Transcript Highlights:

• for this next year's budget for program administration.
• from prior one-time funding to an ongoing program.
• The program was launched under the California Outdoors for All initiative as a third The program was
• So the human-wildlife conflict program was a specific program that was funded and then it basically was
• The Division of Boating and Waterways runs that program with the hyacinth control program.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy convened for its first hearing and heard an overview from the Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Natural Resources Agency. The LAO emphasized California’s strong current revenues but warned of a structural budget problem, projected out-year deficits, and the need for a high bar on new spending. It generally supported the administration’s Proposition 4 spending plan as reasonable and consistent with bond requirements, while urging legislative oversight and caution about using special funds and adding ongoing commitments. Secretary Wade Crowfoot responded with an overview of climate, wildfire, water, coastal, and conservation challenges and highlighted progress under the Newsom administration, including clean energy growth, wildfire resilience investments, land conservation, tribal co-management, and outdoor access initiatives. He also discussed federal staffing cuts affecting California’s response capacity and said the state has had to fill gaps in flood forecasting, land management, and park access. Members then questioned the secretary about the Delta conveyance tunnel and broader water reliability issues. Crowfoot said the project remains important, is being pursued as a beneficiary-pays project, and is moving through the State Water Resources Control Board’s permitting process, while also stressing that it is only one part of a broader water strategy that includes levee strengthening, subsidence, groundwater storage, recycling, and conservation. Senators also raised concerns about permitting delays, invasive species, and the impact of position cuts on agency capacity; Crowfoot said streamlining is needed but that staffing remains essential. The committee then moved to the Department of Parks and Recreation, where Director Armando Quintero described the state park system, tribal agreements, wildfire and deferred maintenance work, and outdoor access programs such as the State Library Park Pass and Adventure Pass. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed ongoing $6.75 million General Fund transfer for the library park pass, arguing it did not meet the high bar for new ongoing spending, but several senators strongly supported the program as a low-cost way to expand access. Members also pressed Parks on reservation system problems and campsite no-shows. Department staff said they are updating website guidance, working with the reservation vendor, and implementing new no-show and reservation-modification rules effective July 1, including penalties for repeated no-shows and immediate reopening of vacant sites. The committee then heard a low-cost accommodations proposal, which Parks said would fund planning and construction at several sites using Proposition 68, reimbursements, and donations; the LAO said it had no concerns. Finally, the new director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Megan Hurdle, introduced herself and outlined the department’s mission, staffing, service-based budgeting, and Proposition 4 requests, including funding for salmon genetic tagging, hatchery repairs, and public access improvements. She said the department is focused on biodiversity, permitting streamlining, law enforcement, and human-wildlife conflict prevention, and noted that the agency is still updating its service-based budgeting analysis to identify gaps and priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, it addresses the interim exemptions for residential construction in the tier one areas.
• Uh, it addresses the interim exemptions for residential construction in the tier one areas.
• We all know we need more housing to fill our local schools to keep our communities alive.
• We all know we need more housing to fill our local schools to keep our communities alive.
• details related to that assistance.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Salem High School is well-renowned for its rigorous and in-depth visual and performing arts program academy
• CEP is a USDA program that allows eligible schools to serve no-cost breakfast and lunch to all students
• and more than 1,200 schools.
• Had I participated in any of the high school programs offered by the Ivy League?
• for success in high school.

Keywords: March 12, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• live in Alabama and go to school here so live in Alabama and go to school here so live in Alabama and
• program that semiquincentennial school program that semiquincentennial school program that we're initiating
• school how can they become a school how can they become a school how can they become a semiquincentennial
• school you may ask semiquincentennial school you may ask semiquincentennial school you may ask they
• education commitments school education commitments school education commitments apprenticeship programs

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in the school bus best interest.
• at the public school level affect schooling across the board.
• I am also a high school student.
• As a junior in public school, I am no stranger to anti-Semitism in our schools.
• . ...inside school.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> programs in the private business sector. programs in the private business sector.
• . program. program.
• </c> program and increase costs for everyone. program and increase costs for everyone.
• </c> regard to understanding the program. regard to understanding the program.
• </c><00:40:37.000><c> in</c> We also know that similar programs in We also know that similar programs

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• seamless transitions into the educational program at Pappas and back into students' home schools and
• seamless transitions into the educational program at Pappas and back into students' home schools and
• I am now a special education teacher at the Carter School, Boston Public Schools program for students
• When the day school program closed, Samantha returned to public school.
• We can welcome students from medical schools, nursing programs, and schools of education from across

Summary: The hearing focused on the future of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and the work of the special legislative commission studying whether and how the facility should continue. Senators and representatives said the Legislature has continued funding Pappas, that the hospital cannot be closed before the commission reports, and that they are seeking to extend the commission’s deadline. Multiple commissioners and witnesses described Pappas as a unique setting combining inpatient medical care, residential programming, special education, therapy, and campus-based activities for children with complex medical needs. Union leaders, staff, parents, and local officials argued that Pappas is being quietly depopulated through blocked admissions and continued discharges despite the formal pause on closure. They said the hospital’s integrated model cannot be replicated elsewhere, that families and staff are being left in limbo, and that the state should invest in repairs, modernization, and possibly temporary modular space to reopen admissions. Several witnesses emphasized the impact on children who have benefited from Pappas and on workers who fear losing a specialized workforce built over decades. Department of Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein said the state is committed to keeping Pappas open and stable while the commission works, but that admissions must meet hospital-level-of-care standards and the current infrastructure limits who can safely be served. He said the administration has been expanding outreach, hiring staff, and exploring ways to broaden services, including outpatient and therapy programs over time. Commissioners pressed him on why admissions remain so limited and whether the facility is being effectively depopulated, while Goldstein maintained that the restrictions reflect legal and safety requirements rather than an effort to close the hospital.

Transcript Highlights:

• Relative establishment school cooperative purchasing program.
• Did Keene State College do that when they put the construction OSHA safety program in place? No.
• Did Keene State College do that when they put the construction OSHA safety program in place? No.
• put the construction OSHA safety program<00:08:04.560><c> in</c><00:08:04.800><c> place?
• The first one is dealing with the school cooperative purchasing program.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session and reviewed several previously heard bills, but focused its discussion on SB 586 and SB 580. The chair explained that SB 586 would require school districts and school administrative units to publish audit reports after the fiscal year, and that an amendment, 1472H, had been prepared to replace the relevant audit/reporting section. The amendment would add SAUs to the reporting entities, expand the contents of audits to include items such as employee lists, pay, benefits, and pension liabilities, and change the timing so audits are submitted nine months after the fiscal year end, followed by a three-month Department of Education review and then a further correction period before any grant funding could be withheld. The amendment would also require the reports to be posted in searchable electronic form on the web. Committee members discussed whether the bill’s “non-compliance” language referred only to incomplete submissions or also to audit findings, and several members raised concerns about whether the Department of Education had the staff and authority to take on this role, whether the existing DOE25 process would be displaced, and whether the bill should instead remain with the Department of Revenue Administration. One member noted that the fiscal note anticipated the need for additional auditors and significant staffing costs. The committee also reviewed SB 580, described as a school cooperative purchasing program bill that also contains policy provisions for charter school trustees, school board members, and receivership-related language tied to Claremont. The chair said the committee had previously heard comments from Charlie Arlinghouse on the cooperative purchasing portion and would use a side-by-side comparison prepared by staff when it reached that bill. Other bills on the docket were briefly described but not taken up that day: SB 491, which has committee-requested amendments and a separate non-germane amendment related to curriculum frameworks and academic standards; SB 513, an owner’s project manager bill held as a possible vehicle for future non-germane language; and SB 531, concerning a cosmetology program in Coös County and a possible task force. The chair said the committee would not address 491, 513, or 531 that day and would return to 580 and 586.

Transcript Highlights:

• this program...
• How long is the training program?
• your high school diploma.
• , including forestry assistance, forest entomology, and pathology, and Programs, including forestry assistance
• Program.

Summary: The subcommittee met to discuss several California Conservation Corps (CCC) and Cal Fire budget proposals, with no votes taken and all items held open for a future hearing. The CCC overview highlighted the program’s 50th anniversary, its statewide conservation, disaster response, education, and workforce development work, and its funding mix of General Fund and fee-for-service reimbursements. Members praised the program’s impact on young adults and communities, and asked about revenue sources, partnerships, recruitment, and outcomes for Corps members after service. A major CCC item was reopening and staffing the Greenwood Residential Center in El Dorado County. The department said the center is needed to restore local wildfire and fuel-break capacity, especially when winter road closures limit access to other facilities. The LAO said the proposal has merit but suggested the Legislature consider lower-cost alternatives, such as using fewer new Corps members or delaying opening, given the budget condition. The committee also discussed a proposal to move CCC hand crews to a seven-day wildfire readiness schedule; the department argued this is needed to match Cal Fire’s year-round operations and reduce chronic staffing gaps, while the LAO recommended considering partial funding or other cost-saving options. Cal Fire’s department overview focused on year-round wildfire response, vegetation management, community preparedness, and the 66-hour workweek rollout. Members asked about contract counties, federal partnerships, reforestation capacity, and the use of cap-and-invest and General Fund dollars amid structural deficits. Cal Fire said its nursery capacity is far below reforestation needs and relies on public-private partnerships, and it described reimbursements for work on federal lands. The committee also discussed defensible space inspections, with Cal Fire seeking permanent staffing to replace temporary positions and maintain its goal of 250,000 inspections annually; the LAO suggested alternatives such as different funding mixes, a reinstated SRA fee, or one-time funding. Finally, the committee heard a request to increase Cal Fire’s fixed-wing pilot and mechanic contract. Cal Fire said the larger, more complex aircraft fleet and year-round fire season require more pilots and maintainers, and that contracting provides flexibility and avoids some benefit costs. The LAO said the proposal addresses significant health and safety concerns and merits consideration, while members questioned whether in-house staffing or longer contract terms might be more cost-effective. Throughout the hearing, members emphasized wildfire risk, budget pressures, and the need to balance public safety with fiscal discipline.

Transcript Highlights:

• on the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.
• </c> the 45 years since the energy assistance the 45 years since the energy assistance program<01:17:
• </c><01:20:52.480><c> program</c><01:20:52.880><c> to</c> home energy assistance program to home energy
• This is an important and targeted program for households who really need the assistance.
• This is an important and targeted program for households who really need the assistance.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Third reading of the bill, An Act Updating Postural Screenings in Schools, House No. 2517, its title
• And this bill will assist probate courts, probate and family courts, in expediting the appointment of
• And this bill will assist probate courts, probate and family courts, in expediting the appointment of
• Our schools are for learning. Our police are for public safety.
• Bringing to his children and constructs this state all those days.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the first proposal is officially to sustain the Cyber Center's cybersecurity program to assist local
• They need the patchware program.
• So I know we had a kind of recent audit that involved school districts and charter schools, et cetera
• program.
• program for low-income customers.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• their school; they just say, 'I went to school in Boston.'
• THAT HE CAME FROM, THEY DON'T EVER NAME THEIR SCHOOL, THEY JUST SAY, I WENT TO SCHOOL IN BOSTON.
• This is just a typical adder program to provide education, technical assistance, and a little bit of
• , and a grant program for those.
• AND A GRANT PROGRAM FOR THOSE.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and then processed a series of motions to discharge bills from committees and substitute identical Senate bills, which were so ordered. Several bills were also recalled from the Assembly, had reconsideration votes taken, and were restored to the third reading calendar after receiving 58 ayes. Amendments were received on a number of bills, and those measures retained their place on the calendar. The main business of the day was Privileged Resolution 2318, sponsored by Leader Stewart-Cousins, honoring Senator Michael Gianaris with the President Pro Tempore and Senate Majority Leader’s Legislative Legacy Award. The resolution and floor remarks reviewed his long career in the Assembly and Senate, his role as Deputy Majority Leader and floor leader, and his work on housing, criminal justice, voting rights, labor, environmental, consumer, transit, animal welfare, and other major legislation. Members from both parties spoke at length, praising his strategic skill, mentorship, humor, and influence, while also noting his support for younger members and his commitment to family. Several senators described personal experiences showing Gianaris’s mentorship and political guidance, and many referenced his Greek American identity, Queens roots, and interests such as Star Wars and the Mets. Senators also emphasized that he was leaving on his own terms to spend more time with his wife and daughters. The resolution was adopted with broad support, and Gianaris then spoke in response, reflecting on nearly 30 years in state government, the major laws passed during his tenure, and the relationships he built in the chamber.

Transcript Highlights:

• This school foundation program account.
• ><c> for</c> school foundation program account for school foundation program account for the<00:42:38.480
• The school district can use this program to cover 50% of the funds for school meals.
• The school district can use this program to cover 50% of the funds for school meals.
• The school district can use this program to cover 50% of the funds for school meals.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• MEMBERS WE WILL START WITH TAB THREE SB 1298 ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION BY SENATOR SIMON.
• THIS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION BILL ENSURES ONGOING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY REMOVING THE EXEMPTION FOR CONTINUED
• MEMBERS, LET'S GO NOW TO TAB SEVEN SB 1262 ON CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTING BY SENATOR BURGESS.
• THIS IS THE TOPIC OF FINANCIAL LITERACY BASIC CONSUMER PROTECTION RELATED TO CONSTRUCTION FRAUD, CONSTRUCTION
• TO BE UTILIZED BY LOCAL CONSTRUCTION REGULATION BOARDS IN ORDER TO UNIFORMLY REPORT CORRECTIONS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• like fruit and vegetable EBT program, to increase farm to school.
• Cutback Cutback Additional Technical Assistance Additional Technical Assistance So our hope with this
• And so, can the author... address whether this particular program, how it intersects with the HFFI program
• Many of the farm-to-school programs, many of the grant programs that CDF has had don't have... have those
• And so how do we create the program?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Assistance Program, and that is the bill, Mr.
• school campuses.
• Auditory Oral Program.
• Schools have to be available. Seats would have to be available in the school.
• Schools have to be available. Seats would have to be available in the school.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• our committee assistant.
• </c> education program online. education program online.
• </c> number of student in the program. number of student in the program.
• </c> also to metriculate in this program. also to metriculate in this program.
• </c> at the school? at the school?

Keywords: This meeting is taking place on location at the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Building Room 238 using on site equipment., 958, all

Summary: The interim Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity met at Kentucky State University and heard a presentation from President Kofi Aapo and Vice President Michael Dorsy on the university’s role as an HBCU and its current priorities. They emphasized Kentucky State’s impact on Black student outcomes nationally, its focus on workforce development, civic leadership, innovation, and economic mobility, and its efforts to grow enrollment, expand dual-credit partnerships, and launch a prison education program. They also described House Bill 250’s role in prompting program review and the creation or expansion of market-aligned offerings, including manufacturing engineering, agricultural engineering, biological and agricultural engineering, social work, criminal justice, and expanded online programs through “Thoroughbred Global.” A major topic was Kentucky State’s move toward STEM and applied programs. President Aapo said the university is diversifying beyond liberal arts to meet workforce demand and cited plans for a PhD in agroecology, which he said would help farmers adapt to climate conditions and would be federally funded. He also discussed the nursing program as the fastest-growing on campus, partnerships with health systems that pay tuition and guarantee jobs, and the need for a new nursing facility. He said the current nursing space is inadequate and that a new building could double or triple enrollment in the program. He also described a mobile health initiative intended to bring preventive care and health education to underserved areas of the state. Members asked questions about the nursing building, STEM strategy, teacher preparation, dual credit, prison education, and student readiness. Senator Bledsoe asked about the shift toward STEM, and Aapo said the strategy is based on student demand and data from House Bill 250. Senator Berg requested a list of dual-credit partners and encouraged long-term tracking of prison education participants to study outcomes such as recidivism; Aapo said the university has not yet begun that research but intends to. Senator Tidner asked about remedial needs, and Aapo said KSU found more than 100 students with zero GPAs when he arrived and is using co-requisite support and tutoring to address English and math deficiencies. Representative Brown and others highlighted the historical and ongoing value of HBCUs, and no votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:27:48.799><c> using</c> construction, the school did start using construction, the school did
• So this funding for these schools that perform below average is used to help the schools implement programs
• So this funding for these schools that perform below average is used to help the schools implement programs
• So this funding for these schools that perform below average is used to help the schools implement programs
• So this funding for these schools that perform below average is used to help the schools implement programs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Education met on February 17 and announced it would limit public testimony to one minute because more than a thousand testimonies were expected on one measure. The first bill heard was HB 1934, relating to the Imagination Library of Hawaii. The state librarian and Friends of the Library supported the bill, saying the program is a proven, cost-effective way to improve early literacy and should be expanded statewide for children ages 0 to 5. Friends of the Library said the current 50/50 match requirement would be too difficult to meet immediately and asked for state funding for the first few years to help launch the expansion. Testimony included eight supporters and one opponent, and members asked whether the proposal was an expansion of an existing program; the state librarian said it would expand service beyond currently targeted communities. The committee then heard HB 20004, which would extend the floating librarian pilot program. The state librarian, Department of Education, HSTA, and several individuals testified in support. Supporters said the program helps address staffing needs and improves student readiness, especially for college and information literacy. One retired community college librarian said school librarians help students prepare for college and are increasingly important in teaching critical evaluation of misinformation and AI-generated content. Members asked about implementation of the existing pilot, including recruitment of certified librarians for neighbor island and Oahu complex areas; DOE said those positions had been identified and recruitment was underway, and existing funds remained intact. The final major discussion was HB 2398, which clarifies the library system’s role in RNMSP-related projects and public library construction on or near school land. The state librarian and public library system supported the bill, while the Department of Education and Attorney General’s office raised concerns about vague language, especially the phrase “land controlled by the board,” and suggested amendments. In questioning, the state librarian explained that the bill was prompted by conflicts on shared or adjacent school/public library sites, including traffic, pickup and drop-off access, and other operational issues. DOE described significant disruption from one project’s traffic changes and said planning for such projects should involve early coordination and formal agreements. The state librarian responded that the new bill would clarify oversight and help avoid delays and disputes over property control and future renovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I even remember, too, when I was helping out at school there in the nursing program.
• It requires them to go through a credentialing program or a graduate school program, 600 hours of clinical
• There are private schools, for example, that have four-year evening programs.
• There are other online law schools; for example, Purdue is an online program that is state-accredited
• As far as having a localized program, we do have several Northern California law schools: Golden Gate

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard several Senate measures focused on student access, workforce needs, and institutional stability. Senator Laird presented SJR 4, which urges the federal government to restore NIH funding cuts and protect California’s research universities; UC testified in support and there was no opposition. Senator Ashby presented SB 761, the CalFresh for Students Act, to connect Cal Grant applicants with potential CalFresh eligibility and expand qualifying programs; the bill drew broad support from higher education, student, anti-hunger, and county groups, with members sharing personal experiences with food insecurity and no opposition. Senator Cabaldon presented SB 520 to create a California Nurse Midwifery Education Fund for a new master’s-level nurse midwifery program, citing maternal health disparities and provider shortages, especially in rural and Central Valley communities. Supporters from the California Nurse Midwives Association and the Black Wellness and Prosperity Center emphasized workforce shortages and maternal mortality; one member raised concerns about the bill’s use of inclusive language, but the bill was otherwise well received. Cabaldon also presented SB 640, which would create a statewide direct admissions process to CSU for eligible high school seniors using existing data systems; supporters said it would reduce barriers, improve equity, and help declining-enrollment campuses, while members raised questions about special education students, rural access, dual enrollment, and measuring effectiveness. The committee voted SB 640 out on a 6-0 roll call. Cabaldon’s SB 744 would preserve California students’ access to enrollment and financial aid if a federally recognized accrediting agency loses approval, by treating affected institutions as accredited for state purposes; the bill drew no public testimony and advanced on a 4-2 roll call. Senator Cortese’s SB 494 would require classified school employees’ disciplinary appeals to be heard by an administrative law judge, matching protections already available to teachers and community college faculty; labor groups supported the bill, while school districts and administrators opposed it over cost, local control, and implementation concerns. The committee also heard SB 550, a revised pilot to allow San Jose State and a nonprofit, state-accredited law school to jointly develop a public law school pathway; supporters argued it would expand affordable legal education and public-interest careers, while UC and independent colleges opposed it as inconsistent with the Master Plan. Members debated access, jurisdiction, funding, and bar pass rates, and the bill advanced on a 4-2 roll call to the Judiciary Committee.