Transcript Highlights:

• And overall, while adding the service, our cancellations declined.
• I'm happy to report in your Hillmore, but service is improving.
• It's hard to maintain a ferry service at that pace.
• And we'd also like to have a service relief vessel so when one of the boats in service goes out unexpectedly
• Older boats have more service reliability issues.

Bills: SB5989

Keywords: aircraft fuel tax, tax revenue distribution, aviation funding, transportation, state revenue, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate transit and the need for it.
• They also do conflict resolution, mental health services, and a number of vital services.
• are getting quality services and are getting the level of service that they deserve for the money and
• are getting quality services and are getting the level of service that they deserve for the money and
• are getting quality services and are getting the level of service that they deserve for the money and

Summary: The House Budget Committee met with a quorum and began by taking up a series of budget bills and committee substitutes, including House Bills 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, which were laid over. The chair then walked members through a committee amendment package, explaining a mix of technical corrections, fund swaps, and adjustments involving highway patrol fringe costs, summary budget timing, rural health care, the CCBHO FMAP correction, and marijuana-fund reallocations. Members adopted the chair’s decrease amendments and later adopted the corresponding increase amendments, including partial restoration for Care to Learn, a Title I grant language change, an Overpass and Seymour road project, technical corrections for DPS and health-related items, and restorations for Jordan Valley and FQHC substance abuse funding. After a brief recess for session and lunch, the committee returned to House Bill 2 and began considering member amendments. On House Bill 2, the committee adopted Representative Lewis’s amendment making the curriculum transparency and parent portal item a pilot program, and Representative Davidson’s amendment adding $2 million in federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds for One-Time Wonder School. Representative Steinhoff’s attempt to shift funding from Missouri Star Solutions and WorkKeys to the Success Ready Student Assessment failed, as did Representative Taylor’s proposal to move $1.2 million from career ladder to community college nursing programs. The committee then rejected Representative Steinhoff’s attempt to redirect Title I Innovation and Improvement Grant funds back to the governor’s recommendation, and later adopted Representative Steinhoff’s vocational rehabilitation amendment, which restored the department’s request and drew down additional federal matching funds. The committee also adopted Representative Hyne’s language amendment to allow flexibility between the MOQPK pre-K grant program and the Child Care Works tri-share program, though members discussed concerns about cross-bill flexibility and whether funds would actually be available. Representative Fogle’s amendment to require budget communications sent to committee chairs to also go to the full Budget Committee was defeated after members expressed concern about information overload and the difference between required distribution and requested information. The committee then took up a lengthy debate over Representative Fogle’s amendment to remove language barring Parents as Teachers participation for children already enrolled in public pre-K. Supporters argued the programs serve different purposes and that families should not be forced to choose between them, while opponents said the language was intended to prevent duplication of services and preserve resources for children without other options. After extensive discussion, the amendment failed. The committee continued with additional House Bill 2 amendments, but the transcript ends before final action on the remaining items.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your service in the healthcare profession.
• Services, making it easier to launch and scale meaningful programs.
• And also, thank you to you and your colleague for your service to our public schools.
• We deeply value your service in our classrooms.
• I live in District 50 here.

Bills: HB295, HB824, HB1579, HB1581, HB2189, HB295

Keywords: bullying, antisemitism, school policies, school discipline, education, education policy, Texas Education Code, hate speech, student rights, civics education, high school curriculum, government, voting process, elected officials, Texas Seal of Biliteracy, biliteracy, bilingual education, multilingual, language proficiency, high school diploma

Transcript Highlights:

• I live in a small community, use faith-based services, so we're not opposed to it or anything like that
• I live in a small community, use faith-based services, so we're not opposed to it or anything like that
• </c> day that services start. day that services start.
• service service fee<01:21:06.880><c> schedule.
• You know, our children aren't, uh, don't live nearby anymore to help us with those transitions, etc.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on September 24, 2025, approved the minutes from the September 9 meeting, and then continued its discussion of Medicaid waivers with Leslie Hoffman and Carmen Hancock from the Department for Medicaid Services. Members asked for updates on the 2024 waiver waitlist management assessment recommendations, including aligning waiver policies, standardizing applications and waitlist placement, and modernizing data systems. DMS said that work is being done jointly with Aging and Independent Living and Behavioral Health/Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities through task forces, that ARPA spending delayed action, and that implementation timelines extend through March 2027. The board also reviewed per-member waiver cost averages for fiscal years 2023 through 2025 for ABI, ABI long-term care, HCBS, Model II, Michelle P, and SCL. DMS emphasized these figures were benefit-only averages based on paid claims, not full waiver costs, and explained that true budget neutrality is calculated on an aggregate basis against institutional care comparisons approved by CMS. DMS said all six waivers remain in compliance with budget neutrality and that the most recent 18-month lag review for FY 2022 and FY 2023 found costs at or below institutional care. Members also asked about unused waiver slots; DMS said slots generally cannot be reallocated mid-year if they have been used, except in cases such as death or reserved capacity, because CMS treats participants as unduplicated for the waiver year. A major portion of the meeting focused on the new child waiver created under House Bill 6. Legislators questioned whether the waiver’s design, including the exclusion of participant-directed services and the emphasis on high-acuity children with behavioral health, DCBS, or juvenile justice involvement, matched the bill’s intent to keep children at home. DMS said it used the $14.7 million appropriated for FY 2026 to develop the program, that there is no priority list, and that the waiver is intended to serve the highest-acuity children while also addressing residential needs for those sleeping in offices or placed out of state. Members also raised concerns about the rapid growth of the HCBS waiting list and asked for more detail on age and timing patterns, which DMS said it would provide later. Finally, DMS gave average processing times from application to eligibility determination and from approval to service start, and said the overall average from application to services beginning was about 80 days, while members requested follow-up information on the Carewise assessment contract and related costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube, and in the unlikely event that we experience technical
• </c><00:05:39.520><c> expenses</c> reasonable increase in living expenses reasonable increase in living
• The ALE, as Matt explained, does cover additional living expenses or loss.
• </c><00:30:30.880><c> coming</c> don't provide that same service coming don't provide that same service
• </c> inspection scheme with transitional inspection scheme with transitional facilities,<00:30:48.760

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard several measures and took testimony without questions on SB 2431 relating to health savings accounts and SB 2797 relating to consumer protection. For SB 2797, the DCCA Office of Consumer Protection offered comments, Retail Merchants of Hawaii opposed the bill over gift card fraud compliance costs and legal risk, and AARP Hawaii supported it. The committee also heard SB 2946 on foreclosures, where the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Collection Law Section and several lenders, associations, and individuals opposed the measure, while the Hawaii Bankers Association and others offered comments. SB 2961 on insurance drew comments from the Insurance Division and Hawaii Insurance Council, with NAMIC opposing and some individuals supporting. SB 2948 on insurance fraud received comments from the Insurance Division and support from the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, with NAMIC and the Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding also commenting. No votes were taken during the hearing portion, and the committee recessed after testimony. The committee then reconvened for decision-making on the 9:30 agenda. SB 2431 was passed with amendments, including DOTAX-requested changes, a five-year limit on credit carryforwards, removal of an aggregate cap, a rural definition, transparent reporting, technical amendments, and a deferred effective date of July 1, 2050. SB 2797 was also passed with DCCA-requested amendments, technical changes, and the same deferred effective date. SB 2946 was deferred because there was no testimony in support. SB 2961 was passed with amendments, but after Senator McKelvey raised concern that policy-limit language could undermine the bill, the committee removed two policy-limit amendments before adopting the recommendation. SB 2948 was passed with amendments deleting certain definitions, aligning penalties and public-records provisions, adding coordination and disclosure clarifications, and making technical changes; one no vote by Senator Awana was recorded, with the rest in favor. The committee also considered SB 3000 from a prior hearing and recommended passage with amendments clarifying the Attorney General’s authority, creating a special fund, and addressing concurrent actions, again with a deferred effective date and one no vote by Senator Awana. In a joint CPN/GVO agenda, SB 2258 relating to school agriculture procurement targets was passed with amendments after the Department of Education said it would need to follow up on whether changing the target period from calendar year to school year would create procurement or scheduling issues; the committee added technical changes, a deferred effective date, and routed the bill to Ways and Means, with a note that Education should also have received it. In a later joint CPN/AEN hearing, SB 2452 relating to climate-friendly insurers drew strong opposition from the Insurance Division and several insurance groups, who warned it could push insurers out of the authorized market and into the surplus lines market, raising costs; Senator Dela questioned whether the bill would worsen an already strained market, while the division said the legislature could make the policy choice but warned of market disruption. The hearing then moved to SB 2760 on invasive species, where DLNR, DAB, CGAPS, and the Oahu Invasive Species Committee generally supported broader inspection and quarantine authority, civil penalties, and longer interim-rule authority, while committee members asked about staffing, treatment capacity, and implementation for non-agricultural commodities such as building materials and vehicles.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a Florida native, and I've lived just a few minutes away from the Rodman impoundment for the last
• And part of it is we haven’t fully transitioned from the Department of Health to the Department of...
• The crisis that we have of the cost of living here in Florida.
• , as our firefighters and our fire districts start to transition to eliminating PFAS.
• , as our firefighters and our fire districts start to transition to eliminating PFAS.

Bills: S0698, S0958, S1066, S1230, S1288

Keywords: onsite sewage treatment, disposal systems, building permits, environmental regulation, local government authority, drinking straws, stirrers, local regulation, compostable, environmental impact, Ocklawaha River, St. Johns River, Silver Springs, river restoration, dam removal, Kirkpatrick Dam, Buckman Lock, Cross Florida Barge Canal, environmental restoration, springs protection

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources heard and advanced several bills. SB 958, by Senator Bradley, would require local straw and stirrer ordinances to allow renewable, certified compostable, marine-biodegradable products; supporters said it would reduce reliance on paper straws that may contain PFAS and create more uniform standards. The bill was reported favorably after brief supportive testimony and no opposition. The committee also approved SB 1066, by Senator Broder, a major Ocklawaha/Rodman Dam restoration proposal. The bill would direct DEP to implement a phased restoration plan, create an advisory council with local and military representation, fund recreation and economic development projects, and address safety concerns tied to the dam’s age and high-hazard status. Supporters from conservation groups, river advocates, and some local residents praised the restoration and planning framework, while several Putnam County officials opposed the bill, arguing the reservoir supports recreation, water supply, and local interests. The committee adopted a late-filed amendment adding a Naval Air Station Jacksonville representative to the advisory council, then reported the committee substitute favorably. SB 698, by Senator Martin, was also reported favorably. It would let builders proceed with local building permits while septic permits are pending, rather than waiting for sequential approval, and includes a 120-day glide path related to new DEP rules; builders supported the bill as a way to reduce delays, while some senators questioned whether the transition period was too long. The committee then approved CS/SB 1230, by Senator Harrell, which phases out PFAS-containing firefighting foam, restricts non-emergency training use, requires inventory and disposal reporting, creates DEP rulemaking and a grant program, and exempts certain federal, military, and emergency uses. Finally, the committee favorably reported CS/SB 1288, also by Senator Harrell, to designate a water body in the Jupiter Narrows area in honor of Andrew Red Harris, with a technical amendment clarifying the shoal designation. Several members later asked to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on selected bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our study had found out that it is possible to transition the bonds, civil service, pension, and other
• city civil service.
• state civil service.
• about moving those employees to civil service or state civil service.
• This bill makes that clear that they would be returned to city civil service. ...state civil service,

Bills: SB348, SB444, SB485, SB517, HB87, HB115, HB162, HB362, HB368, HB377, HB431, HB441, HB466, HB664, HB741, HB822, HB990, HB1243

Keywords: motor vehicles, enforcement, administrative support, law enforcement, private service provider, regulatory compliance, expropriation, public purpose, property rights, compensation, city governance, St. George, insurance premium tax, city of St. George, municipal authority, local taxation, East Baton Rouge Parish, economic development, Baton Rouge North, commissioners

Summary: The committee on local and municipal affairs met on May 7, 2026, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then took up a series of local bills. HB 362 creating the Regency Park Towns Townhomes Crime Prevention and Security District in Orleans Parish was reported favorably without objection. HB 822, dealing with nonprofit entities that hold appointments on boards and commissions while not in good standing with the Secretary of State, drew questions about whether it targeted a specific entity and about how long an entity should be out of good standing; the committee adopted an amendment changing the trigger to three consecutive years and then reported the bill as amended. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 1243, which would give the Orleans Parish City Council more authority over the Sewer and Water Board. The sponsor, Council President J.P. Morrell, and Representative Hilfordy argued the bill would move New Orleans toward a more local, responsive public-works model and help address long-standing dysfunction. The Bureau of Governmental Research testified that it supported increased local control but urged a formal study or transition plan so the city would document the future governance structure. Despite those concerns, the committee adopted an amendment clarifying ownership of assets and then reported HB 1243 as amended. The committee also handled several St. George bills and other local measures. SB 348, allowing third-party administrative support for motor vehicle enforcement, and SB 444, granting expropriation authority for certain public projects, were reported favorably. SB 485, transferring insurance premium tax authority to the City of St. George, was initially amended but then reconsidered; the amendment was stripped and the bill was reported favorably. HB 990, concerning Jefferson Parish and unpaid water/sewer bills on multifamily properties, HB 466 on West Feliciana Parish property-tax rebates, HB 664 raising parish ordinance fines, HB 87 increasing per diem for a Livingston Parish gas utility district board, HB 115 abolishing the police chief for the Village of Edgefield, HB 741 creating emergency housing vouchers for human trafficking survivors, HB 377 removing civil-service pay restrictions for state examiners, HB 162 updating a crime prevention district fee, HB 368 raising fines for improper demolition of historic properties, and HB 441 returning Sewer and Water Board employees to city civil service were all reported favorably, most without objection. HB 431, requiring mayors to complete 16 hours of annual training, was amended to add continuing legal education and national conferences and then reported as amended. The committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of those items was the creation of the new Office of Emergency Medical Services, which transitioned
• ambulance services.
• ambulance services.
• getting the money I know one Services getting the money I know one service<01:05:05.720><c> in</c> service
• That's why our service and several other services will do fundraisers.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I call this hearing of the Assembly Committee on Human Services to order.
• And then Annie Thomas from the California Alliance of Child and Family Services.
• Annie Thomas, on behalf of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, is proud to sponsor
• And as you can also imagine, those candidates have lived in multiple states in the last five years as
• She has lived in two other states in the past five years as the Navy has moved their family.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Human Services met, adopted its committee rules, and then considered four items, including two consent bills. The chair opened with remarks about protecting California’s safety net and set limits on testimony. The committee rules were adopted by roll call, and the consent calendar later passed 5-0, with the remaining member’s vote added afterward for a 6-0 final tally on the rules and consent items. AB 276 by Assemblymember Bennett addressed delays in out-of-state child abuse registry background checks for children’s residential agency staff. Supporters, including the California Alliance of Child and Family Services and Casa Pacifica, said long clearance times were worsening staffing shortages and causing qualified applicants to leave, while the bill would allow provisional hiring only after DOJ, FBI, and California Child Abuse Central Index clearance and without unsupervised contact with children. There was no opposition, and the committee approved the bill 5-0, sending it to the Assembly Public Safety Committee. AB 319 by Assemblymember Jackson sought to improve services for foster youth with severe trauma by requiring counties to submit and update detailed plans to the Joint Interagency Resolution Team for providing effective therapeutic interventions in the least restrictive settings. A former foster youth testified in support, and a committee member noted the ongoing shortage of therapists serving foster youth. The bill was approved 5-0 as amended and sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. After the consent calendar and remaining votes were completed, the hearing adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are folks receiving more services on More people who are coming in for services?
• And that was our service elevator.
• So unless it's talking about crime lab does toxicology services for us, but we do not do services for
• Does toxicology services for us, but we do not do services for the crime. Okay.
• Dementia care services program.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a series of updates on health-related projects and Department of Health and Human Services budget matters. Representatives from CHI St. Alexius in Bismarck and Williston, and Altru in Grand Forks, reported progress on behavioral health expansion projects, including demolition and construction milestones, updated timelines, funding status, staffing plans, and barriers such as an unbudgeted air handler replacement in Williston. Members asked about original completion dates, use of telehealth, recruitment of psychiatrists and other staff, and whether the new beds might reduce the need for patients to travel to Jamestown State Hospital. The projects were described as on track overall, with completion expected in 2027 for the larger builds and earlier openings for some phases in Williston. The committee then heard from HHS leadership on technical line-item transfers and the Salaries and Wages Block Grant. Donna Ockland explained that recent transfers were administrative corrections to place spending in the proper budget lines and did not involve new spending, and she reviewed FTE counts and vacancies across the department. Questions focused on behavioral health staffing changes and the use of consultants in the Rural Health Transformation Program. Pat Rainer outlined the rural health program’s first-year grants and priorities, including workforce retention, rural rotations and housing, community wellness initiatives, behavioral health promotion, safety net services, hospital equipment, suicide prevention training, technology, and EMS support. He said North Dakota’s plan was drawing positive national attention, but the department still needed to obligate roughly $199 million by September and was working with CMS on timing and compliance. The committee also received an update on certified community behavioral health clinics from Elena Zeller. She said North Dakota had been accepted as a demonstration state, with certification efforts underway in Williston, North Central, Fargo, and Dickinson. Members asked about care coordination, service growth, staffing, and whether certification would expand to all clinics; the department said it was still collecting baseline data and evaluating impacts before making future recommendations. Finally, Rebecca Askins reviewed SNAP payment error rates, explaining that the 2025 rate was finalized at 9.89 percent and that the department is working on training, system changes, and quality assurance steps to get below 6 percent. Members pressed on the causes of monthly variability, the performance of the SPACES system, and accountability for ongoing errors, and the department said it expects improvement over the next 6 to 12 months.

Transcript Highlights:

• The IEP template will support continuity of services when students transfer transparency for families
• Critical Needs 3, 3, and 4 talk about access to academic, social, well-being, behavioral services, and
• They are attending school, turning in their assignments getting the services that they need.
• In addition, we will have a transition plan, and we will be able To help with that transition plan.
• And that includes executive transition. So just wanted to offer that too.

Transcript Highlights:

• who is our bureau chief over market oversight; Randy Pipell, who is our bureau chief over consumer services
• Randy Pipell, who is our Bureau Chief over consumer services, and Julie Robinson, who was our public
• We removed outdated transition periods. Additional clarity.
• We removed outdated transition periods, which can be found on page 23 in 04.10.
• I live in the city of Boise.

Summary: The committee first took up a series of Idaho Department of Insurance rule dockets, all presented by Director Dean Cameron as part of a five-year negotiated rule review. The rules covered self-funded health care plans for government entities, joint public agency self-funded plans, long-term care insurance, small employer and individual health insurance availability, coordination of benefits, short-term health plans, and managing general agents. Cameron repeatedly said the changes were mostly clarifications, deletions of duplicative statutory language, and reduced filing burdens, with a few notable policy points including Medicare coordination for seniors, adding generic prescription coverage language, and revising short-term plan rules to allow both traditional and enhanced plans through the end of the calendar year. The committee asked several questions, but no opposition was raised, and each docket was approved by motion. For the short-term plan docket, the committee also approved making the pending rule effective on the Legislature’s 2026 sine die date to avoid a gap after the temporary rule expires. The committee then heard House Bill 563 from Representative Jeff Ehlers, which would change CPA licensure requirements in Idaho. Ehlers said the bill is intended to address a CPA shortage by creating additional pathways to licensure: a bachelor’s degree plus the CPA exam and two years of supervised experience, or a master’s degree/150 hours with the existing experience requirements. He also said the bill would expand reciprocity for out-of-state CPAs in good standing. During questioning, members explored whether the bill lowered barriers too much, whether Idaho-specific knowledge was needed, and whether the residency language for taking the exam should be removed. Public testimony included support from Ken McClure of the Idaho Society of CPAs, who said the bill reflects a national model and that supervised experience is a quality-control measure that can be satisfied through peer or mentor arrangements, not just direct employment. Rachel Misnick, a state employee, testified in opposition to one supervision phrase, saying it could make it harder for government accountants without access to an active CPA supervisor to qualify. Laura Lance, executive director of the Idaho Society of CPAs, supported the bill and said it adds flexibility for candidates with different learning styles and helps rural areas where supervision is harder to find. The committee ultimately voted to send House Bill 563 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• time to transition therapists.
• In some cases, it means lives are saved.
• I've had patients who live in Rhode Island, for example, I've had patients who live in Rhode Island,
• Licensure issues for both our transitioning service members and their spouses have been a priority for
• So I ask you to please protect these services, protect the consumers who use these services, and protect

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a hearing to take testimony on a wide range of bills involving professional licensure, clinical practice, and public health-related workforce issues. The chair explained that no votes would be taken at the hearing and that the purpose was to gather public input. Early testimony focused on Marnie’s Law, with supporters describing the bill as a no-cost, preventive measure to require nursing education on inflammatory breast cancer after a family tragedy and arguing it could reduce misdiagnosis and save lives. A major portion of the hearing centered on bills affecting clinical decision-making and licensure compacts. Supporters of the physician ownership/clinical autonomy bills argued they would protect independent practices from corporate interference after the Steward collapse, while supporters of EMS, dental, psychology, physical therapy, and physician assistant compacts said the measures would improve workforce mobility, reduce delays, and expand access to care, especially for rural patients, military families, and telehealth users. Several witnesses emphasized that the compacts would not reduce standards and would strengthen public protection through shared disciplinary databases and streamlined credentialing. There was also testimony on bills to ensure safe medication administration and to protect the independence of complementary and alternative health care practitioners. Nursing representatives urged that only licensed professionals administer medications in hospitals, hospices, and home care settings, warning that delegation to unlicensed staff could endanger patients and nurses’ licenses. A complementary and alternative care witness supported consumer access with mandatory disclosures and limits on reserved medical acts. On the dental compact, witnesses were split: some supported portability and workforce flexibility, while others warned the compact lacked a hands-on skills exam and could weaken Massachusetts’ regulatory authority and patient safety. The hearing concluded with continued testimony on the psychology compact, physical therapy compact, and physician assistant bills, with most speakers favoring expanded interstate practice and reduced administrative barriers.

Transcript Highlights:

• its service territory to plan a network of bus services, dubbed Reimagined Metro, that would be faster
• We know that the service that we're providing is working.
• Aldridge also mentioned we increase in service.
• 15-minute service in routes, and that improved our ridership.
• Why isn't the transit district or board just putting this on the ballot?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of personal service lines.
• of personal service lines.
• allow them to take money from meal services and provide it to other services.
• these services to meal services.
• allow them to take money from meal services and provide to other services.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the previous day’s journal by a 126-0 vote, and suspended business for the Speaker to sign several bills and substitutes. Members then spent much of the day introducing guests, including county assessors, students, civic groups, and visitors from local schools and universities. The chamber then took up House Bill 2002, the elementary and secondary education budget. Members adopted several amendments, including technical fixes to allow board-operated schools to use personal service funds for career ladder payments, clarifications to child care subsidy language, and changes to Parents as Teachers rules so that enrollment remains voluntary and virtual visits are not reimbursable. An amendment to shift $1 million from one child care facilities line to Child Care Works passed, as did an amendment to fund a new Success-Ready Student Assessment with $2 million to help replace the MAP test. A proposal to pay child care subsidies for foster children based on enrollment rather than attendance failed 53-93, and an amendment to divert $10 million in Title I funds into a competitive grant program also failed. A later amendment to send budget reports to the ranking minority member passed, while an attempt to remove child care subsidy language from the bill failed. The House then moved to higher education and workforce development appropriations. Members approved an amendment broadening a pre-apprenticeship program statewide and supported funding for Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries through a transfer from dual credit scholarship funds. The most extensive debate centered on House Bill 2003’s higher education funding model, where the chair defended an FTE-based approach as more transparent than the long-standing status quo, while opponents warned it would sharply cut funding for institutions such as Harris-Stowe, Lincoln, Truman State, and some community colleges, and would ignore factors like graduation rates, research, and workforce needs. A compromise amendment to soften the transition was withdrawn, and a separate amendment to restore the governor’s recommendation was also debated at length, with members arguing over the fairness and consequences of the proposed model.

Transcript Highlights:

• Since that day, my life and my family's lives have been a living hell.
• Since that day, my life and my family's lives have been a living hell.
• And, yeah, she was the love of our lives.
• And we were really fortunate to live in Santa Cruz. You know, we live in California.
• So I thank you for your service.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of public safety bills, with several measures pulled off calendar and one consent calendar adopted. AB 2419 by Assembly Member Quirk-Silva would extend body-worn cameras to Los Angeles County juvenile probation officers. Supporters said cameras would improve accountability, youth and officer safety, and public trust; opponents argued the bill would not solve deeper problems in juvenile halls and raised concerns about officer discretion, privacy, and labor issues. The bill passed to Appropriations on a roll call vote. AB 1902 by Assembly Member Pellerin, co-sponsored by Santa Cruz County, would revise the juvenile detention extension hearing process in response to the Madison Middleton case. Supporters, including the victim’s mother and county officials, said the bill would clarify jurisdiction, allow continuances, permit hearsay at the probable cause stage, extend the maximum detention period, and better protect the public and victims from repeated trauma. Opponents from public defender, youth justice, and civil liberties groups argued the bill expands civil commitment, reduces review frequency, and could lead to inappropriate adult placement. The committee approved the bill to Appropriations, with some members noting remaining concerns. AB 2052 by Assembly Member Stephanie would allow continuity in prosecution for elder and dependent adult abuse cases, including a limited continuance so the same prosecutor can stay with a case. Supporters said older victims and those with dementia or other impairments benefit from a single point of contact and less repeated trauma; opponents said the bill could undermine speedy-trial rights and was broader than necessary. The bill passed to Judiciary. AB 1588, also by Assembly Member Stephanie, would strengthen sideshow and street takeover enforcement by adding motorcycles and dirt bikes to the law and increasing penalties. Supporters framed it as a public safety and accountability measure, while opponents warned it would expand punishment, surveillance, and fines without addressing root causes; the bill was sent to Transportation on a roll call vote. AB 1753, another Stephanie bill, would tighten firearm relinquishment and protective-order enforcement, expand remote hearing access, and align firearm prohibitions across protective order categories; it passed to Judiciary. The committee also heard AB 1739 by Assembly Member Ward, which would criminalize clergy sexual exploitation when clergy provide therapeutic services, with survivors and advocates testifying in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:22.400><c> in</c> has gone through a huge transition in has gone through a huge transition
• </c><00:41:45.440><c> in</c> they went through a um transition in they went through a um transition in
• . services. services.
• </c> your service. your service.
• </c> performing some of these legal services performing some of these legal services too?

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 409, 22 January, 2026; 1:30 P.M., 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services.
• The Medi-Cal program covers a full breadth of services: physical, mental, substance use disorder services
• We've had a transition at Health and Human Services over the past year from one secretary to another.
• During the LA fires, local Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and LIHEAP agencies provided services
• banks to supportive services to housing.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• its service territory to plan a network of bus services, dubbed Reimagined Metro, that would be faster
• , more efficient, more frequent, and reliable in areas of high transit demand.
• We know that the service that we're providing is working.
• Aldridge also mentioned increased service.
• service routes, and that improved our ridership.

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on March 25, 2026, with nine measures on the agenda and three bills taken on consent. The committee approved the consent calendar for AB 1736, AB 1853, and AB 2153. The committee also heard several election-related bills, including AB 1993 on ballot-envelope privacy, AB 1788 on nonprofit disclosure of travel payments for elected officials, AB 1560 on barring people convicted of public corruption from lobbying, AB 1539 on presidential and vice-presidential ballot eligibility certifications, AB 1919 on Santa Cruz Metro local tax initiative procedures, and AB 1562 on county selection of poll workers. The chair also noted membership changes and welcomed new and returning members and staff. AB 1993 drew the most debate. The author argued it was a common-sense safeguard to prevent voters’ choices from being visible through ballot-envelope holes, citing a Sacramento County incident and public concern about ballot privacy. County election officials, the Secretary of State’s office, and Disability Rights California opposed the bill, saying the holes also serve accessibility and processing functions, that existing voter instructions already address privacy, and that the measure would create implementation problems and an unfunded mandate. After extended discussion, the committee voted the bill out on a 2-6 roll call and it failed. AB 1788 was supported by the FPPC and the League of Women Voters and passed as amended to Appropriations, with members emphasizing transparency while seeking to avoid unintended coverage of organizations like NCSL and CSG. AB 1560 passed 6-0 despite the Secretary of State’s implementation concerns about how the office would learn of relevant convictions. AB 1539, which would require party representatives to certify presidential and vice-presidential nominees’ constitutional eligibility, passed 7-0 as amended. AB 1919, which would clarify procedures for a Santa Cruz Metro voter initiative to place a transit tax on the ballot, passed 6-2, and AB 1562, which would allow counties to randomly select poll workers, passed 7-1 after discussion about civic engagement, guardrails, and election administration. The committee then completed roll-call adjustments for absent members and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• their health care through managed care plans as these plans but central role in delivering essential services
• And over 3 fourths of Medicaid recipients in Florida do receive their services through a managed care
• A few plans that only provided manage medical assistance, services or services to long-term care enrollees
• A health services is and he just measure. I'm sorry. It's not he this matter.
• they provide, which is what is incentivized through a fee for service delivery system.