Transcript Highlights:

• Security card is a means of identification that we use to get other means of identification such as a passport
• identification<00:35:30.160><c> such</c><00:35:30.320><c> as</c><00:35:30.480><c> a</c><00:35:30.720><c> passport
• </c><00:35:31.119><c> or</c><00:35:31.440><c> a</c> identification such as a passport or a identification
• such as a passport or a real<00:35:31.920><c> ID.

Transcript Highlights:

• I try not to let her leave the house without her passport.
• 05.520><c> her</c> to let her leave the house without her to let her leave the house without her passport
• 07.599><c> in</c><00:37:07.839><c> our</c><00:37:08.240><c> country</c><00:37:08.480><c> are</c> passport
• US citizens in our country are passport.

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• administration is currently blocking trans and non-binary Americans from obtaining accurate U.S. passports
• temporarily blocked by the courts, there could be a very short window for people to update their passport
• I want to... from obtaining accurate U.S. passports and other federal IDs, and in that context, having
• temporarily blocked by the courts, there could be a very short window for people to update their passport

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard a long agenda of health bills focused on access to preventive care, behavioral health, hospital services, and patient safety. Early items included AB 554, which would expand and protect access to HIV prevention drugs like PrEP, including injectable forms and coverage protections; supporters said it would shore up access amid federal threats, while insurers opposed it as a costly benefit mandate. AB 577 would limit insurer and PBM practices that steer medications away from physician offices and require more transparency and patient consent; doctors and patient advocates supported it, while health plans and insurers warned it could raise drug costs and disrupt specialty pharmacy networks. AB 546 would require coverage for portable HEPA purifiers for vulnerable enrollees during declared emergencies, especially wildfire smoke events, with support from air quality and public health groups and opposition from insurers concerned about benefit expansion and cost. The committee also heard AB 224, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark plan after a public review process, adding infertility treatment, hearing aids, and durable medical equipment if approved by CMS for the 2027 plan year. DMHC said the state had completed the review and needed legislation to meet federal timing, and the measure drew broad support. AB 1032 would require plans and insurers to reimburse up to 12 additional behavioral health visits for enrollees in wildfire-affected counties for a limited period after an emergency; supporters argued it would fill gaps in trauma care after disasters, while insurers said existing parity and continuity-of-care rules already address the issue and that the bill could create inequities. AB 849 would require trained chaperones for sensitive ultrasound exams and training on how to observe and intervene; it was backed by a survivor and patient advocates, with hospitals and health districts raising staffing concerns. Later, AB 1196 would direct the Department of Public Health to update outdated rules requiring three surgeons for certain heart surgeries using cardiopulmonary bypass; supporters said the rule no longer reflects modern practice and strains staffing, while cardiology representatives had no formal opposition but wanted to review amendments. AB 1113 would codify a right to wear a mask for health reasons in public spaces, with support from disability and public health groups. AB 1386 sought to add perinatal care to the list of basic hospital services, prompting testimony about maternity ward closures, workforce shortages, and rural access; the author said the bill would be amended further and that the committee would need to revisit timelines and implementation details. The committee also heard AB 1429, which would address Kaiser’s repeated mental health parity violations and improve access to behavioral health care, though the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill is shown. Several bills were moved with motions and seconds, but many were held for quorum; AB 1196, AB 1113, and AB 1386 were among the measures advanced to a roll call or held on call, and the committee repeatedly noted that final votes would occur when quorum was available.

Transcript Highlights:

• Passport are public, but anyway, that's the last comment I have with regard to this.
• :17:22.040><c> who's</c><01:17:22.320><c> involved</c><01:17:23.320><c> hey</c><01:17:24.320><c> passport
• </c> everybody who's involved hey passport everybody who's involved hey passport are<01:17:25.360><c>

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology heard testimony on several measures, beginning with SB 1343, which would amend quorum requirements for the Small Business Regulatory Review Board. The board chair testified in support, saying it has been difficult to fill all seats and that using active seats for quorum would help the board function more effectively. No opposition or questions were raised, and the committee moved on. The committee then heard SB 1578, which drew mixed testimony. DBEDT supported the measure and the Attorney General suggested inserting preamble language from HB 1025 to provide historical context on the East-West Center. Austin Martin of the Libertarian Party of Hawaiʻi opposed the bill, arguing it could invite improper behavior, create loosely regulated satellite offices, increase foreign influence, and add competition for land ownership. The committee took no vote during the hearing. The bulk of the meeting focused on SB 1641, a measure to establish a Hawaiʻi film commission/authority and related funding and governance structure. DBEDT supported the intent and offered friendly amendments to clarify the distinction between film and media industries, while the Honolulu Film Office and labor representatives from IATSE, Teamsters, and Pride at Work supported the bill but urged changes. Their concerns centered on conflicts of interest, especially having producers on the commission, and they asked for more labor representation and clearer oversight rules. The Attorney General raised constitutional and special-fund concerns, saying the grant standards and special-fund language needed work. Committee members discussed renaming the entity as a Hawaiʻi Film Authority, broadening its scope beyond cultural production, adjusting the commission makeup, and clarifying funding sources, including the existing film and creative industries fund and the 0.2% rebate contribution. No final vote was taken in the portion provided, but members indicated the bill would need substantial revisions and an HD1.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was lucky, though, in that I have a passport and I have the time and the kind of job where I could
• go home, get my passport, come back, talk to the little old ladies who were manning the table, who knew
• Not everyone has a passport. Not everybody knows how to do this.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Election Laws

Summary: The Joint Committee on Election Laws held a hearing on a wide range of voting-access and election-administration bills. The largest portion of testimony focused on same-day voter registration (H. 834/S. 505), with support from Rep. Gentile, Boston and Chelsea officials, civic groups, and election administrators from Maine and Vermont. Supporters argued that same-day registration would help eligible voters who move frequently, miss deadlines, or face administrative errors, and would reduce rejected provisional ballots. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Vermont elections director Sean Sheehan testified that same-day registration has worked in their states without major administrative problems and has helped increase turnout. A Boston-based panel also described high rejection rates for provisional ballots and the burden of registration cutoffs on renters, students, immigrants, and low-income voters. A second major topic was restoration of voting rights for incarcerated people, including S. 524 and related House bills. The committee heard extensive virtual testimony from incarcerated individuals at MCI Norfolk and MCI Shirley, who said voting should be restored as part of rehabilitation, civic engagement, and reintegration. They described disenfranchisement as dehumanizing and argued that voting would help maintain family and community ties, reduce recidivism, and give incarcerated people a voice on laws affecting prisons and reentry. Rep. Erica Uyterhoeven also testified in support, saying the bill would restore municipal voting rights for incarcerated residents and align with broader efforts to expand political participation. The committee also heard testimony on bills affecting election administration and access, including a proposal to reduce or eliminate mandated early in-person voting in primaries and shorten the general-election early voting period, with supporters from the town clerks’ community arguing that low usage, staffing burdens, and costs justify the change. Opponents warned that reducing in-person early voting could hurt voters who do not use mail ballots and could disproportionately affect communities of color. Other bills discussed included decoupling the municipal census from voter registration, requiring periodic accessibility inspections of polling places, and a Somerville home-rule petition on non-citizen municipal voting and another on lowering the voting age in municipal elections. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Examples: valid Social Security card, valid immigration visa, photo ID, valid birth certificate, valid passport
• They must hold a passport, passport card, or other proof of citizenship, and they may not have established

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• and know where it is throughout the process is so important for their healing and prevents future backlogs
• and know where it is throughout the process is so important for their healing and prevents future backlogs
• and know where it is throughout the process is so important for their healing and prevents future backlogs
• There's been backlogs, and some of them have been years behind in being processed, and I think that would
• There's been backlogs, and some of them have been years behind in being processed, and I think that would

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• to state park entrance admission and vehicle entrance fees for certain holders of state parkland passports

Transcript Highlights:

• Everyone needs a birth certificate—from passports to driver's licenses, to proving citizenship for other
• example, a grandfather who is a kinship caregiver for his grandchildren may find that he can't get a passport

Bills: SB227 , SB269 , SB407 , SB463 , SB527 , SB547 , SB1283 , SB1380 , SB1383 , SB1511 , SB1640 , SB1784 , SB2069

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• :32:35.760><c> their</c> driver's license or a copy of their driver's license or a copy of their passport
• or a copy of a bill, um, that passport or a copy of a bill, um, that that,<01:32:39.840><c> um,</c><
• So, they may include a full photo copy of their passport or their driver's license.
• c><01:38:12.080><c> copy</c><01:38:12.400><c> of</c><01:38:12.560><c> their</c><01:38:12.800><c> passport
• </c><01:38:13.280><c> or</c> a full photo copy of their passport or a full photo copy of their passport

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• and know where it is throughout the process is so important for their healing and prevents future backlogs
• There's been backlogs, and some of them have been years behind in being processed, and I think that would
• Uh there's been backlogs<00:09:14.240><c> and</c><00:09:14.880><c> some</c><00:09:15.120><c> of</c><00
• :09:15.200><c> them</c><00:09:15.360><c> have</c><00:09:15.600><c> been</c> backlogs and some of them
• have been backlogs and some of them have been years<00:09:16.320><c> behind</c><00:09:16.800><c> in<

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 1651, which would create a civil sexual assault protective order for survivors who do not have a domestic violence or stalking relationship with the offender, and would also update the sexual assault survivors’ bill of rights regarding evidence kit retention and tracking. Representative Jennifer Rhodes, the sponsor, said the bill is intended to fill gaps for survivors assaulted by strangers, acquaintances, or others outside existing protective-order categories, and to ensure evidence is preserved for the longer of the statute of limitations or the retention period. Committee members asked whether the new order could be misused and how the bill would prevent frivolous petitions; the sponsor said the same legal process would apply and a victim would still have to prove they were actually assaulted. Representative Eileen Kelly and Lynn Shallet of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence testified in support, saying current law leaves many sexual assault survivors without a meaningful civil remedy unless they qualify for domestic violence or stalking relief. Shallet said the gap has existed for decades and noted that other states already have standalone sexual assault protective orders. She also said the bill would clarify survivors’ rights to know the status and location of their evidence kits. Shauna Foster of New Beginnings Without Violence and Abuse described local cases where survivors were denied protective orders because they lacked the required relationship with the offender, including a co-worker assault and an assault involving an unhoused survivor. Lisa Curtis, a survivor and founder of Safe Haven Ballet, gave emotional testimony in support, describing her own sexual assault and the difficulty of seeking protection and justice. She said survivors need safety to recover and that the bill would better align the justice system with trauma-informed support. Janet Carroll, a sexual assault nurse examiner and advisory board co-chair, testified that the bill’s evidence-kit provisions reflect federal changes and existing tracking practices. She explained that New Hampshire uses a kit tracking system that lets patients and professionals follow kits through the process, and said the bill would codify the right to be informed of a kit’s status and location. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the old backlog was the, um, the backlog cases of untested sexual assault kits that were identified
• Jack's what would be more considered a new backlog.
• The backlog, uh, and the money that went into alleviating the backlog was during some tough, tough fiscal
• that there, that there wouldn't be a backlog.
• To, to alleviate that backlog uh at some point.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So then we have another issue with the backlog. And so that's one of the reasons.
• </c> have a another issue with the backlog have a another issue with the backlog and<00:09:58.920><c>
• I think if we can do this amount, it's probably going to help with that backlog.
• I think if we can do this amount, it's probably going to help with that backlog.
• </c> probably going to help with that backlog probably going to help with that backlog thank<00:14:31.160

Transcript Highlights:

• up on previous backlogged kits.
• And fixing the backlog was only one piece.
• We can reduce the rape kit backlog.
• So we won't have that backlog.
• So we won't have that backlog.

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Ground with the um with the rape kit backlog to explain that history.
• Um, the old backlog was the, um, the backlog cases of untested sexual assault kits that were identified
• Jack's, what would be more considered a new backlog.
• The backlog, uh, and the money that went into alleviating the backlog was during some tough, tough fiscal
• is that there, that there wouldn't be a backlog.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the freedom to choose when to have a family, the freedom to walk around without your passport in
• walk around family, the freedom to walk around without<00:08:35.479><c> your</c><00:08:35.599><c> passport
• </c><00:08:36.080><c> in</c><00:08:36.200><c> your</c><00:08:36.320><c> back</c> without your passport
• in your back without your passport in your back pocket,<00:08:36.960><c> the</c><00:08:37.039><c> freedom
• We need to get into that system, because we have such a huge backlog of deferred maintenance of state-owned

Transcript Highlights:

• We expect the backlog to exceed 30,000 open claims by July of this year, doubling the backlog in the
• We recognize workload pressures and backlogs.
• Yeah, the problem would Backlog challenges within available resources.
• I think it will be relatively quick to get through the fatality backlog.
• One question is, what's the size of the remaining backlog?

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of budget and trailer bill presentations focused on labor and public employment programs. The first item covered EDD Next modernization, where EDD described progress on customer service improvements, fraud prevention, language access, and the Integrated Claims Management System. The LAO urged stronger legislative oversight as the project enters its most difficult phase, and members questioned the revised schedule, total cost, change orders, stress testing, SB 1090 implementation, and how race and ethnicity data will be protected. EDD said the overall project cost remains about $1.2 billion, that the work is being phased with disability insurance and paid family leave first, and that fraud has been greatly reduced since pandemic-era programs ended. Members also asked for follow-up information on SB 590 outreach and equity impacts. The committee then reviewed the California Workforce Development Board’s request to reduce staffing as one-time grant workloads wind down, along with trailer bill language to streamline reporting requirements. The board and Department of Finance said the staffing reductions reflect the end of surge funding and that the proposal would consolidate roughly 10 to 12 reports into one annual report, with additional reporting only if new funds are appropriated for certain programs. Senator Durazo questioned the policy direction of reducing workforce staffing, while the administration said the positions were tied to temporary grant programs and that current staffing is sufficient for ongoing duties. Members also asked about the board’s role in AI-related workforce planning and the rationale for using state funds for the High Road Construction Careers Program. A major portion of the hearing focused on the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund reforms and related staffing request at DIR. The administration and LAO described rapid growth in applications, backlog, and liabilities, saying the program’s eligibility has expanded beyond its original intent and that liabilities could reach about $30 billion by 2030 without reform. The trailer bill would tighten eligibility, apply the changes to open cases, and use the QME process and contemporaneous evidence to document preexisting disabilities. Members raised concerns about fairness to pending claimants, evaluator capacity, and the relationship to other SIBTF legislation, while the LAO said the proposal largely aligns with its prior recommendations. DIR also presented a request to eliminate vacant positions under a statewide vacancy sweep, which drew criticism from members who argued the cuts could weaken enforcement and backlog reduction efforts; the committee asked DIR to return with more detail on impacts and on its use of temporary-help authority. The final items addressed a request for additional Cal/OSHA investigative staff and a trailer bill to make permanent the revised Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board petition timeline. DIR said the BOI staffing would help investigate fatalities and serious injuries more quickly, while members emphasized the importance of family contact and timely investigations. For the WCAB item, the chair explained that the 2024 change to Labor Code section 5909, which starts the 60-day decision clock when a case is transmitted rather than when a petition is filed, has reduced pending cases and should be made permanent; the remaining backlog was reported at 460 cases, down from 637 before the change.

Transcript Highlights:

• We expect the backlog to exceed 30,000 open claims by July of this year, doubling the backlog in the
• We recognize workload pressures and backlogs.
• Yeah, the problem would Backlog challenges within available resources.
• I think it will be relatively quick to get through the fatality backlog.
• One question is, what's the size of the remaining backlog?

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation heard presentations on labor and public employment issues from the Employment Development Department (EDD), the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), and the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). The committee first focused on EDD Next modernization, where EDD described progress on online claims, call center upgrades, language access, fraud prevention, and the Integrated Claims Management System (ICMS). The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged closer legislative oversight, especially as the project moves into the most difficult phase. Senators asked about the revised timeline, total cost, fraud reduction, stress testing, transparency around change orders, and the decision to phase in disability insurance and paid family leave before unemployment insurance. EDD said the overall project cost remained about $1.2 billion, that it had no major cost overruns, and that it had saved more than $20 million by shifting some shared customer portal work into ICMS. The subcommittee then considered CWDB’s request for additional operational resources and trailer bill language to streamline reporting. CWDB and the Department of Finance said staffing had been expanded during the pandemic-era surge in grant funding and should now be reduced as one-time grant programs wind down. Senators questioned the proposed staffing reduction, arguing that workforce development needs remain strong and that the board’s policy role still requires adequate capacity. The committee also discussed a proposal to consolidate multiple annual and interim reports into a single biennial report, with LAO supporting the streamlining. Members asked about reporting for specific programs and the cost savings from reducing duplicative evaluations. A major portion of the hearing addressed DIR’s proposed reforms to the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) and related workload funding. DIR and LAO described rapid growth in applications, a large and growing backlog, and sharply rising liabilities and employer assessments. The administration’s trailer bill would tighten eligibility, apply reforms to open cases, and use contemporaneous evidence and QME reports to document preexisting disabilities. LAO said the proposal largely matched its prior recommendations and would help return the program to its original intent. Senators raised concerns about fairness to pending claimants, the effect on workers with undocumented preexisting conditions, and whether the QME system could absorb the added workload. The committee also heard DIR’s request to eliminate vacant positions under a statewide vacancy sweep, with members objecting that some vacancies reflect unmet enforcement and safety needs rather than excess capacity. The hearing continued with DIR proposals for additional Cal/OSHA investigative staff, permanent changes to Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board petition deadlines, and apprenticeship-related funding increases. DIR sought 14 permanent positions for its Bureau of Investigation to handle serious workplace fatalities and injuries, and members emphasized the importance of timely investigations and family communication. The WCAB requested making permanent a 2024 change that starts the 60-day reconsideration clock when a case is transmitted rather than when the petition is filed; the board said this had reduced the number of cases awaiting decisions from 637 to 460. Finally, DIR proposed increasing apprenticeship training grants from $3 million to $20 million annually using the Apprenticeship Training Contribution Fund, citing an $80 million fund balance and workforce demand tied to rebuilding and infrastructure needs, and then began discussion of a separate request to expand pre-apprenticeship programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Missouri once faced a significant backlog of untested sexual assault kits.
• up on previous backlog kits.
• And fixing the backlog was only one And fixing the backlog was only one piece.
• Like, I’m just wondering, like, how do we get to that much backlog?
• You keep talking about the backlog, and where we're going with that.

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Summary: The Committee on Crime and Public Safety met with a quorum and first took up several bills in executive session. House Bill 2323, relating to a domestic violence registry, was discussed as a private law-enforcement database for domestic abuse offenders; members noted it was similar to other registry bills already advanced, though some said it differed in details. House Bill 2530, described as the scrap metal bill, was also voted do pass without discussion. House Bill 1882 was withdrawn from consideration after members noted it had been rolled with another bill and had been sent back from fiscal review and Rules. The committee then adopted a House committee substitute and two amendments for House Bill 3332, which concerns public safety personnel recruitment and retention and employment benefits for first responders; the substitute removed additional degree programs from scholarship eligibility and the amendments fixed scholarship prioritization language and removed a sunset from the line-of-duty death benefit. HB 3332 was voted do pass. In public hearing, Representative Justice presented House Bill 3174, Missouri’s version of Alyssa’s Law, requiring each school employee to have access to a wearable panic alert system tied to local emergency responders and school personnel. He said the bill is subject to appropriations and would use a qualified vendor list; members questioned cost, funding, liability, and whether schools could already implement such systems. Support testimony came from Lori Alhadeff, Alyssa’s mother, who described the Parkland shooting and argued that faster alerts save lives, including in medical emergencies, and from a teacher who said the system would help in both active shooter and non-shooter emergencies. No opposition testimony was offered. Representative Williams then presented House Bill 3434, which would create a Missouri statewide sexual assault response task force to examine reporting, investigation, medical response, advocacy, and prosecution and report recommendations by December 31, 2028. She said the task force would build on progress made reducing the sexual assault kit backlog but address ongoing inconsistencies across jurisdictions. Members asked about overlap with a prior expired task force, appointment structure, and whether the group should include more medical or law-enforcement representatives. Support testimony from the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence described the history of the kit backlog, the Telesane program, uneven services across the state, and the need for continued coordination and accountability; the Missouri Emergency Nurses Association also supported the bill, citing the need to address both rural and urban response challenges.

Transcript Highlights:

• But here's my question to you: if you don't have a passport, you don't have a military ID, and say your

Bills: SB1670 , SB1716 , SB1521

Committee: Senate Technology and Telecommunications

Summary: The Senate Technology and Telecommunications Committee considered three Senate bills. SB 1670, by Senator Reinhart, would require the State Regents to update Oklahoma university technology transfer guidance, create a tiered ownership framework, and revisit the guidance every seven years. Members questioned the seven-year review period, the scope of terms like aerospace and autonomous technologies, and how broadly the new tiered system would apply. The bill was presented as a way to modernize an outdated 1989 framework and help turn university research into companies, jobs, and economic impact. It passed 8-0. SB 1716, by Senator Howard, amended the Security Breach Notification Act to replace references to a “cybersecurity event” with “breach of the security of a system” and to clarify that there is no private right of action for ordinary negligence when a business reports breaches to the Attorney General. Howard explained that the Attorney General would retain exclusive enforcement authority for reasonable-standards violations, while private lawsuits would remain available only for more egregious conduct such as willful, wanton conduct or gross negligence. Members asked about the negligence standard, HIPAA-related breaches, and staffing needs for the Attorney General’s office. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 8-0. SB 1521, by Senator Hamilton, would prohibit minors from accessing artificial intelligence companions and set age-verification and re-verification requirements, including use of government-issued identification and periodic re-verification. Hamilton said the bill was aimed at protecting children from harmful interactions with AI companions and was narrowly drafted to avoid sweeping in other AI tools like customer-service bots. Members raised concerns about the reasonableness and consistency of age verification, account creation requirements, and how the bill would interact with existing statutes on sexually explicit conduct. The chair spoke in support of the measure, and the bill passed 8-0. The committee then adjourned.