Transcript Highlights:

• who need access to quality early learning.
• who need access to quality early learning.
• take his meds, to brush his teeth, to access his modified van, to drive him where he needs to go, and
• to access those places when he gets there.
• brush his teeth, to access his modified van, to drive him where he needs to go, and to access those

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1001, sponsored by Representative Les Eaves, which would lower the individual income tax rate to 3.7% retroactive to the current year and reduce the corporate rate to 4.1% beginning in 2027. Eaves argued the bill continues Arkansas’s recent tax-cut strategy, would provide broad relief to working families, and would keep the state competitive while preserving future surpluses rather than cutting existing services. He and Representative Bray emphasized that prior tax cuts have benefited taxpayers and supported economic growth. Several opponents testified against the bill, including representatives from Arkansas Appleseed, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a pastor, and individuals speaking about disability services and food insecurity. They argued Arkansas cannot afford further revenue reductions given needs in public education, early childhood care, Medicaid and food assistance, rural hospitals, and supported living services. Witnesses said the tax cut would disproportionately benefit higher earners while providing little or no relief to lower- and middle-income families, and urged the committee to prioritize public investments over tax cuts. After debate, the committee adopted a motion to limit witness testimony to five minutes each. Representative Eaves closed on the bill and moved to pass it. Following discussion, the committee voted to pass HB 1001, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so now my portfolio of work at ForHealth Consulting includes other programs and services to other
• disadvantaged populations, I guess you would say, and with a focus on access to health care.
• A lot of my work has to do with graphic design and accessibility in my reporting.
• Essentially, my role is to make sure that all the program services and activities at the Massachusetts
• We have access to information and data research across states specific to certain programs and policies

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The Disability Employment Subcommittee met with SEED (the State Exchange on Employment and Disability) staff for a presentation on state disability employment policy options and possible collaboration with Massachusetts. After roll call, the committee approved prior meeting minutes and heard an inspirational quote from Jane Goodall emphasizing that every individual matters and can make a difference. Members then introduced themselves and described their roles in disability employment, accessibility, state government, and advocacy. SEED staff Katya Alpanis and Dina Klumkina explained that SEED provides technical assistance, research, peer-state examples, and policy resources to help states advance disability employment. They outlined seven policy areas, including career readiness and work-based learning, behavioral health and retention, stay-at-work/return-to-work supports, employer recruitment and accommodation tools, disability-owned business development, interagency coordination, and state-as-model-employer strategies. They shared examples from other states such as Kentucky, Virginia, Alaska, Washington, Minnesota, New Jersey, Illinois, Colorado, New York, and others. In response to questions, they clarified that PEAT has been refunded and is expected to return online, and that SEED’s role is policy support rather than implementation of accessibility requirements. Committee members discussed Massachusetts-specific interests, including digital accessibility, existing state efforts, and prior SEED engagement with Massachusetts agencies and legislators. Members raised concerns about upcoming Medicaid work requirements and the risk that people with disabilities could fall through the cracks, and asked whether SEED could help inform state policy responses. The group identified two likely project areas: a Massachusetts state-as-model-employer roadmap and a youth/young adult employment and volunteer pipeline, potentially linked to transition supports and civic engagement. SEED agreed to follow up with briefs and a questionnaire, and the committee planned an offline follow-up discussion to narrow priorities and develop a scope of work. No formal votes beyond approving the minutes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was given access to the internet and therefore used the internet access to gain unauthorized access
• without access to the internet, but Claude realized that it did have access to the internet.
• is to not give access to the internet for some of this testing?
• And we limit access to tools, permissions, and networks that our models can access.
• So our Trusted Access for Cyber program provides to the private sector and government vetted access to

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Cybersecurity and the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection focused on how frontier AI is changing cybersecurity for both attackers and defenders. Members heard from representatives of OpenAI and Anthropic, who said AI is making cyberattacks faster, more scalable, and more accessible, while also giving defenders new tools for vulnerability discovery, incident response, and patching. They described recent incidents involving AI systems, including OpenAI’s Hugging Face sandbox escape during internal testing and Anthropic’s discovery of unauthorized internet access during evaluations, and emphasized layered safeguards, safer testing environments, monitoring, and independent review. They also discussed California’s new AI cyber defense efforts, including Governor Newsom’s announcement of a first-in-the-nation program and company programs offering credits, training, and verified access for state and local defenders. Committee members and witnesses also discussed California’s preparedness, SB 53, and the need for better information sharing and policy updates. Cal OES Deputy Director Jonathan Snow described Cal-CSIC, CalSecure 2.0, the state’s secure reporting portal under SB 53, and efforts to coordinate with CDT, CISA, the FBI, MS-ISAC, and critical infrastructure partners. He said the state is working on standard operating procedures for extreme AI incidents and on outreach to water systems and other local entities. Members raised concerns that SB 53’s thresholds may be too narrow and that the state may need more timely, actionable information to mitigate risks. Witnesses and members agreed that California should strengthen public-private collaboration, improve cyber hygiene, and support local governments and utilities. The final panel featured Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Dr. Nate Gleason, who focused on open-weight AI models and critical infrastructure. He argued that open-weight models present special risks because they can be downloaded, modified, and used without ongoing developer control, monitoring, or revocation, while also being useful for air-gapped and classified environments. He said Chinese labs currently lead the open-weight space and warned that U.S. utilities and other critical operators may increasingly rely on Chinese-made models if domestic options do not advance. He described LLNL’s work with DOE on AI-FORTS, including test beds for adversarial AI testing and OT-focused benchmarks. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and members repeatedly urged continued briefings, collaboration, and follow-up on policy and technical safeguards.

Transcript Highlights:

• "The ADA outlines a lot of really great guidance on physical accessibility and visual accessibility and
• "I'm looking for Minnesota to set the groundwork for what accessibility looks like in terms of sensory
• accessibility.
• do to try to help further along in policies and legislation.
• <00:02:21.920><c> help</c> are looking for us to do to try to help are looking for us to do to try to

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• because they are not cued to access because they are not cued to access those<00:19:40.400><c> support
• access any service?
• access any service?
• So I guess my to access any service?
• ><c> to</c><04:06:48.319><c> rural</c> Bill 1782 relative to access to rural Bill 1782 relative to access

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is the key to our prosperity really denying a single mother working two jobs access to a doctor?
• in fact by cutting services to poor people threatening Social Security all it is to just pay for tax
• access to the 340B program.
• to deliver high quality services across California.
• services, making sure they have access to safe, reliable, remote health care.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• public service to the Office of the Auditor General.
• As you all know, having partners in public service to help you do what you need to do to be here to serve
• not only grow in my career, but to grow in service to the state of Arizona.
• I believe it was to be paid to the vendor who's providing the services.
• It's poor service to the taxpayers. It's poor service to the county and the district.

Summary: The committee began with opening remarks about moving to a monthly, two-hour schedule for more timely and focused oversight of Auditor General findings. Members also recognized Melanie Chesney for 32 years of service to the Office of the Auditor General, with several speakers praising her work and her role in strengthening the relationship between the Auditor General’s office and J-LAC. The main agenda item was the Auditor General’s December 2025 special audit on the school safety interoperability fund and interoperable communication systems. Staff reported that about $26 million had been allocated to 14 law enforcement agencies for systems intended to improve real-time communication between schools and first responders. The audit found that all 14 agencies used the money for interoperable systems, but four agencies allowed private or tribal schools to participate contrary to statute, and several agencies failed to submit required annual expenditure reports. It also found that none of the three systems reviewed met every statutory requirement as written, in part because some requirements were vague or interpreted differently by vendors and agencies. The audit recommended that agencies recover and report any improper benefit to non-public schools, avoid using fund money for ongoing costs tied to non-public school participation, submit missing reports, and improve cost planning and contract monitoring; it also recommended that the legislature clarify eligibility for private and tribal schools and revisit unclear system requirements. The audit further found procurement and contracting problems at nine of 14 agencies, including weak or missing sole-source justifications, contracts that lacked accountability and termination provisions, and poor documentation of pricing and deliverables. Several agencies had not planned for ongoing annual costs, which the audit estimated could range from about $16,000 to $382,000 per rural county depending on the system. In the discussion, members expressed frustration with sole-source contracting and lack of documentation, and some said they would oppose future vendor bills without competitive bidding and stronger payment controls. The auditor also described mixed system performance: some agencies reported useful features such as panic alerts, camera access, and map sharing, but other systems were not fully functional or had never been implemented. The committee then heard from the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association, whose president said sheriffs support the goal of improving school safety, described county implementation challenges, and defended the use of local staff to manage the projects, while acknowledging that smaller counties face staffing and connectivity limits.

Transcript Highlights:

• When adoptees are forced to turn to DNA testing due to lack of access, the adoption is exposed to an
• SB 423 provides a common-sense transparency measure by ensuring access to 911 and calls-for-service records
• to the front line for services.
• mandate to access that data, they also will not be able to.
• Mandate to access that data, they also will not be able to.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 16, which would require county behavioral health directors to create clear pathways for clinicians to be authorized to initiate 5150 involuntary holds. The author and supporters argued the bill would reduce reliance on law enforcement and create more consistent crisis response standards statewide, while county behavioral health directors opposed it as an unfunded mandate that could increase law enforcement involvement and create implementation burdens. Members raised questions about county costs and funding, but the author emphasized the bill’s role in building a more clinical response system. SB 561 would require public guardians to acknowledge conservatorship referrals, make determinations within a reasonable time, and provide status updates on request. Supporters said the bill would reduce delays that leave vulnerable adults in limbo, while the opposition from public guardian representatives was removed after amendments. SB 381 drew extensive public testimony in support; it would allow California-born adoptees, and descendants of deceased adoptees, access to original birth certificates, with a nonbinding contact preference form for birth parents. Supporters framed the bill as a matter of dignity, identity, and health, and there was no formal opposition on the record. The committee also discussed SB 880, which would give tenants and prospective owner-occupants notice and a first opportunity to make an offer when institutional investors sell certain homes. Supporters said it would expand homeownership opportunities and preserve neighborhood stability, while opponents warned about conflicts with federal law, bundled-sale restrictions, and impacts on build-to-rent and affordable housing projects. Members and the author discussed possible amendments to address those concerns. SB 1238 would impose a duty of care and additional transparency requirements on HOA managers and boards; supporters said it would protect homeowners from mismanagement, while the main opposition argued the duty should remain contractual and could increase litigation. Finally, SB 423 would require disclosure of emergency-service records related to private detention facilities, and SB 28 would make changes to the CARE Court process, including a statewide ombudsperson and expanded oversight; both drew support and opposition, with concerns focused on transparency, privacy, implementation, and the balance between treatment and coercion. SB 574, discussed at the end, would require disclosure and human oversight for AI use in courts and legal practice and create a complaint process for ADR providers, with the State Bar noting requested amendments related to complaint handling and confidentiality.

Transcript Highlights:

• our districts to serve students, serve them well, make sure they have access to the course sections
• to sustain access to those courses, because they will want to ensure those reserves can be used to avoid
• , to sustain access to those courses, because they will want to ensure those reserves can be used to
• and services provided are being up to standard to the student's expectation and meeting our goals.
• So this would be able to give the opportunity to countless members of service the opportunity to be able

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard updates on several higher education budget items, beginning with a pulled follow-up item on the State Library’s administration of the Imagination Library. The chair said the committee had received new documentation from the State Library and the Department of Finance late the prior evening, and staff would review it before deciding whether additional oversight or accountability measures are needed. The committee then turned to the California Community Colleges budget request, with Chancellor Christian outlining strong post-pandemic enrollment recovery, asking for 3% enrollment growth funding, changes to the three-year average formula, removal of the 10% growth cap, and support for several one-time and ongoing initiatives including the Common Cloud Data Platform, credit for prior learning, AI literacy, Rebuild L.A., veterans services, Calbright College, and the Chancellor’s Office. Senators raised concerns about district reserves, part-time faculty conditions, veterans’ credit pathways, and fraud prevention in enrollment systems; the chancellor said the system is using DMV and other identity verification tools, AI screening, and audits, and that reported final enrollment numbers are clean. The committee then reviewed the student-centered funding formula. The Department of Finance described the governor’s proposal to fully repay $408.4 million in deferrals, provide a 2.41% COLA, and add one-time funding to cover current-year apportionment costs, while the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended prioritizing the proposals within available Proposition 98 funding. Community college finance staff said most districts are growing, many would benefit from current-year funding rules, and that without the proposed apportionment funding districts could face a deficit factor and reduced course access. Members asked about infrastructure prioritization, deferred maintenance, safety, accessibility, and campus police; staff explained that life safety projects are prioritized first, followed by modernization and growth-related facilities, and that colleges are built to high safety standards under the Field Act. Enrollment growth was discussed separately, with Finance and LAO supporting the governor’s 1.5% growth proposal split across two fiscal years, while noting that growth is being driven in part by dual enrollment, regional demographic shifts, and unemployment. The Chancellor’s Office said 54 of 72 districts grew year over year and that funding more growth could help districts move off hold harmless status, though some districts face long-term demographic challenges. The committee also heard from Calbright College President Agita Menon, who described Calbright’s role serving adult learners statewide, its completion and wage gains, and the governor’s proposed $38 million ongoing funding. The LAO recommended transitioning Calbright to the student-centered funding formula beginning in 2027-28, arguing that the current proposal lacks a clear funding rationale and performance linkage; Calbright responded that its competency-based, non-credit model is structurally different and should be funded separately, while agreeing to continued accountability reporting. Finally, the committee received an update on the Community College Higher Education Student Housing Program. Finance said the governor proposes about $11 million ongoing General Fund for debt service on approved student housing projects, and that 11 projects are in the financing pipeline, with two completed, three under construction, four in working drawings, and two in preliminary plans. Finance also noted that some projects have withdrawn and that about $81 million in bond authority remains unallocated, which the Legislature may need to address going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• have access to that information to know that someone is in it.
• figure out how to access our information.
• backdoor access to the information.
• figure out how to access our information.
• backdoor access to the information.

Bills: HB1759, HB2632, HB2574, HB2235, SGA9267

Keywords: designation, commemoration, December 12, local observance, cultural significance, citizenship, immigration, terminology, rights, legal status, election, ballot, candidates, deceased, voting law, public records, concealed pistol licenses, firearm purchases, transfers, exemptions

Transcript Highlights:

• The Office of Emergency Services has requested permission to go back to the drawing board, putting that
• This bill will strengthen and expand statewide access to vital 2-1-1 services across California.
• Today, more than a dozen counties have no access to 2-1-1, and many others lack the capacity to answer
• Today, more than a dozen counties have no access to 2-1-1, and many others lack the capacity to answer
• to make sure that they're accessible and that there's equity.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Family Services, to provide for hiring requirements, to require a criminal background check, to require
• restriction to the healthcare access to our going to cause a serious restriction to the health care
• access to our constituents or our patients.
• access to information and things like that.
• access to a fair education and to not be denied those opportunities.

Summary: The committee met on April 1 and considered several health-related bills and one resolution. HB 933, by Rep. Charles Owen, would create commemorative birth certificates and adjust vital records fees; after adopting a technical amendment, the committee reported the bill favorably. HB 288, by Rep. Boyer, would require the term “miscarriage” to appear alongside “spontaneous abortion” in medical documentation and billing; after an amendment changed the bill from mandatory “shall” language to permissive “may,” the committee heard emotional testimony both in support and opposition and then reported the bill favorably as amended. HB 420, by Rep. Berault, would require criminal background checks and registry review for all DCFS employees, not just those with direct contact with children; it was reported favorably. The committee also voluntarily deferred HB 927 and HB 962. The committee then heard HB 971, by Rep. Stagney, which seeks to equalize Medicaid reimbursement rates for independent rural health clinics and hospital-owned provider-based clinics. Supporters, including clinic owners and practitioners, testified that independent clinics provide the same services under the same rules but receive far lower reimbursement, making it difficult to retain staff and avoid sale to hospital systems. The author said the bill is intended to prompt discussion and eventual parity without harming hospitals, and the committee reported the bill favorably. HB 815, by Rep. Carver, would allow federally insured financial institutions to receive death certificate information from vital records to reduce losses and help reconcile account issues after a death; credit union representatives supported the measure, and it was reported favorably. The committee also adopted HR 74, by Rep. Sterling, which urges the Department of Education and local school authorities to report on how schools accommodate students with seizure disorders. Sterling described personal experience with epilepsy and said the resolution is meant to gather data on implementation of existing seizure action plan law and identify gaps in access to rescue medication and training. Finally, the committee took up HB 915, by Rep. Dickerson, which would place Medicaid prior authorization and utilization management timelines into statute. After technical and substantive amendments, including changing some deadlines from five business days to seven calendar days, the bill drew support from providers and health groups concerned about delays in care, and the committee reported it favorably as amended. The committee also began consideration of HB 944, by Rep. Hilferty, creating a women’s consortium within LDH focused on menopause and related women’s health issues; technical amendments were adopted and testimony emphasized coordination of existing research and resources, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• referrals from anywhere to accommodate access to their services as best they can.
• </c><00:46:14.960><c> as</c> accommodate access to their services as accommodate access to their services
• individuals have access to scarce specialty care and services when medically necessary, regardless of
• > services</c> retain access to specialty care services retain access to specialty care services when
• </c><02:03:52.239><c> their</c> will need to you know to access their will need to you know to access

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> service, and contribute to smoother service, and contribute to smoother functioning<00:07:46.560
• Um, and really want to talk about access to capital and seeing year-over-year increase in capital access
• He said this is an access-to-capital issue.
• are. available access to a marketplace, you available access to a marketplace, you can<00:56:02.960>
• <c> that</c><00:58:23.760><c> then</c> people have access to that and that then people have access to

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:15 Office of the Secretary of State 00:01:59 Office of the Attorney General 00:12:40 Department of Agriculture 00:22:44, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, Personnel, and Public Retirement heard presentations from the Secretary of State, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Department of Agriculture. Secretary of State Michael Adams said his office had no major new budget or authority requests, but he updated members on voter-roll maintenance, ongoing litigation over a law preventing voting in multiple states, the Safe at Home program for domestic violence survivors, human trafficking outreach, reduced spending, and new anti-fraud measures for business registrations and electronic service of process. Members then discussed Adams’ remarks, especially his criticism of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. One senator objected that the organization should not be shut out of the legislative process, citing First Amendment concerns. Adams responded that he was not seeking to ban anyone from speaking, but wanted lawmakers to remember the harm he believes the group’s litigation does to election integrity and bipartisan reform. Representative Jackson praised Adams and his staff for their work. Deputy Attorney General Rob Duncan outlined the office’s work, including criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, body armor grants, administrative hearings, domestic violence and violent crime initiatives, election security, child support services, and the new Office of Data Privacy. He said the child support program transition from CHFS had created budget shortfalls and that the office would seek additional funding next session. In response to questions from Representative Lockett, Duncan said he did not yet have exact cost figures but expected funding needs and noted barriers related to personnel, budgeting, and integration. The committee also heard from Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell, who highlighted the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy’s 25th anniversary, the new Office of Economic Development, and the role of Miss Kentucky in promoting agriculture. He said the department would seek recruitment and retention funding, possible staffing for EV station inspections, and continued support to make the agriculture economic development fund permanent.

Transcript Highlights:

• access to services by prioritizing recruitment of bilingual staff, and improve the quality and consistency
• Some of their services in-house; they may choose to contract out for services.
• We're going to move to item number four, and this is a transition to the Department of Social Services
• four, ensuring access to Medicaid services.
• We're going to move to the Department of Social Services automation.

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services heard an overview from the California Department of Aging on the state’s Master Plan for Aging, including progress at the five-year midpoint, local aging and disability action plans, HCBS gap analysis, workforce work, and stakeholder engagement. The Legislative Analyst’s Office noted the department’s budget was relatively flat but flagged federal H.R. 1 pressure on nutrition-related programs. Members discussed how H.R. 1 and broader federal and state budget pressures could affect older adults through other programs, even where the Department of Aging itself had no direct cut. The committee also heard a stakeholder request from the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging for $62.3 million to support Older Californians Act services, with Finance cautioning that any added ongoing spending would worsen out-year deficits. The committee then reviewed several Department of Aging proposals, including HICAP modernization to add paid counselors and reduce reliance on volunteers, and senior meal program oversight for virtual congregate/to-go meals under AB 1476. Members also discussed the status of area agencies on aging in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, including a new RFP process in the Central Coast and the need to protect service continuity during transitions. Finance clarified that remaining modernizing Older Californians Act nutrition funds can still be used through June 2029. The Department of Social Services presented a series of items. These included new federal Medicaid Access Rule implementation for IHSS grievance and critical incident systems; housing and homelessness programs for CalWORKs Housing Support, HDAP, Home Safe, and Bringing Families Home, with testimony that one-time funds are expiring and service levels will likely decline; permanent position authority for housing and homelessness administration; a facility management system to replace aging licensing systems; home care services branch solvency and regulations; child care centers in multifamily housing; the Seizure Emergency Response Act; licensing during emergencies and disasters; and the Family Preparedness Plan Act. The committee also heard a detailed exchange about the Autumn Oaks facility in Tulare County, where Senator Grove raised concerns about 53 complaints and the handling of unsafe conditions; CDSS said it is reviewing the matter and has authority to take administrative action even after a license surrender. No votes were taken, and items were held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're hoping to build the first service work to apprenticeship pipelines.
• Just to keep the lights on, we're going to need just shy of $2 million to continue the services.
• to information and health services.
• know what services are available to them.
• to help the aging adult who is needing services?

Transcript Highlights:

• ensuring equitable access to services.
• </c><00:08:29.960><c> access</c><00:08:30.440><c> to</c><00:08:30.640><c> services.
• </c> ensuring equitable access to services. ensuring equitable access to services.
• I am honored to be here and to seek your confirmation to a seat at the Language Access Advisory Council
• that you have a lot to contribute to the Language Access Advisory Council, and we really thank you for

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met on April 15 to consider several gubernatorial nominations, with the chair reminding the public that written testimony had been reviewed and testimony time would be limited. The first nominee, James Landgraf (GM 528) for the Board of Certification of Public Water System Operators, was supported by the Department of Health and testified that his water-system experience would help ensure certification standards protect safe drinking water, including on Maui and the other islands. Committee members asked about his background and Maui water issues, and the chair later recommended advise and consent. The committee also heard GM 552 for Pina Lemosu to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, but Lemosu was absent due to illness. Daintry Bartoldus of the council testified in strong support, citing Lemosu’s lived experience, critical thinking, and advocacy on disability and employment issues. The committee deferred decision-making on this nomination until the next day. For GM 717, Annabelle Stone for the Language Access Advisory Council, testimony from Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant Migrant Resource Center and Aloha Care emphasized her interpreter background, bilingual skills, and commitment to equitable access for limited-English-proficient residents. Stone said her public health and community experience would help the council, and the chair recommended advise and consent. The final nomination, GM 782, was John McComas for the Statewide Health Coordinating Council. Supporters including Jack Lewin and Aloha Care highlighted McComas’s long career in health care, including leadership at Aloha Care and work on expanding community health resources. McComas said he wanted to continue contributing to health care access statewide after retirement. The committee took no objections on the nominations it voted on and adopted the chair’s recommendations to advise and consent for GM 528, GM 717, and GM 782, while GM 552 was deferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program is a long-term commitment to these youth to guide them to a life of achievement and service
• This program provides comprehensive services to assist low-income adult workers to help move them into
• Our college CEOs never want to be in the position where they have to ration access.
• Is it the case that some hold harmless districts are not going to be able to access that paid pregnancy
• office hours, as well as to allow part-time faculty to access dental and vision health care benefits

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision proposals for higher education, beginning with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. Finance proposed a one-time $10 million General Fund backfill to repay a special fund loan used to cover litigation costs, plus provisional language to allow budget flexibility for a remaining legal expense and to repay the loan without interest. The LAO opposed shifting the litigation costs to the General Fund and raised legal concerns about waiving interest on the loan, noting that special fund loans have historically been repaid with interest. Members asked about the litigation amount and the estimated interest savings, which Finance said would be about $245,000. The committee then discussed University of California funding, including the Governor’s proposed compact funding and a $1.5 million one-time increase for the First Star foster youth program at UC campuses. UC said the program has strong outcomes at UCLA, including a 100% college-going rate and high college completion rates, and that the new funding would expand the program to additional campuses and eventually be self-supporting through fundraising. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal, arguing that UC already has overlapping outreach programs, including the Early Academic Outreach Program, and that the new initiative would duplicate existing services. Several senators questioned whether the state should expand a new program instead of strengthening existing ones, while UC and Finance emphasized the program’s focus on foster youth and its high success rates. For the California Community Colleges, Finance outlined the May Revision’s increase to the Student-Centered Funding Formula COLA from 2.41% to 4.31%, along with enrollment growth funding, categorical COLAs, deferred maintenance, and other ongoing and one-time investments. The Chancellor’s Office supported the flexible “super COLA” approach and asked for more enrollment growth funding, arguing that many districts are already above current targets and that unfunded growth restricts access. The LAO recommended funding at least the statutory COLA, redirecting some ongoing funds to enrollment growth or one-time priorities, and rejecting the $9.7 million Adult Learner Demonstration Project because districts already have incentives to do similar work. Senators pressed Finance and the Chancellor’s Office on the use of COLA funds to cover the new paid pregnancy disability leave requirement, the impact on hold-harmless and basic-aid districts, and whether the state should fund actual enrollment growth rather than a flat COLA. The committee also reviewed California Student Aid Commission proposals, including adjustments to Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship funding, continued Golden State Teacher Grant funding, and implementation of the federal Workforce Pell program. Finance said the Middle Class Scholarship changes reflected updated caseload estimates and that the higher 35% unmet-need level had been one-time funding, while CSAC urged continued support and noted the importance of financial aid for student success. The LAO recommended rejecting additional Golden State Teacher Grant funding as not well-targeted and urged caution on Workforce Pell trailer bill language, citing uncertainty about federal rules, ongoing administrative workload, and the need for clearer implementation planning. Members also raised concerns about declining CADAA applications and the need to better promote state aid for undocumented and mixed-status students. No votes were taken during the transcripted portion, and the committee moved through the agenda items with questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• access to these important services.
• access to these important services.
• access to these important services.
• they weren't going to have access to these services.
• they weren't going to have access to these services.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I now aid in operating that service. The ability to access that service was multifaceted for me.
• the ability to access that service and the ability to access that service<02:02:29.280><c> was</c><02
• </c><02:02:44.880><c> to</c> more safe manner and to have access to more safe manner and to have access
• They have been connected by these programs to all of the health services, or to access these health services
• dignity, bodily autonomy, and equal access to life-saving services.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all