Transcript Highlights:

• state amicus briefs supporting the Trump administration in its fight with the New York City public schools
• We've got the law school. Tulsa's got a law school. Oklahoma City's got a law school.
• , which is a great law school.
• Court reporters purchased their own equipment many times.
• We try to hire the top graduates from the law schools across the state.

Committee: House A&B Judiciary Subcommittee

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Gentleman Mackery Taylor, who live in the East One Left, so live in Meridian, Agartech Academy High School
• So I'm going to go back to school on Monday, and then hopefully I'm going to graduate.
• So I'm going to go back to school on Monday and then hopefully I'm going to graduate.
• And that makes consumers feel confident they're purchasing genuine, top quality, Idaho potatoes.
• They want to get them out of lunches for school children.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The Senate Agricultural Committee met with a quorum and approved the February 5, 2026 minutes. The meeting was devoted to presentations and introductions rather than legislation. The committee welcomed Leadership Idaho Agriculture Class 46, introduced by Rick Waitley, and members briefly identified themselves and their agricultural and related professions. The committee also recognized and thanked page Charlie Butler for his service, and Butler shared his experience working with the committee and his plans to return to school, serve a two-year LDS mission, and later pursue college and chiropractic school. The Idaho Potato Commission then presented on its mission to promote and protect the “Grown in Idaho” seal, its financial status, and current industry conditions. Speakers said the commission remains financially healthy, but the potato industry faces low prices for non-contracted product, high input costs, increased competition in processed potatoes from India and China, labor and succession challenges, disease pressures, water concerns, and urban encroachment on farmland. They also discussed marketing and policy issues, including the potato’s place in dietary guidance, an agreement with the American Diabetes Association recognizing Idaho potatoes as a healthy carbohydrate source, and the effects of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs on food consumption. Committee members asked about potato classification, farm succession, the fresh-versus-processed market split, imports, freight costs, and strategies to increase consumption, and commissioners said their outreach focuses on younger consumers and health messaging. The commission also highlighted its national advertising, including a new commercial and the launch of the 14th Big Idaho Potato Truck tour at Micron, emphasizing the connection between Idaho agriculture and technology. Finally, the Idaho Grain Producers Association briefly introduced its executive director, Amaya Yerlanda, who noted that the board was in Boise for legislative meetings. No bills were heard or voted on, and the committee adjourned after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Iowa right now is trying to purchase us, and just this last year my hometown was included in the Twin
• Our class sizes are horrible right now: on average, it's 25 per elementary school, and at least 30 to
• </c> on average it's 25 per element school on average it's 25 per element school and<01:34:24.440><c>
• Power purchases from Canada.
• </c><01:45:38.199><c> from</c> of energy that uh Excel purchases from of energy that uh Excel purchases

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• When families have stable housing, kids do better in school, seniors age in place, and communities are
• When families have stable housing, kids do better in school, seniors age in place, and communities are
• When families have stable housing, kids do better in school, seniors age in place, and communities are
• We also, through our vouchers, take care of children through our Stable Homes Stable Schools program,
• we know how much of a factor that school we know how much of a factor that plays<01:22:08.159><c> in

Committee: Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Johns County, we're number one in schools.
• John's County, we're number one in schools.
• into every school I applied for.
• And I kept coming back to a particular day in high school. I was a junior in high school.
• and the faith followings of that school.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If they don't want any screen time during school, they can limit it all together.
• , this law will create a false sense of security that they don't need to do anything. time during school
• , they can limit it time during school, they can limit it all<00:13:55.279><c> together.
• remember having to sign your child’s permission slip before they went on a field trip with their school
• </c><00:24:41.760><c> an</c> approval before teens can purchase an approval before teens can purchase

Bills: HB161 , HB161

Committee: Senate Children and Youth Health

Keywords: building codes, standardization, commercial construction, architectural services, energy conservation, federal compliance, local governance, consumer protection, app store, age verification, parental consent, data protection, minors, 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The reality where you don't know whether your child will return home from school later in the afternoon
• because of a school shooting, it's all too common.
• And so you know, a city councilman in San Antonio used his funds to purchase these cards.

Transcript Highlights:

• inventory, and should there be some equipment failure, we will, at that point in time, provide those purchases
• Our market participants purchase goods and services at a tune of $5 billion, and those monies are at
• preserve the state's access to hundreds of millions of dollars in funding currently being used by school
• This is for programming such as after-school and summer learning initiatives, the purchase of educational
• Gusto, and I'm a policy associate with the Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative at Loyola Law School

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision presentations for the Office of Emergency Services, Judicial Branch, CDCR, and the Department of Justice, with the LAO offering comments and recommendations throughout. For Cal OES, the administration outlined funding for relocating the Red Mountain communications site, increased FEMA reimbursement authority, cybersecurity grants, next-generation 911 support, and a reduction to the Flexible Cash Assistance for Survivors of Crime program. Members raised concerns about VOCA backfill and disaster reimbursement, while the LAO recommended approving the 911 request with reporting, adding contingency planning for cybersecurity grants, clarifying the FEMA reimbursement language, and increasing reporting on emergency spending. For the Judicial Branch, the May Revision included funding for implementation of the Trial Nations Access to Justice Act, reductions tied to court facilities and employee benefits, and General Fund solutions such as a reduction to the pretrial release program, a reversion from the Trial Court Trust Fund, and elimination of the jury duty pilot program. The LAO cautioned that the pretrial reduction could affect detention and release decisions and recommended tighter legislative oversight over the trust fund transfer and reallocation language. Members questioned the impact of the pretrial cut, the lack of Prop. 36 court funding, and the rationale for the jury pilot elimination; the Judicial Branch said it was generally supportive of the budget as proposed. CDCR presented requests for roof repairs, fire alarm replacements, CalAIM-related costs, and trailer bill changes on incarcerated college students, mental health hiring, and tuberculosis testing, along with a planned prison closure by October 2026. The department also proposed reducing or delaying several items, including radio replacement, ADA improvements, COVID mitigation, and some facility upgrades, while adding a $125 million placeholder for consultant-driven operational savings. The LAO recommended rejecting or reducing several San Quentin-related proposals, questioned the staffing and contract medical requests, and urged more transparency on the consultant savings plan; members expressed concern about the realism of the savings targets and the potential legal or operational risks from delaying ADA and radio projects. For DOJ, the May Revision proposed ongoing funding and 44 positions to defend against federal actions, IT and accounting system upgrades, implementation funding for AB 1877, and a special fund loan. The LAO supported the KLETS connection but asked for a contingency plan if the new DMV link is delayed, noted that AB 1877 would not be fully implemented without additional funding, and recommended limiting and reporting on the federal accountability workload. Members questioned the size and permanence of the DOJ request, the use of the earlier $25 million special session appropriation, and the pace of federal litigation; DOJ said the new request would support ongoing litigation, expert assistance, and coordination across multiple cases and states.

Transcript Highlights:

• I myself loved my home state and returned after graduate school.
• Promising trainees instead choose jobs with better pay, in areas with better schools, less crime, and
• One of them attended Highlands University and went away to school at the University of Washington.
• And so they may Utilize 340B discount to purchase medications that are used in the course of a visit.
• Purchases a drug or say $2,000.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Um it includes teams from<00:21:29.280><c> the</c><00:21:29.440><c> school</c><00:21:29.600><c> of</c
• We're just like school bus right now.
• We're just like school<00:51:41.119><c> bus</c><00:51:41.440><c> right</c><00:51:41.680><c> now.
• Uh that we need school bus right now.
• So I think it's purchase agreements etc.

Bills: HB2241 , HB2316 , HB1566 , HB1926 , HB1673 , HB1948 , HB2602 , HB1598 , HB2334 , HB2451 , HB2243

Committee: House Energy & Environmental Protection

Keywords: renewable energy, income tax credit, solar energy, wind energy, low-income households, energy policy, lead materials, drinking water, public health, water infrastructure, safety regulations, HB1566, energy efficiency, LED lighting, light-emitting diodes, fluorescent bulbs, fluorescent fixtures, compact fluorescent lamps, CFL ban, mercury-free lighting

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a bill to expand the solar energy tax credit for single-family residential properties by removing certain cap amounts and raising the adjusted gross income limits for taxpayers to elect a refund of excess credits. The Hawaii State Energy Office and Department of Taxation both said they were standing on written testimony, while industry and advocacy groups largely supported the measure. Members questioned whether the income thresholds were set appropriately, how many taxpayers would be affected at different income levels, and how many would qualify for refundable treatment; Taxation said it did not yet have the requested numbers but was preparing a fiscal estimate. A major issue raised was drafting and administration: witnesses said the bill appears to apply differently to owner-purchased systems versus third-party leased systems, and Taxation said it likely could not easily verify household income for leased systems or cross-reference different taxpayers. Discussion also covered whether the credit should remain refundable, whether credits should be limited to amounts actually expended, and whether the bill should instead be structured to keep the credit with the system owner or lessor, with concerns about equity, market effects, and possible incentives to lease rather than buy. The committee then moved to HB 2316, which would align state restrictions on lead materials in drinking water infrastructure with federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. The Department of Health and other supporters testified in favor, and there were no questions from the chair. Next, HB 1566 on energy efficiency would require state agencies to use energy-efficient lighting, with the Hawaii State Energy Office providing technical assistance and a compliance survey prioritized for first responder facilities; testimony from state agencies and advocates was in support, and again there were no questions. For HB 1926 on Red Hill, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Board of Water Supply, and multiple organizations and individuals supported funding for remediation studies, environmental monitoring, groundwater research, independent testing, and a public dashboard, with DLNR emphasizing that decades of work remain necessary even after defueling and that the bill supports ongoing university and community partnerships. The committee then heard HB 1673 on landfill units. The Department of Health initially said it was in support but later corrected the record and stated it strongly opposes the measure, saying the bill would undo protections enacted last session that keep landfills out of areas over aquifers; the Board of Water Supply also opposed repeal of those protections, while the City and County of Honolulu supported the HD1 version that leaves siting decisions to the counties. Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi and the Energy Justice Network opposed the bill, arguing the original protections should remain and that the amended version had confused commenters; supporters of the original version urged restoring it and considering additional language on ash.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, school board questions being on during partisan elections.
• Chair and Senator, to answer your question, you know, the reason why school board members and school
• You indicated that there could be some impact to summer and school programs.
• I'm also a trauma therapist for the last 25 years and worked in the schools in a school-based health
• Um, it happens when you implement the school strategy.

Transcript Highlights:

• John's County, we're number one in schools.
• into every school I applied for.
• And I kept coming back to a particular day in high school. I was a junior in high school.
• And he described high school a lot this way.
• and the faith followings of that school.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for former member Chester Clem, the Pledge of Allegiance, and quorum verification. Members then adopted the special order report and a Rules and Ethics Committee report amending House Rule 15.3 to allow fundraising under certain circumstances during extended or special sessions. The chamber also recognized Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano as law enforcement officer of the day and several visiting groups in the gallery. On the floor, HB 1405 on a statewide project for missing persons with special needs passed unanimously, 109-0. The House then took up CS/CS/CS/SB 290, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill, which drew questions about surplus conservation lands and oversight by the Acquisition and Restoration Council; it passed 94-10. CS/CS/CS/HB 905, the “Fire Act” on foreign influence, foreign-country-of-concern restrictions, critical infrastructure, gifts, contracts, sister city agreements, and related ethics and criminal provisions, passed 80-20 after debate and a germane amendment was adopted over objections. The House also passed CS/CS/HB 1197 on information technology procurement and contracting, aimed at modernizing oversight of major IT projects, by 109-0. CS/CS/CS/HB 399 on land use development and development regulations passed 71-38 after extensive debate over development fees, manufactured homes, and reducing local supermajority requirements for comprehensive plan changes; an amendment to preserve Orange County’s rural boundary vote failed, and a strike-all amendment was ruled out of order. Members then adopted a technical amendment clarifying manufactured homes language. Several local bills also advanced: HB 1103 on local administration of vessel restrictions passed 109-0; HB 4051 and HB 4053 on Santa Rosa County fire protection district assessments passed 84-25 and 83-27, respectively, after compromise amendments; HB 4081 on the East Point Water and Sewer District passed 110-0; and HB 4093 on the Felsmere Water Control District passed 109-0. The transcript ended as the House moved on to HB 4095, with no final action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to ask about the $3 million for the state plane purchase.
• I do have a Question: The school security funding ran out coming up this coming year.
• Does this budget have school security funding in it, and if so, can you explain that? Yes, sir.
• virtual schools?
• And further, how is it distributed across school districts.

Bills: SB1177 , SB1177

Committee: House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget

Keywords: education funding, mental health services, public safety, housing, state budget, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• energy during that week. $8 million for us alone to purchase energy during that week, whereas if we
• Members, that is reliable for our schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods that they can count on.
• where your children go to school, when you drop off your children.
• Support, support bill, phone-free schools cleanup. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.
• He graduated from South High School in Torrance, California, in 1963.

Summary: The chamber reconvened after a late-night session and first adopted the consent calendar, including ACR 107 on the Diablo Range, by a 48-0 vote. Members then took up several Senate bills and Assembly measures, with repeated remarks about the long hours and the need to respect staff and keep proceedings moving. A vote change was also announced for Assembly Member Patel on SB 414, changing from aye to not voting. The main policy debate centered on energy, climate, and affordability. SB 237, dealing with oil and gas policy, refinery closures, pipeline safety, Kern County permitting, gasoline blend flexibility, and regional fuel coordination, drew strong support from members who framed it as a managed transition to stabilize fuel supply and protect jobs, and strong opposition from members who called it a giveaway to oil interests and a setback for climate goals. The bill passed 59-0. SB 254, an energy affordability and wildfire package, included wildfire mitigation financing, a successor wildfire fund, transmission cost reductions, clean energy permitting changes, and energization timelines; members raised some concerns about local control, but the bill passed 58-0. SB 840 and AB 1207 advanced the cap-and-invest reauthorization package, with supporters emphasizing emissions reductions, housing, transit, wildfire prevention, and community air programs, while opponents argued it would raise costs and function as a tax-and-spend scheme. SB 840 passed 54-15 and AB 1207 passed 55-10, both with urgency and immediate transmittal. Members also approved SB 352, which makes the Bureau of Environmental Justice permanent and requires air quality monitoring and reporting on AB 617 implementation, by 43-19. AB 825, authorizing California to help establish a Westwide electricity market, was presented as a way to lower bills, improve reliability, and reduce emissions; it passed 67-2 and was sent to the Governor. Additional actions included concurrence in Senate amendments to AB 8 on cannabinoids and AB 383 on firearms cleanup, and the chamber began consideration of AB 764 on wildlife as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• School in my district, who is joined by School in my district, who is joined by her<00:07:54.760><c>
• in that school, in its students, pride in that school, in its students, its<00:09:27.680><c> teachers
• At this time, I believe the priority should be on strengthening leadership in the school at the school
• </c><00:13:33.160><c> improving</c> school at the school level, improving school at the school level,
• </c> and new schools and facilities. and new schools and facilities. 126.2 126.2 126.2 million<00:53:

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So schools will provide the services as they do today that fit within the Medicaid to school space.
• </c> some other states um and um so schools some other states um and um so schools will<01:15:12.360>
• </c> with a list of the things that schools with a list of the things that schools can<01:15:34.280><
• , middle school, high school, something like that.
• middle school high elementary school middle school high school<01:26:24.360><c> something</c><01:26:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Division III held an informational hearing on Medicaid, Medicare, Choices for Independence, and related financing, while postponing nursing facility financing and the county cap discussion to a later date. DHHS officials Ann Landry, Jonathan Ballard, and Medicaid Director Henry Litman provided an overview of Medicaid’s role, noting it is a federal-state partnership with state-specific eligibility and benefits, and emphasizing that Medicaid is a major funding and programmatic support for other DHHS initiatives. They also distinguished Medicaid from Medicare and explained that Medicaid funding is not the same as grant funding, though some providers may also receive federal grants through other channels. The presentation focused on New Hampshire’s relatively small Medicaid program and why it differs from national averages. Officials said about 184,000 residents are covered, roughly one in seven Granite Staters compared with one in five nationally, and attributed the difference largely to the state’s higher per-capita income and older population. They highlighted that about 65% of Medicaid-enrolled adults in New Hampshire are working, that only 22% of births are covered by Medicaid versus 42% nationally, and that the state’s uninsured rate is lower than the national rate. Members asked about covered services, income limits, federal matching rates, and the names of optional eligibility groups; staff explained that New Hampshire offers the optional groups discussed, with matching rates varying by category, including 90% for Granite Advantage and certain other groups, and 65% for children above the required level. A substantial portion of the hearing covered eligibility rules and recent policy changes. Officials reviewed the history of Medicaid, including HCBS waivers, the CFI program, Katie Beckett, the Olmstead decision, the ACA, and the end of continuous enrollment after the public health emergency. They also discussed the 2023 legislative expansion of postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months and child eligibility changes. In response to questions, DHHS said it is tracking utilization and costs for the postpartum expansion and reported that many maternal deaths occur after the prior 60-day coverage period, often involving substance use disorder or suicide; they said the longer coverage is intended to improve access to treatment and prevention. The committee also walked through household-income examples, clarified that Medicaid eligibility is based on household income and categorical rules, and confirmed that Granite Advantage ends at 138% of the federal poverty level unless another categorical basis applies. No votes were taken, and the hearing remained informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• platforms, sexion,<00:24:41.760><c> sex</c><00:24:42.080><c> trafficking,</c><00:24:42.720><c> purchasing
• </c> sexion, sex trafficking, purchasing sexion, sex trafficking, purchasing illegal<00:24:43.760><c>
• </c> mental health counselor in the schools. mental health counselor in the schools.
• </c><01:40:27.440><c> increased</c><01:40:27.760><c> from</c><01:40:28.159><c> 18</c> Humra purchases
• increased from 18 Humra purchases increased from 18 million<01:40:28.719><c> in</c><01:40:29.040><c>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the March 11, 2026 minutes, then heard House File 4048, which would exempt chiropractors from Minnesota’s provider tax if they are no longer eligible to provide chiropractic benefits under Medicaid/MinnesotaCare. Representative Robbins said the bill corrects an unfair situation because chiropractors still pay the tax even though the benefit was eliminated. Testifiers from the Minnesota Chiropractic Association and a longtime chiropractor supported the bill, arguing that most chiropractors are small-business owners and should not pay a tax for services they can no longer provide. Several members said they supported restoring chiropractic coverage instead of changing the tax, and there was discussion about whether the tax applies to all providers and whether it is effectively passed on to patients. The committee adopted a motion to recommend HF 4048 to the Committee on Taxes. The committee then took up House File 3893, as amended, a bill to restrict artificial intelligence from engaging in psychotherapy or counseling with humans. The author and supporters said the bill is intended to prevent AI chatbots from posing as therapists or counseling vulnerable people, citing reports of suicides and other harms linked to chatbot interactions. The A2 amendment was adopted; the author said it reflected stakeholder concerns and added informed-consent language. Testifiers in support, including a psychologist and a suicide-prevention nonprofit leader, urged strong safeguards and said AI should not replace licensed professionals in crisis settings. Other testimony raised concerns about overbreadth and unintended effects. TechNet and a rural mental health provider said the bill should be narrowed so it applies to clinical therapy rather than wellness or educational tools, and should allow supervised AI uses such as transcription and administrative support. Members discussed rural access, existing licensing-board authority, privacy laws, and whether the bill should target AI companies directly rather than licensed clinicians. The transcript ends during continued discussion of HF 3893, with no final committee action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Young men now make up the majority of California's disconnected from work and school.
• and high school.
• and high school.
• But at the school level, government level, at foundations, people would At the school level, government
• So if we think about what is school, school prepares a child for the world that they are going to be

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And those grants could be for private school, but it could also be for public school.
• To assist public schools, we've heard the requirement or the need for DD support in schools.
• And we need funding for the school in Yakima, the WSU nursing school.
• Those amendments were Thank you. school districts with local effort assistance.
• Whether it's emergency grants to a school, whether it's a very healthy number for small school repair

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6170 , SB6176 , SB6182 , SB6335 , SB5647 , SB6047 , HB2367 , HB2606 , SB5998 , SB6005 , SB6003 , SB6129 , SB6225 , SB6228 , SB6231

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, contracting rules, state highway construction, procurement limits, state regulations, infrastructure funding, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law

Summary: The Senate met on February 23, 2026, opened with the usual roll call, pledge, prayer, and approval of the previous journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 8698 recognizing piano teachers, with several senators sharing personal remarks about their own teachers and the role of music education in families and communities. Guests from the Washington State Music Teachers Association and the National Guild of Piano Teachers were recognized in the gallery. The chamber then moved into budget debate, considering a series of amendments to the operating budget. Several proposals focused on housing costs, local planning, utility rates, and state spending restraint. Amendment 0772, which would have created a housing-related task force and increased funding, was rejected after debate over housing affordability and regulatory costs. Amendment 0785, restoring growth management planning funding for local governments, was also rejected. Amendment 0791, directing the Department of Commerce to study the effects of climate and clean energy laws on utility costs, and Amendment 0769, related to grid capacity and clean energy investments, were both adopted. Other amendments drew sharper partisan debate. Amendment 0798, which would have reduced the Supreme Court from nine justices to five and redirected savings to public defense, failed. Amendments 0794 and 0795, seeking funding for ballot measure costs tied to initiatives, also failed. Amendment 0799, intended to redirect Pacific Tower lease savings to developmental disability services, was rejected after discussion of the building’s current public uses. Amendment 0773, capping state spending growth and tying it to median wage growth, failed on a roll call vote, while Amendment 0777, addressing concurrent use of paid family and medical leave and sick leave by state employees, also failed after extended debate. Later, Amendment 0776 on tort liability reporting was adopted, as were Amendment 0758 creating a DSHS work group on community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Amendment 0786 was introduced to reduce cash and food assistance work-related funding, with debate beginning before the transcript ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• Young men now make up the majority of California's disconnected from work and school.
• and high school.
• When I first gained access to platforms like Instagram, high school.
• We need to understand: if we think about what school is, school prepares a child for the world that they
• School Center at the University of Southern California.

Summary: The hearing was the inaugural meeting of the Assembly Select Committee on Developing Pathways to Purpose for Young Men, chaired by Assembly Member Avelino Valencia. In opening remarks, Valencia and several committee members described concerns about boys’ and young men’s disconnection from school, work, and relationships, and tied the committee’s work to technology, mentorship, education, and suicide prevention. Members repeatedly noted the effects of COVID-era screen use, the importance of positive male role models, and the need to think beyond funding alone toward broader policy and cultural changes. The first panel focused on the state of men online. Testimony from David Sakaki of the American Institute for Boys and Men, Vihon Bardwaj of Generation Up, and Dr. Alok Kanojia (“Dr. K”) emphasized that pornography, gaming, gambling, social media, and AI can meet real needs for belonging, status, and relief, while also encouraging addiction, isolation, distorted sexual expectations, and harmful comparisons. Witnesses argued that young men are especially vulnerable to algorithm-driven content, that online systems often amplify misogyny and other harmful behavior, and that public policy should address design defaults, age-appropriate sex education, gambling-like game mechanics, and offline alternatives such as sports, mentorship, and social-emotional skill building. Committee members asked about pornography, loot boxes, gambling ads, and how to create healthier substitutes for the immediate gratification these products provide. Witnesses said the answer is not to match the addictive pull of harmful content, but to build more fulfilling offline pathways and teach practical social and emotional skills. Assembly Member Brian also spoke about the need for policy frameworks that help young men and boys be seen and supported, while acknowledging that these issues affect women and girls as well. The second panel shifted to design and health impacts. Dr. Ravi Iyer, drawing on his experience at Meta, said platforms are often optimized for engagement rather than users’ aspirations, which can increase exposure to nudity, violence, hate, and unwanted sexual content; he also warned about emotionally manipulative chatbot interactions and suggested stronger rules and public tracking of app harms. Dr. Jason Nagata of UCSF described research linking problematic social media use to later ADHD symptoms in boys, and explained how social media can intensify muscularity pressures, body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and risky appearance-modification trends such as “looksmaxxing.” No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing.