Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a school teacher.
• I love my job in little public schools, and this almost took all of that from me.
• We should not be trading safety for health.
• Number two, safety must be relational.
• I'm testifying regarding H. 2448 and S. 1522, the Patient Safety Act.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a hybrid hearing on a wide range of bills focused on patient safety, workforce development, health equity, and access to care. A major portion of the hearing centered on H. 2362/S. 1491, which would require health care providers to offer trained chaperones for sensitive exams. Sponsors and supporters said the bill is a common-sense safeguard prompted by cases of physician sexual abuse, and survivors gave emotional testimony describing grooming, isolation, and abuse during exams when no chaperone was present. Support also came from a health services researcher, a physician, and a RAINN representative, all arguing that trained chaperones and clearer documentation would improve transparency and protect patients. Committee members asked about clarifying who may serve as a chaperone and whether the bill would apply to other clinicians such as PTs and OTs. The committee also heard testimony on H. 2401/S. 1485, which would require explicit informed consent for certain educational exams performed on unconscious patients. The bill’s supporters said patients should know in advance if students or physicians will conduct non-medically necessary exams while they are under anesthesia, and that the measure would protect survivors from retraumatization. The hearing then moved to H. 2537, a primary care access bill. Health Care for All, the Massachusetts Medical Society, pediatric and internal medicine physicians, and a patient advocate described long waits, provider shortages, and difficulty finding primary care, especially for low-income people and people of color. They supported the bill’s proposed primary care spending target, payment reforms, Medicaid graduate medical education funding, and a commercial payment floor for health centers. Another set of bills addressed workforce and safety issues. H. 2397/S. 1593 would establish a nursing workforce center; nursing leaders said Massachusetts should make the current workforce council permanent to support data collection, apprenticeships, and long-term planning for the state’s largest health care workforce. H. 2396/S. 1535 would require safe patient handling and mobility programs in health facilities; nurses described serious injuries from lifting patients and said better equipment and programs would reduce staff injuries and improve patient outcomes. H. 2501/S. 1505 on LGBTQ+ health disparities drew support from a medical student and Doctors for America, who urged collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data to improve care and school outcomes. Finally, H. 2448/S. 1522 on patient safety and equitable access to care drew strong support from nursing organizations and individual nurses who described unsafe staffing, burnout, and patient harm, while the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems opposed the bill as redundant for psychiatric facilities already regulated by the Department of Mental Health.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have Casey Melsak with Collaborative Safety. Thank you. Casey Melsak with Collaborative Safety.
• A little bit about myself and Collaborative Safety.
• In my time moving to Collaborative Safety, I also got a graduate degree in human factors in system safety
• , or otherwise known as safety science.
• Safety science, or human factors in system safety, is an algorithm of a bunch of different sciences.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:15:24.399><c> district</c><00:15:24.759><c> does</c> schools but if a school district does schools
• High School.
• within the school.
• requests within 30 days of approving the school's work plan and budget, and that the public school can
• and budget and that the public work plan and budget and that the public school<00:43:23.200><c> can<

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you know, this McClatchy High School is a local high school here in Sacramento.
• So, you know, this McClatchy High School is a local high school here in Sacramento.
• Fire stations will help improve community safety. They will also improve firefighter safety.
• That's why we've announced plans.
• Such broader removals would come at a high environmental and public safety cost.

Committee: Senate Environmental Quality

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you know, we we could school safety.
• And um school safety is my top priority.
• </c> public safety in schools. public safety in schools.
• </c><02:43:01.760><c> safety</c> done a lot of bills on school safety done a lot of bills on school safety
• </c> &gt;&gt; for school safety generally. &gt;&gt; for school safety generally.

Transcript Highlights:

• community is going to benefit from the plan.
• community is going to benefit from the plan.
• Safety and technological innovation.
• We'll talk about Street Vision and road safety.
• Then I'm going to wrap up talking about Quick Build and road safety equipment, and some new traffic safety

Committee: Joint Joint Transportation Committee

Summary: The committee began with member introductions, then heard a presentation on a draft final report studying alternative funding mechanisms for sidewalks and related pedestrian infrastructure. Consultants said current local funding sources are insufficient, with most jurisdictions unable to complete planned sidewalk networks within 50 years. They evaluated four options: a sidewalk utility fee, a modified transportation benefit district sales tax, a new real estate excise tax option, and expanded stormwater fee use for ADA sidewalk ramps. The consultants recommended authorizing the modified TBD sales tax and new REET option, considering a sidewalk utility despite legal uncertainty, broadening any authorization to all pedestrian improvements, and not pursuing the stormwater fee option. Members asked about legal authority, fairness, revenue adequacy, and whether jurisdictions had been consulted; the presenters said state enabling legislation would likely be needed for a sidewalk utility and that fairness could be defined either by direct benefit or by need. The committee then received an update on the 2025 assessment of city transportation funding needs. The consultants reported that city transportation revenues have grown in some local and federal categories since 2019, but state revenues have remained relatively flat and smaller cities are especially affected by declining fuel tax revenues and limited tax bases. They estimated annual city transportation needs at $4.25 billion, average annual spending at $1.89 billion, and a funding gap of $2.37 billion, larger than in the prior study because of updated data, inclusion of system improvements, and higher preservation costs. Draft recommendations focused on reducing costs and improving efficiency, preserving and increasing state support, and expanding local funding options, including preservation-first spending, a permanent federal fund exchange program, streamlined review processes, better coordination with WSDOT, possible property tax flexibility, and exploration of new local tools. Members raised questions about design standards, the role of density and transit, federal compliance, and whether the report would identify specific consolidation or process changes. The committee also heard a project update on evaluating zero-emission vehicle and electrification programs funded by the Climate Commitment Act. Consultants said they had reviewed roughly 23 programs and projects across seven agencies and were now evaluating options to improve delivery, including process improvements, reorganizing programs, or consolidating governance and administrative functions. Early findings highlighted staffing shortages, duplication and variation across agencies, differing levels of risk, and the challenge of coordinating climate priorities across agencies with other core missions. Members asked about program outcomes, administrative costs, whether some programs should have exit strategies, and how to strengthen the EV Coordinating Council. Finally, WSDOT provided an implementation update on its new public-private partnership authority under SB 5801, saying work is underway to prepare governance, legal, policy, and organizational structures ahead of the January 1, 2027 effective date.

Transcript Highlights:

• After medical school, I completed family practice residency.
• Angela Pontes with Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, representing the seven Planned Parenthood
• reasons including their safety, comfort, and confidentiality.
• , including their safety, comfort, and confidentiality.
• For Planned Parenthood, Ms. Pontes, I hate to do that to you, too.

Committee: House Health

Transcript Highlights:

• So can you touch on the safety a little bit, what some efforts are? On safety.
• Is there a plan?
• Certainly, lessons learned already that I can share around our need to imagine and plan for public safety
• Is there time to understand lessons learned in terms of planning, transportation, safety, and workforce
• First, of course, in all of our transportation projects is safety: safety of the citizens, safety of

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, focusing on infrastructure, transportation, sustainability, ticketing, community benefits, and legacy planning. LA28’s Joey Freeman reported on overall progress, including new soccer venues across the country, strong ticket demand, a volunteer program launched early, $2.5 billion in corporate sponsorships, and recently enacted state laws to support route networks, temporary infrastructure, medical staffing, and EMS coordination. He also said LA28 is sponsoring AB 2436 to extend in-state tuition eligibility for Team USA student-athletes training in California. Members pressed LA28 heavily on ticket affordability and access, saying the local presale and low-cost ticket rollout had not met community expectations. Several senators asked for clearer numbers on how many tickets were available, how many were under $100, and how community ticketing would work, with concerns that nonprofit distribution could still miss low-income residents. LA28 said $28 tickets were offered, roughly 500,000 low-cost tickets were placed with local residents during the presale, and a community ticketing program seeded by philanthropy would provide free tickets through nonprofits. Senators also raised concerns about gender parity data, security funding, and whether federal support would remain stable. Mayor Karen Bass said the city’s theme is “Games for All” and emphasized that Los Angeles wants the Games to benefit every neighborhood through small-business contracting, cultural programming, and lasting infrastructure. She described city-run small business summits, a broader Cultural Olympiad effort tied to murals and neighborhood storytelling, and watch parties and fan fests as free community alternatives. Bass also requested state help speeding approvals for key public-land improvements, allowing mutual aid for law enforcement without a state of emergency, and addressing freeway trash and encampments that could affect access to venues. Members asked for follow-up on those requests, including details on permitting, Caltrans coordination, and business participation. The final panel began with an infrastructure presentation from Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who said the Games are a no-build, transit-first event and outlined requests for street and sidewalk improvements, accessibility upgrades, energy and charging infrastructure, a joint operations center, active transportation projects, and cleanup of Caltrans rights of way. He argued the Games could generate $18 billion in economic output, support 90,000 jobs, and produce at least $700 million in state and local tax revenue, while also leaving behind permanent community benefits. He closed by pointing to Los Angeles’ history with the 1932 and 1984 Games as evidence that the city can deliver a successful and financially positive Olympics.

Transcript Highlights:

• Health and Human Services Committee, our issue here, members, is the anti-abrogation issue that we plan
• Health and Human Services Committee, our issue here, members, is the anti-abrogation issue that we plan
• Chairman, when I was in law school, we studied the issue, and it appears that schools, for example, have
• The school jurisprudence on searching lockers, for example, is settled.
• The school jurisprudence on searching lockers, for example, is settled.

Committee: House Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's a mutually agreed-on plan that is targeted to be implemented...
• But do you find that people don't access the services at your school because it's a school and people
• The school for the blind was originally limited to only serving children who were in the school.
• There's less consensus on what constitutes a school-age child.
• Because you're right, I think this is an excellent plan.

Summary: The committee first heard an update on North Dakota’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and Continuum of Care funding. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported that homelessness remains driven by tight housing markets, low incomes, rising rents, and barriers to rental assistance, public benefits, and disability determinations. She said the state’s one-time North Dakota Homeless Grant is serving all regions but reaches far fewer households than the former Rent Help program, and that aging homelessness, shelter staffing shortages, and limited affordable units are growing concerns. Members discussed the need for more housing supply, better coordination with Health and Human Services, landlord engagement, reentry housing, and possible continued one-time funding for the $10 million Homeless Grant and $25 million Housing Incentive Fund. Henderson also warned that federal Continuum of Care funding is uncertain, with HUD expected to issue a new notice June 1 and possible shifts away from permanent supportive housing toward transitional housing and other models. The committee then took testimony on accessibility of government services for people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing. Paul Olson of North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind described the school’s services for infants, children, and adults, including screenings, mobility training, assistive technology, and outreach across the state. He said the agency works closely with Vocational Rehabilitation and is also involved in improving website and document accessibility, especially for PDF materials. Public testimony highlighted barriers such as inaccessible CAPTCHA systems, online forms, driver’s license requirements on job applications, and limited transportation in rural areas. A deaf resident urged broader use of video remote interpreting and video relay services, along with training so people know how to use them effectively. Finally, Kay Larson presented the final report on the child care provider licensing study. The report recommended streamlining North Dakota’s child care licensing structure into three provider types plus a preschool designation, while preserving health and safety standards and maintaining eligibility for child care assistance. The committee discussed simplifying training and qualification rules, revising ratio and group-size requirements, and adjusting age bands for infants and toddlers. The report also noted that some changes would require statutory amendments and later administrative rule changes, with a transition period likely extending through 2029. No formal votes were taken in the transcript, but the committee accepted the updates and scheduled follow-up presentations for a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thus relying on strong partnerships with our community colleges. early college high schools, P-TECHs,
• Yes, I know that right now with, like you said, COVID impacted our high schools. students and including
• . school and changed the trajectory of my life.
• I invite you to use the barcode on slide three to explore our strategic plan.
• Are there any plan to be distributed? through the state more? Yes, sir.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Transcript Highlights:

• S MISSION, THE SAFETY OF OUR With this, I yield back. Mr. Green: Mr.
• , leading California to officially ban school segregation.
• Her approach to service is evident in teaching fire safety in schools and pursuing efforts in education
• The plan to severely Medicaid and gut N.I.H. is a threat to home families.
• and the safety and well-being of our communities is never the answer.

Transcript Highlights:

• plan is its emphasis on the continuum of education, starting with K-12 schools, and the importance of
• and out-of-school youth.
• and out of school youth. creating a connected pathways for both in school and out of school youth.
• There were three things I wanted to do in high school, none of them were high school.
• to go to law school.

Summary: The hearing opened the Select Committee on Effective Postsecondary Career, Technical Education, and Workforce Development Programs at Santa Ana College, with Assemblymember Mike Fong emphasizing the need for affordable, accelerated pathways into high-demand careers and noting his bill AB 1098 creating the California Interagency Education Council. Chancellor Marvin Martinez welcomed the committee and urged changes to AB 927 to remove the “duplication” barrier for community college bachelor’s degrees, arguing that applied baccalaureate programs can lead to high-wage jobs and expand access for low- and middle-income students. The first panel focused on statewide workforce trends and policy. California Community Colleges Vice Chancellor Anthony Cordova highlighted credit for prior learning, Strong Workforce funding, dual enrollment, and apprenticeship growth, asking the Legislature to restore and increase Strong Workforce funding and expand applied baccalaureate degrees. LAEDC’s Josep Bilayo described regional labor market data showing growth in health care, education, construction, bioscience, and clean energy, while stressing the need for employer-led, data-driven programs, wraparound supports, and flexible funding. Andrew Gonzalez of the Building and Construction Trades Council argued that registered apprenticeship must be paid, combine classroom and on-the-job training, and end in a portable credential; he also promoted apprenticeship readiness programs, community workforce agreements, and stronger exposure to trades starting in K-12. Eric Morrison Smith of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color discussed the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program and related youth apprenticeship recommendations, including bridge programs, intermediary infrastructure, reduced employer barriers, and better coordination of state funding. A later panel highlighted Santa Ana College’s fire technology and firefighting academy programs. President Annabelle Neri and Vice President Jeffrey Lamb said the college is one of the state’s largest fire training providers, with strong partnerships with local fire agencies, law enforcement, and the U.S. Forest Service, and with high job placement and six-figure starting salaries for some graduates. They also described related certificates, advanced officer training, wellness services, and workforce preparation such as mock interviews and sponsorships. Throughout the hearing, members and panelists repeatedly stressed the importance of aligning education with labor market demand, expanding apprenticeships and work-based learning, and using regional collaboration to connect students to living-wage careers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, and public safety, obviously.
• If I may, I mentioned public safety, student safety.
• I don't know if you plan, if you happen to have those numbers.
• school graduates.
• School Food Pathway Program.

Transcript Highlights:

• , meaning schools that fully integrate career Schools that fully integrate career technical education
• That whoever gets the organizations have to have an MOU with a public school or a school district.
• And works construction has begun on a school construction project, and there's debt that a school district
• I'm worried about our small schools, our schools in the rural... small schools, our schools in the rural
• So do our school boards.

Transcript Highlights:

• on TNC operations and safety.
• Our most recent U.S. safety report also shows that safety incidents are extremely rare.
• safety.
• safety, things like that.
• And that is more than sufficient for planning needs.

Summary: The hearing focused on transportation network companies in California, with the chair framing it as an informational hearing on the history, regulation, safety, climate, accessibility, and data issues surrounding Uber, Lyft, and smaller or autonomous TNC services. The CPUC described its decade-long regulatory role, including safety rules, background checks, insurance requirements, reporting obligations, and two major legislative programs from 2018: the Clean Miles Standard and the Access for All program. Members asked about complaint trends, data collection and disclosure, program implementation, and how the CPUC uses annual reports for policymaking, compliance, and program oversight. Uber and Lyft said the statewide framework has supported growth while providing safety and access benefits, but both companies emphasized that insurance is a major cost driver and argued that California’s UM/UIM requirement is unusually high compared with other vehicles. They said the Clean Miles Standard is pushing electrification but faces headwinds from EV affordability and charging infrastructure, while Access for All has expanded wheelchair-accessible service but still needs continued support. They also discussed transit partnerships, wildfire response, and the potential role of autonomous vehicles, with both companies saying human drivers will remain important and that future regulation should account for new technology. The final panel, including the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and UC Berkeley researchers, presented evidence that TNCs have increased congestion and reduced transit ridership, especially in dense urban areas. They described prior research showing TNCs contributed to congestion growth in San Francisco and noted that this work helped spur local taxes on ride-hailing trips to fund safety and transit improvements. The panel also discussed the CPUC’s evolving data-disclosure decisions, arguing that public access to TNC trip data is important for understanding transportation impacts and informing local policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:36:22.000><c> to</c> criminal justice and public safety to criminal justice and public safety
• in secondary schools and enroll in their in secondary schools and enroll in their community<00:49:37.520
• or your school.
• </c> to a federal habitat conservation plan. to a federal habitat conservation plan.
• It's pro-safety. It's pro policy. It's pro-safety.

Transcript Highlights:

• schools and junior highs.
• charter schools?
• Not within the school. No, not within the school, but those are for cause.
• a charter school or private school or whatever type of other organized school activities.
• to join a public school?

Committee: All ALC-ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee reviewed a long agenda of agency rules, with most items approved without objection after brief presentations and no public comment. Early items included Department of Energy and Environment rules on landfill post-closure trust fund spending thresholds and liquefied petroleum gas standards, DFA’s electronic odometer disclosure rule, and several Department of Health rules covering ionizing radiation, mobile home and RV parks, lead-based paint, counseling board revisions, hearing instrument dispensers, athletic training, dental examiners, nursing, pharmacy, medical board, speech-language pathology and audiology, radiologic technology, massage therapy, community health workers, doula certification, and cosmetology/body art. Most of these changes were described as updates to match recent acts, federal standards, compact participation, fee adjustments, or cleanup/clarification, and the committee repeatedly approved them without objection. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on the Arkansas State Board of Nursing’s broad set of rule changes implementing multiple 2025 acts. Those changes included creating a dialysis patient care technician registry, updating contact information requirements, expanding APRN authority to delegate certain tasks, clarifying death certificate and pronouncement authority, allowing substitution of therapeutically equivalent medications, permitting purchase of compounded products, and updating certified medication assistant rules and training standards. Members asked detailed questions about the meaning of therapeutically equivalent substitutions, delegation limits, compounded products, and how often medication lists would be updated; the board said it would review rules annually and use future rulemaking as needed. The committee also approved new nursing rules for declaratory orders and the new dialysis registry. The Department of Education’s rules drew the most discussion, especially the Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program. The department said the revisions, based on Act 920 of 2025, were intended to add guardrails, clarify eligible expenses, and streamline approvals. Changes included defining core educational expenses, limiting sports-related spending, adding an intentional misuse standard, restricting certain technology purchases and requiring extra justification over $1,000, capping carryover funds at $8,500, and creating a reconsideration process for denied expenses. Members raised concerns about oversight, appeal timelines, sports equipment, provider credentialing, and whether the rules were too restrictive; department officials said the rules were meant to protect taxpayer funds while preserving flexibility, and they noted the program had received extensive public comment. The committee also approved Education rules for scholarships, residency classification, teacher programs, accelerated learning, and graduate medical education, as well as Labor and Licensing rules on wage and hour standards, boiler rules, motor vehicle commission requirements, professional wrestling regulation, appraiser qualifications, and military recruiting incentives.

Transcript Highlights:

• I do plan to take those in order. We will also conduct a work session.
• Please get them out of our schools.
• Please get them out of our schools.
• school-issued Chromebooks that are supposed to be used only for school activities and academics, and
• As you know, I'm a high school teacher.

Bills: AB52 , AB76 , AB163 , AB388 , AB483

Committee: Assembly Commerce and Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• The plan for the day is we will not be going into the 10th.
• And it involves public safety.
• It doesn't interfere with the local school district or school control.
• The bill provides that at the beginning of each school day, Idaho public schools will observe a brief
• The bill provides that at the beginning of each school day, Idaho Public Schools will observe a brief