Transcript Highlights:

• We need to maintain the practices already put in place in my office to address the observed disparities
• Another area I wanted to ask you about was unauthorized practice of law.
• We just did one last week of a practice up in, I believe, the Livermore area. of law.
• We just did one last week of a practice up in, I believe it was in the Livermore area.
• One last week of a practice up in, I believe it was in the Livermore area, of a woman who was practicing

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules first took up several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Rick Simpson to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Trinidad Solis, M.D., and Gerald Talbert, M.D., to the Medical Board of California. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments, with roll calls on each item showing unanimous support from members present and the items left open for additional votes before final tallying. The main public business was the confirmation hearing for George Cardona, J.D., for a second term as Chief Trial Counsel of the State Bar of California. Cardona described reforms made since taking office, including new conflict-of-interest and gift rules, stronger investigative requirements, efforts to reduce backlog and improve efficiency, and monitoring of discipline disparities identified in prior studies. Senators questioned him about safeguards after the Girardi matter, the John Eastman discipline case, racial and ethnic disparities in attorney discipline, unauthorized practice of law by notarios, staffing shortages, and the use of AI in filings. Public witnesses from the State Bar, SEIU Local 1000, and others spoke in support. The committee voted 3-0 to advance Cardona’s appointment to the full Senate. The committee then heard Laura Enderton Speed, J.D., for Executive Director of the State Bar. She said her priorities would be restoring public trust, improving the discipline system, addressing the February 2025 bar exam problems, and strengthening fiscal stability and internal controls. Members asked about the State Bar’s structural budget deficit, the remote administration failures in the February exam, safeguards against undisclosed gifts and conflicts, and the status of audits and investigations. Supporters from the State Bar, the civil defense bar, SEIU Local 1000, and a longtime colleague testified in favor. The committee approved her appointment 5-0 to move to the full Senate. At the end of the meeting, members also approved the remaining governor’s appointments and procedural items, and the chair thanked Senator Jones for his service on the committee before adjourning the public portion.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to maintain the practices already put in place in my office to address the observed disparities
• Some of the things we're looking at are firm size, which seems to have some correlation, and practice
• Another area I wanted to ask you about was unauthorized practice of law.
• And in more extreme cases, where it continues and where we see a repeated practice, we can go to the
• Of a practice up in, I believe it was in the Livermore area, of a woman who was practicing and representing

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules established a quorum and first approved several items without required appearances, including the appointments of Rick Simpson to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Trinidad Solis, M.D., and Gerald Talbert, M.D., to the Medical Board of California, along with references of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments. The committee then heard testimony on two State Bar of California appointments requiring appearance: George Cardona, J.D., for Chief Trial Counsel, and Laura Enderton Speed, J.D., for Executive Director. Cardona described his first four years as chief trial counsel, emphasizing reforms after the Girardi matter, including stronger conflict-of-interest and gift rules, tighter trust-account investigations, more data tracking, and efforts to reduce case backlogs and discipline disparities. Senators questioned him about the John Eastman disbarment case, the office’s role and jurisdiction, racial and Latino discipline disparities, unauthorized practice of law by notarios, staffing vacancies, and the use of AI in pleadings and internal work. Public witnesses from the State Bar, SEIU Local 1000, and others supported his confirmation, and the committee voted 3-0 to advance his appointment to the full Senate. Enderton Speed said she sought the executive director role to help restore public trust, strengthen discipline and admissions, and address the February 2025 bar exam problems. Senators asked about the State Bar’s budget deficit, hiring freeze, long-term fiscal stability, the bar exam audit and litigation, safeguards against conflicts and gifts, and the decision to move the February exam largely remote before returning to in-person administration for July. Public witnesses also supported her confirmation, citing leadership, accessibility, and a focus on core functions. The committee voted 5-0 to advance her appointment to the full Senate. The meeting ended with remarks honoring Senator Jones on his final day on the committee and a cake presentation before adjournment to executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:03:56.359><c> and</c> we would engage in a collaborative and we would engage in a collaborative
• So basically what I was driving at there is, if I have a practice and I'm selling my practice or I'm
• So basically what I was driving at there is, if I have a practice and I'm selling my practice or I'm
• So basically what I was driving at there is, if I have a practice and I'm selling my practice or I'm
• So basically what I was driving at there is, if I have a practice and I'm selling my practice or I'm

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When I practiced law, I practiced bankruptcy.
• the way she intended to practice.
• We practice against larger firms.
• And as a small business, we practice against draft people. We practice against small business.
• We practice against larger firms.

Committee: House Business

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• agriculture, but We're here not only to understand the current state of agriculture, but also to identify practical
• anxiously await a proposal from CDFA and the administration so that the Legislature and governor can collaborate
• Peterson, points to winter crops and other practices contributing to substantial water savings in a recent
• We recognize the difficulty of balancing environmental objectives and public concerns with the practical
• And then finally, on behalf of the San Joaquin Valley Water Collaborative Action Program, we just wanted

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the state of agricultural production in California, with opening remarks from the Senate and Assembly Agriculture Committee chairs and Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry emphasizing agriculture’s economic importance and the need for stronger state investment. They highlighted concerns about water scarcity, labor shortages, rising costs, extreme weather, tariffs, pesticide and regulatory pressures, and the lack of agricultural funding in recent climate-related allocations. Aguiar-Curry also urged immediate action on the glassy-winged sharpshooter outbreak, which CDFA said would cost about $18.5 million annually to detect, monitor, and eradicate. The first panel featured CDFA and the Department of Water Resources. CDFA described California agriculture as a $61.2 billion industry producing more than 400 commodities, but also noted farm bankruptcies, rising input and compliance costs, climate stress, trade issues, and crop removals in vineyards and almonds. DWR focused on hydrologic variability, snowpack decline, groundwater overdraft, subsidence, and SGMA implementation, and discussed tools such as forecast-informed reservoir operations, groundwater recharge, basin characterization, and the 2028 water plan update. Members asked about immediate legislative priorities, flood response after 2023, Prop. 4 and greenhouse gas reduction funding, and regulatory alignment; officials pointed to pest control, science-based water management, affordability, infrastructure, and better coordination across agencies. The second panel examined water, climate, and resource sustainability. PPIC presented estimates that SGMA, climate change, and environmental regulations could reduce irrigation water in the San Joaquin Valley by about 20% by 2040, potentially requiring 500,000 to 900,000 acres of fallowing and affecting billions in agricultural GDP and tens of thousands of jobs. UC Merced discussed practical adaptation tools including FIRO, managed aquifer recharge, on-farm recharge, land repurposing, agrivoltaics, and crop flexibility. The Agricultural Energy Consumers Association argued that energy costs are unsustainable, that electricity and natural gas rates are rising sharply, and that state programs supporting climate-smart agriculture, biomass, and food processing need more funding and coordination. Members and witnesses discussed how limited Prop. 4 and GGRF dollars might be used for recharge, conveyance, subsidence mitigation, and regulatory improvements. The final panel addressed workforce innovation and the future of food production. Industry representatives said food and fiber processors cannot pass along rising costs from energy, labor, workers’ compensation, packaging rules, and compliance mandates, and warned that SGMA-driven land fallowing, pest pressure, and abandoned orchards threaten small farms and processing jobs. The Almond Alliance called for periodic review of regulations, stronger invasive species response, and targeted support for orchard removal, ag burn alternatives, and water efficiency. The California Farmworker Foundation described its work providing health, education, and civil assistance services to farmworkers in multiple counties, including health navigation, field-based clinics, and food support, and stressed the needs of an aging labor force and food insecurity in rural communities. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with members and witnesses discussing possible future legislation and funding priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• The crimes and the investigative tools, like you said, what's most effective, what are the best practices
• opportunity to ensure that we also remind all of us that what happens to one... ...they're usually practicing
• will be the League of United Latin American Citizens. that what happens to one they're usually practicing
• have publicly claimed to ban Sharia, targeting Islamic centers, proposed mosques, Muslim burial practices
• to our local police and trust them to report crimes, to serve as witnesses, or to help in the collaboration

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• see that it's not necessarily a partisan issue in terms of waiting lists, but it's really just a practice
• We need to identify practical ways to track and monitor wages and credentials, and create policies for
• In this case, tribal specific, to come together to discuss best practices, to discuss advances, to discuss
• to bring all those nations, pueblos, and tribes together for shared learning, as you said, best practices
• So when you want success and you want collaborative success that makes an impact in a local community

Bills: SB2

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think that would help us collaborate our dollars and resources and be more intentional about meeting
• Parents come to me and they say, you know, well, school needs to be more practical because my kids are
• And I think that would help us collaborate our dollars and resources and be more intentional about meeting
• Parents come to me and they say, you know, well, school needs to be more practical because my kids are
• It is apparent to me that the more practical we can make our curriculums and our students...

Summary: The committee on Pre-K through 12 Education met to discuss chronic absenteeism, district attendance interventions, and related truancy procedures. Chair Simon reviewed Florida’s attendance laws and escalation process, including school-based interventions, child study team meetings, referrals to the Department of Juvenile Justice, truancy petitions, and possible sanctions for parents and driving privileges. The committee heard first from University of Florida professor Dr. Chris Curran, who presented state and national absenteeism data showing chronic absenteeism has risen sharply since the pandemic, with Florida at about 31.4% in 2023-24. He emphasized that absenteeism has multiple causes, including transportation, mental health, housing instability, safety concerns, and family barriers, and said effective responses include early warning systems, multi-tiered supports, mentoring, and community partnerships rather than relying only on punitive measures. Members questioned Dr. Curran about whether absenteeism is a behavior or barrier issue, whether exclusionary discipline is counted, the need for a uniform definition across districts, and whether more punitive truancy enforcement is effective. He said the issue is usually a mix of barriers and choices, that excused and unexcused absences both matter for chronic absenteeism data, and that root-cause analysis and supportive interventions are generally more productive than punishment alone, though consequences can still play a role. The committee then heard from Collier County Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli and district staff, who described a highly structured attendance system built around attendance specialists, social workers, mental health staff, home visits, attendance contracts, multilingual outreach, and frequent parent notifications. They said Collier’s chronic absenteeism rate was about 9% in 2023-24 and credited their success to early contact, community partnerships, and a strong district culture around attendance. Volusia County Schools Executive Director Mike McAuliffe described a newer districtwide attendance initiative that uses automated letters, same-day notifications, data dashboards, MTSS tiers, incentives, and community supports such as bikes, washers and dryers, and faith-based partnerships. He reported Volusia reduced chronic absenteeism from 34% in 2023-24 to a projected 29% and said the district is now seeing about 20% in the first quarter of the current year. No formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, it pertains only to solo practice limited liability corporations.
• ,</c><00:01:48.240><c> um</c> their of their time in practice, um their of their time in practice, um
• And the last thing I would say is collaboration.
• And the last thing I would say is collaboration.
• ><c> state</c><02:23:24.960><c> police,</c> collaboratively with the state police, collaboratively with

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then practices we had were outlawed by the federal government in the 1880s.
• That's why we're fighting to protect our sacred sites and the ability to practice...
• And then practices we had were outlawed by the federal government in the 1880s.
• to protect our sacred sites and the ability to practice our religion.
• However, practically speaking, it is our singular source.

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee heard briefings and testimony on several bills. Substitute House Bill 2281 would require state agencies to avoid imposing an undue burden on Indian tribes’ traditional cultural practices at tribal traditional cultural places, and would create a Superior Court cause of action for tribes. The prime sponsor and tribal witnesses said the bill is needed to protect sacred sites and cultural resources, while an industry witness asked for narrower, more predictable language. Some testimony criticized the bill as too expansive and likely to increase litigation. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 2514, which would create a Global War on Terror memorial work group to plan and recommend details for a memorial on the Capitol campus; the sponsor emphasized honoring Washington service members and said private fundraising would be central to the project. House Bill 2551 would let school districts with very low ending fund balances seek OSPI approval to sell district real property and use the proceeds to restore financial stability, rather than depositing the money into capital or debt service funds. The sponsor and Tacoma School District testified that the bill is a safeguard for districts nearing binding conditions, while members raised concerns about possible impacts on local land use and whether the bill could be misused in urban or rural areas. Substitute House Bill 2668 would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify alternate locations for the Bob O’K Game Farm and request future capital funding to relocate and remediate the site because of nitrate contamination affecting the Centralia area aquifer. Local officials, public health staff, and tribal representatives supported relocation, citing public health risks and the potential cost of inaction, while the sponsor stressed that the bill is about moving, not closing, the game farm. In executive action, the committee took up House Bill 2470, as amended by a proposed substitute, which would increase state school construction assistance for schools on military bases by adding 15% to the calculated state match percentage. Members discussed the role of federal funding and the need for safe, equitable facilities for military-connected students. The committee approved the substitute bill and reported it out with a due pass recommendation by a vote of 15-1, with three excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• This has led to inconsistent practices across Texas. ...diminishes the public's trust.
• His family made a decision to practice tough love and did not bail him out.
• I am currently approaching my... 30th year of practice as a full-time forensic pathologist.
• Coverage, malpractice insurance for a pathologist, for a pulmonologist to practice neurosurgery.
• No hospital would ever give surgical privileges to a psychiatrist to practice surgery.

Bills: HB2814 , HB4477 , HB5084 , HB5108 , HB5127 , HB5383 , HB5611 , HB5663 , HB5664 , SB1563 , HB2668 , HB3841 , HB4114

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Keywords: juvenile justice, release documents, children, identification, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, civil service, staffing requirements, local government, positions exemption, Texas legislation, fireworks, Lunar New Year, retail permits, public safety, Texas law, holiday sales, HB 5108, deaths in custody, custodial death, jail death

Transcript Highlights:

• There was $20 million for courts to address increased workload, including collaborative courts.
• There was $20 million for courts to address increased workload, including collaborative courts.
• We had $15 million for pretrial services to primarily ...collaborative courts.
• workplace where attacks on DEI weaken anti-discrimination protections, eliminate inclusive hiring practices
• It is moral, it is practical, and it is necessary.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So for those reasons and our support of practical...
• For those reasons, and our support of practical immediate steps forward, we respectfully urge an aye
• The chair has done a great job in collaboration with the author of getting this right size, not doing
• The goal is really to ensure that we are protecting our ...practice fails.
• For many years in Berkeley, we worked collaboratively with policymakers, stakeholders, and even developers

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related measures. SB 866 by Senator Blakespear would require jurisdictions that do not receive HAP homelessness grants to include homelessness data strategies and regional coordination in their housing elements. Supporters said the bill would close a planning gap and improve transparency and accountability; opponents, including the League of California Cities and several cities, argued it would impose costly, duplicative reporting requirements and ask cities to collect data outside their control. Members raised concerns about burden on small cities and possible amendments for lower-population or low-homelessness jurisdictions, but no final vote was taken because the committee initially lacked a quorum. SB 967, also by Senator Blakespear, would allow qualifying interim housing units to count toward a portion of a jurisdiction’s RHNA obligation for acutely low-income housing, with safeguards against double counting and reporting requirements. Supporters said the bill would incentivize rapid, dignified interim housing and help move people out of encampments; opponents warned it would blur the line between temporary shelter and permanent housing and could reduce pressure to build deeply affordable permanent units. After extensive debate, the committee reached quorum and voted the bill out on a due pass basis to the Senate Appropriations Committee, with members noting continued work on amendments. The committee also considered SCR 131, a resolution calling for a coordinated state effort to end unsheltered homelessness and prioritize a broad range of interventions, including interim housing, permanent supportive housing, and prevention. Supporters emphasized the scale and urgency of unsheltered homelessness and the need for clearer state goals and funding. One member said the resolution’s language was too broad and abstained, but the author agreed to consider wording changes. The resolution was adopted on a roll call vote and held on call for absent members. Finally, SB 1238 by Senator Wahab would increase oversight and transparency for homeowners associations and HOA managers, including disclosures, reserve-fund rules, and a proposed fiduciary-duty standard. Realtors and homeowner supporters backed the bill as a way to improve accountability, while community-manager groups opposed the fiduciary-duty provision and raised concerns about litigation and insurance costs. Members discussed the reserve-fund language and fiduciary-duty issue, noting that further changes would be considered in the Judiciary Committee; the bill was not yet voted on in this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• there's a lot of value in those people to make sure that those institutions aren't using predatory practices
• AB 1713 is a practical solution.
• first want to start out by thanking the chair and the committee for their thoughtful work and collaboration
• walk two worlds, one filled with traditions and cultural values, another with Western systems and practices
• We're paying the price for this sort of uncompetitive contracting practice.

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First up, we have the Office of Information Practices.
• We also point out that there are, I think, some practical issues that will occur under the bill as written
• uh issues that that will occur practical uh issues that that will occur uh<00:24:57.360><c> under</c
• We have collaborated over the last few years on looking at what our problems are, the gaps, and potentially
• We have collaborated over the last few years on looking at what our problems are, the gaps, and potentially

Bills: SB2064 , SB2312 , SB2811 , SB2662 , SB2744 , SB2809 , SB2862 , SB2343 , SB2336 , SB2075 , SB2308 , SB2601 , SB2397 , SB2219 , SB2849 , SB2449 , SB2781

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Keywords: state architect, construction projects, design approvals, building codes, state agency oversight, government contracts, transparency, record retention, public oversight, Hawaii Revised Statutes, building permits, task force, state-owned lands, construction, regulatory process, government accountability, external consultants, procurement reform, cost efficiency, in-house expertise

Summary: The committee met for decision-making on measures heard earlier in the week and took up a series of government operations, procurement, public records, public meetings, and related bills. Several measures were deferred one week to February 12, 2026, including bills on state construction projects, government accountability, gubernatorial appointments, the legislature, public procurement, and a bill on Hawaiian lei sales, largely so the committee could compare similar measures, address concerns, or integrate related reports. The committee also deferred SB 2449 on public meetings for the year, citing concerns that the proposed business-day definition was overly prescriptive and unnecessary. The committee passed several bills with amendments. These included measures clarifying UIPA applicability to records created or maintained by agencies, with amendments changing “government function” to “agency function” and committee report language noting Attorney General concerns and exempting ERS for now; SB 2811 on state building projects with technical amendments and a delayed effective date; SB 2809 on budget-related reports; SB 2336 on trees, with a Senate draft and removal of “political subdivision”; SB 2308 on small purchase vendor compliance, setting the threshold at $5,000 and adding a delayed effective date; SB 2601 on procurement, reorganizing misdemeanor language and leaving funding/FTE issues to Ways and Means; SB 2219 on a capital visitor center working group; and SB 2849 on public meetings, with technical amendments and a delayed effective date. Bills on neighborhood board concerns and public notice were also adopted, with SB 2929 drawing testimony both for and against. Testimony was generally supportive on procurement and small business measures, especially SB 2928 establishing permanent small business procurement coordinator positions, which drew strong support from the State Procurement Office, DBEDT, the Chamber of Commerce, DOT, the Ethics Commission, and others. On public notice, the County of Maui supported allowing website posting, while another witness raised concerns about accessibility, centralized notice locations, and impacts on kūpuna and people with disabilities. On search and rescue, the committee heard support for creating a statewide coordination structure, along with discussion of where such an office should reside; the Attorney General raised constitutional and placement concerns, while witnesses suggested law enforcement, DLNR, or DoD as possible homes. The committee also heard support for a bill protecting home addresses of covered public servants and candidates, though the Public First Law Center urged broader coverage and a better fit with existing law.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm just curious what your take is on that, if you're seeing any best practices, how we can either
• Model best practices for AI use with government procurement strategies.
• Model best practices for AI use with government procurement strategies.
• specialist at Minnesota nursing practice specialist at Minnesota Nurses<00:57:05.400><c> Association
• </c><01:13:46.280><c> around</c> state law and best practices around state law and best practices around

Committee: Senate Labor

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• on agricultural and smart practices on agricultural and working<00:10:08.800><c> lands.
• Taken together, these two guardrails can incentivize more climate-smart agriculture practices on our
• practices on our existing<00:19:08.720><c> farmland.
• c> can</c><00:19:12.000><c> reduce</c> agriculture practices that can reduce agriculture practices that
• </c> important environmental practices important environmental practices statewide,<00:19:25.919><c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 18, Senator Richardson, an act relating to the practice of podiatry.
• </c><00:09:56.640><c> of</c> act relating to the practice of act relating to the practice of podiatry
• </c> treated as a deceptive trade practice treated as a deceptive trade practice under<00:14:48.440><
• It establishes trade practices requirements for kiosk operators.
• Speaker, I move for practices requirements for kiosk practices requirements for kiosk operators.<00:37

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This focus on practical application helps participants not only manage their finances but also dream
• </c><00:03:50.360><c> application</c> this focus on practical application this focus on practical application
• In week 9, participants build résumés, practice interviews, and learn job search strategies, including
• evidence-based practice that's supported through<01:08:58.239><c> research</c><01:08:58.640><c> done
• </c><01:16:19.199><c> after</c> continue collaborating after continue collaborating after participants

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a very common practice here. Uh, we're getting the ball moving.
• That is a very common practice basis.
• That is a very common practice here.<00:19:46.000><c> Uh</c><00:19:46.320><c> we're</c><00:19:46.559>
• ,</c> materials, instructional practices, materials, instructional practices, interventions,<01:07:00.400
• And I think that collaborative that.

Keywords: 1183, house