Transcript Highlights:

• As far as the avian flu, there are zero reports from the state or the USDA stating that cockfighting
• And I am also a breeder of several breeds of poultry. Pacific Poultry Breeders Association.
• And I would also like to add the Pacific Poultry Breeders Association.
• I'm here representing all poultry breeders from the state, and I do oppose AB 928. Thank you.
• So is there—what has been your discussions with breeders?

Summary: The Assembly Agriculture Committee met as a subcommittee at first because a quorum was not yet present, then adopted its committee rules for the 2025-2026 legislative session by a 5-0 vote. The committee heard a series of agriculture-related bills, with most measures receiving broad support and moving forward. AB 1142 by Assemblymember Hoover would raise the fee thresholds for small public horse events that are exempt from equine medication monitoring rules; supporters said the current limits are outdated and hurt small riding clubs, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 411 by Assemblymember Papin would allow ranchers to compost livestock carcasses on-farm; supporters cited cost, environmental, and predator-control benefits, while rendering industry representatives asked for amendments to protect existing services and limit the bill’s scope. The bill passed to Natural Resources. AB 482 by Assemblymember Solache would modernize the California Table Grape Commission law and raise assessment caps without increasing assessments themselves; it passed to Appropriations. AB 312 by Vice Chair Alanis would shorten the holding period for ag theft property from six months to three months; it also passed to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 937 and AB 947 by Assemblymember Connolly. AB 937 would make technical changes to the Organic Transition Pilot Program to improve access to organic transition support, with testimony from a farmer who said the program helped him pursue organic certification; the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 947 would expand and refine technical assistance under the Healthy Soils/Climate Smart Agriculture programs, including training, grant writing, matching funds coordination, equipment sharing, and outcome monitoring; supporters said the changes would help small and organic producers access state climate programs, and it also passed to Appropriations. AB 1486, presented by the chair, would use Proposition 4 funding to start grants for public postsecondary agricultural research farms focused on climate resiliency; members praised the role of CSU and UC research farms, and the bill passed to Natural Resources as amended. The most extensive discussion centered on AB 928 by Assemblymember Rogers, the California Cockfighting Cruelty Act. Supporters argued the bill would help law enforcement target cockfighting and rooster trafficking, reduce avian disease risks, and protect public health and animal welfare; opponents, including poultry hobbyists, breeders, and 4-H-related participants, said it would overreach into lawful poultry keeping and harm heritage-breed and youth programs, urging instead that cockfighting penalties be increased to a felony. Committee members echoed concerns about unintended impacts on legitimate poultry owners and requested continued work on exemptions and language. The bill passed to Judiciary on a 5-2-1 vote, with one no vote and one abstention, and the chair noted that further committee review would continue as the bill advances.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, Brenda Harkov with the Minnesota Elk Breeders Association.
• This provision is the primary reason breeders are leaving the industry, with many breeders who have had
• While some breeders have unmanageable.
• eliminating CWD, but driving breeders eliminating CWD, but driving breeders out<00:04:33.759>
• deer touching our clean uh USDA deer touching our clean uh USDA certified<00:20:00.200> herds

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 40, authored by Representative Burkel, was heard and laid over. The bill would remove the statutory requirement that farmed deer/elk facilities maintain a physical barrier preventing contact with wild deer, and it would also strike language allowing revocation of registration and seizure/destruction of animals for fencing or escape violations. Burkel argued the current law is unfair to deer farmers, treats them differently than other livestock producers, and amounts to a regulatory taking of a legal agricultural enterprise. Supporters from the Minnesota Elk Breeders Association and Minnesota Deer Farmers Association said the 2023 secondary-fence requirement is expensive, difficult to implement on long-established properties, and has pushed some breeders out of the industry. They described costs ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, said the DNR’s guidance is case-by-case and unclear, and argued that the penalty structure is too harsh for what they view as minor or unavoidable escape incidents. One testifier said the industry is being driven out of business and that the state should help pay for the fencing if it remains required. The DNR opposed the bill. Its enforcement representative said the physical-contact barrier is intended to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease transmission and that removing penalties would leave little incentive for compliance. He said the agency continues to work with the roughly 10 noncompliant whitetail farms and that the DNR provides case-by-case review because farm topography varies. In committee questions, members discussed whether wild deer commonly travel along fence lines, whether ear-tagged deer have been found, and whether there is a standard approved fence design; the DNR said there is no single standard fence, only suggestions and review. Representative Burkel closed by reiterating his support for the bill and the committee then laid it over.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, deer breeders that were... covered up with it.
• Breeders made concessions, so y'all have got rules.
• I will say that y'all had asked, and the breeders...
• The breeders had asked for me to provide some clarity to 2019.
• With USDA? We're talking with USDA? You are talking. Okay. I don't need an elaboration.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:20.159> natural that was funding from the USDA natural that was funding from the USDA
• We do have our EQUAL program that's funded by the USDA.
• For our federal fiscal year 24, USDA provided $2 million in match dollars.
• The USDA will be signing a cooperative agreement with them on this coming up as well.
• our our kennel and and breeder our our kennel and and breeder communities<01:04:53.240> and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• who those breeders are.
• licensed breeders and disclosing who<00:22:29.400> those<00:22:29.559> breeders<00:22:
• ...from large-scale commercial breeders.
• <00:31:37.480> is uh would require that the breeder is uh would require that the breeder is
• <00:36:37.000> but are sourcing from reputable breeders but are sourcing from reputable breeders

Bills: HF2543, HF2566, HF2627

Keywords: garnishment, wage garnishment, earnings levy, bank levy, execution, judgment debtor, judgment creditor, exemption notice, exempt property, bank account freeze, financial institution levy, employer disclosure, garnishee, writ of execution, debt collection, consumer debt, collections, bankruptcy exemptions, public benefits, means-tested benefits

Bills: SB 8, HB7, HB15, HB 265, HCR 13

Keywords: sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, abortion, healthcare, jurisdiction, civil action, qui tam, prohibition, state law, youth camp, safety regulations, advisory committee, child welfare, health standards, summer camp, camp safety, child abuse reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, this bill mandates dog breeder registration.
• If it requires, breeders must register with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation every
• Petland is committed to... ...improving animal welfare and to sourcing animals solely from USDA licensed
• breeders.
• One of them, in particular, a big problem in Miami-Dade County, are the backyard breeders, right?

Bills: S0198, S0422, S1236, S1356, S1456, S1722

Keywords: virtual currency, kiosks, money services business, regulation, financial services, consumer protection, cryptocurrency, registration, ADS-B, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, aviation, airports, airport fees, landing fees, departure fees, touch-and-go landing, general aviation, pilot privacy, airspace radius, aircraft tracking

Summary: The committee first postponed SB 1456, then heard SB 1236, which would condition state economic development incentives on employers using secret-ballot union elections and prohibit neutrality agreements. The sponsor argued the bill protects workers from coercion and applies only to companies receiving taxpayer-funded incentives; opponents said it was government interference, likely to hurt contractors, apprenticeships, and business growth, and raised concerns about federal preemption and Attorney General enforcement. After debate, the committee reported SB 1236 favorably on a recorded vote. The committee then considered CS/SB 198, a measure to regulate cryptocurrency kiosks by requiring operator registration, fraud warnings, transaction limits, blockchain analytics, receipts, and refund protections for certain first-time transactions tied to fraud. Supporters from the banking industry, AARP, and others said the bill would help stop scams that are targeting seniors and vulnerable adults; one industry witness supported the bill but suggested narrowing the limits for existing users and shortening the new-customer period. The committee reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee took up CS/SB 1356 on dog breeding, pet sales, and breeder registration. The sponsor said the bill is intended to curb puppy mills, improve animal welfare, and add consumer protections, while an amendment removed state oversight of local animal shelters. Pet store representatives supported much of the bill but objected to the three-day waiting period for financed purchases, expanded reimbursement, and unfair trade practice penalties; others argued the bill would add red tape and litigation. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 1722 on app stores and minors, which would require age verification, parental consent for minors, app-content disclosures, and enforcement by the Department of Legal Affairs. Supporters said the bill would help parents protect children online; opponents warned it could force collection of sensitive personal data, create privacy and constitutional problems, and duplicate existing parental tools. Members debated the balance between child safety and privacy, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, the committee heard CS/SB 422 on ADS-B aviation data, which would bar use of ADS-B information to calculate certain landing or access fees; an amendment added departures to the restriction. Pilots supported the bill as a safety and privacy measure, while airport representatives opposed it as undermining airport finances and shifting costs. The amendment was adopted, and the hearing on the bill began with testimony from both sides.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're intercepting those and testing them and working with the USDA and APHIS to find out what they
• The USDA, under the new administration, has contacted us.
• Right now, USDA inspects all foreign shrimp.
• We have over 12,500 farms that we operate in, either broilers, egg layers, breeders, primary breeders
• . and multiplier breeder operations.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• breeder genetics.
• All these breeder deer trace back to wild deer.
• There's been 16 other states that released breeder deer and/or breeder genetics for the restoration of
• I don't own any breeder deer. I don't have any partnerships on breeder deer.
• And I think your deer breeders are probably the ones concerned.

Bills: HB3270, HB3145, HB3056

Keywords: farmed cervidae, chronic wasting disease, genetic resistance, wildlife management, agriculture, wildlife tagging, hunting regulations, Cervidae family, feral swine, exotic wildlife, conservation, commercial hunting, raw milk, unpasteurized, farm sales, Oklahoma Milk and Milk Products Act, local producers, advertising, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And, uh, we, we, we're now working with the USDA to replicate that program across the, uh, uh, United
• Uh, the USDA under the new administration has contacted us.
• Right now, USDA inspects all foreign shrimp. They only inspect 2% of the, uh, uh, shipments.
• breeders, and multiplier breeder operations.
• That's not a problem because USDA reports all of that and they are maintaining those stats.

Transcript Highlights:

• That funding came from USDA APHIS, specifically focused on control of the disease from the perspective
• You know, we have small grants, $36,000 for the livestock breeders.
• I'm sorry to ask you that question; tell me what you do to approve a grant like To the poultry breeders
• So on the testing of retail milk, the USDA and the FDA have been doing that, and that's how we've been
• And so that is a concern on that, but I did want you to know that there is testing going on at the USDA

Bills: HF2784, HF2785, HF2778, HF2281, HF2576, HF2280, HF2579

Keywords: beginning farmers, agriculture, loans, economic opportunity, farmers' equity, agriculture appropriations, farm to school, early care, child care food program, school lunch program, local food, Minnesota agriculture, food access, farm-to-institution, limited market access, county fairs, biofuels, E25, ethanol, meat processing

Transcript Highlights:

• breeders, ranchers, hunters, and rural communities across this state.
• The USDA has changed their polygon, and I'm not going to step over the bounds of USDA; that's their deal
• So the USDA, I, pardon me, Andrew Earl with the Texas Wildlife Association. Thank you.
• Okay, deer breeders, but what about other deer in ranches that are just natural herds?
• USDA comes in, along with Texas Animal Health, to give their updates.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal government, USDA, has a scheme in place for qualified breeders.
• The federal government, USDA, has a scheme in place for qualified breeders.
• He said the USDA has a scheme in place for qualified breeders, and if there is an enforcement issue,
• Imports of honey have surged over 70% in the last 15 years, according to data from the USDA.
• Is this a USDA certification, or what?

Keywords: 00:00 – Introduction 00:45 – Attendance Roll Call 02:09 – House Bill 216 03:15 – Roll Call Vote 04:06 – Senate Bill 122 05:42 – Roll Call Vote 08:43 – House Bill 391 17:25 – Roll Call Vote, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call. The committee first considered House Bill 216, which would correct a conflict created when an office was moved into the Department of Agriculture by restoring grant and loan eligibility for Department of Agriculture employees while keeping the prohibition in place for employees of the office of policy. The bill was approved unanimously and sent on to the Senate floor. The committee then revisited Senate Bill 122 after concerns from the prior meeting. Members adopted a committee substitute that clarified local governments may regulate the covered businesses but not ban them outright, and that fines and fees go back to the local authorities doing the regulating. During final consideration, Senator Deneen, Senator Reed, and Senator Richardson voted no, citing concerns about enforcement, inspection, and potential bad actors, while Senator Webb supported the bill as a needed regulatory scheme. The motion passed and the bill advanced. House Bill 391, dealing with Kentucky honey production, was also approved. Representative Jason Nemes and industry witnesses said the bill would raise the threshold for requiring a certified honey house from 150 gallons to 500 gallons, add language requiring “pure and unadulterated” Kentucky-produced honey, and support local beekeepers without creating additional public health risk. Members discussed whether the limit should be removed entirely, the cost of honey houses, and concerns about imported or adulterated honey. The committee passed the bill to the Senate floor. Senator Yates later registered a no vote on Senate Bill 122 and yes votes on House Bill 216 and Senate Bill 171, though Senate Bill 171 was passed over for further work and not heard that day.

Bills: HB17, HB16, SB10, HB27, HB23, SB15, SB18

Keywords: property tax, school funding, enrollment changes, inflation adjustment, tax rate notice, judicial administration, court reform, juvenile diversion, court security, mental health services, drug offenses, constitutional amendments, property tax exemption, ad valorem tax, Texas Tax Code, nonprofit corporation, charitable organization, educational nonprofit, scientific nonprofit, agriculture support

Summary: The House convened, received a message from the Senate, and the chair announced the signing of HB 4 in the presence of the House. The clerk then read a large number of first-reading measures and referred them to committees. Among the notable bills, SB 1 by Senator Perry on campground and youth camp safety was referred to the Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding. Several House resolutions dealing with House rules, quorum, attendance, and penalties for members who missed sessions or broke quorum were referred to the Committee on House Administration, including HR 5, HR 17, HR 18, HR 34, HR 41, and HR 58. The House also referred a broad slate of resolutions to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, including measures by Riddell, Craddick, Toth, Leo Wilson, Schofield, Gehan, Bella Montgomery, Hinojosa, Schoolcraft, Little, Meyer, Luhan, Orr, Johnson, Harris Davila, Lopez, Cameron, Gonzalez of El Paso, Wharton, Flores, Dyson, and Harless. These referrals covered many individual House resolutions and concurrent resolutions, but no debate or votes were recorded in the transcript. At the end of the proceedings, the House recessed until noon pursuant to a previously adopted motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• These groups caution against breeders who are not.
• brokers and the breeders they sell for.
• Last year the USDA licensed hundreds of commercial dog dealers.
• Overall, the reports detail over 800 violations by licensed, USDA-licensed commercial breeders and brokers
• Resenting themselves as local, responsible breeders.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These groups caution against breeders who are not transparent, and many breed groups actively prohibit
• brokers and the breeders they sell for.
• Last year, the USDA licensed hundreds of commercial dog dealers, a term that includes both breeders and
• Overall, the reports detail over 800 violations by USDA-licensed commercial breeders and brokers, yet
• More importantly, it preserves access to responsible breeders and rescues.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of bills, with most measures drawing support from industry, professional, local government, and advocacy witnesses, and several receiving committee amendments before moving forward. AB 8 on hemp and cannabis drew the most extensive debate: supporters said it would close loopholes around intoxicating hemp products, strengthen enforcement, and bring THC products into the regulated cannabis supply chain; opponents, including small cannabis farmers and environmental groups, warned it could undermine Proposition 64’s closed-loop system, harm California cultivators, and reduce tax revenues for youth, environmental, and law enforcement programs. The author said the bill was intended to protect consumers and children and to work further with stakeholders. AB 476 on copper theft was presented as a public safety and infrastructure bill to tighten reporting, documentation, and penalties for scrap metal theft; supporters from cities, utilities, broadband, and recycling-related groups described major losses and outages from copper theft, and the remaining opposition moved to neutral after amendments, with the bill advancing with committee support. The committee also heard AB 985, which would allow nationally certified anesthesiologist assistants to practice under direct supervision of licensed anesthesiologists to address anesthesia workforce shortages. Supporters, including the California Society of Anesthesiologists, medical groups, students, and patients, said it would expand access and bring California in line with other states; nurse anesthesiology groups expressed concerns and sought further clarification, but there was no formal opposition at the hearing. AB 506, aimed at online pet sales, would void contracts that fail to disclose an animal’s origin or veterinary records or that require non-refundable deposits; animal welfare groups said it would curb puppy mill pipelines and deceptive online sales, and there was no opposition. AB 876, on certified registered nurse anesthetists, generated the sharpest health care policy dispute: supporters said it would codify existing practice and clarify CRNA duties, while physicians and medical associations argued it would expand scope too far and reduce patient safety. After a roll call, AB 876 passed the committee 9-0, as amended, to Appropriations. Other bills advanced with broad support after amendments. AB 432, the Menopause Equity Act, would require continuing medical education on menopause-related care for certain physicians; the author and medical experts said the bill addresses widespread gaps in menopause treatment and research, while CMA and ACOG opposed the mandate as an inappropriate CME requirement, though they agreed the underlying problem is real. The bill passed on call, as amended, to Health. AB 759 would allow eligible architectural candidates to use the title “architect in training” to encourage completion of licensure and improve diversity in the profession; it passed unanimously, as amended, to Appropriations. AB 967 would create an optional expedited licensure fee for out-of-state physicians to reduce delays in bringing doctors into California’s workforce; supporters said it would help address shortages and improve patient access, and the bill was presented with support from medical stakeholders.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that the rules package It's currently say that once that breeder deer, those breeder deer are released
• And you're not a deer breeder.
• a breeder deer. on someone's place that's not a deer breeder.
• Once a breeder deer is not a breeder deer, it makes absolute perfect sense. sense to me to no longer
• They're only here in Texas and deer breeders can move deer from deer breeder to deer breeder. deer breeder

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• page of the bill, page 3, we increased the courtesy notice to people that are commercial animal Breeders
• front of me, but the majority of your retail pet shops purchase all of their animals from a licensed USDA
• facility breeder.
• Talk about a licensed USDA entity. I think we need to look into that a little further.

Bills: HB3419, HB3624, HB3748, HB4335

Keywords: corruption, nonpublic information, government accountability, criminal law, public office, counties, property taxation, watercourse, boundaries, effective date, county government, administration, local resources, public institutions, construction, maintenance, animal welfare, pet shops, commercial breeders, county regulations

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we have small grants, $36,000 for the livestock breeders.
• Tell me what you do to approve a grant like to the poultry breeders, Mr. Hugan. Mr. Hugan. Uh, Mr.
• grant like to the poultry breeders. Mr. grant like to the poultry breeders. Mr.
• and the FDA have been doing that USDA and the FDA have been doing that and<00:43:48.720> that's
• testing uh you know going on at the USDA testing uh you know going on at the USDA and<00:44:50.240

Bills: HF2784, HF2785, HF2778, HF2281, HF2576, HF2280, HF2579

Keywords: beginning farmers, agriculture, loans, economic opportunity, farmers' equity, agriculture appropriations, farm to school, early care, child care food program, school lunch program, local food, Minnesota agriculture, food access, farm-to-institution, limited market access, county fairs, biofuels, E25, ethanol, meat processing

Bills: SB255, SB199, SB47, HB605, HB216, HB621, HB148, HB389, HB509, HB248, SB255, SB199, SB47, HB605, HB216, HB621, HB148, HB389, HB509, HB248, SB336, SB293, SB43, HB420, HB60, HB188, HB106, HB105, HB11

Keywords: SB255, cannabinoid, hemp, hemp-derived THC, THCa, delta-8 THC, HHC, CBD, THC, novel cannabinoid products, hemp products, intoxicating hemp, delta-8, retail license, Department of Revenue, Department of Agriculture and Industries, testing and labeling, third-party laboratory, product safety, public health