Transcript Highlights:

• Recently, there's lots of interest now in state and county programs with fraud and abuse and waste.
• I don't put waste in the same category as fraud and abuse as a lot of people do.
• I think sometimes waste is unintentional, but fraud and abuse are.
• How would you address the, you know, the political hot button now of fraud in these different programs
• So if there were fraud, of course, I would follow the procedures of needing to do that.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules convened with quorum and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair and membership appointments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 Senate holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by 4-0 votes. The committee then heard confirmation testimony from Hernando Garzon, M.D., nominated as Chief Medical Officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Senators asked about EMSA’s strategic plan, data integration, local flexibility in statewide standards, ambulance patient offload regulations, stakeholder engagement, disaster response, rural access, and alternatives to transporting 9-1-1 callers to emergency departments. Garzon emphasized data-driven decision-making, technical assistance to local EMS agencies, collaboration with hospitals and providers, and the use of community paramedicine, telehealth, and pre-positioned resources in disasters. Public commenters and members supported his confirmation, and the committee approved the appointment 4-0 for referral to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Stephanie Weldon, nominated as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. She described her tribal background, prior state, county, tribal, and nonprofit experience, and her focus on serving communities facing health disparities. Senators questioned her about how the office sets priorities, measures outcomes, balances equity work amid political opposition to DEI language, and tailors technical assistance to rural and tribal communities. Weldon pointed to work on tribal consultation, behavioral health, youth mental health, the California Reducing Disparities Project, gender-affirming care, reproductive health, housing and climate-related supports, and community advisory boards. Numerous public witnesses, including tribal and health equity advocates, spoke in strong support, and the committee approved her appointment 4-0 for the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am keenly aware of the reasonable accommodation framework that exists. Related symptoms.
• The EDD estimates, too, that there had been about $20 billion in fraud that occurred.
• The EDD estimates, too, that there had been about 20 billion in fraud that occurred.
• We are servicing that fraudulent debt, too. 20 billion in fraud that occurred.
• And then the other thing that they pointed out was the fraud.

Summary: The committee heard a series of bills focused largely on labor, education, workforce, and public employment issues. AB 65 would provide public school employees up to 14 weeks of leave with full benefits for pregnancy and pregnancy-related health issues; supporters said current rules force educators to exhaust sick leave and suffer long-term retirement penalties, while the bill’s author noted it mirrors budget trailer language. AB 1818 would change HEERA procedures for CSU bargaining by shifting certain renegotiation disputes to PERB; Teamsters and other labor groups supported it as a way to stop CSU from unilaterally refusing agreed raises, while CSU moved from opposed to neutral after amendments. AB 1940 would explicitly reference menopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause in workplace protections; supporters said it would clarify rights and improve awareness, while business opposition argued existing reasonable-accommodation law already covers these issues and warned of expanded liability. AB 1534 would add guardrails for new short-term Workforce Pell programs, including tuition caps, limits on income-share agreements, and transparency around partnerships with unaccredited entities; the author later said the bill would be amended to include private institutions. AB 1896 would bar people who participated in immigration enforcement from holding California public jobs during a specified period; supporters framed it as a public-trust measure, while police and public-safety groups opposed categorical exclusion and urged a more individualized vetting approach. AB 2300 would streamline distribution of WIOA workforce funds and reduce delays in local workforce board contracting, with supporters emphasizing faster service delivery and no reduction in accountability. AB 2223 would require CDCR to report standardized data on contracted medical and mental health staffing, vacancies, and costs, following an audit that found heavy reliance on contractors and poor transparency. AB 2483 would create a pathway and certification for formerly incarcerated firefighters to move into firefighting careers after release, with strong support from the author and witnesses who described the work as a real career path and reentry opportunity. AB 2142 would require temporary classified school employees working more than 75% of the school year to receive permanent-employee benefits and protections; school administrators and community college groups opposed it as too rigid for grant-funded and fluctuating positions. AB 2367 would require quarterly reporting from state-run health care facilities on vacancies, overtime, registry/contract staffing, and missed staffing minimums, building on state auditor recommendations; health care workers supported it as a transparency and accountability measure. Several measures were voted out of committee or placed on call. AB 1818, AB 1534, AB 2300, AB 2483, and AB 2223 all received do-pass votes to the Senate Appropriations Committee, though each was placed on call after roll call. AB 65 and AB 1940 also advanced on do-pass motions but were placed on call. AB 2142 received a do-pass vote with opposition and was placed on call. S.J.R. 15, a resolution urging Congress to protect California employers from higher federal unemployment taxes tied to the state’s UI debt, drew divided testimony: business groups supported it, while labor and some members argued California should solve the problem itself and keep the unemployment system solvent; the resolution was also placed on call. The transcript also included committee discussion about working with authors on amendments, especially for AB 1940 and AB 1534, and several members noted support or co-authorship while raising concerns about implementation details and fiscal impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• They can facilitate stalking, discrimination, fraud, and the targeting of vulnerable communities.
• The framework timeline is also extremely tight.
• What we want to emphasize is that was a problem with fraud.
• Fraud is not necessarily caused by or requires AI.
• And my second question is, the opposition talks primarily about fraud.

Committee: Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection

Summary: The committee convened for its first hearing, took roll, and heard several privacy- and AI-related bills. SB 1106 by Senator Cabaldon would shorten the Delete Act data broker deletion deadline from 45 days to 30 days; it drew support from a technology and democracy group, no opposition testimony, and was moved out on a due pass to Appropriations vote. SB 923 by Senator Becker would expand the CCPA deletion right to cover all personal information held by a business and require online-only businesses to offer a web form or similar method for privacy requests; supporters included the California Privacy Protection Agency and privacy advocates, while business groups raised concerns about scope, compliance, and the email/web-form requirement. The bill passed 6-0 to Appropriations, with some members noting they were laying off or wanted further amendments. The committee also heard SB 1142, the Digital Dignity Act, which would regulate digital replicas and deepfakes on large online platforms, including takedown and revocation procedures and penalties. Supporters said it would protect Californians from fraud, harassment, and nonconsensual synthetic likeness use; opponents, including the Motion Picture Association, CCIA, TechNet, and others, raised First Amendment, due process, Section 230, and overbreadth concerns, especially around deceased persons and the 48-hour takedown process. Members said they supported the bill but wanted further work before Judiciary, and it passed 6-0 as amended to Judiciary. The committee also adopted its rules without objection. Later, SB 867 by Senator Padilla would impose a four-year moratorium on the sale and manufacture of AI chatbot-powered toys for children, citing research showing unsafe, sexually explicit, or privacy-invasive behavior; child advocacy and consumer groups supported it, while retailers and civil justice groups sought narrower definitions and liability protections. It passed 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 1247 would give child influencers, once adults, a right to request deletion or modification of images and likenesses used in monetized social media content; it drew no support testimony but was opposed by a civil justice group over the creation of a new private right of action, and it passed 7-0 to Judiciary. SB 930, the consent-calendar item, was approved 7-0. The committee then heard SB 1114, which would restrict sharing of state-collected data related to LGBTQ Californians absent an enforceable order, with supporters arguing it would protect sensitive data from misuse by federal agencies and preserve trust in state programs. It passed 6-0 to Appropriations. SB 1159 would let local governments treat AI bots and agents differently from people for Brown Act, public records, and related civic participation laws, in response to AI-generated comment floods; supporters from environmental, local government, and nonprofit groups said it was needed to preserve human participation, while opponents argued the bill should focus on fraud rather than AI and warned about overreach. The bill passed 9-0 to Appropriations. Finally, SB 1050 would require disclosures when synthetic performers are used in advertisements; labor and consumer advocates supported it as a truth-in-advertising measure, while media and industry groups objected that it was overbroad and should be narrowed to misleading ads and aligned with existing law. Members signaled support for the bill’s goal but also raised concerns about scope and consistency with current false-advertising rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• No one here accepts fraud at all. We are all against fraud.
• </c><00:19:58.880><c> that</c> news stories about all the fraud that news stories about all the fraud
• </c> legislation that is going to stop fraud legislation that is going to stop fraud it's<00:20:41.520
• </c> have to be able to first stop fraud have to be able to first stop fraud before<00:20:50.720><c>
• In those allegations of fraud.

Bills: HF3379

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Medical assistance fraud steals from hard-working taxpayers across Minnesota.
• That's disgraceful, and we're here to help crack down on this kind of fraud.
• Granting the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit this authority when conducting provider fraud investigations
• or there is a finding of fraud.
• Fraud prevention relies on those that report program concerns.

Bills: HF2354 , HF1672 , HF2389 , HF2870 , HF2743 , HF1918 , HF2551 , HF1671

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:06.799><c> and</c><00:19:06.919><c> what</c> about the full lure framework and what about
• </c><00:22:44.799><c> in</c> there's so much opportunity for fraud in there's so much opportunity for
• They said they had been noticing and were highly concerned about potential fraud as well.
• </c> of um surveying um whether or not fraud of um surveying um whether or not fraud might<00:28:50.880
• </c> consider it to be fraud consider it to be fraud when<01:13:11.840><c> but</c><01:13:12.360><c> to

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• There are two key ways to build this kind of framework.
• There are two key ways to build this kind of framework.
• There are two key ways to build this kind of framework.
• There are two key ways to build this kind of framework.
• </c> positive and negative role on the fraud positive and negative role on the fraud waste<00:35:38.960

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows insurers to pend up to 5% of claims when there is a legitimate suspicion of fraud, waste, or
• Health care fraud, waste, and abuse is real, and it is costly, accounting for 20% to 25% of the total
• We will be up in a little bit talking about what we can do when we do have concerns about fraud, waste
• They have a proven legal framework to keep their health care doors open.
• Most payment recovery is due to waste or abuse, not fraud, and is not, in and of itself, suspicious.

Bills: SB5845 , SB5916 , SB6102 , SB6071 , SB6103 , SB6159 , SB5877 , SB5967 , SB5904 , SB5915 , SB6025

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Keywords: health insurance, health carrier, insurance carrier, prompt pay, timely payment, claims processing, clean claim, remittance advice, provider reimbursement, hospital billing, medical billing, prior authorization, claims denial, interest on late claims, administrative penalty, Washington insurance commissioner, RCW 48, public employees benefits board, school employees benefits board, Medicaid managed care

Transcript Highlights:

• is there for the response. ...operationally, because the theory is there and the framework is there
• I think sometimes, you know, waste is unintentional, but fraud and abuse are.
• Recently, there's lots of interest now in state and county programs with fraud and abuse and waste.
• I think sometimes, you know, waste is unintentional, but fraud and abuse are.
• So if there were fraud, of course, I would follow the procedures of needing to do that.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules convened, established quorum, and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear: Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair/member assignments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous votes. The committee then heard and advanced two appointments requiring testimony. Dr. Hernando Garzon, nominated as chief medical officer for the Emergency Medical Services Authority, discussed his background in emergency medicine, disaster response, EMS data modernization, local flexibility within statewide standards, ambulance offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, and alternatives to emergency transport such as community paramedicine and telehealth. Members pressed him on strategic planning, rural and climate-related disaster response, ambulance rate reporting, and how EMSA can better protect vulnerable people during evacuations; his appointment was approved 4-0 and sent to the Senate floor. Stephanie Weldon, nominated as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health, described her tribal background, prior public service, and focus on health equity, behavioral health, tribal consultation, data, and community-led programs. Senators asked about measuring outcomes, serving rural communities, balancing equity work amid federal DEI opposition, youth mental health, and preventing fraud or waste through transparency. Public commenters, including tribal, health, and community advocates, strongly supported her nomination. Her appointment was also approved 4-0 and forwarded to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair and members, SB 362 is a bill that will strengthen our small business financing disclosure framework
• **SB 362** addresses some of the gaps in California's small business disclosure framework and clarifies
• A stronger disclosure framework will result in small businesses receiving better information as they
• We see a lot of fraud with only consumer sign-off happening.
• I've been just kind of playing catch up on a lot of these issues and the framework that's been created

Committee: House Banking and Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• our policy framework from the White House, help us pass it.
• Okay, going back to the policy framework.
• Fraud detection — credit cards are using it to detect fraud.
• Fraud detection — credit cards are using it to detect fraud.
• , a national industry framework.

Committee: Joint Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And they've been exposing fraud, and this is fraud that taxpayers ought to know about.
• We alone, on three cases, found over a quarter billion dollars in fraud. Mr.
• Instead of going after fraud, corruption, we are going after the ability to post that online.
• Instead of going after fraud, corruption, we are going after the ability to post that online.
• This measure will help protect vulnerable Californians from real estate fraud.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nearly all customers who transacted $1,000 or more were victims of fraud.
• </c> $1,000 or more were victims of fraud. $1,000 or more were victims of fraud.
• . fraud. fraud.
• </c> from devastating fraud. from devastating fraud.
• or internet fraud is $16 billion last year.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for listening to my story and helping fraud victims. Thank you very much.
• Bill, thank you for listening to my story and helping fraud victims. Thank you very much.
• I mean, that's fraud. But is that not apply?
• So yet again, thank you for helping create the fraud restitution fund in the first place.
• Under the appraisal framework, both the insurer and the insured select independent appraisers.

Bills: HF4881 , HF4867 , HF4422 , HF4223

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, regulation, financial institutions, prescription drug affordability, consumer protection, restitution account, financial compensation, attorney general, distributions, property insurance, homeowners insurance, fire and allied lines, hail insurance, appraisal clause, loss adjustment, alternative dispute resolution, insurance claims, claim valuation, actual cash value

Transcript Highlights:

• Student Commission, I believe there's a net loss to UC students under the framework, but we're happy
• Could you give us a sense of what that's going to mean for the reduction of fraud specifically?
• But I think the top-of-mind concern is the fraud that exists and how this plays into that.
• This creates fraud in our community colleges.
• With trying to recover from fraud? That is such a good question.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, the DE4 represents our efforts to recognize that the ICS program is vulnerable to fraud.
• and hold continue to investigate fraud and hold people<00:04:22.440><c> accountable.
• </c><00:13:10.560><c> And</c> framework as if they were identical.
• And framework as if they were identical.
• ,</c><00:21:30.120><c> and</c> ensure there's not waste, fraud, and ensure there's not waste, fraud,

Transcript Highlights:

• So last year I brought a deed fraud bill to this committee, and I appreciate all your support.
• In the last two years, we had 300 complaints regarding real estate fraud.
• It's a classic battle between customer service and fraud prevention. Excuse me, sir.
• It's a classic battle between customer service and fraud prevention.
• I've personally witnessed the devastation caused by deed fraud.

Summary: The House Committee on Government heard and advanced several bills, beginning with HB 2842 on deed fraud prevention. The bill would create an early alert system so escrow agents notify the Arizona Department of Real Estate when a property transaction is opened, allowing property owners to be alerted before a fraudulent sale is completed. Representative Contreras, a victim, and other witnesses described serious deed fraud cases and said the bill would provide proactive protection; the Department of Real Estate commissioner said most tracked fraud cases would have gone through escrow and outlined a simple registration and alert process. The committee adopted a Blackman amendment changing the receiving agency from DIFI to the State Real Estate Department and then passed HB 2842 with a do pass recommendation. The committee also passed HB 2667, which tightens eligibility for state first-time homebuyer and down payment assistance programs by requiring two years of Arizona residency and two years of owner occupancy, and barring out-of-state investors from using the homes as vacation or short-term rentals. The sponsor said the bill was intended to ensure the programs benefit Arizonans who are invested in the state, but committee members and representatives from local housing entities warned it could conflict with federal FHA rules, reduce lender participation, and create unintended consequences for local IDA programs. Despite those concerns, the bill received a do pass recommendation. HB 2020, which reduces certain school disruption offenses involving minors to a class one misdemeanor and narrows the definition of interference with an educational institution, also passed after testimony from a parent describing a student being charged with a felony for a school altercation and a nonprofit witness urging more trauma-informed treatment of children. Other measures advanced included HB 2793, which streamlines annexation procedures for single-owner annexations and modernizes notice requirements, with amendments clarifying treatment of municipally owned adjacent territory and allowing electronic newspaper publication; HB 2327, which allows eligible individuals to request suppression of identifying information held by county recorders, assessors, and treasurers to protect privacy while preserving title plant access; and HB 2858, which gives Arizona bidders a preference in state procurement tie situations, supported by local business groups as a way to keep public money in-state. The committee also passed HB 2660, which sets procedures and due process protections for health profession board licensing actions and adds JLAC to the list of entities receiving investigative reports, with the sponsor and a naturopathic physician arguing that board actions can chill speech and lack adequate oversight. Finally, the committee approved HB 2063 to appropriate $1.5 million for the Independent Correctional Oversight Office, HB 2681 to change civil service appeal deadlines from calendar days to business days, and HB 2812 to raise the sick-leave payout cap for retiring state employees from $30,000 to $57,000; members discussed possible future amendments to let retirees direct those funds into health savings arrangements. Most bills were reported out with do pass recommendations, and the committee adjourned after the final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the land fraud, vacant land fraud, is a big part of what we see.
• Um she think it could be a land fraud."
• The person committing fraud has an attorney as well.
• </c> an impersonation fraud. an impersonation fraud. &gt;&gt; Thank<00:59:25.440><c> you.
• </c> put, House Bill 1366 offers a framework put, House Bill 1366 offers a framework to<01:09:58.159>

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Inside the United States, the IRS estimates that every five years $11.4 billion of fraud related to stolen
• </c><00:03:54.959><c> that's</c> in the mail of the fraud that's in the mail of the fraud that's occurring
• </c><00:04:22.560><c> related</c><00:04:22.880><c> to</c> billion dollars of fraud related to billion
• We've really taken on fraud in the Wyoming Secretary of State's office, but we're limited in what we
• </c> State's um commitment to battling fraud State's um commitment to battling fraud here<00:35:18.960

Bills: HB0086

Committee: House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Transcript Highlights:

• But it should be done within the framework...
• This bill doesn't stop fraud.
• Voter fraud is already a felony.
• Voter fraud is already a felony.
• No fraud. When we win, elections are great when we win.

Bills: S0174 , S1342 , S1334 , S1362 , S1602 , S1604

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Summary: The committee first heard CS for SB 1342 on transit-oriented development by Senator Rouson, which seeks to expand housing near fixed transit corridors by updating TOD definitions and applying Live Local-style land-use principles to those areas. An amendment narrowed definitions, limited the bill to land-use and development regulations, removed a private cause of action, and added exclusions for environmentally sensitive areas, historic properties, and military installations. Supporters said the bill would increase housing supply near existing infrastructure and maximize the state’s transit investments, while local government groups and city leagues opposed it as a sweeping preemption of local zoning authority that could force high-density development without public hearings or adequate infrastructure planning. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably. The committee then took up CS for SB 1334 on elections by Senator Grall, which would require documentary proof of citizenship in voter registration and related election processes, update how citizenship is verified through REAL ID and the SAVE database, clarify that paper ballots are the primary voting method, and add other election-related changes such as candidate eligibility rules and timelines. Two technical amendments were adopted. During extended questioning, senators raised concerns about how documents would be submitted and stored, whether voters without Florida IDs or REAL IDs—especially students, disabled voters, seniors, and homeless Floridians—could be flagged or burdened, and what fiscal and workload impacts the bill would have on supervisors of elections and state agencies. Supporters argued the bill would streamline verification and reduce duplicate paperwork, while many public speakers and some senators said it would create barriers to voting, increase costs, and risk disenfranchising eligible voters. The transcript ends during debate on the bill, before a final vote is shown. Later, the committee considered CS for SB 1362 on advanced air mobility by Senator Harrell. A strike-all amendment aligned the bill with the House version and added vertiports and charging systems as eligible projects for public-private partnership funding, with FDOT authorized to fund certain vertiport costs within available resources. The bill drew support from industry and local representatives, and the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 174, which designates a portion of State Road 985 in Miami-Dade County as Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue and directs FDOT to install markers at an estimated cost of $2,400. The bill prompted significant debate over whether Kirk’s legacy warranted a state road designation, with opponents citing his controversial statements and arguing the honor was political and divisive, while supporters said the designation recognizes civic engagement near FIU and is symbolic rather than regulatory. The transcript ends during debate on SB 174, before any final action is shown.