Transcript Highlights:

• I will review the current economic situation before turning to monetary policy.
• Our review will include outreach and public events involving a wide range of stakeholders.
• We intend to wrap up the review by late summer.
• actually prohibits the Fed from reviewing or amending those requests. That is correct.
• Briefly, we did this as part of our review five years ago, and we do it on an ongoing basis now.

Bills: SB257

Committee: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• That will all become part of the permit, be standardized, and be subject to public review and comment
• , requiring facilities that have these substances to have a backup Including public review, requiring
• process. ...systems, safe distances from homes, public hearings, and the usual environmental review
• So with that, again, we're reviewing the amendments, not only those that were just put into the bill,
• We've also reviewed the amendments submitted by the Recycled Materials Association.

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Transcript Highlights:

• Under the current system, state inspectors review and approve modules off-site and local inspectors review
• We've heard excellent reviews of HCD's factory-built housing unit and the inspectors they work with.
• state's capacity in this area to inspect the installation of modules on-site, which the state already reviews
• streamline nonresidential commercial building permit applications by creating timelines for plan reviews
• applicants a more predictable path forward by allowing temporary use of qualified third-party plan review

Committee: Senate Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• So the interns also reviewed academic literature, and key conclusions...
• So the interns also reviewed academic literature, and key conclusions... ...members may preemptively
• In these reviews, I make critical recommendations such as changing a child's goal from reunification
• My manager has recommended not sharing my last name in reviews because of the risk.
• I am deeply grateful for your time and consideration as you review my case and the broader I am deeply

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several retirement and workforce-related bills. House Bill 2980 would place county correctional nurses and certain medical staff into Group 4 retirement. Representative Trino, Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, and nurse manager Leanne Cameron argued that correctional nurses work in dangerous, high-stress settings with frequent contact with incarcerated people, high rates of mental illness and substance use in the jail population, and significant workplace violence, and that the change would help recruitment and retention with limited statewide fiscal impact. The committee also heard Senate Bill 210, which would create a commission to study additional regular compensation and annual expenses for members of the General Court. Senator John Keenan said Massachusetts has high leadership stipends compared with other states and argued the current structure can affect independence and public trust. Representative O'Day testified on House Bill 2928 to extend Group 2 retirement to additional Department of Children and Families social workers, and SEIU 509 witnesses described frequent transport of children, crisis response, threats, assaults, and other high-risk duties that they said match Group 2 work. Additional testimony supported House Bill 2943 for DDS service coordinators and supervisors, with witnesses describing home visits in unsafe conditions, transport of vulnerable individuals, direct care during staffing crises, and exposure to violence. House Bill 2899 drew support from the Association of Social Work Boards for social work field placement grants, incentives for supervisors, and expanded retirement benefits for DCF social workers. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2613, a local retirement bill for Salem police officer Kathleen Roachville, who described a severe line-of-duty injury during an arrest involving a combative person in a mental health crisis. Finally, Susan Smith Campbell testified for reclassifying certain DYS administrative officers into Group 2 because of their direct involvement in restraints, assaults, and crisis management. After testimony concluded, the committee adjourned without taking any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I bring qualifications to the forensic review board through my doctorate level education and clinical
• So I look forward to continuing to serve on the forensic review board. Thank you, Miss Ellison.
• And so this bill is going to give us the ability to review them and sunset them.
• I'll Give you the list, maybe 30, so I can get this for you so you can review it.
• We would be able to review them immediately and respond much more quickly.

Bills: HB1675 , HB3242 , HB1739 , HB3320 , HB3047 , HB4434 , HJR1089 , HB4432 , HB3718 , HB3705

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: emergency management, severe weather, youth camp, summer camp, overnight camp, day camp, outdoor education, adventure camp, wilderness program, campground safety, tornado preparedness, flooding, flash flood, high winds, hail, lightning, extreme heat, extreme cold, wildfire smoke, evacuation plan

Transcript Highlights:

• You have before you Senate Bill 5879, which modifies Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, or
• Specifically, this... legislative audit and review committee or JLARC work plans.
• JLARC has reviewed it twice.
• It's also subject to review by lodging tax advisory committees that are required in statute.
• Without some form of consistent review, we are concerned that it may become more difficult to ensure

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a public hearing on nine bills. Senate Bill 5872 would create the Pre-K Promise Account to receive philanthropic donations for ECAP preschool slots; supporters, including DCYF, the governor’s office, and early learning advocates, said it would help expand access to high-quality pre-K with a 10-year Ballmer Group commitment for up to 10,000 new seats annually. Senators asked how the money would flow, and staff and witnesses explained it would be governed by an MOU and deposited annually; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5879 would eliminate two JLARC studies, one on lodging tax reporting and one on training benefits; supporters said the reports were duplicative and burdensome, while the hospitality industry warned against losing transparency, and no action was taken. Senate Bill 6047 would permanently codify various capital budget administration rules, including minor works flexibility and early learning grant changes; testimony focused on technical cleanup and on provisions affecting co-located child care and community projects, with no vote taken. Senate Bill 5988 would authorize the Department of Health to charge fees for accrediting opioid treatment programs, with support from DOH and tribal/nontribal providers who want the state to continue providing the service; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5923 would allow Island Hospital in Skagit County to qualify as a critical access hospital, with local hospital leaders and residents supporting the measure to improve reimbursement and sustain rural care; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5832 would raise the Lemon Law arbitration fee from $3 to $6 to fund the Attorney General’s consumer protection work, and the AG’s office, dealers, and the sponsor said the program is effective and underfunded; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5970 would make permanent the property tax exemption for multipurpose senior citizen centers, with AARP supporting the bill as a benefit to seniors and caregivers; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5994 would preserve timber tax distributions for school districts that recently had qualifying levies, and forest industry witnesses supported the bill while suggesting a possible amendment for state forest transfer lands; no vote was taken. Senate Bill 5949 would narrow the B&O tax exemption for insurance-related businesses so it applies only to the entity paying the insurance premiums tax, retroactive to 2019; the Department of Revenue and bill supporters argued it restores tax equity, while insurers, health plans, and business groups opposed it as retroactive, ambiguous, and likely to raise premiums. The committee heard extensive testimony on that bill, but the transcript ends with adjournment and no recorded vote or executive action.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what it's going to end up doing is it's going to reduce the timelines that we have to review permits
• We've identified a lot of duplicative reviews that were happening and pinch points in our processes,
• who wants to pay a little extra for their permit application to take advantage of this expedited review
• So, we're hoping to, once OMES does their review, get into the negotiation stages.
• We were provided with it under performance measure review. It's kind of the adding overall.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Act 292 working group is tasked with reviewing, considering, and identifying laws, policies, and
• So, we went through the personal introductions, but just wanted to kind of review the membership structure
• You know, as I I was reviewing<00:16:12.639><c> SB104,</c> reviewing SB104, reviewing SB104, it<00:16
• 29.440><c> be</c><00:16:30.399><c> conflicting</c><00:16:31.040><c> each</c> >> You know, as I was reviewing
• So there is this window of time in which we can do review of best practices and make some recommendations

Summary: The Restrictive Housing Legislative Working Group held its first meeting on August 21, 2025, to organize under Act 292, which directs the group to review and recommend laws, policies, and procedures on restrictive housing for vulnerable populations, including older adults, people with disabilities, people with serious mental illness, those with sensory impairments, and people perceived to be LGBTQIA+. Co-chairs Sen. Brandon Elefante and Rep. Della Au Belatti outlined the group’s purpose, membership, and timeline, noting the final recommendations are due to the Legislature by January 8, 2027. Members and invited participants introduced themselves, including legislative members, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation staff, the Department of Health, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, ACLU of Hawaii, Community Alliance on Prisons, UPW, and an OHA representative in the audience. The working group discussed its initial focus and agreed that a first priority should be understanding current restrictive housing practices at DCR, including policies on solitary confinement, training, reporting, and how the department currently handles vulnerable populations. Co-chair Belatti said the group should also hear from people with lived experience, including incarcerated individuals and family members affected by solitary confinement, and review litigation, settlements, and outside expert work on best practices. DCR Director Tommy Johnson, appearing by Zoom, said the bill contains specific implementation timelines and that the group should use future meetings to surface topics tied to the act’s requirements. Rep. Shimizu asked how the working group’s recommendations would fit with SB 104 and whether they would supersede existing provisions; Belatti responded that the act allows time for review and for both departmental policy changes and legislative recommendations, with section two’s implementation date set for July 1, 2026. Public comment was limited, with no online testimony. An OHA representative thanked the chairs and said the office looked forward to participating once formally designated. House legislative attorney Sean Aronson suggested the group should hear about any outside or court-mandated oversight of DCR in a future presentation. A member of the working group also asked about scheduling an in-person visit to a correctional facility, and the chairs said that could be arranged with DCR. The group tentatively scheduled its next meeting for October 16, 2025 at 9:30 a.m., noted that September would be skipped, and discussed holding future meetings on third Thursdays. The meeting ended with thanks to staff and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• so it provided a very high-level overview of the bill, and members have requested a more in-depth review
• So that kind of wraps up a quick review of the provisions of the bill, and I see we have a question.
• And all of our assumptions, we set hundreds of assumptions, go through a regular review process.
• So hopefully you'll have some sort of draft to review in September so that you'll be better prepared.
• Hopefully you'll have some sort of draft to review in September so that you'll be better prepared for

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Pension Policy

Summary: The Select Committee on Pension Policy met on June 17, 2025, with Vice Chair Fitzgibbon presiding initially in Chair Benke’s absence. The committee approved the May minutes and then held its annual election of officers. Representative Travis Couture was elected chair, Senator Steve Conway was elected vice chair, and the executive committee seats were filled by Member Yistramski for actives, Bev Hermanson for retirees, and Anthony Murrietta for employers. The committee also recognized Pat Thompson for her long service and upcoming departure from the committee. Staff then briefed the committee on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5357, which changed pension funding by increasing the assumed long-term investment return from 7% to 7.25%, lowering normal cost contribution rates, suspending Plan 1 UAAL contributions for four years, and extending the amortization period for Plan 1 benefit improvements from 10 to 15 years. The Office of the State Actuary explained that the bill produces significant short-term budget savings but increases the risk of higher contribution rates later if investment experience underperforms. Members asked about the suspension of Plan 1 UAAL rates and the implications for future rates and funding risk. The committee also received an introduction to the required study of proposed LEOFF 1 merger and termination legislation under the 2025-27 operating budget proviso, covering Substitute Senate Bill 5085 and Substitute House Bill 2034. Staff outlined the study plan, including legal, tax, actuarial, administrative, and pension policy analysis, with input expected from the Attorney General’s Office, Ice Miller LLP, the Office of the State Actuary, DRS, the State Investment Board, and the State Treasurer. Members discussed the unusual issue of an overfunded plan and possible IRS implications. Public testimony was split, with some speakers supporting a merger as a way to create room for a Plan 1 COLA and others opposing any diversion of LEOFF 1 assets, citing legal, tax, and member-rights concerns. The meeting adjourned before the scheduled executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• And lastly, the bill requires an eye budget study to review the I budget to determine if the adult pathways
• I would like to review anything that may have come out from the officer has come out from the office
• General auditor general could then do a review of whatever was asked for by then and out of cycle way
• Chairman and so like other joint committees that usage we would review. We do utilization review.
• Senators review have additional question. >> Well, my additional question would be, is that actually

Transcript Highlights:

• to report that during the 2024 inaugural MRO process, the SBO received over 175 submissions, we reviewed
• For the 2025 Emerside TAs received over 600 submissions of which 315 will be reviewed under HB 1605.
• which has a statutory minimum of 200 that we will review.
• While this number of products reviewed in a Second year of 1605 implementation is ambitious.
• And when we were reviewing the health textbooks, we were. seeing it.

Bills: HB367 , HB497 , HB549 , HB983 , HB 1188 , HB 1290 , HB1368 , HB2243 , HB2310 , HB2849 , HB3099 , HB3546 , HB3629 , HB3627

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• and then just generally how to operate in a board environment with staff recommendations, how to review
• and then just generally how to operate in a board environment with staff recommendations, how to review
• I'm sure staff are beginning now to review this. Later steps in this process.
• I'm sure staff are beginning now to review the comments and working with OAL on the comments that came
• just a resume and the jobs they’ve had, they had to go through all of this process, is somebody reviewing

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee first handled several routine items, approving two governor appointments not required to appear: Armin Meyer to the Division of Consumer Financial Protection and Uca Danka to the California State Lottery Commission. The committee also approved referral of bills to committees, a Rules waiver request to suspend SR 55 for guest access on the Senate floor on April 6, and floor acknowledgments, with each action passing 5-0. The committee then heard from Arania Ortega, appointed to the Public Employment Relations Board. Members asked about her background at CalHR and the Department of Finance, her approach to board decision-making, recusal rules, the status of AB 288, PERB’s caseload and backlog, ride-share enforcement, and the legislative employees’ unionization process. Ortega said PERB currently has no backlog, is preparing for possible new workloads, and has recusal procedures that would automatically exclude her from certain state employee and child care cases for one year. Public testimony supported her appointment, and the committee voted 5-0 to move her nomination to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Monica Erickson, nominated to lead the Department of Human Resources. Questions focused on state labor negotiations, CalPERS, recruitment and retention, telework, discipline and HR training, DEIA efforts, hiring pipelines, degree requirements, veteran hiring, return-to-office implementation, and the gender pay gap. Erickson said CalHR has reduced the vacancy rate from 20% to 17%, is expanding recruitment tools and class consolidations, is working on a skills-matching tool and career counseling, and has helped reduce the gender pay gap from 21.1% in 2013 to 12.2%. Public witnesses spoke in support, and the committee approved her nomination 5-0 to advance to the Senate floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• and then just generally how to operate in a board environment with staff recommendations, how to review
• I'm sure staff are beginning now to review this.
• I'm sure staff are beginning now to review this. Later steps in this process.
• I'm sure staff are beginning now to review the comments and working with OAL on the comments that came
• just a resume and the jobs they’ve had, they had to go through all of this process, is somebody reviewing

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met with quorum and first approved several non-appearance items, including the appointments of Armin Meyer to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation and Uca Danka to the California State Lottery Commission. The committee also approved references to bills, a request to suspend Senate Rule 55 for guest access on the Senate floor, and floor acknowledgments, all by 5-0 votes. The committee then heard the appointment of Arania Ortega to the Public Employment Relations Board. Members questioned her about her background at CalHR and Finance, PERB’s case backlog, implementation of AB 288, recusal rules tied to her prior work, the ride-share caseload, and the board’s role in legislative employee unionization. Ortega said PERB currently has no backlog, is prepared to implement AB 288 if litigation changes, and has strong recusal procedures; she also said the state employee cases affected by her recusal would be a small share of PERB’s workload. Public testimony supported the nominee, and the committee voted 5-0 to send the appointment to the full Senate. The committee also heard Monica Erickson’s appointment as Director of the Department of Human Resources. Questions focused on labor negotiations, CalPERS fiduciary responsibilities, recruitment and retention, telework, discipline and accountability, DEIA efforts, hard-to-fill classifications, degree requirements, return-to-office implementation, and the gender pay gap. Erickson said CalHR is working on recruitment tools, class consolidations, apprenticeship pathways, policy forums, and a skills-matching pilot to help applicants, while also addressing pay equity and reducing barriers such as unnecessary degree requirements. Public witnesses spoke in support, and the committee approved her appointment 5-0 to advance to the Senate floor before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• teeth with regard to the possibility that some institutions may not have scored very well on the review
• the last page of the bill, established a plan for testing and implementing the funding model to be reviewed
• We rely on the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to continually review and evaluate
• Wouldn't tuition expansion crowd out need-based financial Review and evaluate that issue.
• The tuition expansion is something that the committee should review.

Committee: House Higher Education and Workforce Development

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development met in executive session and first took up House Bill 2585. The committee adopted a House Committee substitute and a separate amendment, both described as clerical and technical changes to align the bill with Department of Higher Education workflow and state and federal law. The substitute for HB 2585 was then approved do pass by a 10-0 roll call vote. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 1627, which would revise the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council by adding the Commissioner of Higher Education or designee, increasing business and commerce representation, shortening member terms, reducing required meetings, and adjusting reporting requirements. Representative Haley said the changes would better reflect workforce needs and strengthen ties between education and industry. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education testified in support, saying the changes were recommended by the advisory group. No opposition testimony was offered. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2123, a broader higher education funding proposal that also includes a Bright Flight scholarship increase to full in-state tuition. Representative Black and Representative Shields described the bill as an effort to modernize Missouri’s long-standing base-plus funding model by moving toward a metric- and performance-based system tied to workforce needs, with a phased testing and approval process before implementation. Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development staff, the Missouri Community College Association, and the Council on Public Higher Education testified in support of continuing the work, though the council urged removing bill language that was too specific about the consultant’s model and timeline. Some members raised concerns about fiscal impact, implementation, and whether the model could be rolled out without harming institutions or students. The hearing on HB 2123 concluded without any vote taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the State Bond Commission, they reviewed 194 debt applications totaling $7.1 billion and 221 local
• It's about five million lines of data that we post, review, and post.
• Yes, so I just wanted to review for the record, for the people back home, that this is a website anyone
• Today I'll be presenting to you the Department of Civil Service's executive budget review for 2027.
• Presenting the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, a FY 27 executive budget review.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• So this should ensure that appeals are reviewed by appropriately licensed physicians in the same specialty
• But again, the intent is that the appropriately licensed or specialized person is reviewing the prior
• Appropriately licensed or specialized person is reviewing the prior authorization.
• So I decided to take on the budget task of youth safety and permanency review.
• However, upon further review of what was available, a couple areas of concern.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• I promised the committee to go back and review the definition of brevity.
• Representative Borrero: So when they review, approve or deny a development application, developers and
• Representative Borrero: Second is it requires the review work costs associated with the review work to
• be reasonably related to the actual review work.
• So we want to review what other counties are doing, whether you even need an urban development boundary

Transcript Highlights:

• The Humboldt and Mendocino County Boards of Supervisors were still reviewing it this morning, but as
• We appreciate all the discussions and are reviewing all of the amendments at this time. Thank you.
• We appreciate all the discussions and are reviewing all of the amendments at this time. Thank you.
• , the last one I'll mention and then I'll answer any other questions, is there also needs to be a review
• And the data on the maps has been reviewed by thousands of people.

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee heard AB 470 by Assembly Member McKinnor, a bill to modernize California’s carrier-of-last-resort rules for voice telephone service and create a process for carriers to transition away from obsolete copper networks in favor of advanced telecommunications infrastructure. The author and supporters said the bill is aimed at preserving reliable voice and 911 access while encouraging private investment in fiber and other modern networks, and emphasized that it is not a broadband bill. Support came from AT&T, business groups, and a former Cal OES director, who argued the bill provides a careful, phased modernization with CPUC oversight and increased public-safety investment requirements. Opposition came from TURN, CWA District 9, digital equity organizations, labor groups, and several local governments and county representatives. Critics raised concerns about the adequacy of the mapping process, reliance on broadband and wireless coverage data, the lack of on-the-ground verification, the challenge process, possible loss of Lifeline protections, and the impact on workers and union jobs. They also argued the bill could allow carriers to reduce universal-service obligations without enough safeguards for rural and vulnerable customers. Committee members discussed those concerns at length, especially the map-making process, the challenge procedure, and whether the bill sufficiently protects workers and customers who could be left behind. The author said the bill includes a 10-year backstop if service is lost, a CPUC-led process, and a three-to-one fiber buildout requirement tied to relinquishment, and expressed willingness to continue working with labor on workforce language. The committee ultimately passed AB 470 on a 7-0 due pass vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• All are well-intentioned ideas, but this is a complex issue needing an extensive and careful review that
• appraisals to four or five professional appraisal firms, and these firms do act as a de facto peer review
• Some of the unintended consequences of the review process for appraisal districts as it stands now—could
• The commission will conduct a comprehensive review of the Education Code.
• The commission will conduct a comprehensive review of the Education Code, specifically aimed at reducing

Bills: HB4 , HB20

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard a series of higher education and K-12 bills, initially without a quorum and with several measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early bills included HB 1868, which would direct a study on lowering the dual-credit funding threshold for public junior colleges from 15 to 9 semester credit hours; HB 2598, which would replace statutory references to “licensed specialist in school psychology” with “school psychologist”; HB 3629, which would bar registered sex offenders from serving on independent school district boards of trustees; and HB 4361, which would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules for timely emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education. Each received brief sponsor explanations, no opposition testimony, and was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4848, requiring public higher education systems to ensure at least one institution offers affordable competency-based bachelor’s degree programs in high-demand fields, and HB 1211, which would remove the age 25 deadline for former foster youth to use public college tuition waivers. HB 1211 drew extensive supportive testimony from Texas CASA, a former foster youth who benefited from the waiver, and a current student headed to medical school, all arguing the change would better match the realities faced by youth aging out of care. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal uncertainty and the argument that the waiver is an investment in workforce participation; the bill was left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 20, creating an Applied Sciences Pathway Program to let high school students earn certificates in targeted industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, manufacturing, and oil and gas while in school. Industry and workforce groups strongly supported the bill as a way to address labor shortages, while Texas 2036 raised concerns about allowing applied versions of core academic courses to substitute for traditional instruction. HB 4687, which would extend governmental immunity protections to certain campus/district charter schools and adult charter high schools, also received support from a charter-school attorney who said it would align statutes with existing case law and not expand charter rights. HB 4236, as substituted, would create a study group to examine the property value study’s effect on school finance and alternative valuation methods; it was adopted as a committee substitute and left pending. The committee also heard HB 824 on civics instruction in high school government courses and HB 2243, which would create a commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention; the latter prompted debate over removing “ethnic diversity” language from the commission’s makeup. After adopting the substitute for HB 2243 by roll call, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• role in managing care responsibly and safeguarding against inappropriate use through utilization review
• The health plan will continue to have full authority to review care, ensure the process, and address
• That said, we appreciate the amendments that preserve utilization management, and after reviewing them
• You ignore detransitioners, parents, the systematic reviews, the studies, and what other countries are
• You ignore detransitioners, parents, the systematic reviews, the studies, and what other countries are

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health met in Room 2100 and first handled its consent calendar, which included several bills and resolutions with amendments. The committee established a quorum, approved the consent calendar 6-0, and placed it on call. AB 2233 by Assemblymember Taw was then heard; the bill would clarify that authorized ABA therapy for autistic patients should remain usable across the authorization period rather than being effectively reduced by weekly utilization caps. Supporters, including behavior analysts, family advocates, and health organizations, described missed sessions caused by provider shortages, scheduling conflicts, and family disruptions. Health plans and insurers initially expressed fraud and utilization-management concerns but said they would remove opposition after the amendments preserved utilization management. The committee voted 7-0 to pass AB 2233 as amended and re-refer it to Appropriations, placing it on call. The committee next heard AB 96 by Assemblymember Jackson, which would remove the high school diploma or equivalent requirement for Medi-Cal peer support specialist certification. Supporters from county behavioral health agencies, nonprofits, and local governments argued that lived experience, communication, empathy, and cultural competency are the key qualifications for peer work, and that the current education requirement excludes capable candidates and worsens workforce shortages. One opposition witness from the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals raised concerns, but the bill’s proponents explained that peer certification still requires 80 hours of training, testing, and recertification on core competencies. The committee voted 7-0 to pass AB 96 and re-refer it to Appropriations, placing it on call. AB 1876, the Fair Care for All Act by Assemblymember Addis, was then heard. The bill would codify federal nondiscrimination protections into state law to ensure people are not excluded from health care coverage or services based on a protected class. Support came from transgender health advocates, psychologists, county and state health groups, and other organizations, who said the bill would help protect access to gender-affirming and other medically necessary care. Opposition testimony argued the bill would force coverage of sex-rejecting interventions and weaken insurer safeguards, while the author responded that the measure simply mirrors existing federal nondiscrimination law and does not expand coverage. The committee voted 7-1 to pass AB 1876 and re-refer it to Judiciary, placing it on call. After the roll was reopened for absent members, the committee also finalized votes on the earlier bills and adjourned after concluding its business.