Transcript Highlights:

• Equity means being fair to everyone. Inclusion means, quite simply, the act of including everyone.
• </c><00:20:04.960><c> means</c> those who are different equity means those who are different equity means
• </c><00:39:56.240><c> And</c><00:39:56.400><c> that</c> diversity, equity, inclusion.
• And that diversity, equity, inclusion.
• </c> the agency staff are furled. the agency staff are furled.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, as Right of Passage staff Some of the juveniles at the facility.
• Two staff did not have medical or tuberculosis screenings.
• with my staff on amendments.
• SB 1325 is about equity and creating opportunity. SB 1325 is about equity and creating opportunity.
• I thank the committee staff for today's hearing.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The subcommittee staff with a written statement on Title IX, as requested.
• It has to be repaid, knowing that our staff and faculty are very important to us.
• It has to be repaid knowing that our staff and faculty are very important to us.
• We represent 35,000 non-faculty staff and student assistants and 1,039 staff and student auxiliary workers
• have had not only on faculty and staff, but also students.

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview hearing on the 2026-27 budget and policy issues for California’s three public higher education segments: the Community Colleges, CSU, and UC. Chair David Alvarez emphasized shared responsibility to expand access, right-size campuses to enrollment trends, improve transfer pathways, align programs with workforce needs, and measure success by completion, transfer, and job placement rather than participation alone. The chancellors and president each described their systems’ current enrollment trends, budget priorities, and efforts to collaborate more closely across segments. Chancellor Sonia Christian said community college enrollment has rebounded strongly and asked for 3% enrollment growth funding, more support for the Common Cloud Data Platform, credit for prior learning, AI literacy, and recovery-related workforce training in Los Angeles. She highlighted right-sizing efforts such as Peralta’s proposed consolidation into Oakland City College, and described partnerships with CSU, UC, employers, unions, and housing projects. Chancellor Mildred García said CSU is focusing on CSU Forward, enrollment growth, student success, facilities, and fiscal health monitoring, while reallocating enrollment and resources to higher-demand campuses. She cited intersegmental programs such as nursing pathways, 2+2 and 3-year degree programs, and AI curriculum work, and said the system is also addressing labor and compensation issues. President J.B. Milliken said UC is facing federal funding threats, investigations, and rising costs, but has reached record enrollment of more than 300,000 students, including over 200,000 California resident undergraduates. He supported continued compact funding, said UC is exploring more use of technology, experiential learning, and short-term credentials, and stressed the need to adapt while preserving UC’s research and medical mission. Members pressed all three leaders on common course numbering, transfer outcomes, enrollment reallocation, BSN capacity, deferred maintenance, and the role of the master plan; the leaders generally agreed more collaboration and flexibility are needed, and several committed to follow up with updated data and timelines. No formal votes were taken. Public comment followed, including support from the CSU employees union for the Governor’s budget and full funding of CSU obligations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And let's say, staff, you sent me a list. Next.
• In remotely, and let's see, staff, you sent me a list.
• And I believe staff, that's everybody that is all right.
• And I believe staff, that's everybody that is all right.
• So if you have amendments, please work with staff.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on two housing-related bills. Senate Bill 6054 would prohibit common interest communities, including HOAs and condominiums, from banning fire-hardened building materials that meet health and safety standards, while still allowing reasonable rules on design, placement, and appearance. The sponsor said the bill is intended to help homeowners reduce wildfire risk without forcing any resident to make changes, and staff explained that it would apply retroactively to conflicting governing documents. Testimony was generally supportive, including from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the Washington State Community Associations Institute, and HOA United, though the American Wood Council asked for narrower definitions so wood products could still qualify under other standards. Senate Bill 5938 would revise the $80 foreclosure prevention fee created last session. Staff said the bill expands exemptions to include reverse mortgages for borrowers age 60 and older, chattel loans and retail installment contracts for dwellings secured as personal property, and limits duplicate charges in certain state-supported homeownership programs. It also removes the option to pay the fee from borrower cash at closing, allows financing through loan proceeds, clarifies disclosure and Commerce’s rulemaking authority, and directs Commerce and the Housing Finance Commission to study creating a state homeowner assistance fund by July 1, 2027. The sponsor and supporters said the changes would stabilize foreclosure prevention funding, prevent multiple charges on the same transaction, and help homeowners stay in their homes. Testimony on SB 5938 was strongly supportive from the Washington Homeownership Resource Center, the Washington Build Back Black Alliance, HOA United, and the Northwest Justice Project, with speakers emphasizing foreclosure prevention, housing stability, and the need for assistance for seniors, first-time buyers, and HOA homeowners. At the end of the hearing, the chair announced that the committee would likely take executive action on the bills early the next week and asked members to submit amendments by the stated deadlines.

Transcript Highlights:

• Private equity is not going to dry up because there's too much money in that market for private equity
• Private equity is not going to dry up because there's too much money in that market for private equity
• Most of our staff, well over 50%, have Master's Degrees. It's a very credentialed staff.
• Most of our staff, well over 50%, have Master's Degrees. It's a very credentialed staff.
• We also co-locate with many counties, some of our staff.

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:

• Our long-term staff are turning over, retiring.
• Our short-term staff, our new staff, are not staying the two years it takes.
• The backlog project included funding for staff at DCYF and DHS.
• Also, the demand for work exceeds staff resources.
• They're trying to integrate staff.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• That change was made so that social equity applicants could generate the necessary capital to actually
• 13.680><c> social</c> requirement of ownership for a social requirement of ownership for a social equity
• </c><00:03:17.040><c> That</c> equity applicant from 65 to 51%.
• That equity applicant from 65 to 51%.
• </c> change was made so that social equity change was made so that social equity applicants<00:03:20.000

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , one program staff and one fiscal staff.
• , one program staff and one fiscal staff.
• , one program staff and one fiscal staff.
• Recruitment staff should have more than one staff member.
• We have support from our IT staff, departmental ICT staff. Why don't you just say that—ICT staff?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next unit, please. the staff recommendation is either a the staff recommendation is either a footnote
• </c><01:09:39.600><c> could</c> is it 163 or is it 93 if staff could is it 163 or is it 93 if staff could
• We staff did color-code this for you.
• </c> for grants to county public health staff for grants to county public health staff for<04:23:42.080
• </c><05:16:26.560><c> I</c> diversity, equity, and inclusion. I diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Overall enhanced staff efficiency and increased workload capacity of approximately 32%.
• Actually, Kasha represents... ...staff for meeting with us previously.
• All board and staff complete DCA-required DEIA and unconscious bias training.
• For us, equity and safety are inseparable.
• This statement was recorded and shared with legislative staff.

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate business committees held a sunset review hearing for five California regulatory entities: the Respiratory Care Board, the California Council for Interior Design Certification, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the Board of Occupational Therapy, and the Board of Naturopathic Medicine. Each board or council described its licensing, enforcement, modernization, and consumer-protection work since the last review, and committee members focused on workforce access, transparency, fee authority, and whether current regulatory structures are appropriately tailored to public safety. For the Respiratory Care Board, the main issue was a proposal to move toward a bachelor’s degree requirement for licensure. Board representatives said the change would better align education with the complexity of care and could help the profession’s long-term status and reimbursement prospects, but Assembly Member Addis and others raised concerns about rural access, staffing shortages, and added barriers to entry. Public commenters, including respiratory therapists, families, and congregate living health facility operators, strongly opposed the degree mandate and urged continued use of LVNs for certain respiratory tasks in community settings. The board also discussed its ongoing work on LVN respiratory care issues, updated suctioning guidance, digitized licensing and enforcement systems, and fee cleanup language. The interior design item drew the most debate. CCIDC leaders defended the current title-act certification model, arguing it establishes competency without evidence of public harm and avoids the disruption a full licensure system could cause. Several committee members questioned the lack of enforcement authority, the private nonprofit structure, Bagley-Keene compliance, and whether certification meaningfully improves plan acceptance or public safety. Public testimony was split: supporters said the system works and preserves flexibility, while opponents argued the model lacks accountability, creates confusion, and does not reliably prevent plan-check denials or protect the public. The speech-language pathology/audiology board reported major modernization gains, including a new online licensure system, faster processing, continuing education audits, and updated supervision and advertising rules; it also received support for creating a new audiology assistant license category, while a consumer group urged more public members, proactive inspections, and faster discipline. The occupational therapy board reported growth, improved enforcement and licensing performance, and a need for additional fee authority to address rising costs, while public testimony supported reducing advanced practice hand therapy training hours. The final naturopathic medicine item began at the end of the transcript, but no substantive discussion was captured before the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, Jacob Ewing, staff to the committee.
• Are there any questions of staff on this bill?
• For the record, Jacob Ewing, staff to the committee.
• For the record, Jacob Ewing, staff to the committee.
• Staff treated me with respect.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5899, which would create a chiropractic license endorsement allowing qualified chiropractors to perform chiropractic diagnosis and adjustments on non-human animals. The sponsor described it as a complementary tool to veterinary care, especially in rural areas with limited access to veterinarians. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would expand access to animal chiropractic with training, certification, and veterinary referral to non-chiropractic issues, while opponents from the veterinary community warned about animal and public safety, disease detection, and the lack of a required veterinary referral. The hearing on SB 5899 was suspended and later reopened; testimony concluded with strong support from animal chiropractic practitioners and opposition from veterinarians, and the committee noted 57 signed in pro, 4 con, and 1 other. The committee then held a work session on dental workforce shortages. Presenters from the CORA Foundation, the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies, tribal dental programs, and the Washington State Dental Association described major access gaps, especially for Apple Health enrollees, rural communities, and communities of color. They highlighted low preventive-care utilization, high rates of untreated decay, workforce vacancies for hygienists and assistants, and the value of career ladders such as community health aides and proposed oral preventive assistants. Several speakers emphasized that training pathways, retention, and sustained Medicaid reimbursement are key to improving access and keeping providers in the system. Senate Bill 6138, requiring a multi-provider system for dental procedures performed under deep sedation, drew testimony centered on patient safety after recent deaths in dental settings. The sponsor said the bill responds to a pattern of tragic incidents and would ensure one person is dedicated to monitoring sedation. Supporters from anesthesiology and some oral surgery groups backed stronger monitoring requirements, while oral surgeons and dental representatives argued the current rules already require multiple trained personnel and that the bill could reduce access and increase costs, especially in rural and Medicaid-serving practices. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6072, which would update veterinarian-client-patient relationship rules to allow telemedicine-based relationships and limited telehealth services; animal welfare and veterinary telehealth advocates supported it as an access-to-care measure, while the veterinary association sought clearer guardrails and federal-law language. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6094 on pediatric transitional care services, which would create a Medicaid payment pathway and related program changes for residential care for substance-exposed infants; supporters said the model helps infants and parents, improves outcomes, and is financially unsustainable under current funding, and the hearing began with testimony in favor before time expired.

Transcript Highlights:

• With your indulgence, I would like to introduce the three session staff that we have this year.
• Members and staff rely on the electronic bill book.
• Committee amendments must be made through and drafted by committee staff. Let's see.
• And staff, just a reminder, committee staff do not make parliamentary rulings; it's the prerogative of
• Where will these people go when access to care is reduced because we can't afford the staff?

Bills: HB2289

Keywords: appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• Where's the equity in that?
• </c> Where's the equity in that? Where's the equity in that?
• <01:32:24.520><c> so</c> staff so staff so it<01:32:25.720><c> doesn't</c><01:32:26.280><c> it's</c><
• That, Senator Fillingane, is not equity.
• </c> is not equity. is not equity.

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 7 January, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have people—we have some plans here that I know we've showed some of the ledge staff.
• Actually, Kasha represents... ...staff for meeting with us previously.
• All board and staff complete DCA-required DEIA and unconscious bias training.
• For us, equity and safety are inseparable.
• This statement was recorded and shared with legislative staff.

Summary: The joint sunset oversight hearing reviewed five California regulatory entities: the Respiratory Care Board, the California Council for Interior Design Certification, the Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the Board of Occupational Therapy, and the Board of Naturopathic Medicine. Each agency described its licensing, enforcement, modernization, and consumer-protection work since the last review, and committee members focused heavily on workforce access, public safety, transparency, and fee authority. For the Respiratory Care Board, the main issues were a possible move from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree for licensure, fee structure changes, and ongoing work on LVNs performing respiratory tasks. Board representatives said the degree proposal was intended to strengthen competency and could be phased in without harming access, but several public commenters—especially respiratory therapists and families of medically fragile children—argued it would worsen shortages, particularly in rural and low-income areas. Other stakeholders supported clarifying LVN authority in congregate living health facilities, while the California Medical Association flagged the proposed Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist classification as having limited current workforce impact. The interior design segment drew the most debate. CCIDC leaders defended the current voluntary certification/title-act model, saying it establishes competency, has produced minimal complaints, and that licensure would unnecessarily disrupt the workforce and create barriers without demonstrated public harm. Committee members questioned the lack of state-style enforcement authority, transparency, and Bagley-Keene compliance, and some public commenters criticized the private structure and inconsistent plan acceptance in local jurisdictions. Supporters of the current system said the certification and commercial designation help educate building officials and allow qualified designers to work safely, while opponents argued licensure would provide clearer accountability and reduce confusion. The speech-language pathology, audiology, and hearing aid dispensers board reported major modernization gains, including online licensure processing, faster turnaround times, and new continuing education audits and advertising rules. The board supported creating a licensed audiology assistant category to improve access to care, and public commenters generally backed the board while urging continued modernization. The occupational therapy board described steady growth, improved enforcement and licensing performance, and requested additional fee authority to address rising costs; the main public comment supported the sunset extension and a reduction in advanced practice hand therapy training hours. The naturopathic medicine board emphasized consumer protection, enforcement against unlicensed practice, and the need to clarify statutes; it said most licensed naturopathic doctors practice in underserved areas and welcomed legislative collaboration on scope and enforcement issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, Jacob Ewing, staff to the committee.
• Are there any questions of staff on this bill?
• For the record, Jacob Ewing, staff to the committee.
• For the record, Jacob Ewing, staff to the committee.
• Staff treated me with respect.

Bills: SB6138, SB5899, SB6072, SB6094

Keywords: dental procedures, sedation, patient safety, multiprovider system, healthcare regulation, chiropractic, animal care, veterinary medicine, license endorsement, nonhuman animals, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, VCPR, veterinary telehealth, telemedicine, teletriage, teleadvice, animal health, licensed veterinarian, Washington veterinary board, prescription drugs

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a staff attorney with the Legislative Counsel Service and the lead staff for the Land Grant Committee
• We looked at it as an act of equity and sustainability.
• So we were just trying to build in some equity to that.
• And this fund allows staff, so the funding can be used to staff the Bureau, which is which is very different
• We manage through partnerships with our local communities and our staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• If I may, to my right, is now Chief of Staff Theresa Benitez-Thompson, who has something to offer as
• We have, of course, met with the Attorney General's office and his staff.
• It represents equity, dignity, and the fundamental right to pursue parenthood.
• Let Nevada lead with compassion, equity, and family-first values.
• Division staff still find some utility in it. Again, thanks to everyone involved.

Bills: AB52, AB76, AB163, AB388, AB483

Keywords: health insurance, claims process, insurance regulation, admin penalties, healthcare access, cannabis, cannabis establishment, medical cannabis, adult-use cannabis, advertising regulations, packaging requirements, unlicensed cannabis activities, state prosecution, confidentiality, Cannabis Compliance Board, disciplinary proceedings, mental health, counseling, interstate practice, telehealth

Transcript Highlights:

• I would like to thank my co-chair, our committee staff, and, as always, our partner in this work, Carl
• any questions, concerns, or technical difficulties, LIS, or Legislative Information Services, and my staff
• And thank you to everybody today who's come here. ...that would be helpful to you and to your staff and
• Dear members of the Joint Committee, I'm Kiara Batista, the Language Access and Equity Fellow at the
• To begin, staff are untrained on how to access language services, as fewer than 10% of calls resulted

Bills: H5085, H5286

Keywords: poverty alleviation, family support, economic mobility, youth transition, financial education, matched savings, community programs, Department of Children and Families, DCF, child abuse investigation, child neglect, pediatrician, advanced practice registered nurse, medical misdiagnosis, rickets, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, vitamin D deficiency, bone fragility, child welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• the governance level ultimately supports more inclusion, decision-making, and policies that advance equity
• As my staff continued to work on this issue, we found over 50 cases in which high school sports officials
• As my staff continued to work on this issue, we found over 50 cases in which high school sports officials
• In addition, like many of the staff in members' offices, today she is also receiving an award for 40
• This bill will ensure that students are aware, that staff at colleges know what to do.

Summary: The Assembly met on May 7, 2026, after an initial delay caused by the absence of a quorum, then proceeded with prayer, a moment of silence for victims of a hate-motivated attack at the Islamic Center in San Diego, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Speaker pro tempore then moved through the daily file, repeatedly urging members to be on time and at their desks as the House of Origin deadline approached. Procedural actions included dispensing with the journal, deferring some items, and moving AB 1667 to the inactive file. The bulk of the session was devoted to floor consideration of many bills, most of which passed with little or no opposition. Measures approved included bills on artificial intelligence provenance information (AB 2713), community college trustee compensation (AB 2528), transit camera enforcement and privacy (AB 1837), excess proceeds claims in taxation (AB 2705), HOA technical cleanup (AB 1892), hepatitis C treatment access (AB 1843), child care planning in local general plans (AB 1914), greenhouse energy code flexibility (AB 2200), rent-now-pay-later consumer protections (AB 2350), housing cleanup and density bonus measures (including AB 2390, AB 2480, AB 1567, AB 1751, and others), spay/neuter access (AB 2010), workforce housing financing tools (AB 2110), supportive housing and homelessness-related changes (AB 2146), mental health and health plan notification measures (AB 1598, AB 2613), student aid and education bills (AB 1534, AB 1636, AB 1669, AB 1728, AB 1784, AB 1871), public safety and criminal justice bills (AB 1546, AB 1572, AB 1872, AB 1877, AB 1932), and several health and social services measures (AB 1602, AB 1628, AB 1680, AB 1825, AB 1845, AB 1906, AB 1907, AB 1925). Most bills were described as support measures, often with bipartisan backing and no opposition, and passed by wide margins. A few bills drew more discussion, especially AB 1751, a housing/townhome bill that sparked extended debate over wages, prevailing wage, stakeholder engagement, and whether the measure could depress pay for construction trades; despite concerns and an opposition speech, it ultimately passed 44-0. AB 1793, which would allow symmetrical rounding of cash transactions to the nearest nickel in light of the penny’s phaseout, also drew light debate and passed 47-1. AB 1932, an urgency measure expanding community-based crisis response, passed with one no vote on both the urgency and the bill. Several urgency or 54-vote bills, including AB 1534 and AB 1932, required later roll calls or calls to be lifted, but all measures described in the transcript were ultimately approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Persons-Mulicka provide a brief overview of the bill, and have invited the governor's staff
• There was a committee staff, yes, and primarily it was me and one or two other people that were for the
• But because of what I said earlier with that population equity that has to happen with congressional
• Yes, and staff, y'all help me out.
• In the past, we had the opportunity to meet with staff and to talk about specific communities and get

Summary: The Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting met to consider HB 1D, which would establish Florida’s congressional districts using the governor’s proposed map, EOG PCRP 26. Representative Persons-Mulicka briefly introduced the bill, and Jason Jazeel and Jason Pareda of the governor’s office presented the legal rationale and map details. Jazeel argued that mid-cycle congressional redistricting is not prohibited, that the governor’s position is to draw districts without considering race, and that federal equal-protection principles should control over state race-based redistricting provisions. Pareda said he drew the map alone using 2020 census data and census blocks, while also considering population growth estimates, traditional redistricting criteria, and county/city boundaries where feasible. Pareda described the map as race-neutral and said it keeps 48 counties whole, 382 cities whole, and has a boundary-analysis score of about 85.7%. He walked through regional changes, including major revisions in South Florida, adjustments in Central Florida, and changes in the Tampa Bay area, explaining that population shifts and the need for exact congressional population equality drove many of the district configurations. Members questioned the timing of the special session, the use of 2020 census data versus newer population estimates, the role of the legislature versus the governor, the legal basis for mid-decade redistricting, and whether the map complies with the Voting Rights Act and Fair Districts amendments. Motions to place witnesses under oath and to extend the committee meeting by 30 minutes both failed. During public testimony, every speaker who was heard opposed the map. Commenters argued that the proposal was a partisan power grab, would reduce Democratic and minority representation, and violated the Florida Constitution and voting rights protections. Several speakers criticized the short notice and lack of public input, while others said the map would confuse voters or split communities. The chair repeatedly reminded attendees to maintain decorum and limited each speaker to about one minute.