Transcript Highlights:

• So do you have any questions for the CPS at this time?

Committee: House Communications and Conveyance

Transcript Highlights:

• a youth, and have no additional unrelated adults receiving care in the home, and have no actions or CPS

Bills: HB2564 , HB2599 , HB1809 , HB2242 , HB2261 , HB2384 , HB2505

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, certification, state regulation, health plan, therapy, psychotherapy, mental health, regulation, professional standards, behavioral health, mental health crisis, crisis response, co-response, co-responder, first responder, EMS, emergency medical services, paramedic, EMT

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> I'm Stephen Farrell and CPS. Parent public School parent.

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Months through CPS, so she's had a rough life.

Bills: HB1325 , HB1655 , HB3312 , HB5526 , SB13 , SB57 , SB207 , HB441 , HB591 , HB5019 , SB27 , SB843 , SB 13 , SB 27 , SB 57

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: student transfer, public servants, education code, peace officer, servicemember, judicial officer, school security, volunteer program, retired law enforcement, veterans, public safety, school safety, criminal background check, school libraries, library advisory councils, parental rights, library materials, educational content, challenging materials, emergency operations plan

Transcript Highlights:

• And, I mean, CPS got involved, just all these things.

Bills: HB207 , HB235 , HB324 , HB449 , HB463 , HB502 , HB 1121 , HB1445 , HB1465 , HB1778 , HB1977 , HB2000 , HB2066 , HB2596 , HB207 , HB235

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Keywords: child protection, sexual offenses, obscenity laws, visual material, anatomically correct dolls, mannequins, robots, criminal offenses, sexually explicit material, minors, artificial intelligence, sexually explicit, doll, mannequin, robot, law enforcement, healthcare, insurance, affordable care, access

Transcript Highlights:

• I just think that we should be looking at all of our CPS appeals across the state because I don't think

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• The most I know of that I can think of is around 10%, and that was just to get them in line with CP employees
• them</c><02:18:05.439><c> in</c><02:18:05.599><c> line</c><02:18:05.760><c> with</c><02:18:05.920><c> CP
• </c> to get them in line with CP employees. to get them in line with CP employees.

Summary: The committee first approved the June 9 minutes, then reviewed a deferred personnel contract involving workers’ compensation claims administration. Staff explained that the roughly $50 million figure included about $48 million for claims payments and up to $1.45 million per year for administrative services, with billing based on a fee schedule for specific services rendered. Senator Meredith raised concerns about the vendor’s history, the scoring and bid process, and prior allegations involving the company; the administration responded that the procurement had been conducted under 45A through open competition, with outside scorers and no finding of wrongdoing tied to this contract. Meredith moved to disapprove Contract 167, Hart seconded, and the committee voted 5-2 to disapprove it. The committee then deferred a Western Kentucky University personal services contract because the vendors were still not registered with the Secretary of State’s office. Hart moved to defer the contract until the August 2026 meeting, Meredith seconded, and the motion carried. The committee also approved the agenda covering the various contract lists and deferred items. Next, the committee heard from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on several personal services contracts for medical staffing and related services. Secretary Steven Stack and staff explained that staffing shortages often require outside vendors, that the contracts were competitively bid under 45A, and that the cabinet uses a streamlined vendor pool for specialized needs such as actuaries, auditors, and technical consultants. The committee approved Contracts 52 through 55 without objection. Discussion then began on Contract 61, with Meredith expressing concern that the committee lacked enough detail to judge whether the services could be performed in-house or whether the exchange of resources was appropriate; Stack said the contract was intended to provide efficient access to specialized outside expertise. The transcript cuts off before a final vote on Contract 61 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Suzinski, both about counties and CPS and both about the definition, which I think what you're
• c> Senator Suzinski, both about counties Senator Suzinski, both about counties and<02:08:38.800><c> CPS
• 39.360><c> and</c><02:08:39.679><c> both</c><02:08:39.920><c> about</c><02:08:40.079><c> the</c> and CPS
• and and both about the and CPS and and both about the definition,<02:08:40.560><c> which</c><02:08:40.800

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Human Services states that studies estimate that approximately 1 percent to 8 percent of all reports to CPS
• </c><01:28:04.440><c> all</c><01:28:04.639><c> reports</c><01:28:05.040><c> to</c><01:28:05.239><c> CPS
• </c><01:28:05.880><c> are</c> to 8% of all reports to CPS are to 8% of all reports to CPS are malicious

Transcript Highlights:

• What we've been trying to do with CPS over the last couple years is add attorneys for them, and it really
• you're new to appropriations, Senator Boyd, we're trying to get from the time that a child is taken into CPS

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• My first year in Arizona, I worked for the Department of Child Safety when it was still CPS under DES
• Now they also brought up the fact that he had passed CPS history in another state. That is true.

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Government met for a presentation-only hearing focused on the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) and related child welfare system issues; no bills were heard or voted on. Chair Blackman opened by stressing that the hearing was for fact-finding and data, not personal attacks, and Director Catherine Patak then presented DCS data on hotline volume, investigations, reunifications, adoptions, guardianships, extended foster care, and placement patterns. She said DCS investigated more than 43,000 cases in 2025, kept the out-of-home population relatively steady, and emphasized that Arizona places a high share of children with kin. She also highlighted a mismatch between the age of children entering care and the availability of foster homes willing to take older youth, and said behavioral health capacity, not DCS alone, is a major constraint. Patak discussed kinship supports, foster care reimbursement increases, the Family First Prevention Services Act, missing youth, congregate care reduction, and the department’s procurement process for group home beds. Members asked about kinship caregiver support, behavioral health access, reunification services, parental-rights terminations, Auditor General findings on notices and documentation, licensing and reimbursement rates, and why some relatives are not approved as placements. Patak said DCS is working on policy guidance, supervisor training, and improved supports, but that provider capacity and other system partners limit what DCS can do. Representative Gillette then gave a lengthy presentation focused on system design, procurement, funding flows, and congregate care. He argued that DCS, DES, and Access are structurally intertwined, that DCS’s procurement carve-out and capitated funding model create incentives tied to bed space and volume, and that fragmented oversight diffuses accountability. He cited budget figures, contract amendments, and audit concerns to argue that the system is overreliant on congregate care and that decision-making, medical referrals, and placement processes are too vague or too centralized in ways that can harm children and families. Gillette said his findings were based on contracts, interviews, and public records, and he indicated some material would be referred to special counsel. He also raised concerns about placement decisions, due process, and demographic disparities in congregate care outcomes. The chair cut off further questioning of Gillette for time and announced the committee would move on to the next presenter, Vice Chair Fink, with attorneys and other speakers to follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• And for that, CPS came and took my son. I called for a civil standby to leave peacefully.
• And for that, CPS came and took my son based on a report written by someone who never even spoke to us

Summary: The committee heard AB 82, which would expand privacy and safety protections for patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care. The author and supporters said the bill is needed because of rising harassment, doxing, and threats, and because sensitive health data could be used by hostile actors; opponents argued it would create constitutional problems, enable abuse of safe-at-home protections, and improperly shield providers and records from scrutiny. Public testimony was heavily divided, with many advocates in support and many privacy, civil liberties, and anti-trafficking or sex-based policy groups in opposition. The bill was moved on a due pass recommendation and remained on call. The committee then heard AB 331, which would clarify that county election certification is a ministerial duty, prohibit misleading ballot return envelopes, and require voter information guides to be delivered to jails in an acceptable format. The Department of Justice and several good-government groups supported the measure, the Secretary of State had no position after amendments, and a committee member noted ongoing concerns but supported it after the changes. The bill passed on a do pass recommendation to Appropriations and was placed on call. AB 1178 followed, proposing to protect undercover peace officers’ names, images, and likenesses in public records while preserving disclosure of sustained misconduct records. Law enforcement and public safety groups supported the bill as a needed safety measure, while journalists, transparency advocates, and civil liberties groups opposed it, saying existing law already protects officers and the new language could lead to overbroad withholding. After discussion about the scope of undercover status and the need for judicial discretion, the bill passed as amended to Appropriations. The committee also adopted a consent calendar. Later, AB 981 was heard, creating a five-county pilot program requiring intelligent speed assistance devices for certain reckless driving convictions. Supporters, including traffic safety advocates and crash victims, said the bill could reduce repeat speeding and save lives; opponents raised concerns about cost, installer oversight, liability for automakers, and the breadth of the pilot. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 22, which would repeal Proposition 57 and restrict release of sexually violent predators and certain sex offenders, drew strong opposition from youth justice, public defender, and civil liberties groups who said it would be unconstitutional and harmful; the chair recommended no, no motion was made, and the bill was held. Finally, AB 897, a squatter-removal bill, was presented with the author arguing it would protect property owners through a faster due-process process; the transcript cuts off during early support testimony and does not show a final action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• And for that, CPS came and took my son. I called for a civil standby to leave peacefully.
• And for that, CPS came and took my son based on a report written by someone who never even spoke to us

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard several public safety-related bills, with extensive testimony for and against each measure. AB 82 by Assembly Member Ward would expand privacy and safety protections for patients, families, and providers of gender-affirming care, including limits on reporting certain prescription data to CURES, expanded safe-at-home and anti-doxing protections, and broader health information confidentiality. Supporters said the bill responds to rising harassment and threats against transgender people and providers; opponents argued it would create dangerous secrecy and undermine parental rights. The committee recommended the bill do pass to Judiciary, and it was held on call. AB 331 by Assembly Member Pellerin would clarify that county election certification is a ministerial duty, prohibit misleading ballot return envelopes, and require voter information guides to be delivered to jails in an acceptable format. The Department of Justice and supporters said the bill strengthens election integrity and access, while the Secretary of State had no position after amendments addressed concerns. The committee moved the bill do pass to Appropriations, and it passed on call. AB 1178 by Assembly Member Pacheco would narrow public-records redaction rules for undercover peace officers, while preserving disclosure of sustained misconduct records. Law enforcement supporters said it protects undercover officers and their families; transparency and civil liberties groups warned it could lead to broader withholding and confusion in the courts. After amendments and discussion, the committee recommended the bill do pass as amended to Appropriations, and it passed. AB 981 by Assembly Member Gibson would create a five-county pilot requiring intelligent speed assistance devices for people convicted of specified reckless driving and speed offenses, with a report back to the Legislature. Supporters, including traffic safety advocates and crash survivors, said it would reduce speeding and save lives; opponents raised concerns about cost, liability, oversight, and the breadth of the pilot. The committee recommended the bill do pass as amended to Appropriations, and it passed. The consent calendar was also adopted. The committee then heard AB 22 by Assembly Member DeMaio, which would repeal Proposition 57, restrict release of sexually violent predators, and repeal a sex-offender registry exception for certain offenses. Supporters framed it as a public safety correction to prior policy choices, while opponents said it would be unconstitutional and would harm youth rehabilitation and community safety. The chair recommended a no vote, no motion was made, and the bill was held. The committee also began hearing AB 897 by Assembly Member DeMaio, which would create a process to remove alleged squatters from property more quickly; the author and supporters said it would protect property owners and provide due process, while opponents warned it could criminalize informal housing arrangements and accelerate homelessness. The transcript cuts off during testimony on AB 897, before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• But it's possible for CPS to nab a kid and then put the gun to the parents' head and say, "Plea to this
• But it's possible for CPS to nab a kid and then put the gun to the parents' head and say, "Plea to this
• But it's possible for CPS to nab a kid and then put the gun to the parents' head and say, "Plea to this

Bills: HB1546

Committee: House Human Services & Homelessness

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2083, which would add homeless shelters to Hawaii’s drug-free/safe-zone protections. The City and County prosecutor’s office strongly supported the bill, saying service providers asked for the change because drug activity near shelters can undermine recovery efforts. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, focusing on a possible notice problem because many shelters are not readily identifiable and the bill’s 750-foot distance requirement could be difficult to apply. The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii also opposed the bill, arguing it would expand criminalization of poverty and drug use and that drug-free zone laws are ineffective and disproportionately harmful. The prosecutor’s office said it would do more research on the notice concern. The committee then moved on without taking a vote in the transcript provided. The committee next discussed HB 2087, which would change the treatment of abuse of family or household member cases by ending the deferred-acceptance pilot and returning to the prior statute. The prosecutor’s office supported the bill, saying the pilot had not reduced backlog as intended and that domestic violence cases should remain petty misdemeanors without deferral. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Public Defender’s Office both opposed HB 2087, instead urging extension of the pilot for another five years so the legislature can better evaluate how deferred acceptance is working. They said deferrals can be a useful incentive for behavior change and that more data is needed before ending the program. Committee members questioned the prosecutor about why Hawaii should differ from other counties and whether repeat offenders could keep receiving deferrals; the prosecutor said the deferral is available only once and reiterated support for returning to the old statute. The committee then heard HB 2096 on aggravated circumstances in child protective proceedings. The family court and Attorney General’s Office supported the bill, saying current law limits aggravated-circumstances findings to the early return hearing, which can prevent findings in the most serious abuse cases when key evidence is not yet available. They said the bill would allow such findings later in the case and, with proposed amendments, would let the court consolidate aggravated-circumstances and termination-of-parental-rights hearings to reduce delay and appeals. The Libertarian Party of Hawaii opposed the measure, arguing it would expand state power in family matters and could worsen outcomes for parents and children. Committee questions focused on the amended language, including what “another court of competent jurisdiction” means and whether a charge alone would be enough; the judiciary responded that criminal courts are included, but a hearing and opportunity to defend would still be required. Finally, the committee took up HB 1959, another domestic violence measure. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Public Defender’s Office, the Crime Victim Compensation Commission, the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and county prosecuting offices testified in support. Supporters said the bill would extend the pilot program while keeping deferred acceptance of guilty pleas in place, giving more time to evaluate whether the program is working and whether a more formal diversion model should be developed. The coalition also suggested technical fixes to ensure judiciary data reporting continues and that the deferred-acceptance statute is not inadvertently repealed. No vote or final action was taken in the transcript before the committee moved on to the next bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:31:49.039><c> system,</c><00:31:49.519><c> DHS</c><00:31:50.640><c> and</c><00:31:51.120><c> CPS
• Um, this has to do with the litany of false reports of child abuse that we're getting to CPS over the
• A report shall not be considered filed in good faith with CPS when it is unsupported by credible evidence
• A lot of times CPS workers are required to go into homes and different places, and when they're attacked
• A lot of times CPS workers are required to go into homes and different places, and when they're attacked

Transcript Highlights:

• So do you have any questions for the CPS at this time?

Summary: The Communications and Conveyance Committee held an oversight hearing on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), focused on telecommunications, broadband deployment, resiliency, and the California Teleconnect Fund. Chair Tasha Boerner said the hearing was intended to examine structural issues at the CPUC, including whether telecommunications oversight should remain within the commission, while also reviewing major programs such as Last Mile, BEAD, carrier of last resort, and emergency preparedness. CPUC President John Reynolds and Deputy Executive Director Anna Maria Johnson described the commission’s work on public safety, universal service, broadband grants, Lifeline modernization, and network resiliency, including the 72-hour backup power requirement and merger review. Members questioned CPUC officials about the pace and metrics for Last Mile and BEAD projects, the relationship between middle-mile and last-mile buildout, and how the commission balances carrier obligations with the risk of driving providers out of high-cost areas. They also pressed the CPUC on the California Lifeline home broadband pilot, asking when enrollment would be available, which providers were participating, how much of the state would be covered, and what the surcharge impact would be. CPUC said 15 providers had been approved, one was already serving customers, and the rest were still onboarding, and it committed to provide follow-up information on timelines, coverage, and costs. A major portion of the hearing centered on the California Teleconnect Fund and proposed changes to how schools would access the program. Superintendent Tony Thurmond argued strongly against shifting administration from county offices of education and districts to individual schools, saying it would add burden, worsen inequities, and risk underuse of a valuable broadband subsidy. Committee members echoed concerns that smaller schools and districts may lack the staff to manage direct applications and reporting. In public comment, the Los Angeles County Office of Education supported the CDE’s position and urged changes that would align the program more closely with E-Rate and reduce administrative burdens. No formal vote was taken, and Chair Boerner closed by saying she remained committed to pursuing reforms to the CPUC and referenced her bills AB 2289 and ACA 9.

Transcript Highlights:

• The CPS worker would purchase items using their state-issued purchase card, and reimbursement to the

Transcript Highlights:

• And we were not aware of the abuse until CPS and the hospital got involved.

Committee: House Children and Families

Transcript Highlights:

• We were not aware of the abuse until CPS and the hospital got involved.

Committee: House Children and Families

Summary: The Committee on Children and Families met with a quorum and first took up several bills in executive session. House Bill 1818, dealing with protections for children involved in content creation and related financial arrangements, was amended and converted into a House Committee substitute. Members discussed that the bill is aimed at children creating content for financial gain and clarifies that platforms must comply with federal law without being drawn into disputes between children and parents. The substitute was then voted do pass by a 17-0 roll call. House Bill 1948 was also amended and substituted; the amendment changed references from the Family Support Division to the Department of Social Services, and members briefly joked about the wording of “fatherhood” versus “fathership.” The committee then voted the substitute do pass 17-0. The committee next debated House Bill 2688, which drew sharp disagreement. Opponents argued the bill’s due process language for unborn children was too vague, could create legal uncertainty, and might have consequences for IVF, miscarriage investigations, and criminal liability for women and medical providers. Supporters said the bill was about protecting pre-born life and that due process should apply. The bill was voted do pass by a 12-5 roll call. The committee then moved into public hearings. In public hearing, House Bill 1772 was presented as an adoption-fee bill intended to raise state-paid attorney fees for adoptions, increase fees for contested adoptions, and separate guardian fees so more children could be adopted from foster care. The sponsor said the goal was to reduce costs and speed adoptions; Foster Adopt Connect testified in support, while members raised questions about contested adoptions, subsidy timing, and whether the bill would affect access to attorneys. House Bill 1696 proposed clarifying who has the right of sepulcher for minors with court-appointed guardians, giving the guardian priority unless the guardian is under criminal investigation for the child’s death, and adding religious-belief protections regarding cremation. Testimony from family members described painful experiences where legal authority reverted to abusive parents after a child’s death, and committee members generally supported clarifying the law. Finally, House Bill 2505 was heard, a grandparent custody bill giving grandparents priority when both parents are found unfit, unsuitable, or unable to serve as custodians and the child’s welfare requires placement. Supporters, including Foster Adopt Connect and a grandmother who testified emotionally, said grandparents often provide the most stable care and should be recognized in statute. An opponent argued the current law already allows courts to place children with grandparents when appropriate and warned that statutory priority could override the child’s best interests in some cases. The committee adjourned after concluding public testimony on HB 2505.

Transcript Highlights:

• Another recommendation was to create a permanent grievance review function for people involved with CPS