Transcript Highlights:

• I'll use it once for Senator Chambliss. Those sugar high years have come to an end.
• </c> sugar high years have come to an end. sugar high years have come to an end.
• </c> for some time. for some time.
• </c> of reasons for that. I won't go into it. of reasons for that.
• </c> for a long, long time. for a long, long time.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You've set a very high standard for that work, and I'm very grateful for that.
• We definitely need to have high-quality care for sickle cell warriors.
• We hope that a final budget can include a right-sized COLA for providers.
• On child care, we hope that a final budget can include a right-sized COLA for providers.
• Lastly, I urge the Legislature to allocate ethnic studies funding to fulfill state statute for the high

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the 2026 Budget Act, which leaders said was the negotiated compromise with the Senate and was expected to move to the floor that evening. Opening remarks emphasized that the plan balances the budget over two years, reduces the structural deficit, and builds reserves, while also protecting core services in the face of federal cuts. Jason Sisney outlined the legislative budget framework and the likely floor bills, including AB 109, SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. Department of Finance representative Eric Khali said the administration appreciated the two-year balanced approach and supported the modification in SB 122, while noting the package uses additional revenues and new spending to soften or reject some proposed cuts. Most of the discussion focused on major spending areas. Members and subcommittee chairs highlighted protections and additions for health care and human services, including rejecting the proposed Medi-Cal asset limit change, delaying premium increases, restoring clinic and dental funding, supporting distressed hospitals and county indigent care, and expanding county eligibility staffing to handle H.R. 1-related workload. Education members described record or expanded support for TK-12 schools, child care, special education, community colleges, teacher recruitment, and higher education, including a change to extend Cal Grant eligibility to age 30 for some community college students. Housing and homelessness funding was increased for HAP, multifamily housing, and the low-income housing tax credit, while public safety members pointed to investments in victims’ services, restorative justice, and prison closure savings. Several members also raised concerns or priorities tied to the budget deal. Some praised the package as a moral document that protects vulnerable Californians, immigrant communities, LGBTQ residents, seniors, and people with disabilities. Others noted unresolved issues, including the MCO tax’s impact on districts, the need for more support for local journalism, arts, biotech R&D incentives, transit and GGRF-related concerns, and the need for continued work on Prop. 98 and long-term fiscal resilience. The vice chair cautioned that despite the current progress, the state remains vulnerable to revenue volatility and warned that the budget should build more resilience against a possible downturn. No formal vote was taken in the portion provided, but the committee was preparing the budget package for floor action and final negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Communications Director for the House Republican Caucus, and I want to thank you for joining our event
• , for just high earners, that future question remains open for future legislatures and would do nothing
• And it’s just wrong for our state.
• for Washingtonians.
• I had a question for Rep. Connors.

Summary: House and Senate Republican leaders held a press availability focused on the late-session legislative agenda, with repeated criticism of Democratic proposals they said would raise costs and expand state control. Their main targets were a proposed state income tax on high earners, which they described as an unconstitutional income tax likely to expand over time, and an anti-initiative bill they said would make it harder for voters to use direct democracy. They also objected to bills they said would restrict local authority over camping bans and housing permits, and to a series of tax and fee increases affecting bottles, tires, groceries, food, health care, energy, labor, and licensing costs. The Republicans said the income tax proposal drew more than 60,000 opposition sign-ins and argued that the level of opposition showed Washingtonians broadly reject it. They said any legal challenge would likely come from outside the Legislature, not from caucuses, and cited former Attorney General Rob McKenna’s testimony as support for their view that the measure violates the state constitution. They also discussed capital flight and said prior tax increases, including the estate tax and capital gains tax, were already prompting businesses and wealthy residents to leave the state. The caucus highlighted several Republican-backed affordability bills they said remain alive, including a diaper tax exemption, a prepared-food tax exemption, repeal of last year’s services tax, and sales tax exemptions for certain continuing education and licensing fees. They also said they had helped block or weaken several Democratic bills, including proposals involving grocery stores, wildfire utility costs, college encampments, plastic bag fees, and a juvenile justice bill they said would have allowed earlier release of violent offenders. On child welfare, members criticized a bill addressing the Keeping Families Together Act as insufficient and said they would keep pushing to change the “imminent harm” standard, while also supporting a separate bill to add fentanyl exposure to the child endangerment statute. No formal votes were taken in the press event itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Thank you for your support. Mr.
• I'm hoping that we can get this bill out of committee and to the floor for a vote.
• I'm hoping that we can get this bill out of committee and to the floor for a vote.
• We're also reinventing it, give it potential for new hope, this session.
• I'm grateful to Senator Edwards and Representative Decker for championing this bill, and I hope you will

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a lengthy hearing on June 18 focused on workers’ compensation, independent contractor and classification issues, workplace safety, warehouse worker protections, extreme temperature protections, retaliation against injured workers, and workplace bullying. Committee chairs outlined procedures for the hybrid hearing and noted that members would be leaving intermittently for floor votes. Testimony also touched on a bill to expand workers’ compensation disfigurement benefits by removing the current $15,000 cap and extending coverage beyond scars on the hands, neck, and face. A major theme was workplace safety in warehouses and in extreme heat or cold. Teamsters, warehouse workers, and labor advocates described high injury rates, strict quotas, lack of water, inadequate ventilation, frozen or missing safety equipment, and pressure to work through heat waves and snowstorms. Supporters urged favorable reports on bills protecting warehouse workers and requiring employers to adopt heat- and cold-safety plans, while the NFIB opposed the temperature bill as overly prescriptive and burdensome for small businesses. Sen. Edwards, Sen. Roche, Rep. O’Day, and others argued that the measures are needed to prevent heat illness, provide shade, water, rest breaks, training, and emergency plans, and to cover all workers regardless of immigration status. Another major subject was the “Act to Protect Injured Workers,” backed by labor groups, immigrant worker centers, legal services organizations, and individual workers. Witnesses said employers often retaliate after injuries by threatening deportation, lying about how injuries occurred, delaying care, or firing workers, and they supported stronger anti-retaliation enforcement, multilingual notices, and a rebuttable presumption of retaliation within 90 days of protected activity. The Mass AFL-CIO and immigrant advocacy groups supported the bill and opposed measures they said would weaken employee classification standards. Testimony also supported a funeral-benefits bill to raise workers’ compensation death-benefit reimbursement for burial and funeral costs, based on a family’s experience after a workplace fatality. The committee heard additional testimony on workplace bullying bills, with some witnesses urging a new legal duty for employers to prevent and respond to bullying, while others described the harms of toxic workplaces and the lack of effective remedies.

Transcript Highlights:

• not only academic success, but for lifetime success for, you know, for all California kids.
• Ideally, we were hoping for at least one reading literacy coach for each of the assigned schools or LEAs
• Ideally, we were hoping for at least one reading literacy coach for each of the assigned schools or LEAs
• All, helping kitchens and staff to meet the high increase in demand for meals.
• all, helping kitchens and staff to meet the high increase in demand for meals.

Summary: The committee heard a series of budget proposals focused on education finance, with repeated questions about whether the state’s investments are coordinated, targeted to the highest-need students, and likely to produce measurable results. On the first item, the administration proposed $1 million for a study of California’s curriculum framework, standards, and instructional materials process, plus $250,000 for supplemental ELA/ELD guidance. CDE and Finance said the study would examine how other states organize standards, frameworks, and adoptions, while the chair and members questioned why California has gone so long without updating some standards, what the study would actually accomplish, and whether the proposal was too vague to justify the cost. The issue was held open. The committee then took up a proposed $25 million statewide literacy network within the system of support. CCEE and CDE said the network would coordinate multiple existing literacy leads, create a clearinghouse of evidence-based resources, and improve coherence across the state’s many literacy initiatives. Members pressed on how a one-time, five-year allocation could support a long-term system, how the work would reach distressed and rural districts, and whether the proposal would translate into classroom change rather than just another layer of coordination. The issue was also held open. Next, the committee reviewed a $500 million proposal to expand literacy coaches and reading specialists and to create a math coaches program. CDE described the existing literacy coach cohorts as producing positive reports from participating LEAs, while the LAO recommended modifications, especially for the math coach portion, including limiting eligibility to elementary schools, setting minimum grant amounts, directing funds to eligible school sites, and making eligibility automatic rather than application-based. Members focused on whether coaches were actually being placed at the schools with the greatest need and whether the state has a coherent long-term strategy for literacy and math investments. The committee also heard a $40 million proposal for training and implementation of K-2 reading difficulty screeners, which the LAO said was reasonable but could be reduced because $25 million had already been provided for training; CDE said the new funds were needed for full implementation, procurement, and sustainability. Finally, the committee heard a $10 million proposal for a developmentally appropriate TK multilingual learner screener, with CDE explaining why the preschool language-identification process is different from K-12 EL assessment and the chair asking staff to explore whether a single, more consistent approach could be developed. The meeting concluded with a presentation on universal school meals and kitchen infrastructure, including a $31.5 million backfill, an $84.1 million increase for projected meal growth, a COLA adjustment, and $150 million for kitchen upgrades and training to support freshly prepared meals.

Transcript Highlights:

• And actually, he's hopefully hoping for 16. There's only seven, it sounds like.
• And actually, he's hopefully hoping for 16. There's only seven, it sounds like.
• And actually, he's hopefully hoping for 16. There's only seven, it sounds like.
• ><c> the</c><00:59:23.960><c> individuals</c> with high regard for the individuals with high regard for
• and</c><01:24:04.440><c> our</c> required for high acuity care and our required for high acuity care

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> order for moments of personal privilege. order for moments of personal privilege.
• </c><00:38:17.840><c> over</c> had been living with epilepsy for over had been living with epilepsy for
• </c> chambers for passing Lincoln's Law. chambers for passing Lincoln's Law.
• </c> birthday of the founder of Mile High birthday of the founder of Mile High United<00:42:31.360><c
• </c> standing there for a reason. standing there for a reason.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He graduated from Kingston High School, my alma mater, before beginning his career working for IBM.
• Mark has been teaching for 40 years at the same high school he once attended.
• That's the kind of legacy every teacher hopes for. Mr.
• For what purpose does the gentleman from Maryland seek recognition? every teacher hopes for. Mr.
• Arden says every teacher hopes for. Mr.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• persons filing for candidacy for sheriffs to use, including a form and process for the submission of
• persons filing for candidacy for sheriffs to use including a form and process for the submission of
• "So there is a different timeline provided for persons who are filing for election for the Office of
• So thank you for passing it, and hope we can work things out to make sure there's no unintended consequences
• The safety of our members, other workers, and the community is a high priority for the operating engineers

Summary: The House Community Safety Committee met on February 23, 2026, with a compressed schedule and limited testimony time. Members first heard Second Substitute Senate Bill 5974, which would set eligibility standards for sheriffs, police chiefs, and marshals, require background checks for sheriff candidates through the Washington State Patrol, regulate volunteers and youth cadets, and create a vacancy in office if an elected law enforcement official is finally decertified or fails statutory eligibility requirements. Supporters, including Senator Lovick and several advocacy groups, said the bill promotes accountability and professionalism. Opponents, including the sheriffs of Walla Walla and Spokane counties, argued it imposes unfunded mandates, conflicts with voter sovereignty and recall procedures, and could create problems for rural counties and volunteer use. The committee later took executive action and reported the bill out with a do pass as amended recommendation, 6-2 with one excused. In executive session, the committee also acted on Engrossed Senate Bill 5068, which expands law enforcement hiring eligibility to people legally authorized to work in the United States. A striking amendment clarified that agencies are not liable for employment discrimination claims if hiring is impracticable, allowed applicants who cannot yet possess weapons to apply if they can possess them when hired, and made technical changes. Representative Burnett raised concerns about background investigations, foreign-country vetting, oath of office, and firearm issues, but the committee adopted the striker and then reported the bill out as amended on a 6-2 vote with one excused. The committee also considered Substitute Senate Bill 5855, which prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings while interacting with the public except in specified circumstances and creates a civil cause of action. Amendments added an intent section, expanded exceptions for health and safety equipment under OSHA/WISHA, and proposed stronger prosecutorial language, though two amendments were rejected. The bill was then reported out as amended on a 6-2 vote with one excused. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. Engrossed Senate Bill 5890 would expand reckless driving to include driving more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, and 20 miles per hour over in active construction zones when workers are present; law enforcement, prosecutors, traffic safety officials, and construction industry representatives testified in support. Substitute Senate Bill 5936, a Uniform Law Commission proposal on human trafficking, would allow prosecution of businesses that knowingly engage in or profit from trafficking, strengthen victim confidentiality, and improve U and T visa certification procedures; testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with one witness urging caution about unintended consequences for businesses that report trafficking. Finally, Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6070 would expand missing-person response tools by allowing certain surveillance devices to be used for community caretaking to locate missing endangered persons, create Ebony and Purple Alerts, transfer the missing persons website to the State Patrol, and add a public records exemption. Testimony strongly supported the alert provisions, especially for people with disabilities, while one privacy advocate objected to the surveillance provisions as an overreach.

Transcript Highlights:

• The outcomes for all students promote high-quality instructional practices, as well as collaboration
• Most of you are familiar with the Arts High School, which is for 11th and 12th grade students from across
• is for 11th and 12th High School, which is for 11th and 12th grade<01:09:42.640><c> students</c><01:09
• Can you break down for us how much is going to the arts high school for 11th and 12th graders and then
• Can you break down for us how much is going to the arts high school for 11th and 12th graders and then

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, they'll probably settle into the high fives, so low sixes is probably for the next 12 months
• You know, they'll probably settle into the high fives, so low sixes is probably for the next 12 months
• So, for example, if a public housing authority's project like the Lashkowitz high rise was in dire need
• Two percent went for HMIS.
• On the right is our menu for success, which are high-level agency initiatives, the goals of every individual

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met as the Regulatory Division of the budget section and received updates on several Industrial Commission-related agencies and programs. Legislative Council first reviewed base budget materials, then the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported on its current appropriation and staffing, noting that its new FTEs were being filled gradually and that it remained largely funded through special and federal funds. Agency leaders described homeownership lending, loan servicing, and housing incentive fund activity, including below-market mortgage rates, down payment assistance, and a growing servicing portfolio that has increased workload but not yet required additional FTEs. Housing Finance also detailed use of the Housing Incentive Fund and homeless grant dollars. Officials said the multifamily HIF round drew more than $73 million in requests and awarded $25 million, while the single-family program supported rural development and community land trusts. Homeless grant funding was split between emergency shelter, prevention, and rapid rehousing, with performance-based scoring used to renew or reallocate awards. Members discussed housing affordability, aging households, rental assistance, and the need to coordinate housing and site-preparation messaging with Commerce. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased in the next session. The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and operations update. Staff said the agency was on track financially, had filled most of its new reclamation FTEs, and was not expecting major litigation costs beyond normal late-biennium invoices. The director reviewed agency initiatives including Project North Star IT modernization, organizational restructuring, succession planning, rulemaking, and implementation of the development incentive well tax program and critical minerals rules. He also discussed oil and gas activity, explaining that longer laterals, especially three- and four-mile wells and the first five-mile spacing case, are helping keep production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. Members asked about gas capture, hedging, break-even prices, and the effects of Iran and Venezuela on oil markets. The committee also heard about enhanced oil recovery grants and the Pipeline Authority. The EOR program’s $25 million appropriation was fully allocated to six projects, with total awards reaching about $45.1 million when other fund balances were included, subject to a possible 5% reduction if federal DOE money does not materialize. Officials said the projects are public, reimbursement-based, and will produce results over the next several years. Finally, the Pipeline Authority outlined natural gas transmission projects, including the imminent Bakken Express line and the proposed Bakken East project, which WBI was selected to advance after an Industrial Commission RFI process. The project is moving through open season, survey permission, and regulatory work, with in-service dates projected for 2029 and 2030.

Transcript Highlights:

• for their abuser, then they bail for for their abuser, then they often<00:16:18.399><c> face</c><00:16
• For every and a safety issue for them.
• sure for those we have a place for sure for those people<00:43:10.720><c> to</c><00:43:10.960><c> go
• I do hope that this conversation continues, and I think there is a space, you know, there is not, for
• Those families might now be applying for food stamps, for child care assistance, for a whole number of

Committee: House Rules and Legislative Administration

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• um for construction for projects metals um for construction for projects um<00:18:10.480><c> I</c><00
• He said he heard Representative Gentry talk about the need for high-quality jobs in this state, and that
• c> thank you all for for what for the thank you all for for what for the passage<00:53:34.480><c> of<
• for some students for it's a great great for some students for him<00:57:19.760><c> for</c><00:57:19.920
• A profit for the for each room.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:04 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:29 Approval of Minutes: 00:01:50 Kentucky Buy American Act: 00:02:08 Earn As You Learn: KY Building Trades Apprenticeship: 00:30:42 Worker Misclassification in the Construction Industry: 01:02:00 Investing in KY’s Future Workforce Through the Good Business Initiative: 01:20:44 Adjournment: 01:28:28, 958, all

Summary: The committee met on October 23, 2025, approved the September minutes, and heard testimony on a proposed “Kentucky by America” procurement preference bill. Representative Patrick Flannery described the concept as giving preference in public construction and public works contracts to iron, steel, aluminum, and other manufactured goods made in the United States, while emphasizing he wanted to avoid excessive taxpayer costs and was open to changes. Chad Connley of the United Steelworkers and Dustin Reinsteller of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO supported the idea, arguing it would strengthen domestic manufacturing, keep tax dollars in the local economy, and support jobs; Connley said the bill would include waivers for items not made domestically and noted Kentucky has opted out of the GPA trade agreement. Mike Buckington of Metals Innovation Initiative, testifying virtually, also supported the concept and said Kentucky’s metals sector has seen significant investment and can supply most construction needs, while stressing supply-chain reliability and national security concerns. Members generally expressed support but raised questions about implementation. Representative Branscum asked who would grant waivers and how contractors would know the rules during bidding; Flannery said he was open to revising the language and process. Representative Gentry supported the concept but said the bill would likely need editing to avoid harming businesses or markets. Senator Nun suggested aligning the bill’s definition of a U.S. good with industry country-of-origin standards to make compliance easier. Representative KC Carney asked for data on the impact of similar laws in other states, and Connley said he could provide numbers later but did not have them on hand. Senator Boswell supported the concept and asked about the cost threshold for waivers; Connley said the federal standard is a 25% cost increase, while the prior Kentucky version used 10%, and that the threshold is a key detail. The committee then shifted to an informational presentation on building trade apprenticeships. Eric Elie of the Kentucky State Pipe Trades Association, Nick Brown of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 502, and retired IBEW training director Steve Willinghurst explained how union apprenticeship programs work. Brown described earn-while-you-learn training, with apprentices placed on jobs by signatory contractors and attending classes two nights a week for five years. He outlined the work of plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVACR technicians, emphasizing that these trades support construction, industrial facilities, distilleries, and other critical infrastructure. No votes or formal actions were taken on the policy topics beyond approval of the prior minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm hoping for a unanimous Senate.
• Having son Luke play for Westside High School's band, the same band that David should have been playing
• The judge had set a high dollar amount hoping to keep him in jail, but he failed.
• For his mental health, incarcerated in Harris County Jail and held on high cash bail.
• The potential for misidentifying a person's immigration status is too easy and thus the risk is too high

Bills: SB9 , SB1047 , SB1048 , SJR17 , SJR49 , SB40 , SJR1 , SJR5 , SB 9 , SB 40 , SJR 1

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, criminal procedure, public safety report, victim notification, family violence, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunction, taxpayer rights, violent crimes, sexual offenses, community safety, constitutional amendment, trafficking

Transcript Highlights:

• So I speak here in favor of this bill and hope for your positive consideration. Thank you.
• So I speak here in favor of this bill and hope for your positive consideration.
• I, along with others, pushed for these changes last session and hope they will become law this session
• Lastly, House 12 allows for the use of a request for proposal for procurements under $100,000 for the
• Until last week, I served as the Medway representative for Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight heard testimony on several procurement-related bills. Senator Lovely and steel industry witnesses supported S. 2167/H. 3411, which would require preference for U.S. manufacturers on public construction projects using steel and other materials. They argued that Canadian and other foreign fabricators underbid Massachusetts firms because of exchange rates, subsidies, and different labor-cost structures, causing local job losses and economic leakage. Committee members asked about tariffs, market share, and whether the bill should be folded into broader municipal legislation; the witnesses said public work should stay in Massachusetts and that the bill would help preserve local industry and jobs. The committee also heard strong support for S. 2107, a bill to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities in state and municipal contracting. Work Inc. testified that a preference for contractors employing people with disabilities would expand competitive employment, reduce reliance on public assistance, and generate net savings for taxpayers. Members asked about the estimated savings and whether recent federal changes to benefits would affect the numbers; the witness said the figures may need updating but that the underlying employment opportunity remains important. Another bill, H. 3339/S. 2187, would prohibit state and municipal contracts for new artificial turf fields containing zinc, plastic, or intentionally added PFAS. Sponsors and supporters cited health risks, heat retention, injuries, and PFAS contamination, while committee members discussed local bans, disposal problems, and whether indoor facilities or alternative materials could be used. Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro testified in favor of H. 12 and H. 13, which would update Chapter 30B procurement thresholds and allow municipalities to bundle snow hauling and removal with plowing contracts. He said the changes would give local governments more flexibility, reduce confusion between school and municipal procurement rules, and make snow contracts more attractive to vendors. Members questioned whether quasi-public agencies and state entities should also be subject to 30B, and Shapiro said many public entities have their own procedures but that transparency and fairness should apply across the board. The committee also heard support for S. 2150, a software licensing bill aimed at preventing vendor lock-in by ensuring state agencies can run purchased software in the infrastructure that best fits their needs; the witness said restrictive licensing can drive up costs and create cybersecurity and modernization problems, and that similar laws have already passed in several other states.

Transcript Highlights:

• for the vote.
• So thank you for being here.
• For the last year, Dr.
• She has combined two high-energy density physics experiments, including being the lead designer for the
• comprehensive human sexuality education and to develop model curricula for middle school and high school

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for the question and thank you for passing along those kind remarks.
• about your hopes for the kind of legacy that you'll leave with your first term in the court, and you
• Your Honor, thanks for being available to meet earlier today for a pretty lengthy conversation and for
• So I'll echo that, and I hope they give you a Everything they do to make it possible for you to serve
• And I hope they give you additional credit home for how cool it is.

Committee: Senate Executive

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and the safety of vaccines, and I hope that this bill will contribute to more safety for the community
• Now, that seems like a high number, but it is below the threshold for community immunity.
• And I hope you got a picture when you were up at the microphone, but thank you very much for testifying
• I am hoping that those notes are reviewed by the physician before they go into my chart for accuracy
• I am hoping that those notes are reviewed by the physician before they go into my chart for accuracy

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard a long agenda of health-related bills, beginning with AB 2651 by Bonta, which would require schools to notify parents when school vaccination rates fall below herd immunity thresholds. Supporters, including family physicians, PTA representatives, and medical groups, said the bill would improve transparency and help parents protect children and vulnerable family members. Opponents argued the data could be misleading, could identify medically exempt or conditional students, and might lead to stigma or discrimination. The bill was later moved out of committee on a due-pass-as-amended motion, with one no vote recorded on the roll call. The committee also heard AB 2123 by Aguirre-Curry on medical debt relief, AB 1570 by Wilson to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary breast diagnostic and supplemental imaging, AB 2201 by Berner to restore Medi-Cal eligibility and renewal flexibilities, AB 2448 by Berman to strengthen privacy protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care records, AB 2034 by Addis on food additive safety and transparency, and AB 2598 by Krell to require better notification of next of kin when a patient dies in a hospital. Each bill drew strong support from authors, advocates, and affected individuals, while some drew opposition from insurers, industry groups, or transparency critics who raised concerns about cost, duplication, implementation, or unintended harm. Several bills were moved forward on due-pass-as-amended motions, including AB 2123, AB 2201, AB 2448, AB 2034, and AB 2598. The committee also heard AB 2551 by Elhawary, which would require health plans to collect and publish data on how often enrollees must go out of network for behavioral health care and why. Supporters said the measure would expose access barriers and high out-of-pocket costs, especially for communities of color and people with language access needs; opponents said it would add another reporting mandate and might not solve provider shortage problems. Members generally expressed support for the bill’s goals and several described personal or district-level experiences with behavioral health access problems. The bill was then moved out of committee on a due-pass motion. The committee also took up consent items and other procedural motions, with multiple bills reported out and some placed on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• NOT ONLY FOR THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS BUT ALSO FOR EVAN AND US.
• YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB AND THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR SON.
• THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE THE EXCITING COMMITTEE. HERE IS TO HOPING THAT IT GOES WELL.
• THE DELETE ALL ADDS A REQUIREMENT FOR A HOPE OPERATOR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT FOR USE
• OF AN UNDERUSED VACANT OR HOPE OPERATOR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT FOR USE OF AN UNDERUSED

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2517 relates to enhanced municipal permitting tools for high-capacity transit.
• , keeping premiums high without lowering costs for patients. 340B allows hospitals to retain drug cost
• of under $25 for high-dollar, high-specialty medications.
• So I hope you all will consider this novel idea for funding and hear what our testifiers have to say.
• funding for workplace behavioral health programs focusing on occupations with a high risk for PTSD.

Bills: HB1316 , HB2401 , HB2557 , HB2720 , HB1073 , HB2685 , HB2640 , HB2403

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: postsecondary education, homelessness, foster youth, education access, support programs, commission, gender equity, boys, men, advocacy, state policy, special education, parental rights, educational access, evaluation reports, disability services, behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access