Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you very much for your testimony. Is there any... Thank you very much for your testimony.
• Thank you so much for your testimony. Any debate on the amendment?
• Thank you for your testimony, and we're very sorry for your loss.
• Thank you for your testimony and we're very sorry for your loss.
• Thank you for your testimony. Oh, okay. Thank you. Let's see. Ron Lyska?

Summary: The committee first confirmed six appointees on a single roll-call vote, then took up a series of bills, many of them on land use, housing, public safety, child welfare, education, and professional licensing. Early debate centered on CS/SB 208, which would require development fees to better reflect review costs and impose objective compatibility findings for residential projects. An amendment folded in additional housing-related provisions, including manufactured housing and a study of urban development boundaries, prompting extended discussion about Miami-Dade’s Everglades protection area and local control. A late-filed rural-boundary amendment was withdrawn. The bill was reported favorably after support from business, housing, and advocacy groups, with some senators voicing district-specific concerns. The committee then approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after amendments added conservation easement, wildlife corridor, and critical state concern protections, plus a further Everglades-related amendment. Members discussed balancing smart growth, infrastructure costs, and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Other land-use and growth bills also advanced, including CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment, CS/SB 1138 on qualified contractor pre-application review, and SB 218 limiting the reach of prior hurricane recovery zoning protections in counties not affected by the 2024 storms. SB 1474 on biosolids management was amended to reduce the distance threshold for land application restrictions and delay the effective date, and SB 1708 on veterinary licensure by endorsement removed a three-year recent-practice requirement to address shortages. Several public safety, health, and family-related measures also passed. CS/CS/SB 436 expanded felony battery enhancement to include resisting an officer with violence and certain law-enforcement battery offenses. SB 830 extended public-records protections to county and city administrators and related family information. CS/CS/CS/SB 600 revised bail bond rules, and an amendment preserved the current treatment of charitable bail funds and nonprofits; the committee heard testimony from The Bail Project and others on both sides. CS/SB 914 expanded dry-needling supervision options for occupational therapists, CS/SB 1092 clarified podiatric use of certain cellular/tissue products, and SB 1504 and SB 1718 updated insurance licensing and educator certification pathways. On the education side, CS/CS/SB 7038 made broad postsecondary changes, including tuition waivers, residency clarification, and licensure rules, while CS/SB 186 required seizure-response training and action plans in schools. The committee also advanced multiple child welfare and health bills. CS/CS/CS/SB 560 streamlined psychotropic medication procedures for children in state custody and added youth-voice and insurance-review provisions. CS/CS/CS/SB 902 combined several Department of Health changes, including medical marijuana distance rules, autism microcredential eligibility, a neurofibromatosis grant program, and NICU nutrition information. SB 1002 expanded child welfare definitions to address parental drug abuse and neglect, and SB 1708 eased endorsement licensure for out-of-state veterinarians. Most bills were reported favorably on roll-call votes, with several amendments adopted along the way and limited opposition or abstentions noted on some measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll hear testimony by calling the entire panel at once.
• After verification, we'll hear that witness's testimony.
• Until all testimony has been presented.
• Thank you, that concludes my testimony, and I will entertain any questions you might have.
• Please refer to LMIT's written comments for detailed testimony.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please note also that while this hearing will not have phone testimony, we are accepting written testimony
• Further, please note that the guideline for bills heard in this committee is to allow for testimony from
• As stated, your two lead witnesses will each have two minutes to provide testimony.
• I'm giving testimony on behalf of Los Angeles Community College District.
• We had experts up and on the state with public testimony as well.

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee met with a quorum and first approved a consent calendar containing AB 341, AB 1098, and AB 1316, sending those measures to the Human Services, Judiciary, and Appropriations Committees respectively. The committee then heard AB 977, which would require CSU to audit surplus land and work with California tribes to identify three regional burial sites for Native American remains that cannot yet be repatriated. Supporters, including tribal leaders and archaeology groups, said the bill is needed to honor ancestors and address the large number of remains still held by CSU; CSU said it is committed to repatriation but had no formal position. The bill passed to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote. Members also heard AB 1093, creating a California-Mexico higher education exchange program, and AB 1035, expanding the California College Promise to cover tuition for students pursuing community college bachelor’s degrees. AB 1093 drew support for strengthening cross-border educational and economic ties, but some members raised concerns about border-region sewage problems and the bill’s budget implications; it was held for later consideration. AB 1035 received strong support from community college leaders and faculty who said it would help low-income and first-generation students complete workforce-focused bachelor’s degrees, but several members questioned whether it would stretch Prop. 98 funding and whether the state should prioritize broader affordability concerns. AB 1035 passed to Appropriations on a 3-2 vote. The committee next approved AB 922, which would let the University of California keep access to federal criminal-history information for hiring background checks, avoiding delays and added costs if statutory authority is required. UC said the bill is needed to maintain safety and hiring operations, and it passed to Public Safety on a 5-0 vote. AB 1346, protecting military dependents from losing in-state residency status because of family travel, also passed unanimously to Military and Veterans Affairs. AB 1212, allowing UC to use low-income housing tax credits to build affordable housing for faculty and staff on UC land, drew support from UC and labor groups but opposition from members concerned about preferential access to public resources; it was held for later action. Finally, the committee approved AB 500 and AB 684, both aimed at increasing transparency around UC admissions policy changes and UC BOARS decision-making, sending AB 500 to Education and AB 684 to Governmental Organization, each on 5-0 votes. The hearing then moved on to AB 1122 on dual enrollment, with the author and witnesses presenting the bill as a way to expand college access for high school students.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're interested in reviewing written testimony, please go to our website.
• <00:08:21.759> from testimony from testimony from DNR<00:08:24.280> and<00:08:24.520>
• Her testimony will adopt the Department of Health language on page five, line four, to read as follows
• We did submit written testimony in support of the bill, and I do apologize for the late submission.
• <00:31:39.440> to<00:31:39.639> include<00:31:40.039> investigators testimony to

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee met in decision-making on a long list of Senate bills and adopted most measures with amendments or unamended, often with members voting aye and some recording reservations. Among the measures acted on were SB 40, SB 411, SB 436, SB 443, SB 447, SB 572, SB 583, SB 739, SB 742, SB 746, SB 816, SB 826, SB 830, SB 841, SB 850, SB 865, SB 952, SB 955, SB 1040, SB 1042, SB 1083, SB 1229, SB 1359, SB 1469, SB 1553, SB 1578, SB 1609, SB 1610, SB 1619, and SB 1641. Common amendments included deferring effective dates to 2050, adding sunset dates, adopting LRB technical changes, and narrowing or clarifying program language. Several bills drew brief discussion on policy details. SB 583 was amended to remove references to selling naming rights, leaving only leasing. SB 739 was discussed for its land exchange provisions and concerns about ceded lands and OHA revenue, but it was still adopted with reservations. SB 830 was amended based on DNR testimony to address reconstruction after disasters, excluding certain coastal hazards. SB 850 added State Council on Developmental Disabilities recommendations to address health disparities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. SB 952 shifted administration of a pilot program to the Department of Human Services in partnership with the Office of Wellness and Resiliency, and SB 1610 added requirements for utility connections and capped spending on the Ohana Zones/Cales-related program. The committee also heard substantial discussion on SB 442, which concerned returning retirees to state employment. Testimony from the Department of Law Enforcement and the Attorney General focused on whether the bill should allow a shorter waiting period and how it would interact with current 89-day hiring practices, succession planning, and law enforcement retirement rules. After debate, the committee moved to decision-making and adopted amendments to include investigators, expand eligibility to hard-to-fill or succession-planning positions, and set a term limit for returning retirees with director approval for extensions. In a separate joint Ways and Means/Judiciary hearing, SB 716, SB 763, and SB 804 were also advanced with amendments, including organizational placement changes for DLE programs and Attorney General amendments to avoid retroactivity and contract-impairment issues. Several items were deferred, including SB 983, SB 1220, and SB 828.

Transcript Highlights:

• I submitted written testimony, so I'll just keep it brief.
• There are amendments. ...television permits a judge to make a motion to seek closed-circuit testimony
• At the committee amendments being made today, my testimony would be on the version of the bill before
• That's my testimony. Thank you. Thank you.
• You know, I have submitted written testimony, so you're free to review, but I want to just highlight

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, thank you for your testimony and thank you for bringing this forward.
• Thank you for your testimony.
• Thank you for your testimony.
• Thank you for your testimony.
• And I think that was part of the testimony there.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• After the support witnesses testify, the primary support witnesses will have me-too testimony, where
• Others wish to provide testimony on AB 2563.
• And I do have testimony also if they could get ready at the podium for this bill.
• Vice Chairman Mike Lopez of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians is here to provide testimony.
• We're finished with Me Too testimony. Great.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:57.360> So, both bills up for public testimony.
• So, both bills up for public testimony.
• Thank you, Seth. >> Thank you. >> Any further public testimony?
• >> Seeing none, going once, twice, we will close public testimony.
• Seeing none, we'll close public testimony. We'll bring the bill back to the DAS committee.

Bills: SF0012, SF0013, SF0067

Keywords: military, national guard, reenlistment, extension bonus, funding, Wyoming, Wyoming National Guard, recruitment, referral bonus, military service, eligibility expansion, incentive program, Wyoming state guard, emergency response, governor authority, state council of defense, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Reminder, folks: on rolled bills, we'll come straight to committee because we already took public testimony
• We took public testimony. So Representative, Vice Chair, Director, Madam Secretary, please.
• I have a few questions about the process, and a lot of the testimony has kind of brought up more.
• And then there's still, which many of our testimony has done, we still have that process of recalling
• Many of our testimonies has done.

Bills: SB23, SB73, SB210, SB234, SB243, SB244, SM16

Keywords: student use, wireless devices, public schools, policy implementation, education technology funding, driver education, driver's ed, driving school, motorcycle safety, traffic safety, vulnerable road users, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, cyclist, bike lane, micromobility, scooter, moped, motorcycle training, DWI prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• We will allow this after the testimony and the public comments for the support and the opposition for
• I said it at the very top of my testimony.
• And I'm incredibly heartened, I said it at the very top of my testimony, and grateful that the chairs
• I want to appreciate the authors, both the testimony from proponents, and most importantly, the testimony
• importantly, the testimony from the opposition and the tweeners in this moment in time.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee held a special hearing on AB 715, with the authors presenting the bill as a response to rising anti-Semitism in K-12 schools. The authors said the measure is intended to strengthen protections for Jewish students, improve district accountability, expand the uniform complaint process, clarify protections related to religion and nationality, and create a state-level anti-Semitism coordinator. They emphasized that the bill was developed through collaboration with the Black, Latino, AAPI, and Jewish caucuses and argued it is meant to protect all students from hate while preserving legitimate classroom discussion. The hearing included extensive public testimony. Supporters, including students, parents, rabbis, Jewish organizations, and some educators, described harassment, biased curriculum, delayed or ineffective school responses, and fear among Jewish students and families. They urged the committee to act to make schools safer and more responsive. Opponents, including teachers, ethnic studies advocates, civil liberties groups, Palestinian rights advocates, and some Jewish parents, argued the bill was rushed, vague, and could chill academic freedom, censor discussion of Palestine and Israel, and expand complaints against teachers and school districts. Several witnesses said existing complaint and anti-discrimination systems already address these issues. Committee members then questioned the authors and witnesses about implementation, definitions, and possible effects on curriculum and school boards. The authors said the bill is still intent language and that details would be refined in further negotiations with stakeholders. Representatives from the California School Boards Association and California Teachers Association raised concerns about the new language and possible unintended consequences, while ACLU California Action said it had concerns but wanted to keep working on the bill. The transcript does not show a final vote or action taken on AB 715 during this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, without the testimony, without the public discussion about these issues, and as you know, funding
• Again, without the testimony, without the public discussion about these issues, and as you know, funding
• And I don't believe this provision received any testimony in opposition.
• in opposition to the posted is testimony in opposition to the bill<00:26:14.000> would<00:26:
• <00:26:20.480> Just any testimony in opposition. Just any testimony in opposition.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• broken leg, and I'm going to know exactly what he's talking about, but I do trust that doctor's testimony
• To imply that they're not being trained for this procedure is wrong, because that is not the testimony
• And if you heard that testimony different, I would invite you to go back and watch it, because I did.
• wrong because that is not the testimony wrong because that is not the testimony I<00:25:06.080><
• I heard and if you heard that testimony I heard and if you heard that testimony different<00:25:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you very much for your testimony. Next is Christy Lee. And Ms.
• Lee, I apologize to you, but we ask you to make your testimony as short as you can. Sure.
• Thank you for your testimony. Next is Chip Case. Which case? Are you waving or are you speaking?
• That concludes our public testimony.
• And sometimes the testimony is showing that there were testimonies of it being medically, and then someone

Summary: The committee first considered the confirmation of Dr. John Lattell to the Florida Board of Medicine. In questioning, senators focused heavily on his views on abortion, vaccines, ivermectin, hormonal birth control, and the role of CDC/FDA guidance in board discipline cases. Dr. Lattell said the board should apply Florida statutes, described himself as strongly pro-life and skeptical of some federal health guidance, and said he would be sympathetic when judging fellow physicians because of his own experience in practice. Supporters praised his medical background, military service, and family medicine experience, while opponents argued his stated views could affect his ability to fairly discipline other doctors. The committee voted 5-2 to recommend confirmation, with Senators Polsky and Rouson voting no. The committee then took up the confirmation of Taylor Hatch as Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families. Hatch outlined her background at DCF and APD and described department priorities including streamlining services, improving child welfare and behavioral health systems, expanding peer support, and reducing SNAP error rates. Members asked detailed questions about Hope Florida, the number and role of Hope Navigators, agency responsiveness on bill analyses, and accountability for community-based care contractors. Hatch said Hope Florida is a partnership-based navigation effort aimed at self-sufficiency, that 143 Hope Navigators are in place, and that the department is working to improve transparency and oversight through contracts, audits, and a proposed funding model. Senators also pressed Hatch on the Hope Florida Foundation’s compliance history and on forensic audits of community-based care agencies, especially Northwest Florida Health Network. Hatch said the foundation is now in compliance and under audit, and that the contractor had completed corrective actions and was operating within current accountability limits. She said DCF had not yet conducted new forensic audits under her tenure but was preparing another round and was considering using contracted-services dollars to support that work. The discussion ended with continued questioning on oversight, staffing, and whether the agency could provide more formal bill analyses going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• So every batch that we make is sent out for testing, and I kind of alluded to that in my testimony.
• A little disappointed because I appreciate the testimony, but here you're going to hurt small businesses
• A little disappointed because I appreciate the testimony, but here you're going to hurt small businesses
• So the comment to that testimony is this: One, self-regulation is like the IRS, us trying to regulate
• Chair, I have a comment, not a question, to his testimony. Okay, sure. Sit down, Brian.

Bills: HB2746, HB2750, HB2765, HB4036

Keywords: trade offices, committee, Arizona commerce authority, stakeholder input, efficiency, Arizona-Sonora, Sonora, Mexico, trade commission, cross-border trade, bilateral trade, international trade, economic development, foreign relations, border economy, investment, infrastructure, business exchange, academic exchange, legislative commission

Transcript Highlights:

• We are going to hear the bill presentation, then we will go to public testimony, then we will go to the
• We are going to hear the bill presentation, then we will go to public testimony, then we will go to the
• Then we will go to public testimony and then go to committee.
• So for those in the audience, here is again how public testimony will go.
• So for public testimony here in the committee room, I'm not going to call names.

Bills: SB12, SB36, SB92, SB120, SB133, SB151, SB18, SB96

Keywords: tax credit, physician, healthcare, income tax, rural health, quantum technology, infrastructure, economic development, New Mexico, corporate tax, research and development, innovation, affordable housing, gross receipts tax, tax deduction, construction materials, multifamily housing, low income, journalism, local news

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, please note that while this hearing will not have phone testimony, we are accepting written
• testimony through the position letter portal on the committee's website at www.assembly.ca.gov.
• Further, please note that the guideline for bills heard in this committee is to allow testimony from
• As we've stated, your two lead witnesses will each have two minutes each to provide testimony.
• Through public testimony, research, and historical analysis, the task force released a comprehensive

Summary: The committee heard several higher education bills. It first approved the consent calendar, which included SB 67 and SB 619. The main discussion centered on SB 437, which would direct the CSU system to develop a fair, evidence-based process for verifying whether someone is a descendant of a person enslaved in the United States, as part of the state’s reparations work. Supporters said the bill fills a gap left by the Reparations Task Force and would create a transparent, credible lineage-verification process; opponents argued genealogy methods already exist, the bill would waste money and delay action, and some raised constitutional concerns. The committee took a vote on SB 437, but the roll was left open after the initial tally showed three ayes and three noes. The committee then heard SB 790, which would allow California to join the interstate reciprocity agreement for online postsecondary education. The author and supporters said the bill would improve consumer protections for California students taking out-of-state online courses and help California institutions compete more effectively by reducing the burden of seeking separate state approvals. Opponents, including University of Phoenix and other groups, argued the bill conflicted with the existing reciprocity framework, could exclude some institutions, and might not actually secure California’s entry into the agreement. The committee voted 3-1 to pass SB 790 as amended to the Business and Professions Committee, with the roll left open. The committee also heard SB 391, which would authorize the Community College Chancellor’s Office to charge fees for research partners seeking access to data. Supporters said the office is absorbing significant unfunded workload from data requests and that fees would help recover costs; opponents, including the California Teachers Association community college association, warned the fees could create barriers for faculty and smaller researchers. Members discussed possible exemptions and implementation details. The committee voted 5-1 to pass SB 391 as amended to the Appropriations Committee, with the roll left open. Finally, the committee heard SB 685, a pilot program to provide cost-of-attendance assistance at four CSU campuses for students who experienced homelessness in high school. Supporters said it would help students cover housing, food, and transportation costs and reduce dropout risk; members asked about eligibility and implementation, and the author explained the bill would use McKinney-Vento homelessness designations and target students at risk of “summer melt” and college homelessness.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, we will go back to tab 7 and continue with our public testimony. Tony?
• We will go back to tab 7 and continue with our public testimony. We're ready to go.
• We will go back to tab 7 and continue with our public testimony. We're ready to go.
• Thank you for your testimony.
• Thank you for your testimony. Next is Tina Cassie, waving in opposition. Thank you.” “Tina Cassie?

Summary: The committee first handled Senate confirmations, hearing two support waivers from the Florida Swimming Pool Association, and then voted to recommend confirmation of all appointees in a block vote. It then took up several bills, adopting amendments and reporting each measure favorably: CS/SB 462 on transportation, which included FDOT authority over speed limits, EV-related funding, MPO changes, workforce grants, and an I-4 widening report; SB 1574 on energy infrastructure investment, creating a PSC mechanism for renewable natural gas infrastructure cost recovery; SB 1002 on utility service restrictions, limiting local government energy-source restrictions; and SB 726 on swatting, adding liability for prosecution/investigation costs and restitution for injuries or property damage. The committee also approved CS/SB 496 on timeshare management and CS/SB 1076 on roof contracting, both with technical or clarifying amendments. A major portion of the meeting focused on SB 408 on thoroughbred permit holders and decoupling live racing from gaming licenses at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. Senator Burgess presented a strike-all amendment that would delay decoupling for seven years, with a three-year notice period and a four-year guarantee of racing and current purse/breeder award structures. The sponsor and supporters said the longer runway was intended to create room for negotiations and align Florida with other pari-mutuel operations. The committee heard extensive public testimony, overwhelmingly opposed, from horsemen, breeders, veterinarians, farm owners, sales companies, and related businesses who warned the bill would reduce racing, depress breeding, threaten tens of thousands of jobs, and harm a major agricultural industry. A few speakers, including representatives of the Miccosukee Tribe, opposed the bill as a casino expansion that would benefit out-of-state interests and undermine existing gaming arrangements. No final vote on SB 408 was taken in the portion provided, and the committee continued public testimony after a recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to thank the author for her work on the bill and the sponsors for your testimony today.
• Thank you, Joy and Damon, for your testimony.
• Thank you, Joy and Damon, for your testimony.
• Thank you, Joy and Damon, for your testimony.
• I'm wondering if there's still going to be continued discussion, because as we've heard the testimony

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're talking basically verbal testimony.
• And I think that this is something that would... ...whole testimony.
• , and increase the availability of expert testimony in DUI cases.
• HB 57 is a common-sense modernization of our judicial system that allows video testimony for traffic
• It will keep our law enforcement... ...system and allows video testimony for traffic offenses.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But before we get to looking at her testimony a little more, one other thing that I want to note in the
• Barron's testimony that perhaps her agency, her branch, has detrimentally relied on precedents and how
• Again, the general point of holding joint committees is so you don't have to have all the same testimony
• heard by one chamber and then have all that same testimony heard by the second chamber.
• So after all that joint testimony and deliberation happens, the joint committee issues a joint report

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first discussed security and member contact procedures, with several members emphasizing the need for formal security training at the start of each session and clearer procedures for knowing where legislators are staying during session for welfare checks and emergency contact. Members also raised concerns about the disclosure of home addresses in other public records and forms, and Legislative Council was asked to prepare a background memo on possible training, best practices, and related legislative or rule changes. The committee then took up a bill draft to reduce the number of paper copies of state publications sent to the State Library from eight to two. Legislative Council explained the cost savings and the move toward digital distribution, but the State Librarian testified that the library still needs paper copies for circulation, archives, and depository libraries, and requested a minimum of three copies. After discussion, the committee amended the draft to require three copies instead of two and passed the motion. The committee also approved a related House and Senate Rules amendment reducing the number of bound journals distributed, and a separate rule change removing the requirement that legislators’ home addresses be printed in the rule book and allowing a lower print run based on request and need. The committee next reviewed data on bill pre-filing and legislative workload. After hearing testimony that agency bills tend to arrive in a late-year rush and that staff workload is especially heavy around organizational session and the holidays, the committee voted to move the agency pre-filing deadline to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It also amended the deadline for constitutional amendments and study resolutions, moving them earlier so they would occur before crossover, and adjusted the reporting deadline accordingly. Members discussed whether these changes should be handled in special session or organizational session, and staff explained that the agency deadline change could be made effective for the next regular session through a permanent rules change. Finally, the committee reviewed proposed special session rules. Staff explained that the special session would use joint appropriations and joint policy committees, with expedited bill processing, limited bill introduction routes, and remote participation allowed for members and public testimony with approval. The committee also resolved a House appropriations membership issue by keeping the House side at 23 members and giving the House majority leader authority to appoint a replacement for the vacant seat, while increasing the Senate dollar threshold to match the House. Members then discussed the upcoming rural health special session process, including how the interim rural health group would differ from the actual special session committees, the timing of committee work and the governor’s address, and whether remote participation would be permitted in the special session.