Transcript Highlights:

• There being eight ayes and eight noes, the motion does not prevail and the calendar is not adopted.
• the<00:23:19.360><c> motion</c><00:23:19.760><c> does</c><00:23:19.919><c> not</c><00:23:20.159><c> prevail
• </c><00:23:20.480><c> and</c><00:23:20.640><c> the</c> the motion does not prevail and the the motion
• does not prevail and the calendar<00:23:21.120><c> is</c><00:23:21.280><c> not</c><00:23:21.440><c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion prevails. A couple of housekeeping duties and details here today, folks.
• The motion prevails and the DE1 is adopted. Chair Driscoll, to your bill as amended.
• The motion prevails. It's on its way. It's on its way.
• The motion prevails. Now, **Representative West**, we are ready for your testifiers.

Bills: HF1545, HF2426, HF1615, HF2403

Keywords: medical cannabis, cultivation, cannabinoid products, plant canopy, Minnesota statutes, cannabis, hemp, lower-potency, edibles, regulations, licensing, local control, consumer safety, age restrictions, commerce policy, financial institutions, insurance regulation, limited long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement, health insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> adequately benefit from uh the wages adequately benefit from uh the wages that<00:02:57.200><c>
• We also need to be thinking about surveillance wages, which is the other side of that equation.
• the minimum wage to ending child<01:11:22.159><c> labor,</c><01:11:22.880><c> an</c><01:11:23.040><c
• So things like using AI to determine wages, schedules, job responsibilities, sometimes being used to
• ,</c><01:31:04.480><c> strong</c> limits on algorithmic wages, strong limits on algorithmic wages, strong

Bills: HF1316, HF4369

Keywords: HF1316, child support, new hire reporting, centralized work reporting system, independent contractors, payors, employers, payor of funds, withholding orders, income withholding, child support enforcement, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, gig economy, rideshare drivers, delivery drivers, 1099, W-9, W-4, newly hired workers, rehired employees

Transcript Highlights:

• Preventing wage theft is key to protecting the economic security and dignity of California workers.
• This bill would allow the California Department of Justice, an agency with wage theft and labor code
• Unfortunately, wage theft is far too common in the construction industry.
• wage theft judgments.
• I think the cases of wage theft are much greater than we all understand generally.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills related to reproductive access, child safety online, immigration enforcement in schools, health privacy, location data, digital provenance, reparations, and age assurance. AB 54 would protect the medication abortion supply chain and shield providers and others from liability; AB 1137 would strengthen reporting and enforcement tools for child sexual abuse material on social media; AB 49 would limit ICE activity at California public schools; AB 82 would expand privacy and safety protections for gender-affirming care patients and providers; AB 1355 would restrict the collection, use, and sale of precise location data; AB 853 would expand provenance requirements for AI-generated and authentic content; AB 62 would create a pathway for restitution for racially biased eminent domain takings; and AB 1043 would create a device-based age assurance framework for online services. Supporters generally framed the bills as necessary responses to current harms: reproductive rights advocates emphasized California’s role as a safe haven; child safety witnesses described the persistence and re-victimization caused by CSAM online; immigrant rights and education advocates said schools should remain safe from immigration enforcement; health and LGBTQ+ advocates stressed privacy and safety risks tied to tracking and harassment; privacy and consumer groups backed limits on location data and stronger provenance tools; and reparations advocates said AB 62 would help address historic injustices. Opposition came from family policy, tech, business, law enforcement, and industry groups, who raised concerns about safety claims, constitutional issues, implementation burdens, transparency, law enforcement access, and the need to preserve existing privacy frameworks and voluntary standards. The committee members largely expressed support for the policy goals while noting implementation concerns on some measures. Several members asked for or were offered coauthor status on bills. AB 1137, AB 54, AB 49, AB 82, AB 1355, AB 853, and AB 62 all received do-pass votes to Appropriations, with some members voting no or not voting on certain bills. AB 1355 and AB 853 were advanced with amendments or ongoing work promised with opponents, and AB 1043 was presented with discussion of possible amendments on parental consent and age assurance details, though the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 261 supports local enforcement of wage theft judgments by requiring the Labor Commissioner's Office
• The existing process to file and pursue a wage theft claim is long and burdensome, often taking months
• There's a low-wage, minimum-wage, vulnerable worker who's just scraping by, not someone with several
• a judge has already issued an order agreeing that wage theft occurred and directing the employer to
• We're proud to co-sponsor this bill as part of a package we're doing to make the enforcement of wage

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 41 by Senator Wiener, which would regulate pharmacy benefit managers by increasing transparency, banning patient steering and spread pricing, and requiring full pass-through of rebates. Supporters, including independent pharmacists and health advocates, said PBM practices are driving up drug costs and closing neighborhood pharmacies. Opponents from PBM and health plan groups argued the bill overlaps with recently enacted licensing and reporting requirements, would not lower consumer prices, and may be preempted by ERISA. Members discussed confidentiality issues, consumer savings, and the relationship between SB 41 and the new budget trailer bill; the author asked for an aye vote. The committee then took up SB 378, also by Senator Wiener, aimed at online marketplaces that advertise illegal intoxicating hemp and unlicensed cannabis products. Supporters from labor, public health, and the licensed cannabis industry said online sales are undermining regulated businesses and exposing children to unsafe products. Opponents from tech and hemp industry groups warned the bill is overbroad, could sweep in general-purpose platforms and lawful hemp wellness products, and raises Dormant Commerce Clause and First Amendment concerns. The author said he would narrow the bill, remove industrial hemp references, and address strict liability and standing issues; members largely focused on how to target illegal products without capturing lawful marketplaces. SB 243 by Senator Padilla addressed AI companion chatbots, with supporters including Common Sense Media and transparency advocates warning that these systems can be addictive, manipulative, and dangerous for minors and vulnerable users, citing studies and the death of a Florida teenager. The bill would require disclosures, anti-addiction design limits, self-harm protocols, audits, reporting, and a private right of action. Tech and business groups opposed the measure as overly broad and said its definitions could sweep in general-purpose AI tools; several members supported the goal but questioned the breadth of the definitions and the private right of action. Finally, SB 522 by Senator Wahab would extend just-cause eviction protections to rental units that were previously covered by the Tenant Protection Act but were destroyed in disasters and later rebuilt. Supporters, including Los Angeles city officials and tenant advocates, said the bill would help keep displaced renters housed after wildfires and other disasters. Apartment and realtor groups opposed it, arguing it would remove a key exemption needed to finance rebuilding and could discourage post-disaster reconstruction. Members expressed support for tenant protections in disaster areas, and the author asked for an aye vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• after being disqualified from collecting benefits and seeking to be represented at a hearing, the low-wage
• She had wages in both Massachusetts and out of state that should have been included in the calculation
• waited for months and months and months, reached us in this limbo, and we were able to submit the wage

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hearing on House 5188, a late-filed bill to establish a special commission to study access to unemployment insurance in Massachusetts. Representatives Hadley Luddy and Joshua Tarski, the bill’s sponsors, said they filed it after seeing many constituent cases involving delays, unresolved claims, and difficulty navigating the unemployment system, especially for seasonal workers and others facing financial instability. They argued the commission should review claim data, gather stakeholder input, and identify gaps in the process so the system is more efficient, equitable, and transparent. Greater Boston Legal Services testified in support, describing numerous client cases in which claimants waited months for determinations or were stuck in limbo after the launch of a new online benefits system. Attorneys said DUA’s backlogs and timeliness metrics had worsened, citing large increases in non-monetary, separation, and hearings backlogs, and they urged the committee to consider systemic fixes, including better notice about paid family and medical leave and possibly more funding or staff for DUA. Committee members generally praised the bill and the sponsors’ collaboration, and one suggested the commission’s reporting deadline might need to be extended. No vote was taken during the hearing. After testimony and brief discussion, the chair closed the hearing and concluded the committee meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• new grant proviso to launch a grant program to reimburse eligible farmers for qualifying overtime wages
• The farm had to pay overtime wages to employees for handpicking one or more specialty crop vegetables
• The grant was available in early 2025 for overtime staff, or overtime wages that were paid in the 2024

Summary: The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee reviewed several House bills in executive session. Staff briefed bills on aviation assurances for wildland fire response (HB 2104), derelict vessels (HB 2199), irrigation district director spouse employment conflicts (HB 2223), statewide food security strategy (HB 2238), water quality and game farms (HB 2343), timber sales efficiencies (HB 2348), treaty reserve fishing rights and repeal of Initiative 456 (HB 2554), and a task force on reducing regulatory stress in agriculture (HB 2619). Members noted that HB 2238 had been heard previously as a striker but was now being considered as the engrossed substitute. Several bills had no amendments and little or no fiscal impact, while others carried modest fiscal notes. The committee took action on most bills: HB 2104, HB 2199, HB 2238, HB 2348, HB 2554, and HB 2619 all received due pass recommendations and were sent either to Ways and Means or Rules, with votes recorded by voice and no opposition noted. The committee took no action on HB 2223 or HB 2343. Members also thanked staff and acknowledged departing senators for their service. In the work session, the Washington State Department of Agriculture presented an overview of the 2024 local farms, workers, and food overtime reimbursement grant. WSDA described how it used targeted outreach, cross-agency coordination, and a streamlined application to administer the one-time program, which reimbursed qualifying overtime wages for hand-harvest vegetable farms selling to local markets and schools. The agency reported that 24 farms received about $213,000 total, and members asked about lessons learned, including how the experience might inform future grant design and broader agricultural support programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• career opportunities, receive career advising, and imagine themselves in different high-growth, high-wage
• Um, my understanding is it's a program that supplements wages for young people.
• Um, and so it kind of provides, I think it's a minimum wage.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 59, introduced by Representative Lujan, is an act relating to wage access, enacting the Earned
• Wage Access Services Act, providing powers and duties of the Financial Institutions Division of the
• House Bill 59 provides for licensure of earned wage access services providers, including provisions for

Transcript Highlights:

• But when wages do not keep pace and coverage is out of reach, Medi-Cal fills the gap.
• I represent cities in a county where the fastest-growing jobs being created are low-wage jobs.
• A 2026 report found that at many of the nation's largest low-wage employers, a family of three still
• qualifies for Medi-Cal, even on a full-time wage. costs here in California.
• Only 34% of low-wage workers receive employer-sponsored coverage.

Summary: The committee heard SB 1377, which would change California’s medical exemption process for school immunizations. The author and supporters argued the bill would restore physician discretion, reduce fear of audits and discipline, and help families with medically vulnerable children obtain exemptions. Opponents, including pediatric, medical, and public health groups, said the current system created by SB 276 and SB 277 is working, that valid exemptions are still being issued, and that loosening oversight could undermine immunization rates and public health. Members debated the data behind claims of a chilling effect, the number of exemptions reviewed or revoked, and the bill’s amendments, which narrowed the measure to current exemptions and added a small additional threshold. Because there was no quorum at the time, action on SB 1377 was delayed until a quorum could be present. The committee then heard SB 995, the Masuma Khan Justice Act, which would create a statewide inspection and enforcement framework for large voluntary residential facilities, including private immigration detention centers. The author and supporters described alleged neglect and abuse in detention facilities, including denial of medication, unsafe food and water, and inadequate oversight, and argued the state should ensure humane conditions and accountability. The California Hospital Association expressed concern about duplicative oversight and possible overlap with existing regulation, while the author said the bill was being refined to avoid constitutional problems and duplication. The committee voted to do pass and re-refer SB 995 to Judiciary, with the roll call showing five votes and the bill placed on call. SB 1089 was also heard, proposing expanded access to GLP-1 medications for state and local government employees through CalPERS and encouraging broader affordability efforts through CalRx. The author framed the bill as a response to chronic weight disease, diabetes risk, and high costs, and described his own experience obtaining and paying for GLP-1 treatment. Supporters from the American Diabetes Association and medical groups said GLP-1s are effective tools for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes and could reduce long-term health costs. No opposition was heard, and the committee voted do pass and re-refer the bill to Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement, with the vote placed on call. The committee also began SB 1221 on Murphy conservatorships, with supporters and opponents debating whether district attorneys should have a larger role in these proceedings and whether the bill would improve public safety or disrupt the civil mental health process; the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the market and that we are looking at kids that can go out in the workforce and earn a working wage
• of the market and that we are looking at kids that can go out in the workforce and earn a working wage
• of the market and that we are looking at kids that can go out in the workforce and earn a working wage
• of the market and that we are looking at kids that can go out in the workforce and earn a working wage
• </c><00:59:28.880><c> for</c> workforce and earn a working wage for workforce and earn a working wage

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It only survives because early educators have subsidized the industry by accepting low wages.
• Next slide, please. shortage of qualified early childhood educators, in large part because of the wages
• or friends to turn to for child care support and often will not. qualify for jobs that will pay a wage
• rise, and without adjustments to reimbursement rates provided struggle to pay teachers competitive wages
• Our center... payroll has increased 35% post-COVID wages, I'm sorry, pre-COVID wages. changes. us to

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do work with our partners around the direct support workforce, but we have to again pay the wages
• Because it's indexed to certain things like the wages, right?
• Wage index—Federal Bureau of whoever, okay.
• </c><00:38:11.640><c> right</c> like um um the um the the wages right like um um the um the the wages
• :14.119><c> of</c><00:38:14.760><c> whoever</c> wage index Federal Bureau of whoever wage index Federal

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held an informational briefing on the Developmental Disabilities Council and related agencies. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities outlined its 2025 legislative priorities, including a pilot project for guardian ad litem and capacity evaluations in guardianship/conservatorship cases, a supported decision-making bill, a health disparities study for people with disabilities, an ABLE savings outreach/staffing measure, a Medicaid buy-in proposal, an adult changing tables equity bill, and a resolution on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Council representatives emphasized that supported decision-making would complement tools like powers of attorney and medical releases, and that the health disparities study would help identify unmet needs by ZIP code and improve state data on the intellectual and developmental disability population. The Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii described its role as the research and training arm within the DD system, working with the DD Council and the Hawaii Disability Rights Center. It reported activities such as interdisciplinary training, community education, technical assistance, research collaborations, the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, publications, telehealth, ECHO Autism, and counseling for Maui fire survivors. The center said it leveraged about $16 million in outside funding last year and highlighted goals focused on workforce development, community capacity, research with direct participation from people with disabilities, and accessible dissemination of information. The Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the state’s protection and advocacy agency, supported the Council’s priorities, especially supported decision-making, which it said could help some people avoid guardianship while preserving liberty and reducing state resource use. The center also raised concerns about the DD system budget and urged legislators to review whether the Developmental Disabilities Division is requesting enough funding, noting possible backsliding in services and eligibility. The Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health then outlined its statewide waiver program serving just over 3,500 people, its service array, and its budget request for increased waiver funding, a federal initiatives coordinator, and IT upgrades to comply with the new HCBS access rule; no votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Motion prevails. Okay, so to your bill as amended. Representative M, thank you, Madam Chair.
• Motion prevails, and the bill is on its way. Thank you.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 1354, which was moved with a DE1 amendment. The amendment was adopted without opposition. The bill, as explained by the author and BCA Superintendent Drew Evans, would narrow the BCA’s website-posting requirement for officer-involved death investigations so that the agency must post the video of the incident showing the events leading up to, during, and shortly after the incident, rather than all body-camera footage. Other materials would still be available through normal data requests, and the change was described as intended to reduce the burden of redacting and posting large amounts of extraneous video while preserving transparency. Evans said the BCA supports public access and transparency but is struggling to meet the current 30-day posting deadline because of the volume of video and the time required to redact private information. He noted that the BCA has nine full-time staff working on data practices requests and that the Senate amendment clarifies what must be posted while preserving Chapter 13 and the Minnesota Data Practices Act. A public testifier, Rich Newmeister, thanked the bill authors and said the amendment helps ensure data remains available to the public and supports transparency following George Floyd’s death. Members offered supportive comments, including appreciation for the BCA’s cooperation and willingness to work on the issue. No opposition was recorded. The committee then approved the motion to re-refer House File 1354, as amended, to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mayor Carolyn Harris continued: “Arkansas that can create jobs so that we can have livable wages for
• Where are the jobs that are coming to southeast Arkansas for livable wages? I said livable wages.
• Livable wages. So that we can create businesses. Like I told you, I had a business...”
• Arkansas that can create jobs so that we can have livable wages for our citizens in the surrounding communities
• For livable wages. I said livable wages. I'm not talking about $11 an hour. Livable wages.

Summary: The committee approved the prior minutes and then received a series of audit and compliance updates. Staff reported on delinquent private water and sewer reports, delinquent 2013-2023 water reports, and several municipal accounting code noncompliance cases. Denning and Gum Springs were recommended to be removed from the 60-day clock after staff visits showed improved records, while Fargo, Lead Hill, Almy, Jericho, Haynes, Biggers, Gilmore, and Holly Grove were discussed for repeat findings involving missing audits, poor bookkeeping, unpaid or misapplied street funds, deficit balances, and other accounting deficiencies. Several of these entities were given additional time or had reports filed without objection, while others were deferred for later review. Fargo’s mayor said the town had been understaffed and was working to improve its accounting systems; the committee voted to defer the matter to the August meeting. Lead Hill’s mayor described efforts to complete overdue water audits and improve office procedures, and the committee also postponed action for 60 days. Almy’s mayor and recorder-treasurer were present, and the committee placed the town on the 60-day clock for repeat accounting issues. Biggers and Gilmore both acknowledged long-running audit problems and said they were working with auditors and the IRS; their reports were filed. Holly Grove’s treasurer said she had only recently taken the position, and that report was filed as well. The committee spent considerable time on the street-fund misuse cases for Jericho and Haynes. Jericho was found to have exceeded the statutory threshold tied to fines and costs, with staff noting the town had since become current on its repayment plan; the committee deferred the report to September. Haynes was also behind on its repayment plan for street funds, with staff saying the town had recently made up the shortfall and was current as of the meeting, but the committee still deferred the report to September. Members and staff also discussed how the speed-trap law is applied, whether certain fines and costs count toward the threshold, and the role of the prosecuting attorney in deciding whether to take further action. The committee then reviewed a special report on the Pulaski County Regional Solid Waste Management District, which had six findings involving board approval of payroll and contracts, credit card documentation, vehicle and cell phone use, competitive bidding, electronic funds controls, and unusually high advertising spending. District Director Craig Douglas said the board had delegated some authority, that receipts were missing during a temporary staffing gap, and that advertising was needed to educate the public; he also defended the sale of trailers and other equipment as a way to exit the trailer business. Several members questioned the explanations and the low resale value of equipment, but the committee ultimately deferred the report to September. The meeting also included a recognition of accounting students interning with audit staff and a final set of actions on deferred water and sewer reports: 11 were filed, seven were deferred for lack of proper responses, and a private report on Shannon Hills Water, Sewer, and Fire Department was noted as involving misappropriation by an office manager and inadequate internal controls.

Transcript Highlights:

• Among those who are working, nearly one in two earn low wages with limited opportunities... ...to earn
• low wages with limited opportunities for advancement.
• It allows them to graduate high school with the skills needed to step into high-wage careers and helps
• more students can develop an entrepreneurial mindset and access CTE pathways leading to robust, high-wage
• to keep pace with inflation, or that's that their district can simply not afford to increase wages to

Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills. SB 1154 would allow community college districts to use best-value procurement for public works projects over $1 million. The author and community college supporters argued it would give colleges flexibility similar to K-12, UC, and CSU and help avoid delays and costly change orders. Contractors and electrical subcontractors opposed the bill, saying its skilled-and-trained workforce requirement and safety provisions would narrow competition and disadvantage small and nonunion firms. The bill passed the committee on a due-pass vote and was placed on call. SB 1347 would clarify that stock albuterol may be stocked in all public schools, including preschool programs. The author and a physician testified that the bill would remove confusion in existing law and improve access to emergency asthma medication for students. School nurses, respiratory care advocates, and small school districts supported the measure, and there was no opposition. The bill passed unanimously on a due-pass to the floor vote and was placed on call. SB 1222 would create a pilot program to designate a lead county office to help regions struggling with career technical education implementation. Supporters said many students remain disconnected from school and work and that the bill would spread proven regional CTE practices. Some committee members questioned whether another pilot was needed, arguing existing CTE programs need more funding and fewer new structures, while the author and sponsor said the bill would build regional capacity and share successful models. The bill passed to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. SB 1378 would create a California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program to recognize schools and districts with strong service-learning programs. Supporters said it would validate existing work and encourage civic engagement, while one member raised concerns about adding more designations and workload for schools. The bill passed as amended to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. SB 1048 would create a Seal of Climate Literacy for high school students demonstrating climate science knowledge through coursework and hands-on learning. Supporters, including the Department of Education and climate education groups, said it would align students with growing clean-energy careers; some members cautioned against adding more curriculum-related seals and noted equity and implementation concerns. The bill passed to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. Later, SB 1101, the Higher Education Data Sharing Transparency Act, was presented. It would require CSU, community colleges, independent colleges, and request UC to notify students, faculty, and staff when their personal information is shared with federal agencies such as the Office for Civil Rights, and to limit disclosure to what is legally required. Supporters said recent federal investigations and subpoenas have created fear and a lack of transparency on campuses. Committee discussion focused on subpoena authority, constitutional limits, and whether notice should be required; one member said she would abstain because of legal concerns, while another said the bill would continue to be examined in the next committee. The transcript ends during discussion of SB 1101 before a final vote is recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Among those who are working, nearly one in two earn low wages with limited opportunities...
• To earn low wages with limited opportunities for advancement.
• It allows them to graduate high school with the skills needed to step into high-wage careers and helps
• more students can develop an entrepreneurial mindset and access CTE pathways leading to robust, high-wage
• to keep pace with inflation, or that's that their district can simply not afford to increase wages to

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to be able to give our workers a fair wage with overtime, with hopefully a better minimum wage
• /c><00:28:22.240><c> workers</c><00:28:22.960><c> a</c><00:28:23.080><c> fair</c><00:28:24.040><c> wage
• </c> be able to give our workers a fair wage be able to give our workers a fair wage with<00:28:25.320
• 28:30.320><c> better</c><00:28:30.720><c> minimum</c><00:28:31.280><c> minimum</c><00:28:31.760><c> wage
• </c> hopefully a better minimum minimum wage hopefully a better minimum minimum wage than<00:28:32.159

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , you want to ask constituents to give you a blank check, and you won't even increase their living wages
• That we're going to make you more successful by changing entry wages, by modulating sales tax, the only
• And if people aren't doing that, the system is so rigged against them to escape poverty in wages alone
• And then they have wages in their pockets, whether they're employees or independent contractors.
• I've got a report in front of me that says the average wage of a worker in Missouri.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• navigate with these increases we are experiencing, and school boards have been forced to pay lower wages
• But after 25 years of underfunding by the state of Minnesota, our wages and benefits have not kept up
• Wages are health insurance.” Not everyone takes the insurance, but everyone takes the wages.
• :08:41.120><c> our</c> year after year, much faster than our year after year, much faster than our wages
• The last renewal we had in my wages.

Keywords: 1183, house