Transcript Highlights:

• get it.
• Uh, if you don't have it, I, I can provide it.
• It, it is, it is very large.
• , um, and it, it is a dream.
• It's not worth it. It's not worth it to me.

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it does, it can get a little confusing, but on the forefront of it, this is just taking care of
• OK, so then, when you plug a well, do you have to monitor it afterwards, or is it just you plug it and
• That would make it more, more for us to utilize it better, I guess, in a quicker way to do it.
• It is in statute that it says that.
• It drops off.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present to hear Article VI Natural Resources agency budget recommendations, beginning with the Railroad Commission. LBB staff summarized the commission’s 2026-27 base recommendation at $458.7 million, down from the prior biennium, with an increased FTE cap. The presentation highlighted reduced federal IIJA funding, volatility in oil and gas regulation account 5155, continued support for IT modernization, and rider changes. The commission’s major exceptional items were then presented, including requests for produced water and injection data reporting, an authorized pit registration system, regulatory filing/permitting upgrades, an underground injection well investigation team, site remediation support, and especially $100 million for orphan well plugging. Members asked about biennium-to-biennium comparisons, salary biennialization, the scale of orphan well risks, federal funding delays, bonding, and whether the state should rely more on industry or general revenue for plugging costs. Commission leadership explained that orphan wells can threaten water and public safety, that plugging costs have risen sharply, and that current funding is insufficient to keep up with emergency wells and the backlog; they also said the agency is moving to cloud-based systems with cybersecurity protections and that the proposed performance measure may need adjustment if funding does not increase. The Railroad Commission testimony was followed by LBB and agency testimony for the Texas Animal Health Commission. LBB described a $42 million recommendation for 2026-27, an increase overall, but with a reduced FTE cap due to turnover and salary reallocation. The recommendation maintained funding for cattle fever tick work, chronic wasting disease, lab testing through an MOU with Texas A&M’s veterinary diagnostic lab, and a new $5 million spay-and-neuter pilot program, while deleting a capital budget rider and adjusting riders tied to entry point inspection stations and clinical trials. Agency leadership then outlined the commission’s mission to protect livestock health and the state’s $22 billion animal industry, and described major disease threats including highly pathogenic avian influenza, cattle fever ticks, New World screwworm, and chronic wasting disease. Their exceptional items focused on recruiting and retaining veterinarians, replacing fleet vehicles, creating an ectoparasite identification lab, adding field staff and IT support, improving records and epidemiology reporting, strengthening central administration, supporting secure food supply planning, expanding chronic wasting disease work, and staffing the new spay-and-neuter program. Members asked about field identification of ticks, the use of disinfectants and PPE, fleet management, the scale of cattle fever tick risk, and chronic wasting disease; the agency explained its current inspection and lab-confirmation process, its reliance on field disinfecting and biosecurity, and the need for more staff and better data systems to keep pace with growing workloads and disease threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• was it.
• You can't do it, except that somebody did it.
• We can process it. We can turn it into the fuel rods.
• it, or above it, because I agree we can do that.
• So... ...what would it look like to do a comprehensive tax reform and to modernize ourselves so that

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It'll tell you how to do it. Do it.
• Are we at the modern age of what we should be teaching today, or how does it compare to what we had 20
• I mean, it is helpful, but you know, we say what it costs to do it.
• I mean, we're doing it right now. So, what does that mean? You know, what does it cost to do it?
• It depends on what it is.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• It is, it is a form.
• Yeah, does this stick it to the man? Does it stick it to the man? Yeah, stick it to the man.
• And so without additional funding, it, it, it, it creates a strain, right?
• Uh, no, they, it, it is, it is going forward. It is going forward.
• Uh, it was not, it, it, it was not immediately fully implemented.

Bills: HB249

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: real property, ad valorem tax, tax appraisal, property value limitation, real estate taxation, property ownership

Transcript Highlights:

• May it be so.
• It is common sense.
• Its shattered.
• She went on to say, it hurts. It hurts a lot.
• So let's do it. Let's do it for all of them, all little girls.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Appreciate it.
• It takes about a 20-year time frame. So it is going to happen.
• Got it.
• And then we changed it so it's open and it changes.
• It looks like that's it.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because it could result in it costing less, but that doesn't necessarily mean it comes back to the ratepayers
• it is successful, why aren't we continuing with it?
• implement it.
• It means it helps us achieve our climate goals.
• It helps with grid stability, and it helps with affordability.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy heard six budget-related items and took no votes, holding all items open for a future hearing. The first item concerned a climate bond expenditure plan for the California Transmission Accelerator Revolving Fund under SB 254. GoBiz, IBank, and the Department of Finance described a request for nearly $26 million and 10 limited-term positions to develop financing strategies and evaluate transmission projects, while the LAO said the proposal was broadly consistent with Prop. 4 but noted that the Legislature may want to provide more direction on program design. Senators questioned how the proposal would lower ratepayer costs, protect state funds, and ensure accountability for billion-dollar transmission projects. The second item covered trailer bill language to redirect funding among demand-side reliability programs. Finance proposed moving $22 million from the DEPA program to DSGS for summer 2026 and using CalSHAPE interest funds for ELRP or an equivalent CPUC program in 2027-28, with CEC and CPUC coordinating the transition. Senators and LAO questioned why CalSHAPE funds should not continue supporting schools, and several members argued DSGS has been more successful and should continue rather than be shifted to ELRP. CEC and CPUC explained that DSGS and ELRP serve different reliability functions and do not address public safety power shutoffs. Public commenters, including school groups and clean energy advocates, split between extending CalSHAPE for school HVAC/plumbing projects and preserving or expanding DSGS. The committee also heard on petroleum market oversight implementation under SBX1-2 and ABX2-1, with the CEC and its Division of Petroleum Market Oversight requesting additional staffing to support inventory monitoring, refinery resupply analysis, and market oversight. Senators pressed for details on investigations, refinery margins, gasoline price spikes, and the transportation fuels transition plan, while staff said the draft plan would be released soon and that DPMO’s work on branded versus unbranded gasoline remains ongoing. Finally, the CPUC presented three additional proposals: implementing AB 1207’s climate credit reforms, studying large-load/data center cost impacts under SB 57, and preparing for regional market participation under AB 825. The LAO repeatedly cautioned that some of these requests may go beyond statutory minimums and urged the Legislature to decide how much policy direction and staffing it wants to provide. Public commenters supported DPMO funding, opposed ending CalSHAPE, and strongly favored continued DSGS funding over a new ELRP structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• It has not reached Texas, but it has made it to northeast Oklahoma and northeast Arkansas.
• It was... it was... it was like a hormone... Movie.
• Is it just to maintain it at 1%? Because the reality is, you'll never get rid of it.
• Built into it is to review it every couple of years.
• It was an evolution of a culture. It's not all there. You recognized it for what it is.

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• it as well.
• And it said it was shown in their state to be very cost effective.
• it should go.
• The two don't... it doesn't make housing affordable. It makes it safer.
• It makes it for less insurance costs, but it doesn't make it cheaper.

Bills: HF4881 , HF4867 , HF4422 , HF4223

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, regulation, financial institutions, prescription drug affordability, consumer protection, restitution account, financial compensation, attorney general, distributions, property insurance, homeowners insurance, fire and allied lines, hail insurance, appraisal clause, loss adjustment, alternative dispute resolution, insurance claims, claim valuation, actual cash value

Transcript Highlights:

• It is all of us.
• It is its strength. It is proof that democracy can grow, adapt, and include.
• They have taken this phrase, DEI, and just poured so much into it and made it way bigger than what it
• It is not a bad phrase, but you would think that it was the way that it has been demonized and targeted
• But it is one that we must It is a dark history that we must remember, but it is one that we must reflect

Summary: The Senate first took up two budget-related transportation trailer bills. AB 107 was described as a budget junior bill making technical corrections, updating federal appropriations by about $15 million, and exempting certain Proposition 4 appropriations from the Administrative Procedures Act to speed spending; Senator Niello objected to the transparency implications, but the bill passed 28-10. AB 117 then authorized a $590 million state loan from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to provide operating support to Bay Area transit agencies, with repayment secured by transit assistance revenues and interest; supporters called it an emergency bridge to prevent major service cuts at BART, Muni, AC Transit, and Caltrain, while critics questioned ridership recovery, governance, and accountability. The measure passed 28-9 after extensive debate, with several senators emphasizing both Bay Area urgency and the need for broader statewide transit funding and reform. The Senate then confirmed two California Air Resources Board appointees. Linda Hopkins, Sonoma County supervisor and air district chair, was confirmed after brief support from Senator Becker highlighting her rural North Bay perspective. Patricia Locke Dawson, Riverside mayor and South Bay air district representative, was also confirmed, with Senator Becker again praising her academic and practical background. Both confirmations passed on largely party-line votes with broad support from the majority and opposition from a small group of Republicans. The chamber next considered SCR 89, a resolution by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas condemning federal attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs under President Trump. Supporters from both parties and multiple caucuses framed DEI as essential to civil rights, education, workforce development, national defense, and inclusion for marginalized communities, while the author argued California must resist federal rollbacks. The resolution passed after a lengthy debate and roll call, with several senators also using the discussion to share personal experiences with educational access and discrimination. Finally, the Senate took up SCR 78, authored by Senator Cabaldon, commemorating the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and warning against repeating such abuses. Senators from across the chamber spoke in support, citing the injustice of Executive Order 9066, the resilience and military service of Japanese Americans, and the importance of museums and historic sites such as Manzanar and the Japanese American National Museum. The resolution was presented as both remembrance and a caution against fear-driven policies and erosion of due process.

Transcript Highlights:

• C dollars in it.
• It had a number of types of, but it wasn't like an individual-based assistance.
• as the encampment was returned to its original, you know, it was resolved, it was returned to its original
• I'll leave it there. Thank you. And I'll leave it there as well. All right.
• And does it make sense?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is to make it more effective and to make sure that it addresses the educational needs in. Mr.
• Will it achieve it? We'll do it.
• It is an ongoing lawsuit and it alleges that you rehired a known sexual predator and you felt it was
• I get it.
• It shouldn't happen in schools, it shouldn't happen in homes, it shouldn't happen in government.

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:

• It has actually attacked it.
• It has actually attacked it. Let me give you some examples.
• It is its strength. It is proof that democracy can grow, adapt, and include.
• They have taken this phrase, DEI, and just poured so much into it and made it way bigger than what it
• It is not a bad phrase, but you would think that it was the way that it has been demonized and targeted

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As it is in heaven, let it be done on earth.
• it.
• We go to that judge and wait for it. It gets worse.
• So when it left the House, it was an unlimited fee and just left it up to the bar, taking it out of our
• So when it left the House, it was an unlimited fee and just left it up to the bar, taking it out of our

Keywords: March 12, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It keeps the door open as it is today. And so this provides additional clarification on what it is.
• or deleted parts of it.
• It widens it. This bill does exactly what you say you're against.
• It says wait for permission.
• At first glance, it may not appear that it has been staged.

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was not an agency-led thing; it was a tribal-led program.
• Tell me, what is it that it helped? How does it get them into the pipeline? Absolutely.
• Instead of calling it technical assistance grants, it just, you know, I can see why you'd call it that
• That is up for debate, and it was up for debate. Let's put it that way.
• It is effective.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee heard the administration’s spending plan for Proposition 4’s climate smart agriculture and biodiversity chapters, along with related trailer bill language. CDFA outlined proposed funding for existing programs such as SWEEP, Healthy Soils, Urban Agriculture, and invasive species work, plus new or phased-in programs including year-round and mobile farmers’ markets, tribal food sovereignty, and regional farm equipment sharing. The Department of Conservation described funding for the California Farmland Conservancy Program and Working Lands and Riparian Corridors Program, while the Department of Finance and LAO discussed pending allocations and generally found the overall approach reasonable, though LAO suggested the Legislature may want more statutory guidance and reporting, especially for new programs. Members focused on implementation details, equity, and accountability. Questions covered how programs would serve vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, whether new solicitations would be reopened for previously oversubscribed grants, how outcomes are tracked, and how to structure guidance for new programs such as farm equipment sharing. The chair emphasized that the Legislature wants clearer direction on program design and noted that AB 2313 should guide implementation of the regional farm equipment sharing allocation. The committee also discussed the administration’s request to directly appropriate bond funds to departments and to exempt bond program guidelines from the Administrative Procedures Act; LAO supported the APA exemption with possible legislative guardrails for public notice and comment. The committee then heard on the farm-to-school proposal, with CDFA requesting $24.9 million General Fund for incubator grants, technical assistance, and network support. CDFA said the program has reached nearly half of California schoolchildren and has shown strong demand and positive evaluation results. LAO supported the core program but recommended rejecting the $3 million technical assistance component as too broad and suggested the Legislature consider using Proposition 98 for some of the funding. Members debated that point, with some expressing concern about using General Fund dollars for a new discretionary request during a tight budget year. The biodiversity and nature-based solutions chapter included funding for the Wildlife Conservation Board, state conservancies, and tribal nature-based solutions. WCB described major recent investments and proposed projects tied to 30 by 30, habitat restoration, tribal partnerships, and public access. Members raised concerns about long-term stewardship, the size of the WCB allocation, and whether the Legislature should receive more detail on how funds will be distributed. The committee also heard requests for Bolsa Chica wetlands maintenance and Rincon Island decommissioning funding from the State Lands Commission, with members questioning long-term liability, remediation costs, and the role of private oil operators. No votes were taken, and the hearing ended with public comment from stakeholders largely supporting the APA exemption, farm-to-school funding, biodiversity investments, and related conservation programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Make no mistake about it. We will provide it if we're asked to do it. Thank you for that, Mr.
• That said, it really makes me feel it gives me comfort.
• It has several phases.
• It comes back to the United States, they powder coat it.
• Martyn, we can't show it on the... We can probably get it up there.

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes it very easy to talk about. It has been over 16 years since we increased the tobacco tax.
• So it really, the way the code is written now, it could be any downstream businesses.
• It is not.
• So I'll leave it at that.
• In the past, Washington had raised its tobacco tax only to lower it later.

Bills: HB2038 , HB2297 , HB2382 , HB2487 , HB2018

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: HB2038, Washington, B&O tax, business and occupation tax, social media tax, platform tax, youth behavioral health, mental health, adolescent mental health, children's mental health, telebehavioral health, behavioral health account, state treasury, digital services tax, internet platform, social media companies, youth services, depression, anxiety, public health funding

Transcript Highlights:

• I know you know it. We're all familiar with it.
• He's reminding us, “I've got it. I've got it.”
• It's just putting a cap on it. That's what it is.
• One week later, it hadn't shown up. There's no record of it. It said it went to a wrong facility.
• It promotes modern tools and responsible use of technology to match children with the right families

Bills: HB3407 , HB1242 , HJR1081 , HB3443 , HB3781 , HB1939 , HB4237 , HB3430 , HB3321 , HB3905 , HB3329 , HB4253 , HB4421 , HB4311 , HJR1046 , HB2015 , HB3244 , HB4265 , HB3941 , HB4203 , HB2941 , HB3695 , HB3380 , HB3132 , HB3673 , HB3134 , HB3383 , HB4490 , HB4058

Keywords: property rights, abandoned homes, manufactured homes, notification, salvage, real estate, Oklahoma Tax Commission, landowner liability, redemption, HB1242, cervidae, deer, elk, sales tax exemption, agricultural exemption, livestock, ranching, farm tax, agricultural sales tax, agriculture

Summary: The House convened, heard an invocation from Rep. Kendrix, and recognized Dr. Jason Reagan as doctor of the day. Members then took up a long series of bills, with most moving through amendment, third reading, and final passage. Early measures included HB 3407 on abandoned personal property/manufactured homes, HB 1242 expanding agricultural sales tax exemptions to deer and elk, and HJR 1081 proposing a constitutional property-tax freeze for certain seniors; the senior tax resolution drew extended debate over valuation thresholds, renters, and county fiscal effects before passing. HB 3443 redirected funding for the Way Station Revolving Fund, HB 3781 changed insurance rate filing timing, and HB 1939 addressed Turnpike Authority notice procedures and landowner notification, including certified mail and a one-mile notification area. All three passed. The chamber also approved several criminal justice and public safety measures. HB 4237 and HB 3430, both part of a negotiated criminal-justice package, passed after title-only amendments; HB 3321 shifted to reporting on cost arrest warrants and passed with an emergency clause; HB 3905 clarified GPS monitoring for certain domestic-violence and stalking defendants; HB 2941 required first responders to notify law enforcement about suspected overdoses and created immunity for good-faith reporting; and HB 3695 refined the definition of great bodily injury in DUI cases. HB 3329 repealed the long-term care facility advisory board, and HB 4421, “Leo’s Law,” aimed at protecting children from fentanyl exposure in homes, was amended to address residue cleanup and reporting concerns before passage. Other notable actions included HB 4253, which would give teachers access to professional educator groups; it passed the House but the emergency clause failed. The bill prompted substantial debate over teacher choice, bargaining units, and whether the measure would create multiple representation arrangements. The House also passed HB 4311 increasing the Treasurer’s share of the unclaimed property administration fee, HJR 1046 providing a one-year ad valorem tax break for homes destroyed by disaster, HB 2015 on landlord-tenant issues, HB 3244 strengthening fraud and identity-theft laws, HB 4265 naming memorial roads and bridges, HB 3941 raising secretary/bailiff pay, HB 4203 allowing single-stair small multifamily units, HB 3380 on foster care transparency and outcomes, HB 3132 and HB 3134 on higher-education accreditation and DEI-related standards, and HB 3673 allowing certain expired electrical licenses to be reinstated. Most measures passed with broad support, while a few drew opposition over fiscal impact, legal concerns, or policy implications.