Transcript Highlights:

• are raising concerns that the DA proposal would eliminate the current accountability systems and equity
• Investing in community schools is an equity investment and in the future of California.
• Investing in community schools is investing in equity and in the future of California.
• That equity-focused investment and strategy, rooted in deep relational trust and leveraging the assets
• This equity-focused investment and strategy, rooted in deep relational trust and leveraging the assets

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I hope the folks upstairs understand that, you know, it is an equity issue.
• It's an equity issue, and I'm glad that the agency brought it forward to us to study, and I think it
• know, it's it understand that that, you know, it's it is<00:26:21.120><c> an</c><00:26:21.279><c> equity
• It's an equity issue, and I'm glad that the agency brought it forward to us to study, and I think it
• issue and I'm glad that the equity issue and I'm glad that the agency<00:26:40.000><c> brought</c><00

Bills: SF0024

Committee: Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources

Keywords: lottery, debit card payments, gambling regulations, state revenue, financial transactions, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• designated community action agency for Prince George's County, UKAP has spent six decades advancing equity
• designated community action agency for Prince George's County, UKAP has spent six decades advancing equity
• designated community action agency for Prince George's County, UKAP has spent six decades advancing equity
• County, UKAP has spent six decades County, UKAP has spent six decades advancing<00:02:32.400><c> equity
• equity, opportunity, and community<00:02:35.440><c> empowerment</c> community empowerment community

Keywords: House streaming session for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 132 members present, offered prayer, approved the previous day’s journal, and adopted a House resolution honoring United Communities Against Poverty for 60 years of service in Prince George’s County fighting poverty. The organization’s board members were recognized in the gallery. The chamber then handled introductory business, including first-reading referral of House Bills 1587-1596, two introductory House bond initiatives referred to Appropriations, and Senate Bill 25 and other Senate bills received in the House and referred to committees. The House also took up committee reports and special orders. The Economic Matters Committee reported favorably on several bills, including House Bills 236, 241, 242, 259, and 308, all of which were adopted and ordered printed for third reading. On House Bill 146 regarding on-site wastewater systems, a friendly amendment was adopted to allow repair or replacement of failed drain field components needed to meet the bill’s requirements. On House Bill 220 concerning individual water meters/submetering, a substitute amendment was adopted to strike a provision related to eviction proceedings and keep the bill aligned with existing law; the bill was then ordered printed for third reading. Members also made several announcements recognizing visiting groups and observances, including the ALS Association, Career and Technology Education Month, Economic Development Day, Developmental Disabilities Day, Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day, the start of Ramadan, and Easter season. The House heard a Black History Month-style recognition of Ethel Beh Hill and welcomed multiple delegations and student groups. Committee and subcommittee meeting announcements followed, and with 134 members present, the House remained in session before the majority leader moved adjournment until Thursday, February 19 at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill prohibits schools from using state or federal funds for activities that advocate for diversity, equity
• , or that would promote or engage... ...the defunding of student activities related to diversity, equity
• the language in this bill that ceases to fund student activities if they advocate for diversity or equity
• I have seen what attacks on diversity and equity and inclusion have done to class programs.
• I grew up in Alabama in the '60s, and there was no diversity, there was no equity, there was no inclusion

Summary: The subcommittee first heard HB 461, which would allow registered or preregistered students to volunteer at polling locations to earn community service hours, including on weekends. The sponsor and several supporters, including the Duval County Supervisor of Elections and League of Women Voters representatives, said the bill would promote civic education and give students firsthand experience with elections. After brief questions and overwhelmingly supportive testimony, the committee voted unanimously to report HB 461 favorably. The committee then took up HB 1071, an omnibus education bill described by the sponsor as reinforcing parental rights, student safety, early learning accountability, and oversight of scholarship and instructional programs. Members adopted eight amendments, including provisions on charter school discipline during improvement plans, child care and attendance accountability, medically accurate embryologic/fetal development materials, school space calculations, reading notifications, law enforcement access to campuses and canine units, lab school admissions criteria, and the composition of the FHSAA advisory council. Debate and testimony focused heavily on the bill’s provisions restricting DEI- and activism-related spending, the fetal development video requirement, and the law enforcement amendment; supporters framed the bill as promoting merit, safety, and parental rights, while opponents warned about vague definitions, censorship, and potential impacts on students and school programs. Public testimony on HB 1071 was extensive and sharply divided. Supporters included organizations such as Florida Voice for the Unborn, the Christian Family Coalition, and various individuals who backed the fetal development instruction and limits on DEI-related spending. Opponents included Planned Parenthood Florida Action, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Equality Florida, the ACLU of Florida, the Florida Education Association, teachers, parents, and students, who argued the bill was too broad, could chill instruction and student activities, and could introduce ideological content into health education. The transcript ends during closing debate on the amended bill, before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's ostensibly for more diversity, for equity and inclusion, and I think what we're seeing is that it's
• I want to pivot from that, but I do want to- your score-the emphasis on education equity across America
• folks that are suggesting that now the school curriculum should not include lessons in diversity, equity
• I think diversity, equity, inclusion is a political movement that has very little to do. with the advancement
• education $38,000 for a one-day session with a quote equity consultant in Michigan countless dollars

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Keywords: educational reform, federal grants, bureaucracy, wealth disparity, public testimony

Summary: The committee meeting engaged in discussions focused primarily on educational reform, the influence of federal grants on local education systems, and the growing disparities in wealth and access to quality education. Members expressed concerns about the bureaucracy surrounding federal funding that hampers schools' ability to obtain necessary resources for improvement. Several members highlighted personal anecdotes from constituents, emphasizing the urgent need for reform to help students succeed in both K-12 and higher education environments. The meeting included public testimonies that provided insights into various community perspectives on these pressing issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Equity requires that all students, regardless of where they live, have access and support.
• No surprise, what we really like about this proposal is the bold, equity-based $1 billion investment
• No surprise, what we really like about this proposal is the bold, equity-based $1 billion investment
• It's about equity and helping us all move toward better futures for ourselves. Thank you.
• It's about equity and helping us all move better futures for ourselves. Thank you. Thank you.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• specifically for Medicaid, specifically for some of these codes we're talking about today when private equities
• Private equity is buying these laboratories and having, and this is not at all what I'm trying to say
• just want to address some of the things that you're covering and talking about as far as private equity
• owned by or controlled by, and I think... ...it might be interesting if we add guardrails for private equity
• I do think private equity should be stuck in here. I think that's important.

Summary: The House Health and Human Services Committee first heard House Bill 256, which would require school cardiac emergency response plans to address sudden cardiac arrest at school athletic activities and ensure AEDs are clearly marked and accessible at those events. The sponsor and an American Heart Association representative said the bill builds on last year’s law and is meant to improve implementation, not add new equipment costs. Members asked about funding, were told the AEDs are already in place, and the bill received a due pass with no opposition. The committee then took up House Bill 278 on Medicaid reimbursement for toxicology testing in substance use disorder treatment. The sponsor and Southwest Labs argued that current payer policies limit providers’ clinical judgment, that a new flat-rate code for unlimited analytes would improve care, keep Medicaid dollars in New Mexico, and support local laboratories. Several members raised concerns about whether the bill effectively rewrites bundled G-codes, whether it mainly benefits one company, how it affects MCO contracts, GRT/tax issues, and whether the fiscal estimates were realistic. After extensive questioning and conflicting views, a due-pass motion was made but the vote ended in a tie, so the bill did not advance. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 287 to create a permanent, full-time Health and Human Services Committee with a director and expanded membership, similar to other permanent legislative committees. Supporters from advocacy and policy groups said health care is too large and complex to be handled by a part-time interim committee and that year-round staffing would improve oversight and policymaking. Members discussed committee composition, staffing, subpoena power, and the proposed appropriation, and the sponsor said the bill is a starting point that could be refined later. The committee approved HB 287 on a do-pass motion and then adjourned until Monday morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• for providers attending different equity for providers attending different institutions<00:15:44.319
• State law provides that child care programs located in a child care access equity area are those that
• A child care access equity area is defined in statute as an area with low access to child care, high
• State law provides that child care programs located in a child care access equity area are those that
• </c> affected um I think this issue of equity affected um I think this issue of equity and<01:43:02.880

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That case could significantly affect our energy production and resource development.
• </c><00:18:56.520><c> and</c><00:18:56.760><c> environmental</c> in national energy and environmental
• in national energy and environmental policy.<00:18:58.000><c> Some</c><00:18:58.280><c> agencies</c>
• and resource energy production and resource development.
• In this instance, regulations have been removed to make way for this administration’s plan on energy,

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , real estate... ...by asset class, including private equity, real estate, infrastructure.
• Typically, what happens month to month is equities go up or down, fixed income securities returns go
• So our private equity portfolio construction is looking to create a portfolio of private equity general
• So our private equity portfolio construction is looking to create a portfolio of private equity general
• partners that were Construction is looking to create a portfolio of private equity general partners

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Budget Section met with a quorum, approved the December 10, 2025 minutes, and received a general fund and revenue update from the Office of Management and Budget. OMB reported the state was about $2 million ahead of forecast biennium-to-date, with an estimated ending general fund balance of about $397.5 million. Joe Morset also reviewed balances in major funds, oil tax revenues, interest income, federal grant reporting, fiscal irregularities, the voluntary separation incentive program, vacancy savings, and the FTE pool. Members asked about the higher-than-forecast interest income, the effective oil tax rate and stripper-well production, the impact of temporary pay adjustments and vacancy savings, and whether the voluntary separation program could reduce institutional knowledge or shift duties to remaining staff. The committee then approved four Emergency Commission requests: $5.26 million for DPI to support an AI-enabled tutoring platform, $105,000 from the general fund contingency for Corrections GPS monitoring, about $1.963 million for HHS SPACES eligibility system upgrades tied to Medicaid work requirements, and about $1.2 million for SNAP eligibility IT improvements. Legislative Council reported remaining interim spending authority after those approvals, and NDIT gave an update on digital accessibility compliance efforts, saying the state has made substantial progress on websites and PDFs but that applications will take longer to remediate. NDIT also reported on the Infinite Campus student information system rollout, noting data migration remains the biggest challenge and that a supplemental vendor is being brought in to help get districts ready for summer go-live. Greg Hoffman then gave a brief update on NDIT’s operational fund, saying cash remains negative in PeopleSoft but accounts receivable keeps the fund functioning within federal limits. The Supreme Court reported on its new and vacant FTE funding pool, saying it has filled 7 of 10 new positions and has realized some vacancy savings, and Legislative Council provided a similar report for the legislative branch along with a reminder that budget action reports are available online. The Department of Transportation presented its Flexible Transportation Fund, explaining the fund’s allocation formulas and ranking process, and sought Budget Section approval for two projects over the $10 million threshold: a Medora city streets and sidewalk project and a Cass County bridge replacement. Members questioned whether funding Medora streets could set a precedent for city street reconstruction and whether the bridge application process fully reflects statewide needs. DOT said the projects were scored competitively and that the bridge list does not capture all deficiencies statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• And because of that, we will continue to insist that any discretionary funds also be provided an equity-based
• And then also making sure that the formula is distributed with equity in mind and making sure that it
• It's a matter of equity and integrity in our system.
• That, of course, ties to the administration's proposal on the equity or the equalization of the special
• I want to tie so that of course ties to the administration's proposal on the equity or the equalization

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Equity markets present both upside and downside risks to this forecast.
• Households in the top quintile of income distribution hold a high proportion of the equities held by
• A downward correction in equity markets could cause outsized changes in personal consumption.
• Equity markets, as I've already mentioned, present both upside and downside risks.
• c> already</c> Equity markets, as I've already Equity markets, as I've already mentioned,<00:14:49.360

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Aaron Campbell, State Economist Dr. Tony Becker, and State Budget Director Anna Mingi presented the November 2025 budget and economic forecast. Campbell said the state now projects a nearly $2.5 billion surplus at the end of the 2026-27 biennium, about $575 million better than the end-of-session estimate, but also a projected negative balance of about $2.9 billion in FY 2028-29, reflecting a worsening structural imbalance. He said the budget reserve stands at $3.4 billion, with cash flow and budget reserves totaling $3.8 billion after a $244 million addition, and emphasized that Minnesota’s AAA bond rating and reserve policy remain strengths even as future sessions will need to address the long-term gap. Becker said the national economic outlook has changed only modestly since February, but growth remains below trend through the forecast horizon. He cited slower consumer spending, weak private investment, continued tariff uncertainty, lower projected immigration, and modest inflation that stays near 3% through 2026 before easing. Revenue forecasts for the next biennium were revised up to $66.3 billion, driven mainly by higher individual income tax receipts and other revenue, partly offset by lower sales and corporate tax forecasts. He also noted risks from federal policy changes, the recent shutdown’s effect on data availability, and possible equity market volatility. Mingi said general fund spending is projected to rise sharply, with current biennium spending up $3.4 billion from end-of-session estimates and planning-year spending up $1.9 billion. She attributed much of the increase to carryforward from prior one-time appropriations, discretionary inflation, and especially Medical Assistance. MA costs are projected to be about $2.5 billion higher over 2025-29, largely because managed care rates rose more than expected due to higher utilization and higher-cost services, including pharmacy costs, while long-term care and disability waiver costs also increased. In response to questions, officials said the federal reconciliation bill had only a relatively small effect on the health care changes, and that the carryforward amounts reflect unspent prior appropriations that now show up in later years rather than new spending.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before we move on, just real quick, I'm wondering if we're going to share this with the Health Equity
• We are trying to get over the event this upcoming Monday on health equity.
• We have a really good group of speakers who are coming in to speak about health equity, and I hope all

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met to discuss workforce issues affecting people who provide services to individuals with disabilities, with a focus on immigration enforcement concerns and an upcoming employment event. Ethan Marks, Deputy Chief of the Health Care Division at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, presented the AGO’s late-January guidance for health care providers and patients on how to respond to ICE activity at health care facilities, what information and access ICE may request, and what protections and access-to-care issues apply. He said the guidance is broad, includes contact information for the Civil Rights Division, and will be updated if federal policy changes. Committee members asked whether residential programs, day programs, DDS/DMH facilities, and similar settings would fall under the guidance; Marks said the guidance is intended to be broad but that specific scenarios may require follow-up with the Civil Rights Division. He also said he was not aware of significant ICE activity at health care facilities so far, though there is fear and some rumors, and members discussed sharing the guidance with hospitals, academic medical institutions, the Health Equity Compact, and other stakeholders. The subcommittee then reviewed plans for a June 23 State House event titled Strength and Support: Networking and Resource Sharing Event for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities, Personal Care Assistance, Job Coaches, and Inclusive Workplaces. The event will feature a panel-style conversation with prepared questions, success stories, challenges to employment, and strategies to improve outcomes, while also highlighting the shortage of direct support and human services workers. Confirmed or potential participants and partners mentioned included Partners for Youth with Disabilities, MassAbility, NextGen, JVS, the Federation for Children with Special Needs, the PCA Council, and the Arc of Massachusetts, which has launched a PSA campaign for direct support worker hiring. The PCA Council’s resume directory for people interested in becoming PCAs was also noted as a recruitment resource. Members suggested inviting employers and other stakeholders to the June event, including Eastern Bank, Mass General Brigham, and possibly representatives connected to apprenticeship programs. The group also discussed reaching out to contacts at the Federation and NextGen, and one member suggested Kathy Pitkowskis as a possible connection. The subcommittee said it would continue outreach and finalize the event details, and noted that the next regular meeting will be August 28, with Patricia Wu from EHS scheduled to provide statewide updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• concern is overly broad, and for entities with complex corporate structures or backed by private equity
• Does it include investment, not ownership, but dollars from private equity firms that are receiving money
• concern is overly broad, and for entities with complex corporate structures or backed by private equity

Summary: The Health Care Facilities and Systems Subcommittee met with a quorum present and considered four measures. The first was the PCS for HB 815, which would direct AHCA to study referral patterns by Medicaid managed care organizations and plans, including whether patients are being steered to providers with ownership or profit-sharing ties and how those services compare in cost. Members discussed transparency and potential cost impacts, and the PCS was reported favorably by a 17-0 vote. The committee then took up HB 1543, which narrows and clarifies an existing licensure attestation related to foreign countries of concern and controlling interests in health care entities. An amendment was adopted without objection to make clear the attestation applies to direct controlling interests. The bill was supported as a clarification for complex corporate structures, and it was reported favorably as amended by a 17-0 vote. Next, HB 899 addressed prescription drug coverage disclosures, aiming to prevent mid-year changes that could disrupt treatment or increase out-of-pocket costs for patients with chronic conditions. Supporters from Epic Pharmacies and the Florida Society of Rheumatology appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably by a 17-0 vote. Finally, the PCS for HB 493 on memory care facilities sought to add minimum standards and oversight for facilities advertising memory care services. The Florida Senior Living Association opposed the bill as overbroad and urged more refinement, while AHCA supported the added guardrails. The sponsor said the bill was intended to protect vulnerable residents and improve transparency, and the PCS was reported favorably by a 17-0 vote. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• They put together a pretty complex business plan and equity stack, and they put in these incentives and
• eligible to them, and they basically put those credits they will receive into the investment in that equity
• on large developments, it's a huge portion of it to be able to sell and transfer those credits as equity
• I mean, part of the financing, part of the equity is you sell them on the open market, and I presume
• Those tax credits are intentionally transferable and can be sold so that they can be monetized as equity

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment

Summary: The Commerce Committee met in executive session and unanimously voted do pass on House Bill 1707, House Bill 2927, and House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2057. The committee then moved into public hearing on House Bill 1664, which would extend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims from age 26 to age 41. Representative Brian Sites presented the bill as a needed step for survivors, and multiple witnesses and organizations testified in support, including survivors and advocacy, tort reform, chamber, and insurance groups. No opposition was heard, and the hearing concluded without a vote. The committee also heard House Bill 1845, a startup and angel investor tax credit proposal sponsored by Representative Gallick. The bill would create incentives for Missouri-based startups under $5 million in revenue, with higher credits for rural investment, annual caps, oversight by the Missouri Technology Corporation, and a sunset in 2033. Members questioned what taxes the credit would apply to, how it would work if Missouri changes its income tax structure, and what safeguards would prevent businesses from leaving after receiving credits. Business and economic development groups testified in support, saying the bill would help fill an early-stage capital gap and keep investment in Missouri. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3231, a broad economic development and “Missouri Innovation Zone” proposal sponsored by Representative Brad Christ. The bill would let cities opt in to create innovation zones with local permitting and governance changes, tax incentives, office-to-residential conversion tools, and reinvestment of net new revenues into public safety, infrastructure, and a rural development fund. Members and witnesses discussed local control, prevailing wage, revenue diversion, and implementation concerns, especially from the City of St. Louis and labor groups, while chambers, developers, municipal groups, and historic revitalization advocates generally supported the concept. The hearing ended with no opposition testimony and no committee vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It starts with equity.
• My name is Eliana Kamowitz, and I'm the director of the Office of Equity at the California Department
• I am the Office of Equity Director. Okay, Director. Okay, sorry.
• Black Immigrant and Refugee Equity Project, BIRE. Thank you so much for that.
• The tiered rate structure is a matter of systemic equity.

Summary: The committee heard an extensive Department of Social Services presentation on child care budget issues, including the Governor’s proposed 2026-27 budget, federal CCDF changes, Prop. 64 revenue adjustments, and a one-time $11.5 million disaster-related infrastructure grant for licensed child care facilities affected by 2025 declared disasters. DSS said federal formula updates and lower Prop. 64 revenues would reduce funding and could result in about 4,176 CCTR slots being reduced, but the department said it was working to avoid impacts to currently enrolled children. The LAO supported aligning general child care funding with lower revenues and asked for more detail on the disaster grant. Members pressed DSS and Finance on why reductions were not being backfilled and why so many awarded slots remain uncontracted or unused; DSS said delays are largely due to providers building new infrastructure, licensing, staffing, and enrollment challenges, and that some unspent funds revert to the General Fund. The committee also discussed whether some contract dollars should be shifted to vouchers and whether more flexibility should be allowed for infrastructure and expansion costs. A second panel focused on the state’s commitment to expand child care and on rate reform. DSS reported that nearly 125,000 new slots have been awarded since 2021-22, but speakers from Stanislaus County Office of Education, Parent Voices California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that unmet need remains large and that the system still leaves many families without access. Stanislaus County described a large local shortage of infant and toddler care and said reimbursement disparities between child care programs and state preschool create disincentives for providers. Parent Voices gave testimony about the burdens and instability families face when trying to access care, especially for survivors and low-income parents, and called for a universal, publicly funded system. The Budget Center said only about 16% of eligible children were enrolled in 2024, urged expansion across the mixed delivery system rather than concentrating investment in TK, and called for faster rate reform and new revenue. LAO estimated that bringing certain CCTR adjustment factors up to CSPP levels would cost $88 million to $131 million ongoing. Members and witnesses discussed the single rate structure, automation needs, and the need for deadlines and a ramp-up plan; DSS said the goal is to eliminate disparities, but that policy decisions are still needed before automation can proceed. The committee then reviewed several trailer bill proposals. DSS outlined a 2026-27 COLA proposal that would apply a 2.41% increase through cost-of-care-plus payments, though the department said it had inadvertently excluded CalWORKs Child Care and the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program and would revise the proposal; LAO recommended making the COLA methodology uniform across programs. DSS also proposed replacing the market rate survey with the federally approved alternative methodology on a triennial schedule, limiting temporary absences in family child care homes to 20% of monthly hours, defining excessive unexplained absences as more than 30 days in a year, and aligning family fee deductions with new federal requirements so providers receive the full voucher value. Members generally supported the temporary absence change and asked about implementation timing for the family fee deduction, with DSS saying it was in contact with Riverside County. The committee also heard a brief update on the Early Childhood Policy Council reappropriation, which would extend unused funds through June 30, 2028 because prior costs came in higher than expected.

Transcript Highlights:

• to understand the discussion that we're having or that's being put forward in terms of diversity, equity
• , inclusion and talking diversity, equity, inclusion and talking in<00:27:00.720><c> terms</c><00:27:
• </c> wrongs and to push for equity wrongs and to push for equity because<01:11:40.719><c> those</c><01
• So there is a need for equity in how these resources are shared with our Black colleges.
• </c> So there is a need for equity So there is a need for equity in in in uh<01:17:05.440><c> how</c>

Keywords: This meeting is taking place on location at the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Building Room 238 using on site equipment., 958, all

Summary: The interim Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity met at Kentucky State University and heard a presentation from President Kofi Aapo and Vice President Michael Dorsy on the university’s role as an HBCU and its current priorities. They emphasized Kentucky State’s impact on Black student outcomes nationally, its focus on workforce development, civic leadership, innovation, and economic mobility, and its efforts to grow enrollment, expand dual-credit partnerships, and launch a prison education program. They also described House Bill 250’s role in prompting program review and the creation or expansion of market-aligned offerings, including manufacturing engineering, agricultural engineering, biological and agricultural engineering, social work, criminal justice, and expanded online programs through “Thoroughbred Global.” A major topic was Kentucky State’s move toward STEM and applied programs. President Aapo said the university is diversifying beyond liberal arts to meet workforce demand and cited plans for a PhD in agroecology, which he said would help farmers adapt to climate conditions and would be federally funded. He also discussed the nursing program as the fastest-growing on campus, partnerships with health systems that pay tuition and guarantee jobs, and the need for a new nursing facility. He said the current nursing space is inadequate and that a new building could double or triple enrollment in the program. He also described a mobile health initiative intended to bring preventive care and health education to underserved areas of the state. Members asked questions about the nursing building, STEM strategy, teacher preparation, dual credit, prison education, and student readiness. Senator Bledsoe asked about the shift toward STEM, and Aapo said the strategy is based on student demand and data from House Bill 250. Senator Berg requested a list of dual-credit partners and encouraged long-term tracking of prison education participants to study outcomes such as recidivism; Aapo said the university has not yet begun that research but intends to. Senator Tidner asked about remedial needs, and Aapo said KSU found more than 100 students with zero GPAs when he arrived and is using co-requisite support and tutoring to address English and math deficiencies. Representative Brown and others highlighted the historical and ongoing value of HBCUs, and no votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the benefit of the students, which is the core of UCSA's mission to advance educational equity in
• Supporting workers during this transition promotes economic equity, strengthens workforce retention,
• It improves retention, productivity, and equity for a substantial portion of California's workforce.
• There is a long line of equity-based adjustments we need to make to our system. It is crickets.
• For over 60 years, the Commission has worked to provide gender equity in the workplace.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met without a quorum and proceeded as a subcommittee while hearing a long consent calendar and several Assembly bills. Early testimony focused on AB 1744, which would prohibit sunscreen products marketed as “reef safe” or similar from containing chemical UV filters; the author and student supporters said the bill is a truth-in-labeling measure to protect marine ecosystems, and there was no opposition. Committee members praised the student witnesses and the author asked for an aye vote, but no vote was taken because of the lack of quorum. The committee then heard AB 713, which would allow undocumented students at UC, CSU, and community colleges to access campus jobs. Supporters, including a UCLA law professor and a large coalition of student, labor, immigrant-rights, and education groups, argued the bill would reduce exploitation and improve affordability and retention; opponents argued it would conflict with federal law. Members expressed strong support, and the author closed by emphasizing that students simply want the chance to work, but again no vote occurred due to the subcommittee status. The committee also heard AB 1359, allowing people age 80 and older to opt out of jury service without a doctor’s note, with support from the Alzheimer’s Association and LeadingAge California and no opposition. Additional measures included AB 2563, which would standardize California’s definition of sex discrimination across state codes to align with equal-rights principles; it drew strong support from women’s rights and labor groups and strong opposition from anti-trans advocates. AB 1705 would require websites to verify consent before hosting sexually explicit images of people, with supporters framing it as a response to nonconsensual pornography and opponents warning it could sweep in sites that prohibit such content. AB 1940 would explicitly name menopause in workplace protections, with supporters citing workforce equity and opponents saying existing accommodation law already covers it. The committee also heard AB 1824 and AB 2115 on Native American child welfare and a formal legislative apology for historic harms, both backed by tribal representatives and allies, as well as AB 2076 on nitrous oxide sales to minors and AB 2783 on court reporter licensing and remote reporting; all drew support and no recorded opposition. Several members praised the bills and indicated they would move them when a quorum was available.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've been participating in the worker equity initiative for the state of New Mexico with many non-profit
• And I said, of course we care about health equity.
• I really can, and I don't just see it through a health equity lens.
• So, this is an equity issue and a population health issue as well.
• We always want to ensure there's equity in terms of how we're approaching this.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• members of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity
• Until recently, the legal industry was one of the last industries not to take private equity investment
• In response, AB 2305 closes these loopholes by blanket prohibiting private equity firms, hedge funds,

Keywords: 988, house, all