Transcript Highlights:

• It's doing a deposition, basically saying, "This—yeah, I'm swearing, I'm attesting this is his signature
• And then that information, the second officer who administers the oath notes on the deposition and the
• And then that information, the second officer who administers the oath notes on the deposition and the

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• submission of Senate Bill 309, a bill requiring monthly net receipts from the sale of lottery games to be deposited
• in the lottery tuition fund, providing for minimum annual deposits and providing for a reversion back
• to 30% of gross revenue each month if minimum annual deposits are not realized.

Summary: The Senate convened for an Indian Day/Native American Day session featuring prayers, drum and color guard presentations, and extensive recognition of tribal leaders, students, royalty, and community advocates from across New Mexico and neighboring tribal nations. Senators used the morning to introduce guests and speak about Native sovereignty, language preservation, education, water access, economic development, and the importance of tribal-state relationships. Several speakers highlighted personal and family ties to Native communities, while others emphasized ongoing work on issues such as clean water for Navajo communities, Native youth leadership, and missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives. A major non-ceremonial item was the reading of Senate Executive Messages from the governor authorizing consideration of Senate Bills 306, 309, 312, and 313. Those bills would, respectively, change licensure rules for certain institutions, alter lottery tuition fund deposit requirements, and repeal or revise provisions related to safety helmets and child restraint devices in negligence and damages law. The Senate also received committee reports advancing House Bill 34, Senate Bills 204, 241, 77, 152, 190, and 143, along with confirmations for Elaine Luna and Grace Margaret Herrera to the New Mexico Highlands University Board of Regents. The Rules Committee also reported on the governor’s appointment of Don Walters as child advocate for the Office of the Child Advocate. The chamber also adopted a Senate resolution recognizing February 6, 2026, as New Mexico Speech, Language, and Hearing Association Day, with Senator Pope speaking in support of audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Throughout the session, members repeatedly acknowledged the prior night’s Senate-House basketball game, which raised more than $26,000 for cancer, and used the occasion to thank participants and guests. No roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript beyond voice votes adopting the committee reports and the unanimous-consent actions on floor procedures and guest access.

Transcript Highlights:

• contributed significantly to the State Highway Fund totaling $19.1 billion. with the most recent November deposit
• On slide seven with the Proposition 7, despite the deposit transfers. not occurring until 2018, Proposition
• Proposition 7 motor motor vehicle portion, those were primarily because there was a decline in 2024 actual deposits

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, there's a provision for extraordinary revenue growth to be deposited into this account... ...extraordinary
• revenue growth to be deposited into this account if the conditions are met.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability

Summary: The committee held its first meeting, with co-chairs and members introducing themselves and staff outlining the committee’s statutory charge under the 2026 supplemental operating budget. Staff explained that the committee is tasked with studying budget transparency and fiscal sustainability in two phases: first, revenue growth, spending assumptions, statutory cost drivers, and carryforward/maintenance levels; and later, staffing, overhead, performance management, and public reporting tools. The committee also discussed its goals, with members emphasizing a shared factual understanding of Washington’s fiscal situation, the causes of projected structural deficits, and possible paths to a more sustainable operating budget. Staff then gave a detailed operating budget basics presentation. They reviewed the size and composition of the operating budget, explaining that most spending is concentrated in grants and client services, salaries and benefits, and goods and services, with K-12 education, DSHS, the Health Care Authority, DCYF, corrections, and higher education making up most NGFO spending. They also walked through the distinction between constitutional, federal, statutory, and discretionary spending; the role of caseload and per-capita forecasts; how maintenance level and policy level budgets are built; and how the four-year outlook works, including revenue forecasts, reversions, budget stabilization account reserves, and the official outlook adoption process. Members asked several questions about what is or is not included in the outlook, especially future collective bargaining agreements, health care inflation, court-ordered liabilities, and whether the budget could better separate mandatory from discretionary spending over time. Staff said some of those questions would require follow-up and noted the existence of an outlook accuracy report. The committee then heard from Josh Goodman of the Pew Charitable Trusts, who introduced Pew’s state fiscal work and its role as the nonprofit partner supporting the committee. He said Pew would help analyze long-term fiscal sustainability, reserve policies, recession preparedness, and practices from other states, and would draw on its 50-state data and subject-matter experts. No votes were taken and no formal actions were reported at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• So literally, someone knows that the deposit has been made, they go to the grocery, their SNAP card is
• caller to our hotline, a mom in Worcester, left her entire monthly allotment just hours after it was deposited

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House Committee on Children and Families held a hybrid hearing on a broad set of anti-hunger, family support, and basic-needs bills. Early testimony focused on SNAP and DTA operations: Rep. DeRosa and others urged passage of H. 196/S. 167 to require DTA to identify staffing, technology, funding, and operational needs to improve timeliness and customer service, warning that unanswered calls, delayed recertifications, and federal changes could sharply raise state costs through higher SNAP administrative burdens and payment-error penalties. Speakers from Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and Project Bread said DTA is under-resourced, caseloads have grown, and families are being denied or delayed due to phone and paperwork barriers. Another major SNAP-related bill, H. 254/S. 147, would require the Commonwealth to replace stolen EBT/SNAP benefits; testimony described more than $13 million stolen from about 27,000 households since June 2022 and argued families should not bear losses from organized theft rings. The committee also heard strong support for H. 207/S. 117, which would restore state-funded nutrition assistance for legally present immigrants excluded from federal SNAP under recent federal changes. Advocates from Project Bread, the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, local immigrant services, and public health groups said the federal cuts would leave thousands of residents, including refugees, asylum seekers, trafficking survivors, and children, without food support, and argued Massachusetts has a history of filling this gap. Testimony also supported H. 222/S. 104 to make the Healthy Incentives Program permanent and year-round; supporters said HIP improves nutrition, boosts local farms and regional economies, and had already served more than 212,000 households in FY25. A related child-support bill, H. 201/S. 110, would increase the amount of child support passed through to TAFDC families and expand good-cause exemptions; witnesses said the change would put more money directly in families’ hands, reduce poverty, and better protect survivors of domestic violence and families with complicated co-parenting situations. A large portion of the hearing was devoted to deep-poverty and diaper-related legislation. Supporters of H. 214/S. 118 said cash assistance grants have lost value over time and should be raised annually until they reach half of the federal poverty level; advocates from Children’s HealthWatch, Hopewell, the Lift Our Kids Coalition, and parents described the links between deep poverty, poor child health, family stress, and child welfare involvement. They argued that higher grants would help families meet basic needs, reduce hospitalizations and neglect reports, and provide stability amid federal cuts. Finally, multiple witnesses backed diaper legislation, including H. 220/S. 151 and related bills, to create a diaper benefits pilot and/or diaper allowance commission. Testimony from the National Diaper Bank Network, MassCAP, Children’s HealthWatch, local diaper banks, and parents said diaper need is widespread, affects parental employment and mental health, and can cause health problems for infants; a federally funded pilot in Massachusetts was cited as showing improved employment, financial stability, reduced stress, and fewer diaper rashes. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony and asked questions throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, housing deposits and fees for foster youth and homeless students must be deferred until
• This, coupled with upfront housing deposits and fees that are required often months before a student

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard a long policy agenda focused largely on student access, equity, and institutional oversight. Bills discussed included AB 2236 on common course numbering and streamlined articulation across the community colleges, CSU, and UC; AB 2422 on protections when financial aid is delayed; AB 1669 on medical and mental health leaves of absence; AB 1713 on accepting IEPs and 504 plans as proof of disability for accommodations; AB 2766 on priority housing and related supports for foster youth and students experiencing homelessness; AB 2212 on tech-facilitated sexual harassment and AI-generated intimate images; AB 2504 on a pilot to upskill creative-industry workers for AI-related changes; AB 1734 on preserving and expanding California food insecurity data collection; and AB 2771, the sunset bill for the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education. The committee also took up a consent calendar of three bills earlier in the hearing. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support from student groups, advocacy organizations, and system representatives, with many speakers describing personal experiences with transfer confusion, delayed aid, mental health crises, disability documentation barriers, housing instability, and online sexual harm. AB 2236 drew support from community college, CSU, UC student associations, and college-opportunity advocates, while the CSU Academic Senate registered opposition. AB 2771 drew a notable exchange over the cost and scope of the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education, with Vice Chair DeMaio opposing the extension on fiscal and bureaucracy grounds; the author responded that the bureau is fee-funded and that its fees had not been raised in years. AB 1734 also prompted skepticism from DeMaio about the survey’s cost, methodology, and whether the work should be competitively bid, though supporters argued the existing California Health Interview Survey infrastructure was the most efficient way to preserve critical food insecurity data after federal cuts. The committee voted to advance the measures it heard, generally on party-line or near-party-line votes, with several bills held open for additional members to add on. AB 2236, AB 2422, AB 1669, AB 1713, AB 1734, AB 2766, and AB 2212 all received do-pass recommendations and were re-referred to the appropriate policy or fiscal committees. AB 2771 was also moved forward to the Committee on Business and Professions after debate over the bureau’s reauthorization and fee structure. The hearing ended with the committee beginning consideration of AB 2504, the AI-related workforce upskilling pilot for creative industries.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, housing deposits and fees for foster youth and homeless students must be deferred until
• This, coupled with upfront housing deposits and fees that are required often months before a student

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to provide payment options for CSPP contractors, including electronic fund transfers, EFTs, direct deposit
• , ...CSPP contractors, including electronic fund transfers, EFTs, direct deposits, and paper checks.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• States, whether there is an existing claim at the same mailing address or physical address, or direct deposit
• Revenues were deposited into a general fund rather than dedicated to paying down the PSPRS, and the town

Committee: Senate Senate Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard SB 1036, which would tighten unemployment insurance eligibility by requiring five weekly work-search actions, weekly reporting, cross-checks against data sources for fraud or ineligibility, and employer reporting of refusals to return to work or accept suitable work. The sponsor argued the bill would reduce fraud and improve program integrity, while DES said it was neutral but warned of system-update costs, added workload, and more appeals; some members raised concerns about apprenticeship programs and administrative burden. The committee adopted a technical amendment and then recommended the bill do pass as amended on a 4-3 vote. Next, the committee considered SB 1054, a strike-everything amendment to make city and town emergency measures subject to referendum. Supporters, including Payson’s mayor, former mayor, and council members, said local governments had abused emergency clauses to push through tax increases and bond measures without voter input. The League of Arizona Cities and Towns opposed the measure, arguing it would undermine true emergency powers and slow city responses. The committee adopted the amendment and then recommended the bill do pass as amended on a 4-2 vote. The committee then heard SCR 1022, which would increase the House from 60 to 90 members beginning in 2033, with a later amendment delaying implementation to 2043. Senator Mesnard said the change would improve representation by reducing the number of constituents per member and nesting three House districts within each Senate district; some members and a public witness supported the idea, while others questioned cost, feasibility, and the effect on legislative power. The committee adopted the amendment and recommended the resolution do pass as amended on a 5-2 vote. Finally, the committee quickly passed SB 1271, barring municipalities from penalizing businesses based on the number of emergency calls or the value of stolen/damaged property, with exceptions for malicious or false calls, and SB 1437, requiring public records to be provided in the least expensive electronic format with fees limited to material costs. Both measures received unanimous or near-unanimous support after brief testimony, and the committee also began hearing SB 1439, a strike-everything amendment creating a Conservative Grassroots Network specialty plate, but the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is where I say, sir, ma'am, this is my deposition. This is my conference room.
• I'm paying for this deposition. I get to ask the questions.

Committee: House Children and Families

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• you go through our other, you know, strict policy liabilities in the Student Opportunity Act, our deposits

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up debate on the FY2026 general appropriations bill, with several members speaking in support of the Ways and Means budget. Senators Comerford, O’Connor, Feeney, and DiDomenico emphasized the budget as a values-driven response to federal uncertainty, highlighting investments in MassHealth, education, housing, food security, local aid, libraries, transit, mental and behavioral health, and support for vulnerable residents. They also praised the budget’s lack of new taxes and its focus on spending within available revenues, while noting major cost pressures from health care and federal policy instability. Specific programs and items repeatedly cited included universal free community college, expanded financial aid, rural and minimum school aid, TAFDC/EAEDC increases, the Healthy Incentives Program, universal school meals, housing supports, Home and Healthy for Good, and funding for Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital. Speakers framed these investments as both fiscally responsible and morally necessary, and several noted that amendments would be considered during the debate. No votes on the budget itself were taken in the excerpt. After the budget remarks, Senator Miranda spoke in recognition of Haitian Flag Day and the history of Haiti, including foreign interference and the importance of protecting Haitian immigrants in Massachusetts. Another senator then honored Malcolm X on the 100th anniversary of his birth, connecting his legacy to the budget process and calling for investments in equity, education, housing, and health care. The Senate then adopted an order to meet the next day at 10 a.m. with the general appropriations bill as the only item on the calendar, and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Can I just ask you, if the CCRC doesn't have a large entrance deposit or a long-term care unit, is it

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission met at Brookhaven at Lexington to continue discussing continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), with a focus on financial viability, entrance fees, refund policies, and how the industry is evolving. Speakers explained that nonprofit CCRCs have shifted away from building entirely new campuses since the 2008 financial crisis, and now more often grow through expansions, affiliations, mergers, or added home- and community-based services. They also noted that many newer CCRCs, especially nationwide, are being built without on-campus skilled nursing, relying instead on assisted living, memory care, or off-site arrangements, and that zoning and local approval can affect expansion plans. A substantial portion of the discussion centered on financial health and consumer protection. Panelists said the most important indicators of a strong CCRC are high occupancy, strong liquidity, and reinvestment in the property, with low occupancy and declining days cash on hand cited as warning signs. They described how actuarial reviews are used to estimate health care utilization and set pricing, and said staffing shortages are often a bigger financial pressure than resident care utilization itself. On refunds, speakers said entrance-fee refunds are generally paid when a unit is resold and the new entrance fee is received, and that resident refunds are usually protected even in bankruptcy, though residents are unsecured creditors. Massachusetts examples such as Reed’s Landing and the Groves were cited as cases where residents remained in place and refunds were ultimately protected. The group also discussed a pending disclosure bill on Beacon Hill related to entrance fees and refund transparency. LeadingAge Massachusetts said it supports clearer disclosure so residents understand refund provisions, and reported that among surveyed member CCRCs, the average time to provide an entrance-fee refund over the past two years was about 117 days. Participants emphasized the need to balance consumer protection with preserving the financial stability of the communities. The commission also reviewed upcoming dates: a virtual public hearing/listening session on June 16, the next commission meeting on June 23, and a later discussion planned on consumer rights, protections, and advertising practices. The meeting concluded with introductions of commission members and an invitation for attendees to tour the Brookhaven campus.

Transcript Highlights:

• So basically it clarifies who had received the deposit. It basically adds wholesaling, including...

Bills: SCR12 , HB221 , HB509 , HCR58 , SB78 , SB25 , SB80 , SB132 , SB155 , SB157 , SB202 , SB228 , SB250 , SB414 , SB433 , SB479 , SB513 , SCR9 , SCR58 , SB65 , SB215 , SB249 , SB269 , SB282 , SB296 , SB323 , SB363 , SB369 , SB474 , SB490 , SB492 , SB500 , SB514 , HCR32 , HB17 , HB41 , HB73 , HB223 , HB244 , HB759 , HB906 , HB966 , HB1006 , HB1009 , HB1086 , HB1107 , HB1112 , HB1215 , HB1242 , SB217 , SB283 , SB469 , HB36 , HB42 , HB74 , HB119 , HB159 , HB259 , HB302 , HB414 , HB459 , HB776 , HB848 , HB956 , HB1017 , HB1028 , HB1095 , SB208 , SB312 , SB382 , SB389 , HB210 , HB258 , HB359 , HB368 , HB468 , HB552 , HB732 , HB784 , HB870 , HB953 , HB1117 , HB1236

Keywords: logging, recognition, John Keith, environment, safety, Mississippi River bridge, Trump Expressway, transportation, federal funding, Louisiana highways, injection wells, public hearing, geologic sequestration, environmental impact, public comment, Ascension Parish, state capitol, economic development, community partnership, celebration day

Summary: The Senate met with 29 members present, heard a prayer and national anthem presentation, and approved the journal without objection. The chamber then received multiple messages from the House on conference committee reports and concurrence actions, and took up a long calendar of Senate resolutions and House/Senate bills returned from the House with amendments. Several resolutions were adopted without objection, including commendations and requests for reports or studies, while others were left over or returned to the calendar. The Senate concurred in or adopted amendments on a series of bills covering registrar compensation (SB 25), broadband administration and reimbursement (SB 80), school safety master key boxes (SB 132), dental coverage for cancer treatment (SB 155), paid parental leave for educators (SB 157), election supervisor compensation days (SB 202), water utility service line replacement funding (SB 228), weight management services through the Office of Group Benefits (SB 250), medical debt protection (SB 414), Medicaid coverage of weight-loss medication (SB 443), and design-build authority for vertiport facilities (SB 513). It also adopted a House concurrent resolution urging backup motors for the St. Claude Avenue Bridge (HCR 32). One bill, SB 479 on removal of certain judges, had its amendments rejected and was sent to conference. The chamber then considered conference committee reports on several measures. Reports were adopted on SB 312 (labor organization dues and fees), SB 208 (veterans services and VA-related restrictions), SB 382 (workers’ compensation advisory council and reimbursement schedule timing), SB 389 (agent and athlete registration and fee review), and multiple House bills including HB 359 (party primary qualifying rules), HB 368 (New Orleans historic preservation lien procedures), HB 468 (wholesale residential real estate definitions), HB 552 (DWI-related responsive verdict language), HB 732 (motor vehicle fines/fees and hybrids), HB 870 and HB 1236 (pharmacy benefit manager and insurance provisions), and HB 1117 (prescription period issues). HB 210 on retroactivity was also adopted after debate. Several conference reports were temporarily passed over or returned to the calendar, including HB 953, and the Senate adjourned to reconvene the next morning for final work.

Transcript Highlights:

• And budget stabilization fund interest is deposited into the permanent building fund as additional funds

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is said that deep in the Superstition Mountains, there is a deposit of great size and value.

Committee: House House Rural Economic Development Committee of Reference

Summary: The Rural Economic Development Committee heard presentations focused on district needs and infrastructure priorities in LD7, including a video and testimony on the East Wilford Road Extension in Show Low and Gold Canyon/Lost Dutchman Days. Show Low officials, Navajo County leaders, and the city manager described the road extension as a shovel-ready project that would improve traffic flow, provide a new bridge over Shoal Creek/Show Low Creek designed for a 100-year flood, and create a critical alternate emergency route for evacuations and access to Summit Healthcare. They emphasized past flooding and wildfire evacuation concerns, the project’s regional importance, and the city’s local financial commitment, including $7.56 million already pledged. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1272, which appropriates $5 million from the state general fund in fiscal year 2027 for the state match for the Douglas Port of Entry, contingent on a $678 million federal GSA award. Senator Gallen, Douglas Mayor Jose Grijalva, and city staff said the project would support trade with Mexico, create jobs, improve border security, and help modernize port operations; they also noted a September 2026 deadline and that the city has already secured $20 million of the needed $50 million match, with additional funding still being sought. Testimony highlighted the port’s economic impact, the city’s small tax base, and the potential for federal and private investment leverage. After questions from members about safety, timelines, private participation, and local contributions, the committee voted to return SB 1272 with a due pass recommendation. The motion passed 6-0, with one member absent; Representative Bolt explained his yes vote by citing the bill’s importance to commerce, economic development, and border security.

Transcript Highlights:

• to dim the sun, such as adding sulfur to the atmosphere, increase the risk of acid rain, sulfur deposition

Committee: House Environment, Energy and Technology

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Fortunato, which would require legal financial obligations recovered under this section to be deposited

Summary: The committee took executive action on a series of bills, beginning with Engrossed House Bill 2445 on heir finder services and probate. Members adopted Striking Amendment Alpha, which added definitions and guardrails for heir finder agreements, including written filing and court oversight requirements, and then advanced the bill as amended to the Rules Committee. A second proposed striker, Bravo, was rendered out of order after Alpha was adopted. On Engrossed House Bill 1574 concerning access to life-saving care and substance use services, the committee considered several competing amendments. Amendment Charlie was rejected, while Amendment Delta was adopted to narrow protections and add public health and syringe service program provisions. Amendment Echo, which would have limited distribution of drug testing equipment to health care facilities and excluded syringe and smoking equipment, was rejected. Amendment Foxtrot, dealing with fentanyl endangerment and parenting sentencing alternatives, was withdrawn after discussion and then incorporated into a new striking amendment; the bill as amended was sent to the Rules Committee. The committee also adopted a striking amendment on Second Substitute House Bill 2333, expanding protections for elected officials and prosecutors, including security provisions, address confidentiality, residential address redaction, and limited criminal history information sharing, and sent it to Ways and Means. The committee next acted on Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2548 on health care market standards, adopting Amendment Hotel to exempt state-owned or state-operated entities and public hospital districts from filing fees, rejecting Amendment India on fee calculations and refunds, and then sending the bill as amended to Ways and Means. On Engrossed House Bill 2156 regarding Attorney General investigators, the committee rejected several amendments that would have limited criminal investigations, required additional certification, redirected recovered funds, or narrowed the definition of economic and financial crimes, then advanced the bill as amended to the Rules Committee. It also adopted striking amendments on Second Substitute House Bill 1909 creating a court unification task force and Substitute House Bill 2203 creating reckless interference with emergency operations, sending both bills onward. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2508 on the Office of Independent Investigations and Substitute House Bill 2248 on corporate filings were advanced without amendments, and the committee removed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2095 on vulnerable users of public ways from the day’s exec list. The meeting ended with final votes, committee recommendations, and adjournment, marking the last Law and Justice Committee meeting of the 2026 session.

Transcript Highlights:

• if utility relocation costs are an eligible use under federal regulation, any awards received are deposited

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Second Substitute Senate Bill 5690, which would require WSDOT to improve coordination with utilities on fish barrier removal projects and utility relocations, provide advance notice when feasible, and seek to maximize federal funding for relocation costs. Staff described the bill’s background, including the federal culvert injunction and WSDOT’s fish barrier work, and noted fiscal impacts tied to grant monitoring and possible revenue changes. Senator McEwen said the bill was narrowed from a prior version to reduce fiscal concerns and cited a district example where poor coordination allegedly wasted public and ratepayer funds. Utility representatives from PUDs testified in support, emphasizing better communication, advance notice for budgeting, and access to federal funds; no opposition was presented on this bill before the public hearing was closed. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6148, which would extend the maximum term for regional transit authority bonds from 40 years to 75 years and remove eligibility for regional mobility grant funds if an RTA uses bonds longer than 40 years. Staff and committee fiscal discussion focused on how longer terms reduce annual debt service but increase total interest paid over time, with examples comparing 25-, 40-, 50-, and 75-year bonds. Supporters, including Sound Transit board members, local officials, labor, and transit advocates, argued the bill would give Sound Transit flexibility to manage inflation, preserve project schedules, and align financing with long-lived infrastructure and the federal TIFIA loan program. Opponents argued the bill would increase long-term costs, shift burdens to future generations, and is premature because Sound Transit is still revising its plan and already has substantial cash and bonding capacity. The hearing ended after questions about debt safeguards, refinancing, and how the proposed authority would interact with TIFIA loans.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the revenues that would be collected if this materializes, it says it would be deposited into a newly

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation heard two bills. AB 796 by Assembly Member Lowenthal proposed a California Social Media Accountability Act that would impose a recovery fee on social media platforms’ advertising revenue and direct the proceeds to a Social Media Safety Trust Fund for education, mental health care, research, and social services related to youth harms from social media. The author and supporters, including a Long Beach Unified School District administrator and a pediatric emergency physician, argued that social media is contributing to youth mental health crises, cyberbullying, self-harm, and related school and health system costs, and that platforms should help pay for mitigation. Opponents, including taxpayer, business, and industry groups, argued the fee would raise costs for businesses and consumers, especially small businesses that rely on targeted digital ads, and warned of likely legal challenges under federal law, including the Internet Tax Freedom Act. Committee members discussed the bill’s legal distinctions from Maryland’s digital advertising tax, the potential pass-through of costs to advertisers, and whether the proposal would meaningfully address youth harms. Several members expressed support for the bill’s goal and concern about social media’s effects on children, while others raised questions about how the revenue would be allocated and whether the tax burden would fall on small businesses. After testimony and debate, AB 796 was held in committee and referred to the suspense file. The committee also took up AB 1265 by Assembly Member Haney, which was already on the suspense file. The chair recommended an aye vote on the bill as amended, with a clarification to reporting requirements, and the committee approved it 5-0, sending it to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the revenues that would be collected if this materializes, it says it would be deposited into a newly

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 988, house, all