Transcript Highlights:

• You will not get a single person unless they're actually getting subsidy that will say, I'm paying higher
• :56.480> a thousand phone calls you will not get a thousand phone calls you will not get a single
• person<00:12:57.600> unless<00:12:57.959> they're<00:12:58.360> actually single
• person unless they're actually single person unless they're actually getting<00:12:59.279> subsidy
• <01:57:16.280> you and I'm not I don't mean to single you and I'm not I don't mean to single

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Every single race we've ever... to go out and find some other folks.
• Every single race I've ever had, he's been there one of the first.
• They're coming out single file. You had to see him.
• Vicki’s been with me every single day.
• And we give them informed consent every single time about it.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions, then devoted most of the first part of the meeting to a farewell-style recognition of Senator Joe Gruters. Senators from both parties offered extended remarks praising his loyalty, political instincts, family involvement, and work as a legislator and as incoming Republican National Committee chair. Gruters responded with remarks about his background, including overcoming a childhood speech impediment, his service in the Legislature, and major policy efforts he highlighted such as alimony reform and the undergrounding of utilities. A ceremonial gift was presented to him recognizing his work on a 2019 public-safety/immigration bill, and the Senate adopted a motion to spread his remarks upon the journal before recessing briefly. After the recess, the Senate returned to regular business. No committee reports, governor’s messages, House messages, or reconsideration matters were reported. The chamber then moved to third reading and temporarily postponed CS/CS/CS/SB 354, relating to blue ribbon projects. The next bill, CS/CS/SB 1758, relating to public assistance, was taken up, and Senator Gaetz explained that it contained five reforms to the public assistance system previously discussed by the Senate. Debate was about to continue when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• We created a single-form process in order to kind of streamline that prior authorization system.
• And I don't know if it's optimistic thinking every single day or what.
• You have gone through every single denial process along the way.
• 257 are Sarah Page, president of the Insurance Access and Equity Alliance and a licensed insurance agent
• want to highlight this: the fact that moving is a qualifying life event that people do almost every single

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills focused on health care access, oversight, and affordability. The first major item was SB 306 by Senator Becker, a prior authorization reform bill. Becker and supporters, including the California Medical Association and California Hospital Association, argued that prior authorization delays care, adds administrative burden, and can lead to serious patient harm. The bill was substantially amended late in the process to have DMHC and CDI identify services and drugs to exempt from prior authorization based on utilization data, with safeguards for fraud, waste, abuse, and patient safety. Health plans and insurers opposed the measure as written, saying prior authorization remains an important utilization-management tool and raising concerns about the 90% threshold, drug inclusion, and how modifications are counted. The committee also heard SB 35 by Senator Umberg, which would let cities or counties inspect unlicensed sober living homes if DHCS does not act promptly on complaints. Supporters said the bill would address weak enforcement and protect residents, while one behavioral health directors group opposed it unless amended. Members generally supported the measure, citing problems with unlicensed facilities and the need for local enforcement backup. The committee then heard SB 62, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark if approved by the federal government. Senator Wiener said the package would add hearing aids, durable medical equipment, and infertility treatment including IVF, acknowledging that premiums could rise but arguing the benefits were worth it. Health Access California and other advocates supported the bill, while the California Family Council opposed it. The committee also took up SB 596 by Senator Menjivar, which would tighten the rules for hospitals claiming an on-call list as a defense to nurse staffing ratio penalties. Supporters, including nurses and SEIU, said hospitals have used vague or ineffective on-call practices to avoid accountability and that the bill would improve enforcement and patient safety. Hospital groups opposed it, arguing that staffing is highly dynamic, that hospitals need flexibility to manage acuity and emergencies, and that the bill could increase costs and interfere with collective bargaining arrangements. Finally, the committee heard SB 40 by Senator Wiener, the Insulin Affordability Act, which would cap insulin copays at $35 for a 30-day supply and restrict step therapy unless a plan covers at least one insulin in each drug type. Supporters, including physicians, diabetes advocates, nurses, students, and patient groups, said insulin is life-saving and too often unaffordable, forcing patients to ration or choose between medication and basic needs. There was no formal opposition testimony, though one member questioned why insulin remains so expensive. The committee also began discussion of SB 363, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s full presentation or any action on the measures. No votes are recorded in the portion provided, and several bills were noted as consent items earlier in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Every single instance of gunfire that children are exposed to impacts their ability to learn, grow, and
• Again, I'm also a retired Border Patrol agent with 26 years, and prior to that, I served in the Marine
• you don't, prepare to be unseated from your legacy, because every drop of blood will be on every single
• Not a single mass shooting in the five years that I was there.
• The presence of a handgun during a single, intense, or turbulent moment can mean the irreversible loss

Bills: HB259, HB259, HB 1128, HB1337, HB1506, HB1794, HB2215, HB2470, HB2771, HB2882, HB2993, HB3053, HB3428, HB3669, HB3789, HB3924, HB4201, HB4675

Keywords: redistricting, Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission, Texas Legislature, elections, district boundaries, voter representation, healthcare, insurance, patient rights, medical expenses, access to care, affordability, legislation, firearms, penal code, regulation, short-barrel firearms, ammunition, gun control, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, 1.8 through 1.17 are correcting some lines for admin, specifically for fiscal agent, and adding in
• The whole— and you all voted for every single one of them.
• the whole ev- and you all voted for The the whole ev- and you all voted for every<00:54:51.040> single
• <00:54:52.080> And<00:54:52.280> so,<00:54:52.440> in every single one of them
• And so, in every single one of them.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My son is an agent down there and has to work in that area in the brush and in the Cane at night, horseback
• The court noted that Texas couldn't point to a single case of harm.
• Teller could not identify a single instance where Dr. Hines's emails harmed an animal.
• of his files as we can, and the case at least has some level of notoriety to it, we don't have a single
• The court said the state could not produce a single instance where an animal was harmed.

Bills: HB 43, HB 3364, HB 3469, HB 3479, HB 43, HB 3364, HB 3469, HB 3479

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, veterinarian, veterinary medicine, veterinary telemedicine, telehealth, telemedicine, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, VCPR, animal health, livestock, pets, remote care, electronic means, telephone consultation, controlled substances, prescription drugs

Summary: The second bill, House Bill 3469, was introduced to address pest control regulations concerning nuisance birds. Representative Campos explained how the bill proposes non-lethal methods to deter these birds, such as the use of laser lights and sounds, which avoids conflict with both state and federal regulations. The committee heard impassioned testimonies from members of the public who shared firsthand experiences regarding the adverse effects of these birds on property and public health. The meeting concluded with both bills being left pending, reflecting a desire for further deliberation among the committee members.

Transcript Highlights:

• a little bit about how, in marketing to children in general, minor children constitute one of the single
• It's just like having cocaine or alcohol; they're still an addictive agent.
• chokeholds are, and I can't. ...it better than my good friend at the FCC, Chairman Carr, when he says the single
• The fact that it takes in every single app means that we are indifferent to the content.
• In time you talk very specific, my vision is a single kind of machine that we're talking about.

Bills: SB30, SB517, SB1313, SB1314, SB1316, SB1541, SB1698, SB1845, SB1860, SB2420, SB2429, SB 30

Keywords: gambling, criminal offenses, penalties, defense, electronic devices, tobacco advertising, youth protection, public health, criminal offense, retailer regulation, e-cigarettes, nicotine products, health, public safety, regulation, advertising restrictions, health and safety, elections, election audit, county elections

Transcript Highlights:

• all right and you'd further agree with me that the Commission's that they spend to their insurance agents
• I think we've all been impacted, every single one of us in this chamber, by teachers that have had a
• moral questions are things that should be discussed in school, but for them to be displayed in a single
• All that would be fantastic, but to be placed in every single classroom I think is not the proper vehicle
• which I try to do my best to adhere to and mindfully pray to to walk in the Eightfold Path every single

Bills: SJR18, SCR5, SCR13, SCR25, SB3, SB6, SB10, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB17, SB18, SB35, SB388, SB412, SB441, SB495, SB666, SB687, SB706, SB740, SB815, SB842, SB917, SB925, SB995, SB1006, SB1281, SB1300, SB1379, SB1451, SB1902, SJR36, SJR18, SJR12, SCR13, SCR25, SCR5, SCR22, SB565, SB372, SB495, SB842, SB765, SB62, SB19, SB18, SB666, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB290, SB11, SB10, SB13, SB412, SB441, SB1248, SB740, SB14, SB1006, SB504, SB917, SB925, SB388, SB1902, SB1121, SB995, SB857, SB305, SB296, SB284, SB35, SB6, SB815, SB3, SB1281, SB1379, SB1300, SB1497, SB1499, SB1498, SB1451, SB1061, SB15, SB65, SB241, SB304, SB402, SB499, SB621, SB974, SB1023, SB1024, SB1025, SB1106, SB686, SB112, SB371, SB204, SB400, SB609, SB1447, SB670, SB502, SB427, SB850, SB854, SB413, SB1555, SB1362, SB1346, SB1033, SB1220, SB1073, SB810, SB987, SB1539, SB893, SB447, SB875, SB406, SB509, SB985, SB965, SB17, SB1119, SB1505, SB12, SB24, SB57, SB1194, SB1253, SB1215, SB1532, SB1268, SCR12, SCR24, SB1302, SB856, SB650, SB583, SB673, SB840

Keywords: capital gains, taxation, constitutional amendment, state revenue, individual investment, SCR 5, Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, Texas School for the Deaf, TSD, Robert Rives, gymnasium naming, building naming, honorary resolution, commemorative resolution, deaf education, hard of hearing, Gallaudet University, alumni hall of fame, football coach, school facility naming

Transcript Highlights:

• and they are, were preemptive in Asking assistance from the state through TCQ Water Board at every single
• given that they're, they've had situations or the situation they're in, they're, I, I don't know of a single
• company that isn't battling water concerns or a single company is saying, hey, we're looking to grow
• We sell them 300, we have a 310,000 acre feet, probably the largest single inbasin transfer in Texas
• The Texas Water Development Board and other state agents provide technical support, while local stakeholders

Transcript Highlights:

• Water Board at every single entity to ensure partnership. I commend you all for that.
• I don't know of a single company that isn't battling water concerns or a single company is saying hey
• We have a 300-plus customer base. 110,000 acre feet, probably the largest single inter-basin transfer
• The Texas Water Development Board. and other state agents provide technical support, while local stakeholders

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill singles out a single manufacturer unlike any other manufacturer in the state of New Hampshire
• > a<00:18:08.640> single this bill singles out a single this bill singles out a single
• And I think it's important for us to recognize they do that every single day.
• recognize they do that every single day. recognize they do that every single day.
• Um, I've got a single 7014 mg tablet. This costs $10.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Dere, if you want to agent, why do you want to take the podium, introduce yourself for the listening

Bills: SB1192, SB1264, SB1284, SB1810, SB1921

Keywords: substance abuse, counseling, assessment fees, mental health, alcohol and drug programs, domestic violence, domestic abuse, assault and battery, assault, battery, strangulation, dangerous weapon, family or household member, intimate partner, pregnant woman, great bodily injury, batterers intervention program, batterers' intervention, anger management, victim safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair recognize the agent from Lee. Chair recognize the agent from Lee.
• <01:42:14.320> protections agents the same liability protections agents the same liability
• We passed out of here, I think, without a single no vote.
• We passed out of here, I think, without a single no vote.
• Um but it just allows a single no vote.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And you weren't counting every single week. Sure. Yes, Representative R.
• And you weren't counting every single week. Sure. Yes, Representative R.
• <00:56:43.359> Single would go up to 10. I So would I. Single would go up to 10.
• It's not on the agent.
• They are our agents, but they don't pay us a fee to do that.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee reviewed a handout comparing House Bill 2 to current retirement law and walked through the bill section by section with staff from the retirement system. The discussion focused on vesting, earnable compensation, average final compensation, compensation-over-base limits, special duty pay, normal retirement age, re-retirement, and maximum benefit rules for Group 2/Tier B members. Staff explained that some provisions would restore pre-2011 rules, including counting certain end-of-career payments such as unused sick and vacation time in earnable compensation and reducing the AFC averaging period from five years back to three. They also described how the bill would eliminate the current cap on compensation over base, which mainly affects overtime, and noted that the actuarial cost of the AFC-related changes is interrelated rather than easily broken out by feature. A separate discussion covered the special duty pay limitation, which currently applies to Tier A and would be removed under the governor’s bill for both Tier A and Tier B members after their vested buy date. Staff said the actuary estimated that removing the special duty limitation would increase costs by about $13.9 million. Members also asked about the practical difference between overtime and special duty, with staff explaining that special duty generally involves work for a private third party, often police detail work, while overtime depends more on staffing and scheduling. The committee also reviewed the normal retirement age changes for Tier B and the possibility that some members would need to work longer to reach the new vested buy date. Members raised concerns about an ambiguity in the bill that could allow already-retired Tier B members to return to work, then re-retire and claim the higher benefits, or allow vested deferred members to stop working and wait for the new vested buy date. Staff said the governor’s office did not intend to allow that result and requested clarifying language, noting that the bill as drafted does not expressly prohibit it. The committee also discussed part-time and seasonal work after retirement, with staff explaining that such work generally does not restore membership unless the person takes a full-time position requiring enrollment. Finally, the committee reviewed the maximum benefit provisions and noted that HB 2 in the current year does not change the maximum benefit date or include the 1.5% annual escalator that had been part of the 2023 proposal, making the current bill more costly than the earlier version.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your and agent the bill finally passes.
• You know, when you have maybe a single-parent household and that workday comes around, then a parent
• I believe that's correct, but I can't say that specifically for every single one of them.
• I believe that's correct, but I can't say that specificity for every single one of them.
• But I don't know of a single instance where that's occurred.

Bills: HR244, HR245, HR246, HR247, HR248, HR249, HR250, HR251, HCR101, HCR102, HR223, HR224, HR225, HR226, HR227, HR229, HR230, HR231, HR232, HR234, HR235, HR236, HR237, HR238, HR239, HR240, HR241, HR242, HR243, HCR94, HCR95, HCR96, HCR97, HCR98, HCR99, HCR100, SCR31, SCR33, SCR35, SCR37, SCR56, SCR57, SB171, SB251, SB252, SB353, SB367, SB433, SB461, HR170, HR191, HR206, HR207, HR208, HR217, HCR11, HCR53, HCR60, HCR66, HCR68, HB66, HB153, HB165, HB326, HB387, HB454, HB455, HB484, HB513, HB603, HB660, HB719, HB762, HB766, HB793, HB802, HB816, HB833, HB940, HB947, HB950, HB975, HB1028, HB1039, HB1051, HB1053, HB1080, HB1201, HB1215, HB1228, HB1251, HB1252, SCR2, SB26, SB28, SB29, SB30, SB41, SB44, SB64, SB84, SB87, SB93, SB98, SB107, SB118, SB142, SB192, SB195, SB199, SB219, SB222, SB234, SB241, SB255, SB275, SB277, SB292, SB294, SB306, SB314, SB482, SB233, SB326, HR171, HCR49, HCR65, HCR72, HR37, HCR64, SCR19, SCR3, SCR6, SCR18, SCR11, SCR22, HB64, HB68, HB92, HB130, HB258, HB633, HB801, HB89, HB341, HB451, HB456, HB579, HB595, HB621, HB818, HB841, HB1064, HB1101, HB1191, SB47, SB82, SB106, SB206, SB210, SB248, SB305, SB376, SB397, SB441, SB2, SB19, SB24, SB50, SB70, SB96, SB101, SB103, SB104, SB114, SB122, SB159, SB160, SB173, SB180, SB182, SB260, SB412, SB418, SB424, SB442, SB460, SB476, SB1, SB23, SB32, SB42, SB43, SB46, SB51, SB110, SB113, SB150, SB154, SB161, SB218, SB220, SB221, SB253, SB289, SB310, SB351, SB399, SB404, SB502, HCR32, HB955, HB284, HB617, HB730, HB926, HB1125, HB1194, HB1203, HB798, HB998, HB1084, HB1223, HB646, HB824, HB901, HB79, HR20, HR74, HB59, HB306, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB682, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB911, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1234, HB1240, SB89, SB68, SB149

Keywords: disclosure, local law, public notice, legislative transparency, Artists at the Capitol Day, art education, Louisiana Art Education Association, recognition, community engagement, House Resolution 247, HR247, Laura Lewis, birthday commendation, 104th birthday, centenarian, longevity, St. James Parish, Louisiana House of Representatives, Mount Calvary Baptist Church, ceremonial resolution

Transcript Highlights:

• And we're seeing the consequences of that mismatch every single day.
• Additionally, for Soluna, 85% of users reported having at least one of their needs met in a single session
• implementation of the CYBHI fee schedule program and county offices then gave grants to local educational agents
• clinical ward ended with a vulnerable man being safely reunited with his mother's care team without a single
• I'd say there's dozens of members who have reached out to us, as well as I think every single county

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we're seeing the consequences of that mismatch every single day.
• Additionally, for Soluna, 85% of users reported having at least one of their needs met in a single session
• but instead ended with a vulnerable man being safely reunited with his mother's care team without a single
• I'd say there's dozens of members who have reached out to us, as well as, I think, every single county
• Effective models beyond single-county pilots so that we can test models with rigor, make sure that there's

Summary: The hearing focused first on behavioral health, especially serious mental illness and anosognosia, a condition described by witnesses as a neurological symptom that prevents people from recognizing they are ill. The chair framed the issue around families cycling through emergency rooms, jails, conservatorships, and short-term stabilization without lasting treatment, and warned that federal changes under H.R. 1 could reduce Medi-Cal funding and worsen access. Dawn Marie Anderson gave a personal account of her son’s long history of psychosis, homelessness, arrests, repeated jail and state hospital stays, and eventual stability when he received sustained medication and coordinated support. She argued that the system often treats the problem as criminal rather than medical and that voluntary programs and short-term services are not enough for people who lack insight into their illness. Other panelists, including representatives from the California Behavioral Health Association, Santa Barbara County Behavioral Health, and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association, agreed that anosognosia is not denial or noncompliance and said the system needs long-term, coordinated care, including assertive community treatment, mobile crisis, supportive housing, medication support, and stronger handoffs between county and managed care systems. They said CalAIM and other reforms have improved some coordination, but significant gaps remain, especially for people with serious mental illness, for those in jail or locked settings, and for people with private insurance, which witnesses said often offers little meaningful coverage for early psychosis or intensive behavioral health services. Several witnesses urged the Legislature to protect Medi-Cal, shore up county safety-net services, and invest in training and family engagement. The committee then turned to the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, with a focus on the virtual services platforms BrightLife Kids and Soluna and the CYBHI fee schedule. DHCS reported strong growth in app registrations, coaching sessions, referrals, and positive user outcomes, saying the platforms provide free, culturally responsive, early-intervention support statewide and help connect users to higher levels of care when needed. On the fee schedule, DHCS said more than 500 LEAs, colleges, universities, and school-linked providers are participating, 181 LEAs have submitted claims, and $9.6 million has been reimbursed to date, with 41,556 students represented in claims. The chair and several members criticized the pace of implementation and the amount of money spent relative to reimbursement levels, saying the Legislature had requested data earlier and that the return on investment still appeared low. DHCS responded that many claims are still being submitted, that 70% of denials are correctable, that $400 million in capacity grants has been distributed locally, and that reimbursement is increasing rapidly as more districts come online. Public comment included a rural county behavioral health director who said private insurance denials leave counties with significant uncompensated work, especially for unlicensed staff providing case management and mobile crisis services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jason Lester, Business Agent, Local 159, Plumbers and Fitters, representing over 500 members, strong
• This is particularly alarming when you consider even a single scoop of protein powder can push someone
• Nonprofit mutual water companies should really not be singled out.
• This creates a practical problem by limiting agencies to a single certification pathway, the state's.
• Explicitly including Green Globes in California statute as on par with the single currently recognized

Summary: The committee heard presentations on several energy, environmental, and consumer protection bills while operating at times without a quorum. Senator McNerney presented SB 925, which would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a statewide roadmap for fusion energy, and SB 1350, which would expand the use of green hydrogen in the power sector by allowing renewable portfolio standard credit for power plants using hydrogen. Supporters said both bills would help California maintain leadership in emerging clean-energy industries, attract investment, and create jobs. Opponents of SB 1350 raised concerns about greenwashing, resource shuffling, and increased NOx emissions from hydrogen combustion, while supporters said committee amendments added guardrails against those outcomes. Senator Ashby presented SB 1010, a manufacturer-funded extended producer responsibility program for refrigerants in appliances; supporters said it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve recovery, while opponents argued existing laws already regulate refrigerants and that the bill could raise costs and disrupt recycling markets. Senator Grayson presented SB 1145 to streamline CEQA and federal reuse procedures for qualifying projects in the Concord Reuse Project Area, which supporters said would help deliver long-planned housing, jobs, and open space, while one housing group sought stronger affordable-housing guarantees. Senator Cabaldon presented SB 1341, which would give CalRecycle authority to reduce processing fees for wine and spirits bag-in-a-box containers when fee collections exceed program needs; supporters said the current fee increase was abrupt and excessive, while opponents warned against giving the agency too much discretion. Senator Padilla presented SGR 13, urging the U.S. to secure enforceable commitments to eliminate transboundary sewage pollution in the Tijuana and New River watersheds during the 2026 USMCA review, and SB 1033, which would require testing and disclosure of heavy metals in protein products; SGR 13 drew strong support from border and environmental justice advocates, while SB 1033 drew support from consumer and health groups and opposition from industry groups concerned about labeling burdens and scope. Senator Caballero presented SB 1183, requiring a state study of the environmental, land-use, and economic impacts of industrial solar in the Central Valley; farm and land-use advocates supported the bill, while solar industry groups opposed unless amended, saying it should better reflect solar’s benefits and existing state analysis. After testimony, the committee took roll and adopted several measures on a 4-0 or 3-0 basis, with bills including SJR 13, SB 925, SB 1350, SB 1145, SB 1341, SB 1033, and SB 1010 advanced on call to Appropriations or, in the case of SB 1010, already voted with a 3-1 result before being held on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a lawyer and a legislative agent for Grin Grant Incorporated. I'm Mary Helen Chashy.
• have been losing jobs because the largest cabinet that we have hasn't been able to come up with a single
• have been losing jobs because the largest cabinet that we have hasn't been able to come up with a single
• The Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors hasn't done a single regulation when you told them to in 505
• drug counselors hasn't done a single drug counselors hasn't done a single regulation<00:38:37.119

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on February 24, 2026, with a quorum present and took up one bill, House Bill 470. The bill sponsor and supporters described it as a cleanup measure to House Bill 505 that would extend the deadline for peer support specialists in the substance use field to become registered, because the earlier regulations were not promulgated in time and employers and workers were left in limbo. Supporters said the bill includes an emergency clause to stabilize the workforce and creates a working group to recommend a more effective oversight structure, possibly a new board, by November 1. They argued the extension would preserve access to services, allow providers to continue billing for peer support, and give the state time to address regulatory backlogs and workforce shortages. Several supporters emphasized that peer support is a critical part of recovery services and that the current system needs better infrastructure, accountability, and uniform standards. They said the bill would help prevent fraud and abuse by tightening guardrails while allowing qualified peers to keep working. One supporter said the bill would close the door on higher-level billing abuses and that other Medicaid-related efforts were also underway to address improper billing practices. Another witness said the bill would allow people who completed certification to continue serving and would help providers retain staff and get reimbursed. Senator McDaniel raised concerns that the bill might simply extend the period during which abuse of the peer recovery model could continue, rather than fixing the underlying problems. In response, the sponsors said House Bill 505 already imposed tighter training requirements and that this bill only extends the registration deadline while other efforts, including managed care organization limits and broader Medicaid reforms, are addressing abuse. Senator Howell asked about barriers to registration, and witnesses said the problem was a mix of supply-demand issues, workload, and some applicants’ reluctance to take the test. Senator Berg supported the bill as necessary to ensure proper billing and accountability, while Senator Meredith said the committee was missing key information from the cabinet and suggested it may be premature to act without hearing from the agency. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Strategic planning and analysis can be dedicated to a single policy area, which will allow us to have
• the best way that we can, to make sure that we are leveraging every dollar, that we are using every single
• would be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, and Go-Biz is actually acting as the fiscal agent
• His mother was a social worker, single mom.
• His mother was a social worker, single mom.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard an informational presentation on the May Revision’s proposed reorganization of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency into separate housing-focused and consumer/business-focused entities. Administration officials said the split would improve oversight, streamline decision-making, and create a dedicated California Housing and Homelessness Agency with a new housing development and finance committee. The Department of Finance said funding was needed in 2025-26 to begin implementation, while the LAO recommended rejecting the proposal without prejudice because the Little Hoover Commission review was still pending and the plan would require ongoing General Fund costs. Members raised concerns about the timing, the lack of alignment with the budget process, and whether the reorganization would improve accountability for homelessness spending; several public witnesses supported the concept but stressed it could not substitute for new housing and homelessness dollars. The committee then took up the Department of Veterans Affairs. CalVet requested funding for phase three of its electronic health care record project and a trailer bill to preserve authority for federal background checks, but the May Revision withdrew requests for deferred maintenance and additional administrative support. The LAO noted deferred maintenance can prevent larger future costs, and the chair criticized the withdrawal of less than $1 million for veterans’ homes as short-sighted given existing repair needs. No vote was taken. Next, the Department of Housing and Community Development presented its budget. HCD said the May Revision provides no new affordable housing or homelessness funding, but does retain existing rounds of funding and proposes a $31.7 million reversion from undersubscribed housing programs. Members from both parties expressed concern about zeroing out ongoing housing and homelessness investments, especially for LIHTC, the Multifamily Housing Program, and HAP. HCD also defended its homelessness accountability and compliance work, saying the unit includes about 30 program staff and six attorneys, with three additional attorneys requested mainly to handle public records and litigation workload. Public commenters largely opposed the lack of new funding and urged continued support for housing and homelessness programs, while some supported the reorganization and accountability efforts. Finally, the committee heard Go-Biz proposals. The administration requested authority to increase funding for a federal trade program match if needed, plus reappropriations for administrative funds tied to the Containerized Ports Interoperability Grant Program, zero-emission vehicle operations, and the Women’s Business Center Enhancement Program. It also proposed withdrawing the Cal Competes grant request and reverting remaining funds from the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund. The LAO said Cal Competes is generally effective but could be cut as a budget solution, while warning that the performing arts fund was close to awards and should be considered carefully. Members objected to pulling back committed funds for performing arts organizations and questioned why the state would withdraw support after applications had already been submitted.