Transcript Highlights:

• Dollars an hour, excluding instances of mechanical failure and natural disasters.
• Okay, and did they use a disaster loophole to raise taxes? That's correct.
• To address the disaster rate, while it's been referred to as a loophole, that was a provision adopted
• Declare disasters. Oh, absolutely.
• And they're telling you this bill is going to be a financial disaster to DART, and it's not.

Bills: HB2065 , HB2462 , HB2621 , HB3187 , HB3539 , HB3563 , HB3726 , HB4164 , HB4207 , HB4368 , HB4706 , HB4916 , HB4950 , HB4967 , HB5177 , HB4429 , HB5597

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: commercial vehicles, parking regulations, residential areas, local governance, land use, traffic safety, high occupancy vehicle lane, pregnant operators, transportation, parental rights, motor vehicle regulations, live video feed, state agency, transparency, public safety, regional transportation, mobility program, sales tax, public infrastructure, local government

Bills: HB2065 , HB2462 , HB2621 , HB3187 , HB3539 , HB3563 , HB3726 , HB4164 , HB4207 , HB4368 , HB4706 , HB4916 , HB4950 , HB4967 , HB5177 , HB4429 , HB5597

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: commercial vehicles, parking regulations, residential areas, local governance, land use, traffic safety, high occupancy vehicle lane, pregnant operators, transportation, parental rights, motor vehicle regulations, live video feed, state agency, transparency, public safety, regional transportation, mobility program, sales tax, public infrastructure, local government

Bills: HR214 , HR213 , HB1692 , HR706 , HJR25 , HB1968 , HR1156 , HR212 , HR211

Keywords: House of Representatives, Ethics, Homeland Security, committee elections, government, House resolution, committee assignments, standing committees, House Ethics Committee, Committee on Ethics, Homeland Security Committee, Committee on Homeland Security, congressional organization, Member appointments, committee membership, legislative procedure, oversight, ethics oversight, national security, ethics

Transcript Highlights:

• She is passionate about workforce violence and mitigating bullying and fostering a safe environment in

Bills: HB3327 , HB3711 , HB4104 , HJR1077 , HB3329 , HB4322 , HB4202 , HB4203 , HB4457 , HB3983 , HB3660 , HB3802 , HB2933 , HB2955 , HB2956 , HB3781 , HB3521 , HB3794 , HB3796 , HB3800 , HB3183 , HB4316 , HB4484 , HB3469 , HB3464 , HB3173 , HB3989 , HB3016 , HB2979 , HB2988 , HB2288 , HB3062 , HB3315 , HB3372 , HB3530 , HB3622 , HB3755 , HB4266

Keywords: State Board of Education, Oklahoma education board, board appointments, school governance, education reform, governor appointments, legislative appointments, speaker of the house, president pro tempore, senate confirmation, board vacancies, removal for cause, public education, state superintendent, school board training, board member qualifications, emergency clause, Oklahoma statutes 70 O.S. 3-101, school funding, transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• Catastrophe models predict the future losses of natural disasters and are often used as benchmarks to
• Wildfire mitigation at the community-wide scale needed to prevent more tragic loss while establishing
• SB 429 would establish the Wildfire Safety and Risk Mitigation Program.
• We work with families every day who are trying to rebuild after disasters, and we know the struggles
• In the aftermath of large-scale wildfire and other disasters, United Policyholders works closely with

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met to hear several bills related to insurance coverage, wildfire risk, workers’ compensation, and paid family leave. SB 8 by Senator Ashby would extend workers’ compensation and disability protections to Sacramento County park rangers, with testimony emphasizing that they perform law-enforcement-like duties and should receive the same protections as comparable officers. SB 429 by Senator Cortese would create a public wildfire catastrophe model and related wildfire safety program, with support from the Department of Insurance and consumer advocates who said public access to modeling data would improve transparency and help evaluate private insurance risk models. The committee also heard SB 525 by Senator Jones, which would require the FAIR Plan to offer coverage options for manufactured and mobile home owners, including replacement cost coverage. Supporters said the bill would help lower-income residents obtain meaningful insurance protection, while no opposition testified. SB 495 by Senator Allen, as amended, would require insurers to provide a larger contents-coverage advance after a total loss during a declared emergency without requiring an immediate itemized inventory, extend proof-of-loss deadlines, and require insurers to provide catastrophe modeling and reinsurance data to the Department of Insurance. Several insurers withdrew opposition after amendments, and the Department of Insurance and United Policyholders supported the measure. SB 590 by Senator Durazo would expand paid family leave to cover care for designated persons or chosen family members, with strong support from AARP, labor, civil rights, caregiving, and health organizations, and testimony from a parent describing the need to care for a non-legal family member during surgery recovery. The committee also took up consent items SB 230 and SB 854. After roll calls, SB 8, SB 429, SB 495, SB 525, and SB 590 all received do-pass votes, with SB 429 sent to the Committee on Emergency Management, SB 495 to Judiciary, and SB 525 and SB 590 to Appropriations. The consent calendar bills were also approved, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• sites, as well as at businesses that hire or deploy disaster relief or disaster response workers.
• Disaster restoration and mitigation sites, by their nature, are high-risk work sites that are dispersed
• This bill targets disaster areas and mitigation areas.
• Also, designated disasters can come months after... ...disasters can come months after.
• But again, we're still in conversations because disaster sites, as you've said, disaster and mitigation

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to public safety, emergency response, wildfire prevention, and environmental protection. AB 2152 by Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez would streamline CEQA litigation for new fire station projects and add best-practice requirements; supporters, including firefighters, said it would help communities and firefighter safety, while opponents argued the project labor agreement requirements would raise costs and limit participation for small and nonunion contractors. The bill passed to Appropriations. AB 2041 by Assembly Member Carrillo would expand reporting related to 911 dispatcher pre-arrival medical instructions; after amendments and stakeholder agreement, opposition groups said they would remove their opposition, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 2101 by Assembly Member Gipson would require human trafficking notices and training at disaster sites and for disaster response workers; supporters said it would protect vulnerable workers, while broadband, city, and county representatives raised implementation concerns, especially in rural disaster areas. It passed to Appropriations despite a no vote from Vice Chair Hadwick. The committee also considered AB 1805, which would require an audit and stronger oversight of the state’s Next Generation 911 project after concerns about major spending and delays. CalNENA supported the bill’s transparency and accountability provisions, and the measure passed to Appropriations. AB 1536 by Assembly Member Addis would tighten safety and public review requirements for offshore oil pipeline restarts and require decommissioning of certain spill-prone pipelines; environmental and coastal government groups supported it, while the Western States Petroleum Association warned it would threaten fuel supply and pipeline operations. The bill passed to Appropriations on a divided vote. AB 1964 would direct the State Fire Marshal to survey home hardening in fire-prone areas and estimate costs; it passed to Appropriations with broad support. AB 1960, also by Assembly Member Bennett, would use a portion of wildfire prevention grants to encourage community-level home hardening certification. The author said the bill would create incentives and broader public awareness, while the vice chair argued it would favor communities that can already afford hardening and divert resources from higher-need areas; the bill still passed to Appropriations. AB 1863 by Assembly Member DeMaio would clarify that people cannot be charged simply for calling 911 or when no services are rendered, while preserving fees for actual services and allowing billing for legitimate emergency response costs; it passed to the Assembly floor. The committee also took up consent item AB 2517, which passed to Appropriations. After add-on votes for absent members, the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• He then asked how the provision would affect the current disaster remediation in St. Louis.
• Second issue is this disaster mediation program.
• Second issue is this disaster mediation program. Second issue is this disaster mediation program.
• And we've seen across the country states that have done these mitigation programs.
• And we've seen across the country states that have done these mitigation programs.

Committee: House Insurance and Banking

Summary: The Insurance Committee held public hearings on House Bill 3328 and House Bill 2324. HB 3328, sponsored by Rep. Castile, is a broad homeowners insurance package that would redirect insurance dedicated fund money into a Missouri Stronger Homes Fund, create a Missouri Disaster Mediation Act for disaster-related claims, update public adjuster regulation, strengthen fraud provisions, add consumer notices, and establish roof-hardening grant programs. The sponsor and the Department of Commerce and Insurance said the bill is still being revised in a committee substitute, especially on public adjuster language and fortified roof standards. Committee members asked about the dedicated fund, mediation benchmarks, the role of public adjusters, and how the program would affect disaster recovery in places like St. Louis. Testimony on HB 3328 was mixed. The Department of Commerce and Insurance and several insurance industry groups supported the bill’s consumer protections, mitigation funding, mediation process, fraud language, and assignment-of-benefits ban, but said the public adjuster fee cap would likely be removed and that the bill needs technical changes for mutual insurers and roofing standards. Public adjusters testified in opposition to the cap as written, saying their fees are typically 10-15% and are disclosed in contracts, and that they were working with the sponsor on revisions. A shingle manufacturer also opposed the fortified roof language as drafted because some of its products may not fit the current standard. The committee then closed the hearing on HB 3328. The committee next heard HB 2324, sponsored by Rep. Lucas, which would restrict the sharing or sale of vehicle driving data and was described by the sponsor as a privacy bill aimed at stopping companies like OnStar from selling driving data to insurers. Opponents from the Missouri Insurance Coalition and NAMIC said the bill would not actually target OnStar, but would instead interfere with voluntary telematics-based discount programs used by insurers, potentially raising premiums and creating administrative burdens. They also noted existing federal and state rules already govern insurer data use and that the bill could create a mismatch between risk and pricing. The hearing on HB 2324 was then closed, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• or an incentive to encourage homeowners to harden their homes and mitigate against future disasters.
• to a mitigation standard.
• We think that there's value in creating that incentive if there's a disaster that was recently nearby
• I think if the question is, what are the mitigating... ...I think would appreciate the commitment to
• I think if the question is, what are the mitigation measures, I'm confident we can get there on what

Committee: Senate Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• and Risk Reduction Authority and the Wildfire Mitigation and Risk Reduction Authority Fund. ...to the
• Wildfire Mitigation and Risk Reduction Authority and the Wildfire Mitigation and Risk Reduction Authority
• It is an investment in prevention over disaster and partnership over fragmentation. Thank you, Mr.
• It is an investment in prevention over disaster and partnership over fragmentation. Thank you, Mr.
• It is an investment in prevention over disaster and partnership over fragmentation. Thank you, Mr.

Committee: House House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard three measures. HB 2013 would require the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to submit an exceptional event demonstration to the EPA when wildfire smoke from federally managed land affects the state. The sponsor said it would help Arizona avoid penalties tied to uncontrollable wildfire events and could ease pressure on air-quality compliance; Sierra Club opposed it, arguing the bill could create unnecessary filings and burdens, while ADEQ was neutral. The committee voted 5-1 to give HB 2013 a due pass recommendation. HB 2292, as amended, would create the Wildfire Mitigation and Risk Reduction Authority and fund under the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, with the amendment renaming the authority, capping administrative costs at 8%, and prioritizing funding for single-family and multifamily dwellings. Supporters from Coconino County and the County Supervisors Association said the program would help reduce wildfire risk, support community hardening, and address rising homeowners insurance costs by redirecting $20 million from existing insurance premium tax revenues; members clarified it was not a new tax. The committee adopted the amendment and then approved the bill 8-0. HCM 2011 urges Congress to pass federal legislation to delist the Mexican wolf, defund the reintroduction program, and transfer management to local authorities. Supporters said ranchers have been harmed by wolf predation and that delisting is overdue, while Sierra Club opposed the memorial, saying the species remains under-recovered and decisions should be based on science. The committee approved the memorial 5-2 and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• disasters strike.
• What we can do is mitigate the devastation that comes with the next disaster.
• Chief Kidd, in that we do need to establish best practices in order to mitigate the aftereffects of disasters
• Our job is, how do we mitigate that disaster?
• In the interim, we will continue our work on disaster mitigation.

Bills: HB2 , HB1 , HB18 , HB19 , HB20 , HB1 , HB2 , HB18 , HB19 , HB20

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• So if this leasing plan challenges our own direction and our own desire to mitigate climate change...
• The leasing plan challenges our own direction and our own desire to mitigate climate change.
• , responsibilities and biological risks that make them more exposed during climate-related disasters
• So this bill seeks to address this issue for future disasters in a narrow way.
• So this is all about prioritizing streamlined recovery for disaster victims while still balancing the

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 238 gave homeowners a fighting chance in the wake of the disaster.
• When a major disaster occurs, When a major disaster occurs and a federal disaster declaration is issued
• , mortgage servicers activate disaster response protocols.
• or the disaster zone based off a ZIP code.
• It is instability layered on top of disaster.

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee held an outcomes review of AB 238, the wildfire mortgage forbearance law, focused on how the law has worked for survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Chair Valencia and Assemblymember Harabedian said the hearing was intended to hear directly from survivors, assess whether the law is being implemented as intended, and identify fixes. Several survivors described losing homes, facing long rebuild timelines, and struggling with insurers, housing costs, and mortgage servicers. Many said they encountered confusion, inconsistent information, requests for financial documentation, lump-sum repayment demands, credit reporting problems, or loan modifications that they viewed as undermining the law’s purpose. Some urged clearer consumer education, a consumer bill of rights, and an extension of forbearance relief; one witness specifically advocated for AB 1847 to extend forbearance to 36 months. DFPI Chief Deputy Commissioner Suzanne Martindale said the department had received about 300 wildfire-related consumer complaints, mostly about mortgage forbearance, and that more than 91% had been resolved in the consumer’s favor. She said the department works with both state-licensed and federally regulated institutions, but its authority is limited when national banks are involved, so it often uses outreach and direct contact with lenders and federal partners to resolve complaints. She also described recurring complaint themes such as difficulty obtaining forbearance, customer-service breakdowns, withholding of insurance funds, and non-interest-bearing impound accounts. Committee members pressed DFPI on which institutions were noncompliant, what enforcement tools were available, and how much data the state could collect and make public. Representatives of the California Bankers Association and California Mortgage Bankers Association said lenders had provided early disaster relief and were working to comply with AB 238, but emphasized that mortgage servicing is constrained by federal law, investor requirements, and secondary-market guidelines. They argued that forbearance is temporary relief, not forgiveness, and warned that extending it without a clear repayment path can create future payment shock or larger debt burdens. They also said many servicers use disaster protocols tied to federal declarations and that clearer communication is needed. In response to committee concerns, the mortgage bankers said they would continue working with the Legislature and federal agencies, but could not promise changes beyond investor and agency rules. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is an example of when we write the disaster declaration and ask for the President to give us a disaster
• Once we get to that number, then the disaster goes to 90-10.
• And, you know, I take my direction in a disaster.
• And then there's a disaster readiness assessment.
• As always, any time we have a disaster.

Summary: The Economic Development Budget Subcommittee received a lengthy presentation from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, on disaster costs, recovery operations, sheltering, and major capital projects. He reviewed the 2024 hurricane season impacts from Debby, Helene, and Milton, explaining how FEMA public assistance and state reimbursement work, how cost shares can shift from 75/25 to 90/10 after a federal threshold is reached, and how Florida uses prior storm data and inflation to estimate recovery costs. He also described the state’s faster reimbursement timelines, crediting legislative investments in technology and digital field documentation, and said the division is working to reduce disaster closeout timelines from decades to about seven years. Members asked about debris removal, FEMA de-obligations, local preparedness, and whether regional shelters or co-located emergency operations centers could be used more efficiently. Guthrie said debris assistance is complicated and should generally remain tied to local contracts and planning, though the state will help fiscally constrained communities when needed. He explained de-obligations as FEMA clawing back previously approved funds after later review, and said Florida’s FROC program is helping local governments reduce those risks through standardized documentation, procurement review, and training. He also urged more mandatory emergency-management training for local and state officials and cautioned against weakening the FEMA 50% rule for rebuilding damaged structures. Guthrie provided updates on the new central Florida warehouse in Auburndale and the new State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. He said the warehouse will improve logistics, include cold and ultra-cold storage, and be run by a private vendor with virtual inventory tracking, while the new EOC is designed for Category 5 conditions and expanded partner capacity. He acknowledged budget pressures that reduced the size of the EOC project and said an additional IT request was needed because those costs were not originally included. The meeting ended with praise for FDEM’s work and no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we've been through several natural disasters since then.
• emergency following a natural disaster.
• Yeah, no, this only relates to the state natural disaster time period.
• Don't we have to, as a homeowner, mitigate our damages? Yes, you have a duty to mitigate.
• Yes, you have a duty to mitigate.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 267, which would change the membership rules for the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors by adjusting appointment qualifications, term limits, and nomination procedures. Vice Chair Thomas explained the bill was meant to address the lack of nominations from existing entities and to allow the governor more flexibility, especially in smaller districts. After adopting a technical amendment, the committee reported HB 267 favorably. The committee then considered House Bill 478 on utility overcharge reimbursements. The bill, as amended, requires utilities to clearly label reimbursements on customer bills and sets a deadline for issuing refunds. After discussion with the Public Service Commission and utility representatives, the committee changed the reimbursement timeline from 45 days to 90 days and clarified that the bill would not interfere with larger settlement or regulatory credits. HB 478 was then reported favorably as amended. The longest discussion centered on House Bill 924, a consumer protection measure aimed at contractors who solicit residential property owners after declared disasters. The author said the bill was intended to curb predatory storm-chasing and fraudulent insurance-related practices, while still allowing emergency mitigation work. The committee adopted technical amendments and then a conceptual amendment shortening the catastrophe response period from six months to 30 days. Testimony was split: the Insurance Commissioner and some roofing industry witnesses supported the bill as a way to deter fraud, while other contractors argued it would hurt small businesses, limit legitimate door-to-door work, and not solve enforcement problems. The bill remained under consideration after extensive testimony and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• sites, as well as at businesses that hire or deploy disaster relief or disaster response workers.
• Disaster restoration and mitigation sites, by their nature, comprise high-risk work sites that are dispersed
• This bill targets disaster areas and mitigation areas.
• Also, designated disasters can come months after... ...disasters can come months after.
• But again, we're still in conversations because disaster sites, as you've said, disaster and mitigation

Committee: House Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• And we need partnership with the state to mitigate those impacts.
• for regular CalFresh benefits at the time of the disaster.”
• the disaster.
• This typically occurs within a week or two of the disaster declaration.
• Disaster CalFresh is an appropriate response.

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services heard an overview of the expected California budget and program impacts from H.R. 1, including changes to Medi-Cal and CalFresh eligibility, redeterminations, work requirements, immigration-related coverage rules, retroactive coverage limits, and reductions in federal matching for certain services and provider financing mechanisms. DHCS and CDSS described implementation plans focused on automation, data matching, clearer communications, county training, and outreach, while noting that many federal details are still pending. The Legislative Analyst’s Office also reviewed how H.R. 1 could increase pressure on county indigent care systems, explaining the history of county responsibility under Section 17000, 1991 realignment, and AB 85, and warning that counties may face large increases in uninsured residents seeking care without corresponding funding flexibility. An independent policy expert urged consideration of a more standardized statewide approach to indigent care and raised questions about governance, benefits, and financing. Department witnesses estimated substantial coverage losses and fiscal effects: DHCS projected major Medi-Cal disenrollment tied to work requirements, six-month renewals, narrowed immigrant eligibility, and reduced retroactive coverage, while CDSS estimated large CalFresh benefit losses and a significant increase in administrative workload and payment accuracy pressure. Members questioned how exemptions would work for older adults, people experiencing homelessness, undocumented residents, and cash workers, and asked about the effect on the CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefit Pilot and on county administrative funding. Officials said they would use available data and self-attestation where possible, but acknowledged that many cases would require manual screening and that the county workload estimates remain in dispute. They also said the state is still evaluating the impact of H.R. 1 on provider taxes and state-directed payments, which could create additional budget pressure. County representatives from Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Tulare, and San Bernardino described major local consequences if H.R. 1 is implemented as written. They warned of higher uninsured rates, more strain on emergency rooms and public hospitals, increased homelessness and food insecurity, and a likely need to rebuild or expand county indigent care programs that were largely scaled back after the ACA. Counties said they are already freezing hiring, cutting positions, reducing overtime, deferring spending, and launching outreach and coordination efforts with managed care plans and community partners, but argued that these steps are not enough without additional state support. Several counties backed the California County Welfare Directors Association’s request for $373 million in General Fund support for eligibility work and asked for a CalFresh match waiver to soften the new county share of administrative costs; Los Angeles and Santa Clara also emphasized that their local revenue measures would not close the projected gaps. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• She doesn't pay for any of this mitigation.
• disasters and emergencies of all types.
• Like, whenever I have to work with you, it's going to be a disaster.
• Like, whenever I have to work with you, it's going to be a disaster.
• Like, whenever I have to work with you, it's going to be a disaster.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules met to consider a series of gubernatorial appointments, bill referrals, and two Senate Rule 26 authorship-change requests. The committee first approved, on 4-0 votes held open for absent members, a slate of appointments not required to appear, including J. Bradshaw to the Transportation Commission, Kylie Bolser to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, and several appointments to the Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, as well as Monique Moyer to the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority Board. The committee also approved bill referrals and, after a clarification that only authorship changes were before the committee, approved the Rule 26 requests involving former Assembly Member James Gallagher’s bills AB 2676 and AB 2700. After absent members arrived, those earlier actions were confirmed by 5-0 votes. The main hearing was on Megan Hurdle’s appointment as Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hurdle emphasized a science-based, collaborative approach balancing conservation with the needs of farmers, ranchers, local governments, tribes, and communities. Senators focused on human-wildlife conflict, including wolves and mountain lions, the Western Joshua tree program and its costs for homeowners and local projects, invasive golden mussels, staffing shortages among wildlife officers, marine protected areas and 30x30, tribal co-management and land return, and oil spill prevention and response. Hurdle said the department is using data sharing, less-lethal tools, task forces, public education, and partnerships to address these issues, while also trying to improve permitting and reduce burdens where possible. The committee then heard from Caroline Thomas Jacobs, nominated to lead the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Jacobs highlighted her prior leadership roles in wildfire safety and her earlier service at Cal OES, and said her priorities include statewide preparedness, next-generation 911, recovery from the Los Angeles fires, and planning for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Senators questioned her about disaster debris clearance, public safety power shutoffs, governance for the 911 rollout, earthquake preparedness, mutual-aid equipment, and how Cal OES coordinates with local and out-of-state law enforcement for major events. Jacobs said Cal OES should show up quickly, coordinate clearly, and use lessons from past disasters to reduce delays and improve response. Both nominees received broad support from public witnesses, and each was advanced to the Senate floor by committee vote; Hurdle’s appointment was later confirmed 5-0, and Jacobs’s appointment was confirmed 5-0 after the committee reconvened.

Transcript Highlights:

• Catastrophe models predict the future losses of natural disasters and are often used as benchmarks to
• Publicly accessible data and actuarial analysis can help achieve wildfire mitigation at the community-wide
• SB 429 would establish the Wildfire Safety and Risk Mitigation Program and allow the department to pursue
• At United Policyholders, we work with families every day who are trying to rebuild after disasters, and
• In the aftermath of large-scale wildfire and other disasters, United Policyholders works closely with

Committee: House Insurance

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met to hear several insurance-related bills, beginning with SB 8 by Senator Ashby, which would extend workers’ compensation and disability protections to Sacramento County park rangers. Ashby and Sacramento County’s chief ranger argued the rangers perform law-enforcement-like duties, face violent encounters, and should receive the same protections as comparable officers. The bill was later approved on the floor with members noting it had been narrowed from a prior version. The committee also heard SB 429 by Senator Cortese, proposing the nation’s first public wildfire catastrophe model. Supporters from the Department of Insurance and United Policyholders said a public model would improve transparency, help evaluate private catastrophe models, and support wildfire mitigation and fairer insurance regulation. The committee advanced the bill to the Committee on Emergency Management. SB 495 by Senator Allen, as amended, would require insurers to provide a larger inventory-free contents payment after a total loss in a declared emergency, extend proof-of-loss deadlines, and require insurers to share catastrophe modeling data with the department. After testimony from the Department of Insurance, consumer advocates, and insurers who withdrew opposition, the bill passed unanimously to Judiciary. The committee also approved SB 525 by Senator Jones, which would require the Fair Plan to offer certain coverage options for manufactured and mobile home owners, with supporters emphasizing the difficulty lower-income residents face in finding coverage and the need for replacement-cost protection. SB 590 by Senator Durazo, backed by a large coalition including AARP, labor, civil rights, caregiving, and LGBTQ organizations, would expand paid family leave to cover chosen and extended family caregivers. The committee heard no opposition to SB 590 and sent it to Appropriations. The consent calendar, including SB 230 and SB 854, was also approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• This dynamic can be referred to as disaster capitalism and has occurred in several post-disaster communities
• up housing costs, eliminating naturally occurring affordable housing, permanently displacing disaster
• Following a major disaster, communities like Altadena are vulnerable to prospective displacement and
• as unintended consequences of recent urban infill laws being used to take away housing from disaster
• The threat of post-disaster homeownership as compared to the rest of the state.

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard several housing-related bills. SB 996 by Senator Padilla would let manufactured homeowners opt to title their homes as real property, with supporters saying this would improve access to conventional mortgages, consumer protections, and lower-cost financing. SB 866 by Senator Blakespear would require cities and counties to include homelessness-related information in their annual housing element reports, with supporters saying the bill would improve transparency, regional coordination, and accountability around homelessness funding and services. The committee also heard SB 1090 by Senator Perez, which would impose a temporary moratorium in Altadena on certain state housing density laws after the Eaton Fire. Supporters, including Supervisor Catherine Barger and many Altadena residents, argued the bill would protect fire survivors from speculative investors and give families time to rebuild and return home. Opponents argued the bill could limit tools that homeowners need to finance rebuilding and could reduce future housing production. After extensive testimony, the committee passed SB 1090 to the Assembly Local Government Committee on a 10-0 vote. SB 1388 by Senator Durazo would create an Affordable Housing Risk Reduction Program to help affordable housing providers reduce insurance costs through technical assistance and risk-mitigation support. Supporters said rising insurance premiums are threatening the viability of affordable housing developments and existing units. The committee also reconsidered and then voted on SB 1092, which was taken up only for reconsideration and final vote; after a split vote, the bill ultimately passed the committee. Final recorded votes showed SB 866 and SB 996 passing unanimously, SB 1388 passing with one no vote and one not voting, and SB 1092 passing 7-5 after reconsideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• California faces frequent and severe natural disasters including wildfires.
• waiting until another disaster, unfortunately, inevitable.
• We recognize it's absolutely a disaster contributed by severe weather.
• Peninsula, and it's unreasonable that this is not considered a disaster.
• We're talking about natural disasters.

Committee: House Emergency Management