits in one parish could trigger audits in others. Desotel said the goal was to add guardrails without harming parish taxing authority, and the bill was reported as amended. Several witnesses and committee members spoke in support of stronger limits on repeated parish audits, describing the burden on businesses and the need for a more uniform process. Support cards were read into the record from multiple individuals and organizations, including the Louisiana Retailers Association and NFIB. Senate Bill 423 was then voluntarily deferred, and the committee adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• the largest concentrations of data centers in the country, a review by the state's Joint Legislative Audit
• the largest concentrations of data centers in the country, a review by the state's joint legislative audit
• Thus, state policymakers and agencies administering the programs have to really work on mixing efficiency

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its fourth meeting, held October 27-28 in Santa Fe, with Representative Duncan moving approval and no opposition. The chair then introduced a panel on the cost of providing medical care in New Mexico, focusing on physician shortages, rising practice costs, and access problems, especially in southern New Mexico and Las Cruces. Panelists included family physicians, a pediatrician, a cardiologist/electrophysiologist, and a community health center medical director, who described their backgrounds and practices before turning to the policy discussion. The doctors argued that New Mexico is losing physicians because of three main pressures: medical malpractice exposure, gross receipts tax on medical services, and low Medicaid reimbursement. They said malpractice premiums are much higher than in neighboring states, punitive damages and venue shopping increase risk, and the patient compensation fund and attorney fee structure create additional costs. They also described administrative burdens from insurance billing and referrals, the high debt and long training period for physicians, and the effect of corporate medicine and private equity on practice decisions. One panelist emphasized the economic impact of each physician on jobs and local spending, while another noted that shortages force patients into emergency rooms and delay specialty care. The panel presented a list of proposed solutions: reform punitive damages, limit venue shopping and stacking, restore lifetime medical payments from the patient compensation fund, enact apology protections, cap attorney fees, continue Medicaid funding improvements, and eliminate gross receipts tax on medical and dental services. Committee members generally agreed the presentation was thorough and useful, but several noted that some proposals fall outside this committee’s jurisdiction and would likely need to move through other committees, especially judiciary and tax. Some members supported drafting legislation or working on separate bills, while others urged caution, requested more input from hospitals and economists, and raised concerns about local government revenue impacts from GRT changes. The chair concluded by encouraging members to continue discussions offline and noted that the tax-related issue would be taken up further in the next day’s work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Require equity and bias audits.
• Independent audits must be mandatory before CSU deploys any AI tool.
• But I think that would be much more efficient and transparent for our students.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Higher Education and the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an oversight hearing on the California State University’s AI-empowered initiative, including the systemwide rollout of ChatGPT EDU and broader AI integration across CSU campuses. Opening remarks emphasized both the promise of AI for student success, workforce preparation, and access, and the need to address risks such as bias, privacy, misinformation, environmental impacts, and mental health harms. CSU representatives said the initiative grew out of Academic Senate recommendations and a systemwide generative AI committee, and that the goal was to provide equitable access, training, governance, and workforce alignment across the 23-campus system. CSU officials described systemwide contracts for AI tools, the AI Commons training hub, and faculty grant programs supporting AI-related curriculum innovation. They said more than 93,000 ChatGPT EDU accounts had been activated, over 4,300 faculty had taken voluntary training, and $3 million had been awarded to 63 faculty-led projects from more than 400 submissions. San Jose State University highlighted its own AI-focused programs, courses, orientation training, faculty fellows, student ambassadors, and interdisciplinary efforts to build AI literacy and responsible use into instruction and co-curricular programs. CSU also said it was tracking metrics on adoption, academic outcomes, workforce outcomes, and environmental impacts. Faculty, staff, and student representatives welcomed the educational potential of AI but raised concerns about the rollout, saying it had moved quickly and without enough consultation or consistent systemwide policy. They urged stronger protections for academic freedom, intellectual property, privacy, equity, and worker input, and warned about bias, surveillance, job displacement, and the environmental cost of AI. Legislators pressed CSU and OpenAI representatives on training requirements, data privacy, bias reporting, discipline for misuse, liability, sycophancy, and safeguards against harmful uses such as non-consensual imagery or self-harm-related interactions. CSU said interactions in the licensed tool are private, data are not used to train models, and campuses retain their own conduct processes; members also asked CSU to follow up on systemwide training, policy consistency, and additional safeguards.

Transcript Highlights:

• federal cuts, but we're going to have to look across the board, uh, especially in agencies, how, how efficient
• But as we move forward, we're gonna have to start looking at some efficiencies cause there's no way we're
• In, in several different models of cuts and balancing, right, and efficiencies and how we create that
• They all have to have audits. They have to have certified procurement officers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just like we're going to focus on the efficient use of every dollar we give to this department.
• Just like we're going to focus on the efficient use. use of our time here. I will stop there.
• We're going to ask everybody to be pretty efficient with your comments. Thank you. Thank you.
• If we've spent that 81% efficiently, it's a good thing.
• So it's top of mind how to really use the funds efficiently. It really is for me also.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard opening remarks from Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross, who reviewed the department’s budget and priorities. She emphasized California agriculture’s record production, but also the pressures facing farmers from climate change, drought, groundwater regulation, supply chain disruptions, low commodity prices, and federal funding cuts. Ross highlighted ongoing investments in Farm to School, local food procurement, food hubs, climate-smart agriculture, invasive pest prevention, bird flu response, and food safety, and she warned that proposed USDA cuts and market disruptions could harm research, pest control, and export development. Members also discussed the importance of local food systems, school kitchens, and the need to better connect farmers to schools, food banks, and institutions. A major topic was the Farm to School program and related local food initiatives. The chair raised concerns that the Legislative Analyst’s Office was recommending against continued funding for Farm to School because it did not meet the state’s “must-have” standard, and suggested pairing it more closely with the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and food hubs to broaden its impact. Ross responded that Farm to School has already reached nearly half of California students, has helped small farms, and is part of a larger strategy that includes school kitchen investments and culinary training. Members also discussed Market Match/CNIP, which Ross said was not funded in the current budget, and Proposition 4 climate bond spending, including SWEEP, Healthy Soils, urban agriculture, invasive species work, tribal food sovereignty, and land access programs. The committee then moved to Item 1 on eliminating vacant positions at the Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and Food and Agriculture. The LAO explained that the Governor proposed eliminating 6,000 vacant positions statewide, with the JLBC previously not concurring with 650 of them, including 174 in these three departments. The LAO recommended retaining the special-funded positions at Fish and Wildlife and Food and Agriculture because they support important functions and do not materially help the budget, while weighing the General Fund positions against other priorities. Finance said the vacancy reductions were intended to improve budget resiliency and preserve flexibility, noting that vacant positions can be used to cover other operational costs or be reclassified. Department representatives argued some eliminated positions were hard to fill and that the cuts would affect permitting, public safety, maintenance, and pest detection, though they said immediate impacts would be limited because many positions were already vacant. Members pressed Finance and department staff on whether the savings justified the program impacts, especially at Fish and Wildlife, where permitting bottlenecks were described as a concern for housing, clean energy, water, and transportation projects. Several members questioned why special funds tied to fees were being reduced, and why Fish and Wildlife’s special funds were treated differently from other departments. Parks said the proposed ranger and maintenance cuts would not have immediate effects but could slow long-term maintenance and staffing capacity. CDFA said some of the eliminated positions supported early pest detection, the broom rape program, and other oversight functions, but that the department believed it could still meet its mandate through reclassification and internal prioritization. No votes were taken, and the chair noted that public comment would come after all items were heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee's Initiative 900 performance audits by the
• The audit identifies The audit identified 52 CARES programs led by a fire agency, as shown on this map
• I appreciate the audit and the audit work.
• Audit.
• I want to start by saying that when I read the audit and the description of um, The audit and the description

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s Initiative 900 subcommittee held a hybrid public hearing on two State Auditor performance audits. The first audit examined efforts to reduce non-emergency use of emergency systems through CARES programs. Auditors reported that Washington has 52 fire-agency-led CARES programs in 26 counties, but many communities without programs said they need one. Major barriers included unstable funding, difficulty hiring qualified staff, volunteer-based rural departments, and lack of statewide guidance. The audit also found that only about half of programs tracked both required performance measures, and it recommended that the legislature consider private insurance reimbursement options and convene a statewide work group to develop guidance, standards, and possible changes to the role of the Department of Health. Agency representatives and fire officials largely supported the findings and emphasized that short-term grants and one-year contracts make programs hard to sustain. Committee discussion focused heavily on financing, especially Medicaid reimbursement and accountable communities of health (ACHs). Auditors clarified that the 10% figure cited in the report referred to direct Medicaid reimbursement for treat-and-refer services, which some agencies do not pursue because the $115 rate is too low relative to the administrative effort. Several fire officials testified that their programs rely on grants and ACH support, but that funding is often year-to-year and uncertain. They also described the value of CARES programs in reducing emergency room use, jail detentions, and long ambulance wait times, while noting barriers to sharing patient records across systems. Members asked whether the new public safety sales tax authority could help, but fire district representatives said it is not a direct funding option for them. The second audit reviewed performance management in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. Auditors found that the division does not yet have a statewide economic development strategic plan and that performance management is inconsistent across its 16 programs. In a limited review, all six sampled programs had goals, but only half clearly identified performance measures and targets, and only three tracked outcomes and published results. The audit highlighted leading practices from other states, including strategic planning, regular progress reporting, aligning program goals with agency goals, and using performance-based contracts and grant monitoring. Recommendations urged Commerce to seek stakeholder input, assess internal and external conditions, set goals and measures, align programs with the strategy, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Commerce officials agreed with the audit and said the division is already working toward a strategic plan, with a new assistant director to be hired and a target of completing the work by mid-next year. Members pressed the department on how the plan would connect to workforce, higher education, housing, and other economic development systems, and asked Commerce to return to JLARC next year with progress updates. The meeting ended with instructions for submitting written public comments and notice of the next JLARC meeting schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think the audit is really good.
• And I think the audit is really good.
• Oftentimes we do these oversight requests or ask for these audits, and then the audit report comes and
• As part of this audit, and it wasn't part of our audit objectives or scope, we did not audit the judicial
• During our audit period, we selected three counties as required by that audit.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee held an oversight hearing on the state auditor’s October 2024 report on California’s Forensic Conditional Release Program (CONREP) for sexually violent predators. Members and witnesses discussed public safety, the long delays in finding community housing, the role of local housing committees, and the Department of State Hospitals’ oversight of Liberty Healthcare, which operates much of the program. Several legislators from rural and high-desert districts said their communities have been disproportionately affected by placements and questioned why many placements end up in remote areas. State Auditor Grant Parks said the audit found that CONREP participants were convicted of new offenses less often than sexually violent predators who were unconditionally released, but that 18 of 56 participants had been revoked and returned to state hospitals for noncompliance. He said it took an average of 17 months to place current participants in the community, with 20 additional people awaiting placement for an average of 20 months, and that the program incurred significant pre-placement costs. Parks also said local officials were often unclear about their role, DSH had not given clear guidance at the time of the audit, and California lacks a transitional housing option used in some other states. He reported that DSH had implemented four of the five audit recommendations, while declining the recommendation to explore state-owned transitional housing. DSH Director Stephanie Clendendon and Liberty representative Ken Carabello defended the program as a court-ordered, highly supervised treatment model intended to reduce reoffending and support reintegration. They said DSH is actively involved in placement review, that Liberty searches countywide under statutory restrictions, and that community feedback and court approval are part of the process. DSH said it has now implemented guidance for housing committee designees, formal program reviews, an outcome tracker, and an analysis of whether to separate some Liberty services into different contracts. DSH continued to oppose transitional housing, arguing it would not solve the core siting and statutory problems and would add cost. Several members remained critical, arguing the program is broken, costly, and unfairly concentrated in certain communities, and some called for major statutory changes or suspension of the program.

Transcript Highlights:

• And from the first audit to the third audit, have we seen any compliance?
• So we audit at four. Well, altogether, we have 10 campuses. So we audit at four.
• Hearing the testimony today from the audits, this is the third audit.
• different things than the audit, but the audits never lie, you know.
• These audits help us do that.

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:

• MANAGER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR OPERATIONAL AUDITS AND PRESENTING IS JAMIE HOELSCHER, THE AUDIT MANAGER
• I WANT TO PUT IN THE BACKGROUND, PUT IN PERSPECTIVE WE AUDIT OUR AUDITS ON A THREE-YEAR ROTATION SO THIS
• HE MENTIONED WE DID SIX UNIVERSITY AUDITS THIS ON A CYCLE. WE FINALIZED 4 OF THOSE AUDITS.
• FIRM, MULTIMILLION DOLLAR AUDIT.
• OF THE 144 ENTITIES WITH 197 AUDIT FINDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THREE OR MORE SUCCESSIVE AUDIT

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , financial statements, and audits.
• Completion of the Arkansas legislative audit, financial statement audits for fiscal years 2024 and 2025
• The audits were conducted by a private CPA firm, and the audit reports contain clean opinions on the
• There were 52 audit reports with no findings and five audit reports that contained findings.
• internal audits.

Summary: The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee approved the February 13 minutes and then heard several committee reports. The executive committee report noted that audit and special reports were scheduled for presentation, one requested report remained outstanding, and staff was asked to review selected Benton County circuit court case transfers. The committee also received and adopted reports from the counties and municipalities committee, the education committee, and the state agencies committee. Those reports covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, education audit reports, and state agency findings such as duplicate vendor payments, collateral issues, record-keeping problems, and vehicle log deficiencies. In each case, the committee voted to file or adopt the reports, with some reports deferred for follow-up or for officials to appear at a later meeting. A major portion of the meeting focused on the City of Pine Bluff’s 2024 financial audit. Auditors said the city received a clean opinion overall, but management letter findings identified serious issues in the mayor’s office, Parks and Recreation, and the finance department. The Parks and Recreation finding involved $179,629 in manual receipts that could not be traced to city deposits, missing receipts from several facilities, $48,415 in unallowable purchases, $13,000 in questionable purchases, altered invoices, unapproved vendors, and missing equipment; those matters were referred to the prosecuting attorney, attorney general, Governmental Bonding Board, and Arkansas State Police. The finance finding cited weak cash-receipting and bank-reconciliation procedures and late or missing deposits. City officials, including the mayor, finance director, and parks director, testified that the problems predated the current administration and said they had taken corrective steps. They described hiring a forensic audit firm, creating or updating standard operating procedures, improving receipting and deposit processes, adding procurement oversight, and moving Parks and Recreation to electronic or system-based receipting. Committee members questioned the officials about oversight, nonprofit relationships, and whether theft or system failures were to blame. After discussion, the committee voted to file the Pine Bluff report. The next meeting was announced for June 4-5, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• audit process. audit process.
• So with the audit, how would the audit be conducted?
• per day per audit. per day per audit.
• >> per audit. >> per audit.
• do an audit. do an audit.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, the state controller is mandated to perform regular audits to verify that the tax divisions
• Additionally, the state controller is mandated to perform regular audits to verify that the tax divisions
• Simply put, AB 1732 will help the university build this housing faster, more efficiently, and stretch
• Factory-built housing is cheaper, more efficient, and has a wide variety of different designs.
• rules and designs, it's nearly impossible to build the steady pipeline a factory needs to operate efficiently

Summary: The committee heard a long housing agenda with several bills presented before quorum was established. AB 1725, as amended, would require disclosure of nearby oil wells and methane monitoring issues in a specific district; the author and community witnesses described serious health and safety risks in Vista Hermosa Heights, while the California Apartment Association, California Building Industry Association, and California Chamber of Commerce opposed, arguing the bill targeted the wrong industry and that the state should instead fix abandoned wells directly. AB 2110, a local finance tool to create tax increment districts for workforce housing for education, health care, manufacturing, and public safety workers, drew no witnesses in support or opposition and was presented as a way to help workers live closer to jobs. AB 1732 would expand CEQA streamlining for public university and college housing projects; UC and several housing and labor groups supported it, while housing advocates raised concerns about amendments affecting existing 100% affordable housing exemptions. AB 1771, amended into a study bill, would direct HCD to report on the long-standing resident manager requirement for apartment buildings with 16 or more units; the rental housing industry supported studying the issue, while the chair emphasized the need to consider tenant protections and the impact on current resident managers before changing the law. The committee also heard AB 2185, which would direct state affordable housing programs to update guidelines to better support factory-built housing; it drew broad support from housing, labor, technology, and local government groups, with no opposition. AB 2748 would delay new EV-readiness requirements for 100% affordable housing developments, keeping the prior 40% standard through 2035; supporters said the higher standard would add significant costs and threaten project feasibility, while clean air and transportation advocates argued the code changes are modest, important for equity, and should not be rolled back. Members split along those lines, with some emphasizing housing production and others urging more public subsidy for EV infrastructure rather than delaying the code. SB 417, a proposed $10 billion affordable housing bond for the November ballot, received extensive support from housing organizations, local governments, labor, and business groups, but Habitat for Humanity and the Los Angeles mayor’s office asked for specific allocations for CalHome and interim housing; the bill was ultimately moved to Appropriations on an 8-0 vote, with members noting ongoing negotiations over funding priorities. Finally, AB 1740 would create an urban multimodal community designation for Santa Monica, allowing local approval of certain low-impact coastal-zone activities—such as some housing, bike and bus lanes, outdoor dining, and building changes—without Coastal Commission review. The author and Santa Monica officials said the bill would reduce delays and uncertainty for infill housing and local economic recovery while preserving protections for sensitive coastal resources; supporters included housing, business, and city groups. The Coastal Commission and environmental organizations opposed, saying the bill would carve out broad exemptions, weaken public access and appeal rights, and bypass the local coastal program process that Santa Monica has not completed. Committee members debated the Commission’s role, with some criticizing it for opposing legislation and others arguing the bill was a common-sense way to modernize coastal permitting. A motion and second were made on AB 1740, and the bill was left pending with the committee’s action to be taken when appropriate.

Transcript Highlights:

• This came out of the Management Audit Committee. So is there anybody from Management Audit here?
• management audit here? management audit here?
• Anybody from management audit? Anybody from management audit?
• audit began to click uh at that point. audit began to click uh at that point.
• auditing this time. auditing this time.

Bills: HB0086

Keywords: county officials, election code, misconduct, removal, government accountability, 916, all