Transcript Highlights:

• Then a question to our forest friends: How do DSFs impact old-growth forests?
• ... ...the forest floor and ends up in our water system.
• It will decrease the potential for carbon emissions coming out of our forests.
• It will decrease the potential for carbon emissions coming out of our forests.
• If we bring scientists in to look at our forests, they're going to find ways to manage it better.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 1938, which would create a voluntary process for local governments to designate California surf reserves through the Ocean Protection Council. The author and supporters, including Save the Waves Coalition, the League of California Cities, and the California State Association of Counties, argued the bill would recognize surf breaks as important natural and economic assets. The bill received a due pass recommendation to Appropriations and passed on a roll call vote, with the measure left on call. The committee also approved the consent calendar, which included AB 1699, AB 1780, AB 1891, AB 1893, and AB 2566. The committee then took up AB 2051, which would convene a coastal resilience permitting working group to develop a roadmap for streamlining permits for coastal resilience projects. The author and supporters from the Bay Area Council, Port of San Francisco, and others said the bill would reduce duplicative permitting delays while preserving environmental protections. One member raised concerns about giving too much authority to the Coastal Commission, but the bill still received a due pass recommendation to Water, Parks and Wildlife and passed on a roll call vote. AB 2494, dealing with the management of demonstration state forests, drew substantial debate. The author said the bill would update outdated 1947-era management goals to emphasize biodiversity, carbon sequestration, wildfire resilience, recreation, research, and tribal co-governance, with strong support from Mendocino County, tribal representatives, and environmental groups. Opponents from the Farm Bureau, California Forestry Association, and others argued it would shift the forests away from sustainable timber production, create funding instability, and invite litigation. After extensive questioning about forest science, old growth, funding, and tribal co-management, the bill received a due pass recommendation to Appropriations and passed on a roll call vote. The committee also approved AB 2483, which would create a permanent certification pathway for formerly incarcerated firefighters who served on Cal Fire hand crews. Supporters said the bill would recognize their training and improve job prospects after release, and it passed unanimously to Public Safety. Finally, AB 1777, the California Clean Skies Act, was heard; it would affirm CARB’s authority to adopt indirect source rules to address pollution from vehicle-heavy facilities such as warehouses and ports. Environmental, health, and labor supporters backed the bill as a tool to protect public health, while trucking, business, port, and industry groups opposed it as costly and overly broad. The bill remained under discussion at the end of the transcript, with members debating whether it clarified existing authority or created new regulatory power.

Transcript Highlights:

• our communities safe.
• And our Budget Sub-1 staff.
• And thank you to our Chairman of our committee, Mr.
• And then finally, just want to express our gratitude for the Golden Mussels fix in.
• We express our support for the Golden Mussel Fix and AB 149. Thank you so much. Good afternoon.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• Then a question to our forest friends: How do DSFs impact old-growth forests?
• ... ...the forest floor and ends up, instead of being evaporated into the atmosphere, it ends up in our
• It will decrease the potential for carbon emissions coming out of our forests.
• If we bring scientists in to look at our forests, they're going to find ways to manage it better.
• stewardship from bringing our people bringing forest health through stewardship from bringing our people

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• forests.
• broader things that we have to finance, our credit rating agencies will downgrade our credit.
• That's simply our model.
• our ambitious climate goals.
• And our renewable portfolio relies on it to hit our climate goals.

Summary: The committee heard several energy and utilities bills, with testimony largely focused on wildfire mitigation, affordability, clean energy planning, and utility accountability. AB 706, by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry, would create a fund to support projects that use forest biomass waste from wildfire mitigation and forest restoration; supporters said it would reduce open burning and emissions while providing reliable renewable power, and the bill later passed 13-0. AB 39, by Assembly Member Zbur, would require larger cities and counties to adopt electrification planning strategies for transportation and buildings; it drew broad support from clean energy, labor, environmental, and local government advocates and passed 9-0. AB 1167, by Assembly Member Berman, would restrict investor-owned utilities from charging ratepayers for lobbying, promotional advertising, and similar shareholder-benefit expenses; supporters framed it as an affordability and transparency measure, while utilities argued the bill was overly broad and already covered by existing rules. It passed 7-0, with some members not voting and the roll left open. The committee also considered AB 1417 on offshore wind community funding transparency, which was amended to remove new fees and instead require reporting on developer support for local and tribal community capacity-building; opposition was withdrawn and the bill passed 9-0. AB 367, by Assembly Member Bennett, would require water districts in high fire-risk areas of Ventura County to have backup power, full tanks during red flag warnings, and hardened facilities; water agencies opposed unless amended due to cost and liability concerns, but the bill passed 10-0. The consent calendar, including multiple additional measures, was approved 11-0. Other bills drew more divided testimony. AB 745 would allow securitization to finance utility undergrounding and prohibit a return on equity for undergrounding projects; supporters said it would lower ratepayer costs, while utilities warned it would effectively discourage undergrounding and could raise other rates. The bill passed 7-4 and was left on call. AB 1423 would apply reliability standards to publicly funded EV chargers installed before 2024; supporters said taxpayers should get functioning chargers, while charging-network representatives objected to retroactive requirements and possible conflicts with existing agreements. It passed 13-0. AB 388 would create a narrow exception to utility regulation to facilitate green hydrogen projects using private power lines; supporters said it would unlock low-cost renewable hydrogen and jobs, while utilities raised concerns about customer protections and grid planning. It passed 12-0. The committee also began hearing AB 825, which the author said would address the high cost of financing major transmission and generation buildout, but the transcript cuts off before the full presentation and action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• feedback and comments with our colleagues from the, associate our feedback and comments with our colleagues
• Like many retirees, my wife and I live on fixed incomes, and we are constantly changing our practices
• We submitted a letter on what was the Leading with Love Act that was then amended after our letter deadline
• not to act on risk reduction and on opportunities to enhance the functionality of our insurance markets
• Our grid needs firm, clean power; our families and businesses need affordable electricity; our climate

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy heard several bills focused on clean energy, electrification, and grid planning. AB 1813 (Ward) would revise California’s community renewable energy program to better support community solar and storage, especially for renters and low-income customers, by tying credits to avoided costs and requiring at least 51% low-income participation. Supporters said the current CPUC program is unworkable and has stalled development; utilities raised concerns about cost shifts, CCA impacts, and the bill’s late substantive amendments. The bill was discussed but no vote was recorded in the excerpt. AB 2313 (Berman) would create a gas service line replacement alternative program allowing customers facing planned gas line replacement to instead choose electrification and receive an incentive. Supporters argued it would reduce long-term gas infrastructure costs and give customers more choice, while opponents warned it could divert money from safety-related gas replacement work, create affordability issues, and conflict with the recently approved SB 1221 pilot. Committee members pressed the author on safety, funding sources, and renter impacts; the author said the bill includes emergency replacement exemptions and is intended to lower costs for remaining ratepayers. AB 1975 (Schultz) would require the CPUC to develop a grid utilization metric and consider expanded grid management programs to better use existing distribution infrastructure and reduce the need for costly upgrades. Supporters said better utilization could save ratepayers billions and help integrate batteries and flexible load; utilities generally opposed rigid utilization targets but were open to further discussion. The committee passed AB 1975 on a 7-0 vote to Appropriations. AB 2612, on plug-in photovoltaic systems, passed 9-0 to Appropriations after supporters said it would expand access to low-cost solar and utilities requested clarification that they would participate in the standards process. AB 1849 (Pappin) would direct CARB to study the need for decarbonized gaseous fuels in hard-to-electrify sectors and for grid reliability. Supporters framed it as a technology-neutral assessment for sectors like industrial heat and backup power; opponents argued it was biased toward a preferred fuel pathway and duplicated existing state studies. After a lengthy exchange over the lack of a statutory definition for “decarbonized gaseous fuels,” the bill passed 10-0 to Appropriations. AB 2088 (Pappin) would authorize investor-owned utilities to own and operate thermal energy networks, with safeguards for safety, workforce, and ratepayers. Supporters described TENs as efficient, low-emission heating and cooling systems that can use geothermal energy or waste heat; the bill passed 9-0 to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we're going to thin our forest, if we're going to do fire mitigation, if we're going to do big game
• lands, our soil, our forests.
• Ours is specifically tied to the Cultural Properties Protection Act and preservation and restoration
• a fix.
• And so, Madam Acting Secretary, then we will be able to see with greater detail where our risks are.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before you is an act relating to appropriations for long-term forest health and wildfire reduction.
• This makes an appropriation from a Climate Commitment Act account to a dedicated wildfire and forest
• wildfires and make our forests more resilient to climate change and drought.
• I'm the Washington State Forester, and I'm DNR's deputy over our forest resilience and wildland fire
• year wildfire strategy in our forest action plan.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on January 29, 2026, to consider a gubernatorial appointment, three public hearings, and two executive-session bills. Kristen L. Frazier was introduced as the governor’s appointee to the Board of Tax Appeals. She described her background in legislative fiscal analysis, constitutional law, and tax adjudication, and said the board is working on faster residential review and settlement processes. Members praised her service and said the appointment would be voted on at a future meeting. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5893, which would transfer $65 million from the Natural Climate Solutions Account to the Wildfire Response, Forest Restoration, and Community Resilience Account to fully fund wildfire response and forest health work. Committee staff explained the Climate Commitment Act funding source and the account history, and the Department of Natural Resources said the money would support forest health treatments, firefighting readiness, and partner pass-throughs. Forest industry representatives and DNR supported the bill, arguing wildfire work reduces emissions, protects communities, and prevents larger future costs; one member questioned why DNR had not submitted a decision package for the funding. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 6229, which would subject gains from the sale of qualified small business stock to Washington’s capital gains tax. Staff said the bill would affect about 260 taxpayers, raise about $1.2 million in fiscal year 2027, and cost the Department of Revenue about $1.1 million over four years to implement. Startup founders, venture capital and tech industry representatives opposed the bill, warning it would discourage investment, founders, and job creation in Washington; a Budget and Policy Center witness supported it as a way to make the tax code less regressive and argued the exemption mainly benefits the wealthiest taxpayers. The committee also heard House Bill 1376, which would allow taxpayers to prepay capital gains tax up to six months early without interest on any later refund; staff said it had no revenue impact and a small administrative cost, and the lone public witness opposed it as penalizing success. In executive session, the committee received a briefing on the proposed substitute for Senate Bill 5395 on prior authorization transparency and AI use in health care, and on Substitute Senate Bill 5860 regarding school board compensation. The committee adopted the proposed second substitute for SB 5395 and voted it out of committee with a do pass recommendation to the Rules Committee, subject to signatures. Substitute SB 5860 was moved out of committee without recommendation. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> base,</c><01:00:28.319><c> our</c><01:00:28.480><c> systems</c> labor market, our tax base, our
• </c> but everywhere in our state. but everywhere in our state.
• <c> and</c><01:21:46.719><c> our</c> up for our our citizen friends and our up for our our citizen friends
• It's accountability and this legislation. for our our E12. We this legislation. for our our E12.
• neighborhoods and our leaving our neighborhoods and our communities.<01:28:09.520><c> It's</c><01:28

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Po is our last speaker.
• </c><02:22:47.840><c> our</c><02:22:48.120><c> concerns</c> um so those are some of our our concerns
• </c> our Co-op and it's not published on our our Co-op and it's not published on our website<02:42:48.319
• it's</c><05:07:10.480><c> called</c><05:07:10.638><c> a</c> our our school districts it's called a our
• It pertains to municipal and town forest, a community forest.

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> fix it? fix it?
• our our um the to mind, but by and large our our um the average<00:52:13.760><c> employee</c><00:52:
• ><c> sure</c> embark to do our our duty to make sure embark to do our our duty to make sure that<01:34
• We'll solve our problem because ours.
• And I think that we can start to fix some of this or get a return on our investment if we will take advantage

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• So before you is an act relating to appropriations for long-term forest health and wildfire reduction
• This bill makes an appropriation from a Climate Commitment Act account to a dedicated wildfire and forest
• catastrophic wildfires and make our forests more resilient to climate change and drought.
• I'm the Washington State Forester, and I'm DNR's deputy over our forest resilience and wildland fire
• I'm sorry, the 20-year forest health on the east side, the 10-year wildfire strategy in our forest action

Bills: SB5893 , SB6229 , HB1376 , SGA9306

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: forest health, wildfire reduction, appropriations, environmental policy, natural resource management, capital gains, taxation, small business, state revenue, investment, economic growth, tax prepayment, tax regulation, financial planning, economic policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Another thing I did want to mention is on our forests, our 38 state forests, since January, we burned
• Last year we burned 278,000 acres, which was a record for our agency on our state forest.
• Half of the state is forested, almost 17 million acres, and includes our state forest and also private
• our forest our 38 state forest since Another thing I did want to mention is on our forest, our 38 state
• Last year we burned 278,000 acres, which was a record for our agency on our state forest.

Committee: Senate Agriculture

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture received a presentation from Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan on the agency’s wildfire response, forest management, and emergency support roles. He described the service’s four regions and 14 districts, its year-round wildfire response, use of bulldozers, helicopters, and drones, and the current high fire danger due to drought conditions. Dolan also highlighted prescribed burning, fuels mitigation, state forest management, the pine seedling nursery, and the agency’s role in hurricane response and incident management. Members asked about equipment loans and whether more prescribed burning could reduce wildfire impacts; Dolan said Florida already leads the nation in prescribed fire and emphasized public education and fuels reduction. The committee then considered and unanimously reported favorably Senate Bill 386, which creates a farm-equipment consumer protection process similar to a lemon law, allowing purchasers to seek repair or replacement of defective major farm equipment at no cost. The committee also took up Senate Bill 290, the Agriculture and Consumer Services omnibus bill. The bill would modernize fair association rules, preempt local bans on gas- and diesel-powered farm and landscape equipment, allow surplus of certain state-owned lands for bona fide agricultural use while excluding parks, forests, and wildlife lands, create a veterinary loan repayment program, make Farmers Feeding Florida permanent, expand Forest Service training opportunities, criminalize signal-jamming devices, increase penalties for CDL and English-proficiency exam cheating, restrict certain door-to-door solicitation, protect food safety inspectors, clarify biosolids rules, and add criminal and vendor-list penalties for contractors who fail to pay subcontractors. The committee adopted three amendments to align dates and technical language and to authorize native seed research and marketing through the Florida Wildlife Foundation. Testimony on SB 290 included support from several industry groups, concerns from the Home Builders Association about the new contractor-payment criminal penalties, and opposition from a citizen worried about the new surplus-land process for conservation lands. Despite concerns, CS/SB 290 was reported favorably. Finally, the committee unanimously recommended confirmation of the appointees listed on tabs 4 and 5, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• of our unique wildfire risk.
• Our opposition is based upon our concern that this proposal ignores a basic tenet of insurance underwriting
• on our committee.
• And that's our concern.
• But it is a temporary fix. I mean, we have to fix these broader market issues.

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy insurance-focused agenda, including special-order bills on wildfire mitigation, Fair Plan accountability, aerial imagery, genetic testing, and wildfire moratoriums. AB 1888 would require California Safe Homes Grant Program work to be performed by a skilled and trained workforce at prevailing wage; it drew support from the author, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, and labor representatives, with no opposition heard. AB 1680, the “Make-It-Fair Act,” would impose accountability and consumer-protection reforms on the California FAIR Plan in response to Department of Insurance examination findings; it passed out on a do-pass motion to Appropriations, though the FAIR Plan Association remained opposed unless amended. AB 1559 would require notice and access rights when insurers use aerial images of homes and allow in-person inspection requests; it passed on a do-pass motion to Privacy and Consumer Protection, with broad support and one “concern” witness. The committee also took up AB 1798, which would bar life and disability insurers from using non-diagnostic genetic information, including direct-to-consumer genetic testing, for underwriting below a $1.5 million coverage threshold. Supporters, including the author, the Insurance Commissioner, the ALS Association, and several consumer and biotech groups, argued the bill would reduce fear of genetic discrimination and encourage testing and research. Opponents from life insurance and financial advisor groups argued the bill could impair risk-based underwriting and raise premiums, especially in the middle market. After extensive back-and-forth on the distinction between predictive genetic data and doctor-assessed medical risk, the bill passed as amended to Privacy and Consumer Protection on a do-pass vote, with several members voting no. AB 2038 would extend wildfire-related nonrenewal moratoriums from two to three years for total-loss homes and from one to two years for homes in and around fire zones. Supporters said the change better matches the real rebuilding timeline after major fires and protects displaced homeowners from losing coverage while rebuilding. Insurers and trade groups opposed the measure, warning that longer moratoriums could force carriers to reduce exposure elsewhere and worsen the broader availability crisis. The bill passed to Appropriations on a do-pass vote. The committee also approved AB 1800, which adds eyewear to portable electronics insurance coverage, and moved a consent calendar of additional bills, including AB 1554, AB 1683, AB 1781, and AB 2471. Later, AB 2198 was introduced to clarify title-rate filing responsibilities between title insurers and underwritten title companies and to require rate schedules to be posted publicly.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we made affordability our top priority and we acted quickly.
• It's our home. It's our water. It's our food. It's our culture. And protecting it is our kuleana.
• It's our our water. It's our food.
• ,</c> Critical pasture lands, native forests, and protect our hunting areas.
• land, our water, and our protecting our land, our water, and our way<00:43:48.560><c> of</c><00:43:48.720

Transcript Highlights:

• <c> 90</c><01:41:35.040><c> transfers</c> Additionally, on our Act 90 transfers Additionally, on our
• The forester five position is part of our fire management program.
• </c> 804 is our forest and outdoor recreation program.
• >> She's acting. Yeah, so Lorna is our acting. >> Yeah. Okay, you were number four.
• Yeah, so she Lorna is our &gt;&gt; she's acting. Yeah, so she Lorna is our acting. acting. acting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bless the citizens of this state, our families, our workers, our elders, our children, and those whose
• , our lakes, our parks, others the ocean, our lakes, our parks, our<00:49:37.680><c> ski</c><00:49:38.000
• </c> of our democracy. of our democracy.
• “This bill will not fix our housing problems. Only property rights and free markets can do that.
• This bill will not fix our<04:31:09.199><c> housing</c><04:31:09.840><c> problems.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also want to hear from our presentation. limited to remote forests.
• We've rebuilt our homes. We've rebuilt our communities.
• It's been part of our approach for our whole time since 1991.
• national administration that they're considering a 75% cut to our National Forest Service for 2027,
• all of our partners, grazers, prescribed fire practitioners, our fire agencies, and our land management

Transcript Highlights:

• our climate change and our energy needs.
• Assembly Bill 2494 by Assembly Member Rogers and an act relating to the State Forest.
• forests.
• inability to be in our forests and to work through proper forest management techniques.
• I'm here to present AB 1539, the Protect Our Democracy Act, which would make it a crime, a felony crime

Transcript Highlights:

• Our secretary is going to take a silent roll.
• purposes, the clock in here on the wall is incorrect, and so we have a service request to get that fixed
• The wall is incorrect, and so we have a service request to get that fixed.
• Our offices are in Meridian.
• Then that was provided broadly; we posted it online on our website so anybody could access it.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here to represent AB 262, which is about helping our community and our families respond and recover
• This shouldn't happen in our state.
• asylum laws, our very generous asylum laws.
• go through the process, they will be covered by our federal programs, by our state programs.
• It says California Individual Assistance Act.

Committee: House Emergency Management