Transcript Highlights:

• Ongoing business budget pressures, such as rising insurance costs and inflation, and shifting business
• instructional and operational costs at our colleges and universities, including faculty salaries, insurance

Committee: House Appropriations and Budget

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• There's some tweaks in the temporary rules that we're going to have to adjust for the Department of Insurance
• But the 76 pages of pending Insurance to make sure that things don't lapse.

Committee: House Business

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• As you said, we right now pay for both wildfire insurance really and through our costs through the utility
• And I say that as chair of the Insurance Committee, as we know, that it's become quite the issue.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications heard two bills. SB 742 by Senator Perez, the Wildfire and Emergency Management Act, would require investor-owned utilities to inventory and remove permanently abandoned or decommissioned transmission lines, update CPUC General Order 95, and participate more directly in emergency operations centers. The bill was presented as a response to the Eaton Fire and concerns that an unused transmission line may have contributed to the ignition. Supporters, including TURN and a utility wildfire survivor coalition representative, argued that abandoned lines are a serious wildfire risk and that utilities should be required to create removal plans and timelines. Senators raised questions about implementation, CPUC oversight, and ratepayer impacts, but the author and supporters said the bill is designed to reduce future fire and litigation costs. The committee adopted amendments and voted 12-0 to pass SB 742 as amended to Senate Appropriations, holding the roll open briefly before closing it. The committee also heard SB 327 by Senator McNerney, which would bar investor-owned utilities from using ratepayer funds to oppose municipal utility formation or expansion and would clarify the Public Advocates Office’s authority to inspect utility books and accounts. TURN and California Environmental Voters supported the bill, saying ratepayer money should not be used for political lobbying and that the Public Advocates Office needs clear statutory authority to investigate misuse of funds. PG&E and SDG&E/Southern California Gas opposed the bill unless amended, saying some of the cited lobbying costs were not recovered from ratepayers, that the bill could blur the roles of the CPUC and the Public Advocates Office, and that due process concerns remain. After discussion about clarity and amendments, the committee voted 10-3 to pass SB 327 as amended to Senate Appropriations, and the hearing adjourned.

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• To be qualified, this person has to be eligible for TRICARE, which is their health care insurance.
• This person is not insured by another employer, and this person is an actively drilling member of the

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• out HB2563 by Representative Ashby, relating to the establishment of the temporary certified and insured
• prescribed burn manager self-insurance pool, authorizing a fee in lieu...

Bills: HB 1237 , HB2663 , HB3071 , HB4384

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

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• jurisdiction over a non-custodial parent, that judge may order the non-custodial parent to provide health insurance
• So, if you were ordered to provide insurance and you did not, and then the child ended up in the hospital

Bills: HB2 , HB43 , HB49 , HB94 , HB137 , HB156 , HB200 , HB250 , HB3 , HB42

Committee: House Judiciary

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• Contractor risk or insurance company, and they can be paid that way.
• It essentially is an Impact to the state's risk liability insurance, and so that's how it's covered.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, House Bill 1194 relative to credits for assessments paid by insurers. >> Representative Geneian
• It is primarily an insurance bill, requested by the New Hampshire Insurance Department, and it receives
• by the New insurance bill uh requested by the New Hampshire<01:56:25.040><c> Insurance</c><01:56:25.520
• ><c> Department</c><01:56:26.480><c> and</c><01:56:26.719><c> it</c> Hampshire Insurance Department and
• </c> costs, unpredictable health insurance costs, unpredictable health insurance premiums,<02:38:24.800

Transcript Highlights:

• It's making the thing getting insurance.
• Um the state employee group insurance<01:53:12.239><c> plan</c><01:53:12.800><c> on</c><01:53:13.040>
• This is a repeal of the Minnesota Employee Insurance Plan, which hasn't been in operation since the '
• It eliminates authorization for a long-term care insurance program, which was never implemented, and
• </c><01:54:41.520><c> program,</c><01:54:42.159><c> which</c> long-term care insurance program, which

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> not just in housing it's in insurance not just in housing it's in insurance it's<00:53:37.280><c
• interest more insurance, that'll interest more insurance<00:54:11.599><c> companies</c><00:54:12.079
• </c> insurance companies to service us. insurance companies to service us.
• </c><00:54:19.040><c> So,</c> insurance also. So, insurance also.
• </c> interest there is from insurance interest there is from insurance companies.<00:54:24.160><c> So

Committee: Joint Minerals, Business & Economic Development

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• And so, if they have their own personal private health insurance, they would be able to receive that
• So I guess if they don't have that private insurance, they wouldn't be eligible for medical assistance
• then, uh, the funds for that hospital would not come from medical assistance or from the private insurance
• ,</c><00:38:00.480><c> they</c> personal private health insurance, they personal private health insurance
• </c><02:15:48.960><c> the</c> being given the right or insured the being given the right or insured the

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• Somebody's going to pay for that insurance policy, right, and it ends up being the ratepayers.
• Somebody's going to pay for that insurance policy, right, and it ends up being the ratepayers.
• Somebody's going to pay for that insurance policy, right, and it ends up being the ratepayers.
• Somebody's going to pay for that insurance policy, right, and it ends up being the ratepayers.
• Somebody's going to pay for that insurance policy, right, and it ends up being the ratepayers.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• I will bring you back a few weeks to my riveting floor report on this miscellaneous banking and insurance
• </c><00:55:48.240><c> um</c> miscellaneous banking and insurance um miscellaneous banking and insurance
• facilities; H. 639, an act relating to genetic data privacy; H. 648, an act relating to banking, insurance
• facilities; H. 639, an act relating to genetic data privacy; H. 648, an act relating to banking, insurance
• H841, an act insurance and securities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Did you take any testimony from any insurance companies as far as whether they would cover this?
• So, we did take some testimony from insurance companies originally when we took testimony on this bill
• /c> take any testimony from take any testimony from uh<01:44:25.960><c> any</c><01:44:26.360><c> insurance
• companies as far as uh any insurance companies as far as whether<01:44:28.320><c> they</c><01:44:28.440
• companies uh originally when insurance companies uh originally when we<01:44:42.200><c> uh</c> we uh

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 982, Mutual Insurance Holding Companies conversion to mutual insurers.
• Senate Bill 808, Health Insurance Provider Panels, Requirements.
• Senate bill 551 health insurance<00:48:43.880><c> ovarian</c><00:48:44.480><c> cancer</c><00:48:44.880
• ><c> prevention</c><00:48:45.600><c> with</c> insurance ovarian cancer prevention with insurance ovarian
• So, when one of our Medicaid insurers is not providing the required amount of benefits to beneficiaries

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• That's MDH's policy bill that regulates HMOs and the insurance industry.
• </c> regulates HMOs and the insurance regulates HMOs and the insurance industry. industry. industry.
• c><00:05:38.840><c> auto</c> comp, property casualty, and auto comp, property casualty, and auto insurance
• <c> a</c><00:05:40.840><c> requirement</c><00:05:41.520><c> to</c><00:05:41.640><c> transact</c> insurance
• from a requirement to transact insurance from a requirement to transact that<00:05:43.040><c> business

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• The cuts to Medicaid, the cuts to health insurance, the tax benefits for the wealthy and corporations
• But when you pass a bill at the federal level that cuts Medicaid, that guts health insurance, that passes
• </c><01:09:06.560><c> health</c> to Medicaid, the cuts to health to Medicaid, the cuts to health insurance
• , the tax benefits for the insurance, the tax benefits for the wealthy<01:09:09.759><c> and</c><01:09
• ,</c> that guts health insurance, that guts health insurance, that<01:09:39.600><c> passes</c><01:09:

Transcript Highlights:

• Jamie Yamamoto on behalf of the Insurance Division.
• </c><00:14:52.800><c> So</c><00:14:53.040><c> we</c> behalf of the insurance division.
• So we behalf of the insurance division.
• organizations are having difficulty organizations are having difficulty getting<01:25:47.840><c> insurance
• </c><01:25:48.800><c> Chair's</c> getting insurance. Chair's getting insurance.

Bills: SB3275 , SB3105

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Summary: The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection reconsidered two condominium bills and adopted recommendations to pass both with amendments. For SB 2433, members approved amendments clarifying that condominium unit owners’ interests are to be recognized and protected in educational and related programs by the Real Estate Commission and DCCA, while making technical changes and changing the effective date. For SB 2838, the committee replaced the bill’s broader substantive language with a narrower requirement that associations provide electronic copies of specified documents, including master leases, reserve studies, audited financial statements, contracts, leases, and other agreements, along with technical changes and an amended effective date. Both measures were adopted unanimously by the members present, with Senator McKelvey excused. The committee then heard SB 2710 on animal issues, which would define and regulate dog breeders, set care standards, create county licensing authority, require records, and establish an animal abuser registry and related penalties. Testimony was mixed: the Public Defender and the American Kennel Club opposed the bill, arguing for stronger enforcement of existing laws rather than harsher penalties and warning that the bill would burden responsible breeders; the Hawaiian Humane Society supported the bill’s breeder regulation and registry provisions but urged removal of the hoarding section; and the committee noted 26 written testimonies in support, 14 in opposition, and four comments. In decision-making, the committee passed SB 2710 with amendments that blanked the license fee, deleted the animal abuser registry and shelter/pet store/breeder compliance checks, struck the hoarding provisions and proposed criminal penalty changes, and made technical changes with a deferred effective date. The committee also heard SB 2209 on rental discrimination, which would allow attorney’s fees to a prevailing party in source-of-income discrimination cases, and SB 2884, which would create a nonrefundable income tax credit for wind-resistant retrofits or hurricane shelters. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission supported SB 2209, and the committee later passed it with a deferred effective date. SB 2884 drew support from DCCA’s Insurance Division, the Department of Taxation, HEMA, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, and a public witness who urged hurricane preparedness; it was passed with the Department of Taxation’s proposed amendments and a deferred effective date. Finally, the committee heard SB 2922 on cooperative associations, which would create a general cooperative associations framework. DCCA offered comments, while the Hawaii Co-op Hui, Purple Maya Foundation, Enliven Cooperative, and Hawaii Farmers Union supported the measure and argued that current law is too limited for worker, producer, and multi-stakeholder co-ops. After discussion about using the existing chapter 421C structure rather than creating a new regulatory scheme, the committee passed SB 2922 with amendments adopting changes proposed in testimony from the Hawaii Farmers Union and deferred the effective date.

Transcript Highlights:

• . 22 million Americans will see their monthly health insurance Will see their monthly health insurance
• premiums double, and up to five million Americans will likely lose their insurance altogether.
• Without subsidies, David from Ben's monthly health insurance costs will go from $50 to $6 to $700 a month
• subsidies, David from Ben's monthly subsidies, David from Ben's monthly health<02:09:45.520><c> insurance
• costs will go from $50 health insurance costs will go from $50 to<02:09:48.239><c> $6</c><02:09:48.480

Transcript Highlights:

• Neil Clark, on behalf of Insurance Auto Auctions, also moving to neutral.
• As we know, insurance rates are also negatively impacted by red light violations.
• This eases insurance burdens because it no longer deals with points on your driver’s record, nor your
• insurance.
• It should reduce fines, fees, and insurance burdens.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Summary: The committee heard several bills on consumer protection, privacy, AI, and employment technology. SB 53 by Senator Wiener would require large AI developers to disclose safety and security protocols, report serious incidents quickly, and create CalCompute and whistleblower protections; supporters said it is a transparency-based, narrower follow-up to SB 1047, while industry groups opposed unless amended over concerns about size-based thresholds, trade secrets, and security. SB 766 by Senator Allen would codify FTC car-sales rules and create a three-day cooling-off period for certain used-car purchases; testimony was broadly supportive, and several dealer and industry groups moved from opposition to neutral after amendments. The committee also heard SB 7 by Senator McNerney, which would require notice and human oversight for automated decision-making in employment, and SB 833 by the same author, which would require human review and monitoring for AI use in critical infrastructure; both drew support from labor and consumer advocates and opposition or concerns from business and public-sector groups about scope and compliance. The committee also began hearing SB 11 on AI-generated voice/image/video cloning and nonconsensual deepfakes, with supporters backing consumer warnings and liability rules and opponents seeking narrower language and lower penalties. Members and witnesses repeatedly emphasized the need to balance innovation with safety, with supporters arguing California should act where Congress has not, and opponents urging narrower definitions, stronger trade-secret protections, and more limited enforcement. On SB 53, committee members praised the author’s outreach but noted the bill still needs work; the bill was moved out on a do-pass-as-amended motion with seven votes and held open for absent members. SB 766 received unanimous support after amendments and was reported out 9-0. SB 7 and SB 833 were both advanced on do-pass motions but were left open with only partial vote counts at the time of the hearing. The committee later recessed and returned to continue the agenda.