Transcript Highlights:

• This measure clarifies the intended scope of 480 JHRS, which is the regulation of installment lenders
• , and that the law does not intend to eliminate the ability of lenders to make low-interest-rate loans
• and that the law installment lenders and that the law does<00:37:40.560><c> not</c><00:37:40.800><c>
• to make low interest rate of lenders to make low interest rate loans<00:37:44.359><c> under</c><00:37
• to charge a it also allows lenders to charge a convenience<00:38:05.560><c> fee</c><00:38:06.359><c>

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Summary: The committee heard several insurance and condominium-related bills. SB 1137 would require insurers to notify policyholders of approved rate changes within 30 days and at least 30 days before the effective date. The Insurance Division supported the bill, while testimony focused on condominium master policies and whether the notice period would be enough for associations to respond to rate increases. The division said the bill would mainly affect admitted carriers, not surplus lines insurers that write many condominium master policies, and warned against limiting the nonadmitted market. SB 293, requiring sellers to disclose when USPS cannot deliver mail or packages to a residential property, was also heard with HAAI Realtors commenting. SB 752 would extend notice periods for cancellation or nonrenewal of property-casualty policies; the Attorney General’s Office raised concerns about contractual impairment and retroactive application. The committee also heard SB 575, which would allow authorized insurers to offer building and hurricane damage coverage for condominium buildings at a lower rate than prior surplus lines coverage. The Insurance Division stood on written testimony, and a condominium owner urged amendments to require a membership vote before such coverage changes, citing concerns about condominium self-governance. SP 1046 would require managing agents to notify unit owners and the Real Estate Commission when a condominium association fails budget and reserve reporting requirements. The Real Estate Commission said the bill was administratively workable as drafted but noted ambiguity over who counts as the “managing agent”; several testifiers opposed the measure, arguing it could disrupt the principal-agent relationship and impose legal judgment on nonlawyers, while others supported it. SP 150, dealing with captive insurance companies seeking exemption from examinations, drew the most detailed discussion. The Captive Insurance Council supported the bill as a way to reduce duplicative oversight and improve Hawaii’s competitiveness, while the Insurance Division opposed it as drafted, citing concerns about broad commissioner discretion, possible missed issues between exams, staffing shortages, and the need to preserve oversight. A committee member asked about a possible middle ground, including a shorter exemption period or limiting the bill to self-attestation companies; the division said it would need more information and that annual filings and approval requirements would still provide oversight. The committee also heard SP 212, which would require at least two Real Estate Commission members to be licensed engineers or architects; testimony included support and a concern about conflicts of interest among people who serve in multiple roles in the condominium and real estate sectors. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided, and the chair moved from one measure to the next after testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• But what's happening is these third-party lenders, which are not the state and they're not the federal
• which are not the state and lenders which are not the state and they're<00:50:23.440><c> not</c><00:
• lenders in their country are<00:50:27.520><c> giving</c><00:50:27.839><c> them</c><00:50:28.119><c>
• But just so you know, NCSL did send a resolution to Congress to please check these third-party lenders
• But just so you know, NCSL did send a resolution to Congress to please check these third-party lenders

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Summary: The committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection met on February 20, 2025, and heard testimony on several measures. HB 850, relating to condominiums, drew support from the Community Associations Institute and the Hawaii State Association of Parliamentarians, who said it would improve owner participation, clarify voting rules, and preserve the use of proxies as a personal choice. A Zoom testifier supported the bill’s intent but warned that special meetings can be abused and suggested further amendments to address board president authority. Members asked about proxies versus electronic voting and whether the bill would reduce proxy use; no vote was taken. The committee also heard HB 48 on coffee labeling, with the Department of Agriculture in support, and HB 1370 on taxation, where a local brewery representative supported equal tax treatment for beer served from 5-gallon kegs and larger kegs when dispensed from a faucet, arguing the bill would clarify draft beer treatment and encourage sustainability. HB 1422 on motor carriers received comments from the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of State Parks, while representatives from a community-based shuttle initiative supported the bill and said nonprofit, community-led transportation solutions should not be regulated like traditional carriers. HB 874, relating to child performers, received support from SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and individual performers, who emphasized protecting minors’ earnings, safety, and schooling. Testimony also discussed whether to include social media influencers and whether to add annual income limits or trust-account protections; the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said the issue was outside its wheelhouse. Later, HB 799 on healthcare drew support from health plans and HMSA, with the Department of Health requesting amendments such as a sunset date, a Maui-only pilot, and a report back before changing its position. HB 1379 on health received support from Hawaii Pacific Health, but the Hawaii Medical Board raised concerns about vague language and public-safety implications for internationally trained physicians, asking for more time to study national licensing recommendations. Finally, HB 439 on education was heard, with the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board opposing the bill as drafted and warning about licensing standards and predatory third-party loans affecting J-1 teachers; the transcript ends before any action or vote on these measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Three positions include the wholesaler, the rehabber, and the hard money lender. than what the buyer,
• The wholesaler, the rehabber, and the hard money lender.
• You can take the money that you got from the hard money lender. You can acquire the property.
• You can take the money that you got from the hard money lender. You can acquire the property.
• So there's a lot of people making a lot of money in this space, whether it be the hard money lenders,

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment

Summary: The Commerce Committee met in executive session and voted to do pass House Bill 3027 by an 8-0 vote. It then considered House Bill 3490, which deals with historic preservation and colleges and universities. Members debated local control, private property rights, and whether the bill should apply statewide rather than only to Kansas City. The committee adopted a House Committee Substitute that removed the geographic limitation and made the measure apply to public and private colleges and universities, with an option for institutions to opt in or out of local historic commission rules. The substitute was then passed 6-2. The committee next took up House Bill 3316, which includes Department of Revenue cleanup changes related to vehicle registration, temporary plates, boats, trailers, and lien notice language. Members discussed the bill’s effect on temporary tags and enforcement. The committee adopted a House Committee Amendment, rolled it into a substitute, and then voted unanimously 8-0 to do pass the House Committee Substitute for House Bill 3316. The committee then moved to a public hearing on Senate Bill 973, a consumer protection bill sponsored by Senator Curtis Trent. The bill requires disclosures for real estate wholesaling and sale-leaseback transactions so sellers understand that wholesalers are not acting as fiduciaries and may not be maximizing the seller’s price. Supporters said the bill would protect distressed or uninformed sellers, while opponents from the real estate industry supported the disclosure concept but raised concerns about the 14-day waiting period before a transaction can proceed, especially in foreclosure or other time-sensitive situations. Some members also questioned whether the bill should require licensed real estate agents or allow waivers of the waiting period. No final action was taken on SB 973, and the committee adjourned after the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to go on the record that the last thing a lender wants to do is to take possession and ownership
• Lenders like it when the slow, boring, steady monthly payments come in on time in accordance with the
• </c><00:03:02.720><c> last</c><00:03:03.000><c> thing</c><00:03:03.239><c> A</c><00:03:03.400><c> lender
• </c> record that the last thing A lender record that the last thing A lender wants<00:03:04.120><c> to
• like it when the foreclosure lenders like it when the slow<00:03:24.080><c> boring</c><00:03:25.040>

Bills: HF1224 , HF1615 , HF2403

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• President, I remember talking about a lender, and we're dealing with something not just institutional
• If the lender receives notice from the municipality that the property has been abandoned, TO APPOINT
• PRESIDENT, I REMEMBER TALKING ABOUT A LENDER AND WE'RE DEALING WITH SPIN FINCH NOT JUST INSTITUTIONAL
• IF THE LENDER RECEIVE AS NOTICE FROM THE MUNICIPALITY THAT THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN ABANDONED, Does it require
• that the lender or that the borrower be in foreclosure and the property in foreclosure or in arrears

Summary: The Senate opened with routine formalities, approved the journal, welcomed a SkillsUSA student delegation, and then moved into budget and policy business. The chamber accepted a Rules Committee report and took up a supplemental budget extender, Senate Print 9963, which would extend state operations through April 22 and authorize $12.7 billion, including about $5.1 billion in new funding for Medicaid, payroll, and school aid. Senator O’Mara questioned the delay in the budget, the lack of public detail, and unresolved issues such as CLCPA changes, auto insurance, and SEQR reforms; the sponsor said negotiations were ongoing and that school aid would likely build on the executive budget. The extender passed 57-1, with Senator Weik voting no. The Senate then adopted Senate Resolution 1887, sponsored by Senator Brisport, memorializing the Governor to proclaim April 2026 as Arab American Heritage Month. Senators Brisport, Fahy, Salazar, and Gounardes spoke in support, emphasizing Arab Americans’ cultural, civic, and economic contributions in New York and condemning anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias. The resolution was adopted by voice vote and opened for co-sponsorship. The chamber next considered several bills on the calendar, including a bill by Senator Cleare to prohibit state-chartered financial institutions from investing in private correctional facilities. Supporters framed it as a moral response to private prisons and rising federal use of detention facilities, while opponents argued it would overregulate state-chartered banks and affect private investment decisions. The bill passed 36-22. The Senate also passed a bill by Senator Krueger raising the nonprofit lobbying disclosure threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, after debate over transparency and whether the change would reduce oversight; it passed 35-23. Finally, the Senate passed Senator May’s bill on advanced transmission technologies and utility planning, after extensive debate over ratepayer costs, battery storage, and data center growth; supporters said it could lower energy costs through more efficient grid use, while opponents said it would raise rates and duplicate existing studies. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• MAKES CHANGES TO SUBSCRIBER CONTRIBUTIONS THE FEE CHARGED TO POLICYHOLDERS ON TOP OF THE PREMIUM CAPPING
• AS LENDERS WOULD WANT TO INCREASE THEIR INTEREST RATE.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it has a CPI cap on it, and now that cap is about $2.7 million.
• University hospitals have a cap of $250,000—not a cap on pain and suffering, a cap of $250,000.
• A maximum cap, no CPI, no non-economic damage, recoverable maximum cap for everything.
• Do other states have higher caps or no caps on equal...
• Do states have higher caps or no caps on tort claims acts? Do we have any data on that?

Committee: House Governmental Oversight, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• So the hard money lender is somebody like me that I'll give you some money, higher interest than a bank
• Three positions include the wholesaler, the rehabber, and the hard money lender.
• So the hard money lender is somebody like me that I'll give you some money, higher interest than a bank
• You can take the money that you got from the hard money lender. You can acquire the property.
• whether it There's a lot of people making a lot of money in this space, whether it be the hard money lenders

Committees: House Commerce , House Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• they lawyers, be they, uh, title insurance companies, be they the Securities Commission, bankers, lenders
• they lawyers, be they, uh, title insurance companies, be they the Securities Commission, bankers, lenders
• multiple entities, be they lawyers, title insurance companies, the Securities Commission, bankers, lenders
• multiple entities, be they lawyers, title insurance companies, the Securities Commission, bankers, lenders
• they lawyers, be they, uh, title insurance companies, be they the Securities Commission, bankers, lenders

Bills: SB292 , HB351 , HB141 , HB273 , SB292 , HB351 , HB141 , HB273

Committee: Senate County and Municipal Government

Keywords: education oversight, subpoena authority, investigation, State Superintendent, school misconduct, ad valorem tax, road funding, local government, referendum, Choctaw County, HB141, Alabama, state employees, salary deductions, payroll deduction, State Comptroller, membership dues, voluntary contributions, insurance premiums, financial instruments

Transcript Highlights:

• This inconsistency is burdensome and costly to Texans and forces lenders to deliver a more expensive
• This bill is simply intended to rectify the situation and permit regulated lenders to offer the same
• In addition to fixing this interpretation issue, this bill codifies a requirement that lenders offer
• This inconsistency is burdensome and costly to Texans and forces lenders to deliver a more expensive
• This bill is simply intended to rectify the situation and permit regulated lenders to offer the same

Bills: HB111

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Summary: The committee heard a long series of House bills, with most measures laid out by Senate sponsors and then left pending after brief public testimony. Early bills focused on construction and licensing issues, including HB 305 on prompt payment for public construction audits, HB 5093 on restoring public access to notary contact information, HB 2037 on updating landlord-tenant repair and security deposit rules, HB 4214 on a centralized public information request contact database, and HB 5435 exempting higher education institutions from a 90-day notice requirement for certain public-private partnership projects. Testimony was generally supportive on these bills, and no votes were taken; each was left pending. The committee also considered several transparency and regulatory bills. HB 111 would expand the Public Information Act to certain nonprofit state associations and narrow some attorney-client and working-paper exceptions, with supporters arguing it would improve oversight of public funds and critics questioning the scope and thresholds. HB 5129 would protect occupational license holders’ personal identifying information from disclosure without consent, HB 4350 would allow peace officers to redact personal information from online real property records, HB 4748 would authorize multiple-award state purchasing contracts, and HB 4765 would clean up code enforcement officer licensing rules. HB 4134 would allow motor vehicle creditors to charge limited fees for electronic payment options while requiring a free alternative, and HB 1043 would direct a study of blockchain-based property title records; both drew testimony, with some concern about the practical effects and vendor implications of the blockchain study. Several bills addressed insurance, workforce, and digital-asset regulation. HB 3520 would reduce the insurance coverage required for transportation network companies during the period when a driver is en route to pick up a passenger, drawing support from Texans for Lawsuit Reform and opposition from trial lawyers who argued the higher coverage better protects the public. HB 3320 would create a self-insurance pool for religious institutions, with TDI explaining it would still be regulated but operate under a special statutory framework. HB 4233 would modernize rules for digital asset service providers by removing certain auditor-access requirements and updating reporting and licensing provisions. HB 3923 would reduce bachelor’s-degree requirements for some state jobs, though Every Texan argued low pay, not degree requirements, is the main driver of turnover. HB 4518 would create a legal structure for decentralized unincorporated nonprofit associations tied to blockchain governance; business law experts opposed it as unnecessary and potentially risky, while crypto advocates supported it. Finally, HB 1803 would join an interstate compact for dentists and dental hygienists, with supporters citing workforce shortages and opponents saying Texas already licenses quickly and that the compact could weaken state oversight. Throughout the hearing, the committee repeatedly closed testimony and left bills pending, and a quorum was eventually established before later items were heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• Here, this clarifies that to give the foreclosing lenders more flexibility to postpone or cancel the
• Here, this clarifies that to give the foreclosing lenders more flexibility to postpone or cancel the
• Here, this clarifies that to give the foreclosing lenders more flexibility to postpone or cancel the
• Here, this clarifies that to give the foreclosing lenders more flexibility to postpone or cancel the
• :44:05.040><c> more</c> the foreclosing lenders more the foreclosing lenders more flexibilities<01:44

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• And that you are receiving loan money, that you're not giving your lender the ability to either hold
• What this would do is say that any lender or financial would have a similar concern.
• And with there being an absence of a fiduciary obligation or duty, either on the lender to, again, put
• And with there being an absence of a fiduciary obligation or duty, either on the lender to, again, put
• the client. ...obligation or duty, either on the lender to, again, put the client's issues first or

Committee: House Legislative Review

Transcript Highlights:

• One is if there's a loan to the intermediary; that's where the lender takes control.
• </c> intermediary that's where the lender intermediary that's where the lender takes<01:55:12.320><c>
• A secured lender, this is asset-based in the securities market.
• A secured lender, this is asset-based in the securities market.
• A secured lender, this is asset-based in the securities market.

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 167, a PFAS-related measure to add ski, snowboard, and boat wax to the state’s list of banned consumer products containing PFAS. The sponsor said the product is already banned in many other places, alternatives exist, and the concern is that these products go directly into water rather than landfills. She cited high PFAS levels in several New Hampshire lakes and argued the bill would help stop further contamination. A member of the public also described personal experience with ski wax products disappearing from the market, suggesting PFAS may have been the reason. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 167. The committee next opened a hearing on House Bill 312, dealing with college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Representative Moffett explained the bill was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s NCAA v. Alston decision and was modeled on New Jersey law. He said the bill would prevent colleges from restricting NIL compensation, require athletes to use licensed attorneys or registered sports agents, and limit certain endorsements involving addictive drugs, adult entertainment, firearms, and weapons. He framed the measure as a proactive response to a changing college sports landscape and noted possible future conflicts involving schools, agents, and endorsements. Committee members raised several concerns and suggested changes. One member questioned the bill’s exclusion of two-year institutions, another objected to the weapons restriction, and others asked how the bill would affect scholarships. The sponsor said the intent was to protect scholarships, especially athletic scholarships, and clarified that need-based scholarships were not meant to be affected. He also acknowledged discomfort with the endorsement restrictions and said the committee might want to broaden or revise the language. The hearing remained open for further consideration, with no vote taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The last time this cap was set was in 2014.
• In place of the 10-state threshold, taxpayers that meet the definition of high-volume lender will not
• A high-volume lender is a taxpayer that is either a specified financial institution or has an annual

Bills: SB6003 , HB2353 , HB2431 , HB1983

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: capital budget, funding, infrastructure, state projects, budget allocation, HB 2353, predesign thresholds, capital construction, major capital projects, Office of Financial Management, OFM, Washington state, state agencies, infrastructure planning, construction costs, inflation adjustment, capital facilities, project review, allotments, lease approval

Transcript Highlights:

• And since they have no revenue, no assets, no state lender will touch them.
• Those companies need capital, and since they have no revenue, no assets, no state lender will touch them
• The legislature promised to protect QSBS when the cap gains was enacted.

Summary: House Finance heard bill briefings and testimony on several tax and property-tax measures. HB 2175 would exempt licensed nonprofit providers of free durable medical equipment from retail sales and use tax on items reasonably necessary to operate and provide care; the sponsor and a nonprofit provider described how the bill would help organizations that refurbish and donate wheelchairs, beds, walkers, and similar equipment, and staff noted a small Department of Revenue fiscal impact. The committee then heard HB 2608, which revises the targeted urban area property tax exemption for nuclear facility projects by requiring labor standards, including submission of a workforce or project labor agreement and related wage/apprenticeship information, and extending project-completion deadlines. Supporters said it would help attract major clean-energy and nuclear supply-chain investment and jobs, while opponents from construction groups, environmental advocates, and some public commenters objected to the PLA requirement, the tax preference for nuclear projects, and the broader policy direction; tribal consultation concerns were also raised. No votes were taken on these bills in the transcript. The committee also heard HB 2227, which expands an existing REET exemption for affordable homeownership sales from self-help housing to other nonprofit affordable homeownership programs, including community land trusts. The sponsor and nonprofit witnesses said the change would lower transaction costs, improve affordability, and support permanently affordable resale models; staff clarified the exemption applies to the initial sale from the nonprofit to an income-qualified buyer, not later resales. HB 2528 would allow cities and counties that fully plan under the Growth Management Act to impose the second local REET without voter approval, aligning opt-in jurisdictions with those required to plan under GMA. Supporters from cities and counties said the revenue would help fund sidewalks, ADA upgrades, water, sewer, and other infrastructure, while opponents argued it would raise home-selling costs and bypass voters. Finally, the committee heard HB 2292, which would subject long-term capital gains from qualified small business stock to the state capital gains tax beginning in 2026. Staff said the bill would affect about 260 taxpayers and raise roughly $1.2 million in FY 2027, while the sponsor and supporters argued the current QSBS exemption mainly benefits very wealthy investors and should be treated like other capital gains; opponents from the tech and startup community said the exemption helps founders attract investment, keep companies in Washington, and create jobs, and warned the bill would send a negative signal to entrepreneurs. The committee also heard HB 2257, a Department of Revenue request bill making technical and administrative changes to the tax code, largely to codify guidance from last year’s sales-tax-on-services law and make other clarifications; DOR said it was intended to provide certainty and had no fiscal impact. School groups testified that the 5814-related service-tax changes have increased costs for districts, especially for staffing and professional learning, and asked for relief or a broader exemption.

Transcript Highlights:

• you said 50 employees, but it looks like when you continue to read in that sentence, the amendment caps
• you said 50 employees, but it looks like when you continue to read in that sentence, the amendment caps
• When you continue to read in that sentence, the amendment caps it at 25 hours.
• The hour cap is a substantial improvement, certainly over the bill as introduced.
• For them and for their lenders, and to uphold the covenants that they operate under, so that is their

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• increase in the limitation on the individual deduction for state and local taxes, or SALT deduction cap
• While the changes to salt deduction cap.
• </c> directly tied to the TCGA salt cap directly tied to the TCGA salt cap limitation<00:38:34.400><c
• Employers could pay their employee or their employees' lender up to $5,250 per year. >> Excuse me.
• <00:41:05.280><c> up</c><00:41:05.440><c> to</c><00:41:05.680><c> $5,250</c> lender up to $5,250 lender

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> private lender. private lender.
• So, there's no cap and there's also no income cap or affordability cap associated with the program.
• So, we there's no cap and &gt;&gt; But, uh, yeah.
• So, we there's no cap and there's<00:26:35.440><c> also</c><00:26:35.760><c> no</c><00:26:36.720><c>
• It has a $7,500 cap, and we're lucky to do one of those repairs.

Summary: The Housing Task Force heard a presentation from Anita Sanford of the Homebuilders Association of Kentucky and Sheri Cybert of Indiana’s Residential Infrastructure Fund about Indiana’s low-interest loan program for local housing infrastructure. They described the program as a voluntary, locally driven model that helps communities finance roads, sewers, sidewalks, traffic lights, turning lanes, and other infrastructure needed for new housing development. Sanford emphasized that infrastructure and regulation are major drivers of housing costs, citing estimates that infrastructure can account for up to 30% of a home’s cost and regulations another 25%, and said the association is studying Kentucky-specific regulatory costs. She also noted that every $1,000 added to new home construction can price out about 2,000 Kentucky households. Cybert explained that Indiana’s program, administered through the Indiana Finance Authority, began in 2023 with $75 million appropriated over two years and has since closed 17 loans totaling $60.7 million, with more than 2,700 projected housing units. The program reserves 70% of funds for rural communities and 30% for urban communities, requires applications from local governments rather than developers, and asks communities to show need through a market study, describe the infrastructure and housing to be built, and provide preliminary engineering plans and a repayment source. She said the loans currently carry an interest rate around 3.5%, reset quarterly, and that the program has generated about $25 million in savings to communities compared with private borrowing. She also described recent Indiana legislative changes that encourage higher density and other zoning reforms, and said a majority of those local ordinance changes must be adopted for an application to be fundable. Members asked about the ordinance requirements, the funding split between rural and urban areas, repayment mechanisms, and whether there were caps on project size. Cybert said repayment is worked out case by case, often through existing or project-specific TIFs, temporary tax agreements, or letters of credit, and that the program has no cap on request size or income/affordability restrictions. She said the largest request funded was $19 million for a 700-unit project. Co-chair Mills and others discussed whether Kentucky could adopt a similar model and what it would cost, while Sanford and Cybert said they were still refining budget estimates. Later, Scott Welch, president of the Homebuilders Association of Kentucky, testified that upfront infrastructure costs are a major barrier in his projects, citing a $1 million pump station and road-widening and utility relocation costs as examples, and said an infrastructure fund would help get projects off the ground.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just wanted to highlight some top-level themes with some specific policies, but farmer lender mediation
• I just wanted to highlight some top-level themes with some specific policies, but farmer lender mediation
• with some specific policies,<00:07:44.760><c> but</c><00:07:44.920><c> farmer</c><00:07:45.160><c> lender
• </c><00:07:45.320><c> mediation</c><00:07:46.280><c> is</c> policies, but farmer lender mediation is
• policies, but farmer lender mediation is one<00:07:46.600><c> of</c><00:07:46.680><c> the</c><00:07:46.760

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2305 directly prohibits corporate lenders from controlling or interfering with litigation decisions
• takes a broad approach and blanket-prohibits private equity firms, hedge funds, and other corporate lenders
• be made by the attorney and client, not by private equity firms, hedge funds, or other corporate lenders
• AB 2305 closes any remaining loopholes by clearly stating that corporate lender influence over legal
• violate the bill and provides for a private right of action against both the attorney and corporate lender

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard several measures focused on campaign finance, legal ethics, notarization, domestic violence, immigration detention transparency, workplace violence restraining orders, and divorce relief for domestic violence survivors. Senator McNerney presented SJR 18, which condemns Citizens United and urges limits on corporate spending in elections; there was no opposition testimony, and committee members voiced support. Assembly Member Kalra presented AB 2305 to bar private equity, hedge funds, and other corporate lenders from influencing litigation decisions, with support from the Consumer Attorneys of California and other stakeholders; no opposition appeared, and the bill was framed as protecting client-centered legal judgment. Assembly Member Irwin’s AB 1977, sponsored by the Secretary of State, made technical and procedural fixes to the Online Notarization Act to support implementation by 2030, with support from notary groups and no opposition. Assembly Member Rogers’ AB 1657 would allow temporary restraining orders in domestic violence cases without prior notice in certain circumstances, and Assembly Member Lee’s AB 1801 would tighten public notice and hearing requirements for contracts involving private immigration detention facilities; both drew broad support and no opposition. Assembly Member Patel’s AB 2179 would extend electronic filing and remote appearance rules to workplace violence restraining orders, and Assembly Member Hart’s AB 1875 would let courts shorten or waive the six-month divorce waiting period for domestic violence survivors; both were supported and had no opposition testimony. The committee then took formal votes. The consent calendar passed 12-0. SJR 18 passed 10-2. AB 2305 passed 12-0. AB 1801 passed 10-2. AB 1657 passed 12-0. AB 2179 passed 8-0. AB 1875 passed 10-0. AB 1977 passed 8-2. The chair announced the committee would adjourn until the following Tuesday, June 16, at 1:30 p.m.