Transcript Highlights:

• </c> that it it actually is rural and urban that it it actually is rural and urban and<01:41:26.080><
• It's also an urban area.
• But this is a relief effort for both urban and rural. Highly support it.
• It's also an urban area.
• using the same interface on a web<02:04:22.560><c> platform.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And to your point, some of the states are rural, and some of the states are not; they're much more urban
• In the 32, I mean, 32—that's more... ...rural, and some of the states are not; they're much more urban
• The interesting thing about looking at those 32 is overall, they're a very good mix of urban and rural
• , just like our state honestly is quite the mix of urban and rural.
• You know, we're very centralized, urban-wise, in the center core of our state.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2003, which would lower the instruction-permit eligibility age for Class D, G, and M licenses from 15½ to 15, while increasing supervised driving requirements for minors and extending the permit-holding period before licensure. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill builds on Arizona’s graduated driver licensing system and would improve teen safety based on data from other states; one senator raised concerns about parents certifying driving hours and another cited a study suggesting higher crash risk from lowering the permit age. After discussion, the bill received a do pass recommendation by a 9-1 vote. The committee then considered House Bill 2063, appropriating $1.5 million from the General Fund to the Corrections Oversight Fund, and heard emotional testimony from a mother describing her son’s mental illness, incarceration, and death in prison, along with support from advocates who said the oversight office is needed, especially in light of federal receivership over prison health care. The sponsor emphasized prison transparency, public safety, and accountability. The bill passed unanimously, 10-0. The committee also heard House Bill 2210, which would prohibit state, local, and private entities from using ADS-B aircraft surveillance data to calculate or collect landing fees. Pilots argued the technology is meant for safety and that using it for billing could discourage compliance, while airport representatives and city officials opposed the bill as an unnecessary statewide restriction on local fee-setting. After extensive debate over safety, federal law, and local control, the bill received a narrow 4-4 do pass recommendation. Later, the committee heard House Bill 2116, which appropriates $1 million to the Colorado River litigation fund. The sponsor said the money is needed to prepare for possible litigation over Colorado River cuts and to signal Arizona’s seriousness in negotiations; members discussed whether the funding should come from the General Fund or WIFA resources. The bill passed 8-0. Finally, HCM 2007, a memorial urging renaming sections of State Route 69 to honor veterans of multiple wars, was approved 5-4 after some members objected to emphasizing war memorialization. The committee also briefly noted that House Bill 2111 was held, and after the votes, a pilot and flight instructor offered additional testimony on HB 2210, reiterating safety concerns about turning off ADS-B and saying the bill addresses a real risk even though Arizona airports are not currently using the technology for fee collection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rural, and some of the states are not; they're much more urban than we are.
• The interesting thing about looking at those 32 is overall, they're a very good mix of urban and rural
• , just like our state, honestly, is quite the mix of urban and rural.
• You know, we're very centralized, urban-wise, in the center of the core of our state.
• But in congested They would give me a number and I would dial that in, but in congested urban areas,

Bills: HB2003, HB2063, HB2111, HB2116, HB2210, HCM2007

Keywords: driver education, instruction permit, underage drivers, motorcycle licenses, traffic regulations, corrections oversight, appropriation, independent office, public safety, funding, driver license, examinations, motorcycle awareness, traffic laws, HB2116, Colorado River, litigation fund, water rights, Arizona water law, general fund appropriation

Transcript Highlights:

• Shortly after beginning my clinical practice in Sacramento, I joined the Sacramento Urban Search and
• In that role, I served as the chair for the Urban Search and Rescue Medical Working Group federally.
• Shortly after beginning my clinical practice in Sacramento, I joined the Sacramento Urban Search and
• In that role, I served as the chair for the Urban Search and Rescue Medical Working Group federally.
• And then we also have the hospital side, right, because EMS interfaces with the hospital system.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules established quorum and approved several routine items on the agenda, including governor’s appointments not required to appear: Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair/member assignments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous votes. The committee noted that some 2026 committee changes would take effect February 1, 2026, and that new committees would depend on adoption of a Senate resolution. The committee then heard from Dr. Hernando Garson, nominated as chief medical officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority. He described his background in emergency medicine, disaster response, and EMS leadership, and members questioned him about EMSA’s strategic plan, data integration, statewide standards versus local flexibility, ambulance patient offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, and emergency response coordination. Dr. Garson emphasized data-driven decision-making, technical assistance to local agencies, collaboration with hospitals and EMS stakeholders, and the need for safer alternatives to routine ambulance transport such as community paramedicine, telehealth, and nurse triage. He also discussed disaster preparedness for vulnerable and rural communities and the use of regional and state assets, including ambulance strike teams, during fires and floods. The committee approved his appointment 4-0. The final item was Stephanie Weldon’s nomination as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon, who identified as Yurok-Tolowa and Karuk, spoke about her tribal, county, nonprofit, and state experience, her role as the first Native American woman in the position, and her commitment to health equity, rural communities, and culturally responsive public health work. Senators asked about how the office sets priorities, measures outcomes, addresses behavioral health, tribal consultation, youth mental health, and how it responds to political pressure around DEI language; Weldon said the office focuses on community-driven, data-informed work and transparency. Public commenters strongly supported her confirmation, citing her leadership on the California Reducing Disparities Project and related equity efforts. The committee approved her appointment 4-0, sending it to the full Senate for confirmation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So translating all that, that means they're paying more today in fuel taxes than some of their urban
• So translating all that, that means they're paying more today in fuel taxes than some of their urban
• MOVIS interfaces with our system and gets the vehicle information, the highway use fee charge for that
• Once the customer completes the registration, MOVIS interfaces with us again to turn on an indicator
• transportation costs, and studies show that a flat road charge fee would increase costs for the poorest urban

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee first took up three highway naming resolutions on its consent calendar: ACR 109, SCR 78, and SCR 90. The committee approved the consent calendar with 11 aye votes and no no votes, then adjourned the bill-hearing portion. Members also recognized committee science fellow AJ Mendeola for his service, noting his contributions to bill analysis and staff support. The committee then held an informational hearing on alternatives to the gas tax, focused on the projected decline in fuel-tax revenue and the need for a more sustainable transportation funding model. The chair and invited experts described how inflation, improved fuel efficiency, and growth in electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles are eroding gas-tax revenues. Presenters from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the University of California discussed state options such as higher or indexed gas taxes, EV registration fees, road usage charges, delivery fees, public EV charging fees, transportation network company fees, and managed lanes, emphasizing tradeoffs among revenue adequacy, fairness, administrative cost, and public acceptance. Committee members raised concerns that mileage-based fees or EV fees could function as new taxes on commuters and lower-income drivers, especially if the gas tax is not repealed. Presenters responded that road usage charges are generally intended as replacements for the gas tax, not additions, and argued that mileage-based systems better preserve the user-pays principle while being less tied to vehicle fuel efficiency. They also noted that flat EV registration fees are easy to administer but can be less equitable because they are not linked to actual road use. Officials from Hawaii, Utah, and Oregon described their state programs and policy choices. Hawaii said its new road usage charge began July 1, 2025, for EVs, offers a choice between a per-mile charge and a flat annual fee through 2028, and will transition to mandatory EV participation before expanding to all light-duty vehicles by 2033. Utah described its voluntary EV road usage charge program, quarterly reporting, privacy protections, and legislative scenarios for removing the cap or making participation mandatory. Oregon outlined its constitutional cost-responsibility framework and broader transportation funding challenges, including reliance on user fees and limited use of general-fund support.

Transcript Highlights:

• to be using technology to drive those efficiencies, but also using the technology so that we can interface
• better with the public, So that we can interface better with the public.
• In some instances, you actually had urban patients going to maybe a rural hospital because... ...those
• In some instances, you actually had urban patients going to maybe a rural hospital because that hospital
• And here's how we sort of interface with therapy, whether it's conversion therapy or another type of

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so urban wildfire risk is real, not just wildfire risk in the rural areas of the wildland-urban interface
• Urban wildfire risk is real.
• interface, even though this area makes up less than 7% of all the land in the state.
• dealing with water supply planning, including the 1983 bill, which put into place the requirement for urban
• Water agencies already prepare 20-year urban water management plans, and the Subdivision Map Act requires

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on wildfire resilience, land use, and local government transparency. SB 911 by Senator Becker would require notification to fire enforcement agencies when a home in a high fire severity zone is sold with an agreement for the buyer to bring the property into defensible-space compliance; the California Association of Realtors said it would drop opposition if the bill is amended to use the preliminary change of ownership report, and the bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. SB 994 by Senator Cabaldon would bar local officials from signing nondisclosure agreements that prevent them from sharing information with the elected decision-makers of their jurisdiction; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it also passed 4-0 to Appropriations. SB 1041 by Senator Riggins would expand PACE financing for wildfire home-hardening improvements and add consumer protections, but it drew strong opposition from homeowner advocates, county treasurers, bankers, and others over predatory lending and lien concerns; it passed 3-2 and remained on call. The committee also considered SB 1075 by Senator Reyes, which would require local governments in AB 617 communities to consider air-quality reduction measures in land-use approvals for industrial and commercial projects. Environmental justice groups supported the bill as a way to implement community air plans, while counties, cities, business groups, builders, trucking interests, and others opposed it as duplicative of CEQA and a barrier to investment and jobs. After debate over local control and environmental justice, the bill passed 3-2 and remained on call. SB 958 by Senator Cabaldon would advance the Midway Rising redevelopment project in San Diego, replacing a former arena and parking lots with housing, affordable units, parks, and a new entertainment venue; with no opposition voiced, it passed 3-0 to Appropriations. Another wildfire-related measure, SB 1182 by Senator Allen, would require local governments to consider insurance availability in safety planning for development in high fire hazard areas and direct state technical guidance on the issue. Supporters said insurance access is now a key indicator of risk, while some members questioned whether the bill would add useful information or burden local governments; the bill received a 1-1 vote and remained on call. The committee then began hearing SB 1116 by Senator Caballero, a starter-home/infill housing bill creating a streamlined ministerial path for small projects up to 10 units, but the transcript cuts off before testimony or a vote on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so urban wildfire risk is real, not just wildfire risk in the rural areas of the wildland-urban interface
• Urban wildfire risk is real.
• In 2020, something like half of the homes built in California broke ground in the wildland-urban interface
• dealing with water supply planning, including the 1983 bill that put into place the requirement for urban
• The 1983 bill put into place the requirement for urban water management plans, which are the long-term

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on wildfire resilience, land use, and local government authority. SB 911 would require notification to fire agencies when a home in a high fire severity zone is sold under an agreement to complete defensible space compliance; the California Association of Realtors said it would drop opposition if the bill is amended to use the preliminary change of ownership report, and the bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. SB 994 would bar local officials from entering nondisclosure agreements that prevent them from sharing information with the elected decision makers of their jurisdiction; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it passed 4-0 as amended. The consent calendar, including SB 958 and several other bills, was also adopted 4-0. The committee then took up SB 1041, which would expand PACE financing for wildfire home-hardening improvements statewide and add consumer protections, hardship provisions, and reporting requirements. Supporters, including Renew Financial and Cal Fire Local 2881, argued it would help homeowners finance fire-resistant roofs, vents, and other upgrades. Opponents, including homeowner advocates, county tax collectors, mortgage lenders, and consumer groups, warned that PACE has a history of contractor abuse, high costs, liens that survive bankruptcy, and risks to vulnerable homeowners. After extended debate, the bill advanced 3-2 to Appropriations and remained on call. SB 1075 would require local governments in AB 617 communities to consider air-quality impacts and community emissions reduction plans when approving certain commercial and industrial projects. Environmental justice supporters said the bill would help implement long-promised pollution reductions in heavily burdened communities, while business, local government, planning, and industry groups argued it duplicated CEQA and existing permitting processes, created litigation risk, and could deter investment and jobs. The bill passed 3-2 and remained on call. SB 958, relating to the Midway Rising redevelopment project in San Diego, was presented as a path for a long-planned housing and entertainment project with at least 4,250 homes, including 2,000 affordable units, and it passed 3-0 to Appropriations. Finally, SB 1182 would require local governments to consider insurance availability in safety planning for development in high fire hazard areas. The author said the bill responds to rising insurance costs and the Fair Plan’s growth, while supporters said it would better align land-use decisions with wildfire risk. Opponents and some committee members argued the bill was too vague, could burden cities, and would not solve the underlying insurance market problem. The discussion was ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so urban wildfire risk is real, not just wildfire risk in the rural areas of the wildland-urban interface
• Urban wildfire risk is real.
• In 2020, something like half of the homes built in California broke ground in the wildland-urban interface
• Water agencies already prepare 20-year urban water management plans, and the Subdivision Map Act requires
• Water agencies already prepare 20-year urban water management plans, and the subdivision map act requires

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those local government specialties include urban search and rescue teams, TIFMAS teams that facilitate
• We interface with the military through the state office. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
• Some key features of the TexasFlood.org Flood Viewer include an intuitive public interface.
• The rainfall fell right out on an urban landscape.
• An interface that's then tied to the internet.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The gold standard fix would be to somehow interface the state systems when we pull people over with an
• insurance interface where you could verify in real time that people actually had insurance.
• </c><00:25:36.799><c> the</c> fix would be to somehow interface the fix would be to somehow interface
• insurance interface where you could<00:25:40.840><c> verify</c><00:25:41.240><c> in</c><00:25:41.399
• </c> connect rural to suburban and urban connect rural to suburban and urban communities<02:04:26.440

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're trying to preserve the rural land and make sure to keep urban urban and letting it grow into the
• urban.
• of the urban growth area for the urban parts.
• Urbanized already.
• interface.

Summary: The committee heard a series of presentations on comprehensive plan updates, permitting reform, special purpose district coordination, and subdivision reform. Pierce County and the City of Redmond described their recent comprehensive plan updates, emphasizing housing production, transit-oriented development, middle housing, preservation of affordable housing, and the need for technical assistance and clearer state guidance. Both jurisdictions said the planning process took years and was complicated by overlapping state requirements, changing legislative mandates, and multiple review authorities. Redmond in particular said mid-course legislative changes forced supplemental environmental review and added significant cost and delay, and both local governments asked for more stability, clearer statutes, and better-aligned timelines. Presenters from the architecture, building official, and development sectors focused on permitting delays and proposed ways to speed housing delivery. Dave Boucher of AIA Washington argued for a provisional construction permit process for projects stamped by licensed professionals, along with mandatory deadlines and fewer stalled review cycles. Tim Woodard of WABO described existing tools such as pre-application meetings and phased approvals, noting they can improve certainty but also require staff time and careful coordination. Representatives from Master Builders and D.R. Horton said permit and subdivision delays add substantial cost to housing, citing studies showing months of delay and tens of thousands of dollars added per home, and urged administrative approvals, concurrent review, self-certification, and limits on repeated review cycles. The committee also reviewed a Commerce-led task force report on integrating special purpose districts into Growth Management Act planning. The task force recommended early invitation and notice to water, sewer, school, port, and other service providers during countywide planning policy and comprehensive plan updates, better coordination on grants and capital projects, updated water system coordination plans, and improved school siting and funding alignment in fast-growing areas. Speakers stressed that the recommendations were intended to be light-touch and focused on better communication rather than major statutory overhaul, while also noting that rural and slow-growing areas should not be burdened with the same requirements as rapidly growing jurisdictions. On subdivision reform, FutureWise and the City of Spokane discussed making more subdivision decisions administrative, preserving vesting, clarifying exemptions, and reducing unnecessary notice and appeal steps. Spokane described local reforms such as smaller minimum lot sizes, unit lot subdivisions, and reduced-process “minor engineering review” for simple plats, while raising concerns about new notice requirements and appeals to city councils for technical plat decisions. Across the hearing, members repeatedly returned to the theme that local governments, builders, and state agencies need clearer, more coordinated rules to reduce delay and uncertainty while still protecting safety and planning goals.

Transcript Highlights:

• at the interface of you know<00:37:11.319><c> physics</c><00:37:12.319><c> and</c><00:37:12.839><c>
• Minnesota has one of the largest urban populations of Native Americans in the country. just a second
• </c> out to patients potentially in urban out to patients potentially in urban areas<01:14:22.600><c>
• </c><01:14:47.560><c> populations</c><01:14:48.080><c> of</c> of the largest urban populations of of
• the largest urban populations of Native<01:14:48.520><c> Americans</c><01:14:48.920><c> in</c><01:14:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You can't, our infrastructure, our apparatus isn't set up for urban uses.
• It's intended to be urbanized and... You know, they basically say, it's the urban growth area.
• It's intended to be urbanized and developed.
• Urban growth areas are hard to serve with public facilities.
• Our standing committees are composed of the building, fire, residential, and wildland urban interface

Summary: The committee heard first from Ferndale city officials and a representative of FutureWise on annexation planning. Ferndale described its “annexation blueprint” or phased annexation plan as a way to tie urban growth area planning, capital facilities, and eventual annexation together earlier in the process. Speakers argued that counties often allow incremental development in urban growth areas without city-level standards, impact fees, or coordinated infrastructure planning, which can leave cities and taxpayers with higher future costs and make annexation less likely. Members raised questions about fire districts, county revenue loss, and whether annexation incentives or interlocal revenue-sharing agreements could help. FutureWise supported requiring annexation phasing in countywide planning policies, using pre-annexation agreements, and applying city standards in urban growth areas to make annexation more predictable and less contentious. The committee then received a primer and update from the State Building Code Council (SBCC). Staff explained the council’s composition, standing committees, technical advisory groups, and rulemaking process, including normal, expedited, and emergency rulemaking. They described the ongoing 2024 code cycle and the separate work underway on Senate Bill 5491 and related legislation concerning single-stair residential buildings and multiplex housing. Members discussed how the legislature can better direct the SBCC, the difference between prescriptive and performance-based code approaches, and the importance of involving technical experts early. The SBCC also addressed concerns about the wildfire urban interface code, noting that problems arose when code language and maps were developed on different timelines and applied to urban areas in ways that were not anticipated. Several members asked about regional differences, especially energy code impacts in eastern Washington and the role of natural gas. SBCC representatives said the council can use climate zones and appendices for some regional variation, but statewide statutory targets still constrain the energy code. They emphasized that the council is largely reactive to legislative direction and public proposals, and that clearer legislative intent would help avoid ambiguity in future code development. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• aviation airports, and then we also have a very important role in supporting Maintaining our rural and urban
• It distributes funds across the state to all the regions, including the rural, urban. and metro areas
• We've developed this new inventory management system so that it interfaces with our other systems at
• We have eight urban offices around the state of Texas, the newest one being in Laredo.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are interface risks that you get to retire when you're actually working with one entity as opposed
• have the bridge over the river sort of at a point of completion where you can start to actually interface
• consulting firm, and they came back and said, you know, nobody builds 12- and 14-foot shoulders in urban
• fascinating question to dig into this idea of safety shoulders and whether providing additional width on an urban
• So narrow lanes and narrow shoulders are extremely common in urban settings.

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The committee first received an informational update on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project from Carly Francis and Travis Brower. They described the project’s purpose as improving seismic resilience, safety, freight movement, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian access across the Columbia River, and said the updated cost estimate is $13.2 billion to $14.4 billion for the full corridor. They explained the increase from the 2022 estimate as driven by construction inflation, a more conservative inflation curve, schedule delays, more detailed engineering, and risk modeling. They also outlined the funding plan, including $2.1 billion in federal funds, $1 billion each from Oregon and Washington, and $1.5 billion in projected toll revenue, and said they are working to obligate federal funds by the end of September. The panel described a first funded phase that would include the bridge, highway connections, tolling infrastructure, bridge removal, and transit design, with light rail to Vancouver still intended but dependent on additional funding. Members questioned the risk of losing federal transit funds, whether bridge design decisions were being made with legislative input, and whether the space reserved for light rail could be used for buses if transit funding does not materialize. The committee then heard testimony on maintaining Oregon’s existing roads and bridges from representatives of Knife River, the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon, and CRH. Witnesses said pavement and bridge preservation is severely underfunded, with ODOT needing about $400 million per year for pavement preservation but receiving roughly $100 million annually. They showed examples of deteriorating highways such as U.S. 97 and I-84 and argued that delaying maintenance leads to much higher reconstruction costs, more safety risks, and higher user costs. Knife River described layoffs and reduced work in Oregon because of limited preservation funding, while witnesses also said rising wages, equipment costs, fuel, and permitting delays are increasing project costs. Committee members asked about the role of prevailing wage, diesel equipment, hauling distances, and whether preservation work could be prioritized more effectively. Finally, economist Joe Cortright presented on recent ODOT megaproject cost overruns. He said Oregon has experienced persistent overruns driven by overly optimistic revenue forecasts, heavy reliance on debt, consultant costs, inflation above forecast, and projects that have become much larger in scope than originally presented. He cited major increases in the Interstate Bridge, Rose Quarter, and Abernathy Bridge projects and argued that some designs are far wider and more expensive than necessary. Cortright said better accountability, clearer priorities, and more disciplined project sizing are needed, and committee members pressed him on why agencies proceed with larger designs even when consultants recommend narrower, less expensive alternatives.

Transcript Highlights:

• Housing ought to be intensified around our urban core, around our downtowns.
• continuously one of the fastest growing counties in the state, we know that that creates additional urban
• And so with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote. ...intensified the density around our urban core
• Particularly when we talk about wildland-urban interfaces, when we talk about ecologically sensitive
• Particularly when we talk about wildland-urban interfaces, when we talk about ecologically sensitive

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, and opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before moving through the daily file. Several measures were taken up and passed, including bills on county jail accountability (AB 2257), claims against public agencies (AB 2529), affordable housing management metrics (AB 2689), digital wellness instruction in schools (AB 2071), pedestrian and bicycle safety project streamlining (AB 1976), manufactured home transport permits (AB 2012), a Surplus Land Act amendment tied to an Inland Empire soccer project (AB 2139), a Monterey Bay stewardship authority (AB 1548), online electrician licensing (AB 1707), a Caltrans study of navigation apps’ traffic impacts (AB 2105), coastal resiliency permitting reforms (AB 2051), downtown housing streamlining and financing (AB 2074), Cal Fire compensation (AB 2129), emergency care authority for Del Puerto Health Care District (AB 2282), charter school facilities hardship relief (AB 2316), theft by a peace officer under color of authority as serious misconduct (AB 2337), an Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander-serving institution designation (AB 2374), energy and cannabis support bills (AB 2464, AB 2537), and a suicide prevention plan requirement for treatment facilities (AB 2562). Most of these measures passed with broad bipartisan margins, and several were described as support bills with no opposition. The floor also debated a major criminal justice measure, AB 2727, which would raise the threshold for elderly parole eligibility for people serving sentences for violent sex offenses and add screening safeguards. Supporters from both parties emphasized child protection, survivor trauma, and specific local cases involving offenders who had become eligible for release; the bill passed 66-0. Another significant debate centered on AB 1958, which would clarify procedures under the California Racial Justice Act by refining how disparity claims are established and rebutted; the author said he would take Senate amendments to address concerns from district attorneys. The Assembly also considered AB 2313, a gas-to-electric transition bill allowing customers with planned service line replacements to opt out of gas service and use funds to electrify their homes. Members raised concerns about cost shifts and equity, and the author responded that the bill includes no-cost-shift language, larger credits for disadvantaged communities, and would not proceed if the math does not work; it passed 41-21. The final major item was AB 1709, a high-profile social media safety bill creating a minimum age of 16 for accounts on platforms using addictive features and establishing an e-safety commission. The author and many supporters from both parties framed the bill as a response to youth mental health harms, addictive design, and the need for age-based safeguards, while some members raised concerns about impacts on LGBTQ youth and other isolated young people who rely on online spaces. Supporters said the bill targets addictive design rather than speech and is intended to preserve safe online connection while limiting harmful features. The measure drew extensive bipartisan support and was still under debate at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So basically, the idea is that we can do urban...
• So basically, the idea is that we can do urban better, and we should try to do urban better when we're
• designing our urban spaces.
• That includes humans in our urban environments.
• And we have a BS in urban design and planning.

Bills: HB2426, HB2606

Keywords: pollution control, efficiency, appeals process, environmental regulation, hearing board, data protection, privacy, performance measures, reporting requirements, office of privacy, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that they can just interface directly with the Department of Revenue, ensuring that they're filling
• We should provide a way for them to do that in a modern manner and interface directly with the Department
• important work that we do, tackling much-needed work on our woodlands, shorelands, ag lands, wetlands, urban

Bills: HF2730, HF2257, HF2768, HF1932, HF2437

Keywords: local government debt, municipal bonds, county bonds, capital improvements, public financing, bond issuance, public hearing, notice period, bond guarantee, Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, volume cap, private activity bonds, housing finance, residential rental bonds, LIHTC, low-income housing tax credits, redevelopment, courthouse financing, jail financing, law enforcement center

Transcript Highlights:

• One of them was to create that portal to be able to interface with the federal, and the work has been
• One of them was to create that portal to be able to interface with the federal, and the work has been
• My name is Josh Asink with Urban Village Farmers Market Association.
• One is that their E-fund is under heavy demand relative to suburban and urban infestations that have
• One is their E-Fund is some heavy demands on that relative to suburban urban infestations that have to

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision proposals from the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Government Operations Agency, the Department of Technology, and the Franchise Tax Board, with public comment to come later and all items held open. CDFA presented funding for the animal care program implementing Proposition 12, including a one-time $5.2 million General Fund transfer to the Ag Fund and $2.8 million ongoing, and the LAO recommended approval while noting the Legislature should revisit the funding once litigation and federal preemption questions are resolved. CDFA also proposed ending state oversight of industrial hemp and moving to the federal USDA program by January 1, 2028, with an $8.3 million General Fund transfer to cover startup and transition costs; the LAO supported the transition. Additional CDFA items included $204,000 ongoing and one position to preserve agricultural statistics reporting after USDA reorganization, and trailer bill changes to clarify the department’s 5% indirect cost cap; both drew no objections from Finance or LAO. The Government Operations Agency and Cradle to Career items focused on implementing the new federal Workforce Pell program. Finance described trailer bill language establishing state eligibility processes, with the California Student Aid Commission as the authorizing entity in consultation with the Workforce Development Board, and proposed $1.3 million one-time General Fund for Cradle to Career to build data linkages. The LAO urged caution because federal rules were just finalized and said more information was needed on workload, costs, and whether existing data systems could support the work. Senators raised policy concerns about limiting the program to public institutions and about aligning the proposal with broader workforce and labor goals. The committee also briefly discussed SB 53/Cal Compute, with GovOps saying no appropriation had been provided for its consortium work, and Finance saying the administration was not proposing funding at this time. The Department of Technology presented a $30 million operational backstop for the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative, intended to cover any shortfall if expected revenues from the Golden State Net third-party administrator do not materialize in time. The LAO initially recommended rejection over broad spending authority, then suggested amendments with stronger reporting and legislative review; committee members questioned the revenue assumptions, oversight, and whether the request could recur. CDT also sought $1 million for Poppy, the state’s GenAI digital assistant, to expand secure statewide use; the LAO had no concerns, and members asked about data security, model bias, training restrictions, and possible local-government use. Finally, FTB proposed realigning CalFile resources after the federal Direct File program was discontinued, retaining three ongoing positions and returning the rest of the funding and positions to the General Fund; the LAO said the reduced scope was reasonable, and members discussed keeping the free filing system user-friendly and ready for future federal changes. The committee also heard the administration’s digital pre-written software tax proposal, which would extend sales tax to electronically delivered software and SaaS beginning January 1, 2027, generating an estimated $450 million General Fund in 2026-27 and $900 million ongoing, plus local revenue. The LAO supported modernizing the tax base but recommended broadening the proposal to include more digital products while considering a business-use exemption or reduced rate, and flagged a newly added video game exemption as a revenue downside. Senators generally supported the goal of raising revenue and aligning California with other states, but questioned the local revenue distribution and equity effects, and one senator said they would not support expanding the tax to books, music streaming, and similar consumer products. All items were left open without votes.