Transcript Highlights:

• Substitute House Bill 2065 relates to digital equity programs.
• The Digital Opportunity Program is funded by a dedicated account, the Digital Equity Account.
• This bill recreates a series of grant applications for digital equity.
• It recreates a series of grant applications for digital equity.
• It recreates a series of grant applications for digital equity.

Bills: HB1073 , HB1128 , HB1316 , HB1408 , HB1591 , HB1592 , HB1634 , HB1906 , HB1960 , HB2073 , HB2145 , HB2248 , HB2266 , HB2301 , HB2333 , HB2365 , HB2401 , HB2416 , HB2421 , HB2438 , HB2474 , HB2475 , HB2515 , HB2517 , HB2523 , HB2548 , HB2597 , HB2637 , HB2640 , HB2660 , HB2675 , HB2685 , HB2720 , HB1742 , HB2104 , HB2186 , HB2405 , HB2557 , HB2593 , HB2636

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: national guard, military support, defense, state security, veteran services, child care, workforce standards, education, child development, training requirements, postsecondary education, homelessness, foster youth, education access, support programs, community preservation, development authorities, funding, local governance, state resources

Transcript Highlights:

• One, you can think of as digital signatures.
• payment service.
• Finally, his device could signal his underage status to the digital payment services app, which would
• payment service.
• Finally, his device could signal his underage status to the digital payment services app, which would

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills related to reproductive access, child safety online, immigration enforcement in schools, health privacy, location data, digital provenance, reparations, and age assurance. AB 54 would protect the medication abortion supply chain and shield providers and others from liability; AB 1137 would strengthen reporting and enforcement tools for child sexual abuse material on social media; AB 49 would limit ICE activity at California public schools; AB 82 would expand privacy and safety protections for gender-affirming care patients and providers; AB 1355 would restrict the collection, use, and sale of precise location data; AB 853 would expand provenance requirements for AI-generated and authentic content; AB 62 would create a pathway for restitution for racially biased eminent domain takings; and AB 1043 would create a device-based age assurance framework for online services. Supporters generally framed the bills as necessary responses to current harms: reproductive rights advocates emphasized California’s role as a safe haven; child safety witnesses described the persistence and re-victimization caused by CSAM online; immigrant rights and education advocates said schools should remain safe from immigration enforcement; health and LGBTQ+ advocates stressed privacy and safety risks tied to tracking and harassment; privacy and consumer groups backed limits on location data and stronger provenance tools; and reparations advocates said AB 62 would help address historic injustices. Opposition came from family policy, tech, business, law enforcement, and industry groups, who raised concerns about safety claims, constitutional issues, implementation burdens, transparency, law enforcement access, and the need to preserve existing privacy frameworks and voluntary standards. The committee members largely expressed support for the policy goals while noting implementation concerns on some measures. Several members asked for or were offered coauthor status on bills. AB 1137, AB 54, AB 49, AB 82, AB 1355, AB 853, and AB 62 all received do-pass votes to Appropriations, with some members voting no or not voting on certain bills. AB 1355 and AB 853 were advanced with amendments or ongoing work promised with opponents, and AB 1043 was presented with discussion of possible amendments on parental consent and age assurance details, though the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• We already live in a world where our digital privacy has been compromised.
• So I want to preserve our ability to think through that. ...digital forgeries.
• safeguards to ensure that they can make full use of their digital media.
• safeguards to ensure that they can make full use of their digital media.
• to investors without corresponding borrower payments for extended periods.

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• AS THE SLIDE SHOWS FOR STATUE FOR THE RELEASE OF THE SECOND QUARTER PAYMENT THE PAYMENT FILE FOR CROSSCHECKING
• PAYMENT FILE.
• , WERE THERE ANY STUDENTS ON THE SECOND QUARTER PAYMENT FILE NOT ON THE FIRST QUARTER PAYMENT FILE FOR
• PAYMENT TO BE RECEIVED?
• ALL INVOICES OUT THE FORM OF PAYMENT, JUST A LITTLE BECAUSE NOT ALL INVOICES OUT THE FORM OF PAYMENT

Transcript Highlights:

• The parent who is obligated to pay support, the custodial parent relying on those payments, and, most
• This happened even though I was making regular payments, as they requested me to do.
• technologies, which includes AI-generated and digitally explicit material.
• When my application was approved, they told me that I had to make payment within 30 days.
• They could not show me a copy of the debt relief agreement until I had made the payment.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REHABILITATION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND HAD THE DIGITAL
• PROJECTS FOR DEPLOYMENT HAVE BEEN FUNDED THROUGH THIS FUND AS WELL AS 12 FACILITY UPGRADES AND THREE DIGITAL
• AND HE WILL CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE WITH THE FUNDING WE WILL RECEIVE.
• PROGRAM BUT WE ARE PROVIDING DIGITAL DEVICES TO THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCESS
• IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING THAT YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YET, IS THERE ANY IMMINENT PAYMENTS THAT COULD BE

Transcript Highlights:

• Florida currently has a SNAP payment error rate of over 15 percent.
• Florida currently has a SNAP payment error rate of over 15 percent.
• literacy and other digital tools as appropriate to the course.
• literacy and other digital tools as appropriate to the course.
• Senate Bill 1536, a bill to be entitled an act relating to digital voyeurism.

Bills: HB1974 , HB1853 , HB1973 , HB1574 , HB2619 , HB1966 , HB1643 , HB1671 , HB2558 , HB1854 , HB2173 , HB1575 , HB2229 , HB1535 , HB1978 , HB2508 , HB1549 , HB2187 , HB1550 , HB1977 , HB2314 , HB1871 , HB2319 , HB1591 , HB1858 , HB1898 , HB2372 , HB1765 , HB2012 , HB1706 , HB1962 , HB1963 , HB1975 , HB2009 , HB2083 , HB2224 , HB1877 , HB1959 , HB1626 , HB1665 , HB2488 , HB2456 , HB2548 , HB2207 , HB1832 , HB2079 , HB1985 , HB1618 , HB2486 , HB2242 , HB2045 , HB1703 , HB2236 , HB2480 , HB1976 , HB2287 , HB2288 , HB1777 , HB276 , HB1660 , HB1676 , HB1605 , HB1751 , HB1967 , HB2383 , HB2340 , HB1946 , HB2268 , HB1950 , HB2156 , HB2118 , HB1859 , HB1863 , HB1996 , HB2114 , HB2423 , HB2429 , HB2475 , HB2534 , HB2545 , HB1813 , HB1941 , HB2474 , HB2583 , HB1576 , HB1886 , HB1939 , HB2540 , HB2590 , HB2000 , HB2163 , HB2386 , HB1691 , HB1680 , HB2516 , HB1993 , HB2442 , HB1510 , HB1958 , HB1692

Keywords: HB1974, hearing loss, audiology, audiologist, hearing screening, hearing aids, cochlear implants, tele-audiology, communication access, assistive technology, speech-language pathology, deafness, hard of hearing, public health, kupuna, keiki, dementia, cognitive decline, fall prevention, State Health Planning and Development Agency

Transcript Highlights:

• But it's kind of inextricably linked with commercial payments.
• How are the payments from commercial payers?
• Like, are rural hospitals not appealing payment issues?
• But one concerning area involving cost is payment, with some advocating for reduced telehealth payment
• So the payment is the credit.

Committee: House Public Health

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we have Echo 2, which removes language authorizing an advance payment within 30 days of the
• Before you now, Senate Bill 5886 relates to forged digital likeness, heard on Tuesday.
• This bill would expand personality rights to include forged digital likenesses.
• If an infringing party infringes on an individual's or personality's forged digital likeness, whether
• This just removes the language authorizing an advance payment within 30 days of the judgment.

Summary: The Law and Justice Committee first heard testimony on four gubernatorial appointments to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission. Kristen Ferreira, a Chelan County Superior Court judge, said she would bring a rural court perspective; Lisa Mannion, the King County Prosecuting Attorney, emphasized fairness, equity, victim input, and modernization of sentencing grids, and answered a question about her gun responsibility advocacy by saying responsible gun ownership and Second Amendment rights can coexist. Kate Bedward, an appellate public defender with experience in tribal and other defense systems, said she wanted to help evaluate whether the sentencing scheme is meeting Washington’s goals. Rochelle Cleland, seeking renewal in the survivor/lived-experience seat, stressed the importance of survivor and victim voices and criticized the commission for leaving the victim advocate seat vacant and for how it handled a recent vote. The chair said the committee would take executive action on the appointments the following Tuesday. In executive session, the committee reviewed and amended several bills. SB 5906, concerning data and personal safety protections in public accommodations, was amended with a substitute and an amendment requiring notification of union representatives when certain early learning or school employees are subject to immigration enforcement; it received a due pass recommendation. SJM 8014, requesting an investigation into the killing of Aishanor Eski Aege, was amended for more neutral language and also received a due pass recommendation, with members noting the emotionally charged nature of the memorial. SB 6087, expanding liability protections for donations of baby items, and SB 5890, reclassifying certain high-speed driving conduct as negligent driving in the first degree, both advanced after substitutes/amendments were adopted. SB 6017, addressing victim- and witness-centered court procedures, advanced after the sponsor withdrew a proposed amendment for later floor work; members discussed trauma-informed protections and funding concerns. The committee also advanced SB 5520 on compensation for wrongly convicted persons after rejecting amendments that would have removed civil detention language and advance-payment provisions, with members debating the scope and fiscal impact of the bill. SB 6239, concerning arbitration for older tort claims, moved forward after extensive discussion about balancing survivor access to compensation with state and local fiscal concerns and sovereign immunity. SB 5886, expanding personality rights to forged digital likenesses, was advanced with a substitute combining it with related subject matter. Finally, SB 6190 on critical infrastructure protection and scrap metal records was amended to require photographs and database reporting for certain transactions and then received a due pass recommendation. The committee adjourned after sending the bills to the Rules Committee, subject to signatures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just as a point of context, the PCA program has really been growing at double digits over the past 10
• Given that the program has been growing at double digits, the governor had initially put forward a proposal
• We've got, you know, double-digit cost growth pretty much across the country.
• other states, we're seeing premiums that were not covered previously with the subsidies; premium payments
• But I think when you think about what's on the horizon, you know, the trend is double digits.

Summary: The subcommittee opened with roll call and approved the November 2025 minutes. Commissioner Charlie Carr then introduced Leslie Darcy, chief of LTSS at MassHealth, who provided an update on the PCA working group and on federal and state budget pressures affecting MassHealth and long-term services and supports. Darcy said the PCA working group had completed its work and submitted recommendations, including reinstating the 66-hour overtime cap, strengthening program integrity, and ending paid paperwork time for EVV users; she said those changes were implemented on 11/26 and were expected to save $7.4 million. She also described additional consensus recommendations to lower the overtime cap from 66 to 60 hours, create a seven-hour weekly meal-prep support limit, and continue exploring benchmarks, though the group could not reach consensus on a benchmark standard. Darcy warned that a federal bill enacted about six months earlier would significantly affect MassHealth, with an estimated $3.5 billion loss to the Commonwealth by 2028. She outlined upcoming changes including revised immigrant eligibility rules in October 2026, work requirements for certain non-disabled adults beginning in January 2027, six-month redeterminations for some adults, and shorter retroactive coverage periods. In response to questions, she said people with disabilities and Medicare beneficiaries would be exempt from the work and six-month redetermination requirements. She also explained that reduced federal ACA subsidies were being offset in Massachusetts by state spending, including $250 million in additional state support to keep premiums lower for middle-income families. Members raised concerns about community hospitals, the health safety net, and the impact of federal funding changes on provider rates and uncompensated care. Darcy said restrictions on provider taxes would limit MassHealth’s ability to use those revenues to support rates, and she noted a current $300 million shortfall in the health safety net. She said FY27 would likely include a rate freeze, targeted reductions, one-time budget measures, and further work groups to examine programs such as adult foster care, which she said had grown 40% in two years. Carr emphasized that the situation was serious but potentially fluid, and the meeting ended with no further business; the subcommittee agreed to adjourn before the next meeting and noted an upcoming February presentation from the Department of Public Health.

Transcript Highlights:

• We work on digits of margins. Anyone is pretty much single digits.
• or a City of Boston tax payment. ...a fee at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, or a state tax payment,
• or a City of Boston tax payment.
• , efficient card payment systems that we have today.
• And that's one of the things as we move to biometric payments and other forms of payments: security is

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Summary: The committee opened a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure and reviewed a broad agenda including credit card fees, event ticketing, music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, CPA pathways, school mental health licensure, and a bill regulating alternative healing therapies. The chairs explained hearing logistics, including three-minute testimony limits and submission of written testimony, and noted that more than 70 people had signed up to testify. Legislators and advocates were heard out of order throughout the day. A major portion of the hearing focused on credit card surcharge and interchange legislation. Restaurant owners, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, NFIB, and other small-business witnesses supported bills allowing merchants to add convenience fees and, in one proposal, preventing card companies from charging fees on tax and tip portions of transactions. They argued that swipe fees are a major and growing cost, especially for restaurants, and that Massachusetts is one of only two states that bars surcharges. Opponents from the Cooperative Credit Union Association, the Electronic Payment Coalition, and the Electronic Transactions Association warned that the proposals would create compliance burdens, fragment the payment system, raise legal preemption issues, and disrupt a system they described as efficient and secure. The committee also heard competing testimony on ticket transferability and ticket resale. Supporters, including the National Consumers League and Sports Fans Coalition, said bills on ticket transferability would protect consumers who cannot attend events and would increase competition and savings in the secondary market. Opponents, including United Musicians and Allied Workers and theater owners, argued that mandatory transferability would weaken artists’ and venues’ ability to prevent scalping and predatory resale, and that some ticket sellers should be exempt from the broader ticketing regulations. Separate testimony supported music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, and new CPA education pathways, with witnesses saying these measures would expand access to care and strengthen the workforce while maintaining professional standards. The hearing also drew extensive opposition to S.261 on alternative healing therapies, with practitioners and clients arguing it would overregulate spiritual and holistic practices and was not an effective response to human trafficking concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• CS for HB 175, payment stable coins. You're recognized to explain the bill.
• As the digital economy grows, states across the nation are exploring new tools to make payments faster
• , more efficient, and create additional payment options.
• coin payments to U.S. dollars, processing them like any other payment method.
• If there are no regulated payment stable coins, DFS will accept federally compliant out-of-state payment

Committee: House Commerce Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not call, text, or send demands for payment. We don't threaten litigation or eviction.
• If simply sending out a bill and accepting payment constitutes debt collection, then virtually every
• It has nothing to do with asking them, or at least forcing, a debt payment.
• It has nothing to do with asking them, or at least forcing, a debt payment.
• This is an important bill as more Californians rely on digital wallets and peer-to-peer payment platforms

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee met with a quorum, took up its consent calendar, and passed SB 946 and SB 700 on a do-pass motion to the next committee. The committee then heard SB 546 by Senator Grayson, presented by Assembly Member Blanca Rubio, which would clarify that third-party billing administrators are not debt collectors when they are only performing administrative billing services. Supporters from Conservis Utility Billing Management and the California Apartment Association said the bill reflects the original intent of the Debt Collection Licensing Act, would reduce compliance uncertainty, and still preserves consumer protections by barring coercive collection practices. There was no opposition, and the bill passed on a unanimous roll call to the Committee on Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 505 by Senator Richardson, presented by Assembly Member Maggie Krell, which would require digital wallet providers and money transmitters operating in California to use two-factor or multi-factor authentication for logins. Support came from the National Consumer Law Center, while TechNet said it was currently opposed but working with the author on amendments. Members discussed balancing security with convenience for trusted devices and users. The bill passed unanimously on a do-pass motion to the Committee on Appropriations, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not call, text, or send demands for payment. We don't threaten litigation or eviction.
• If simply sending out a bill and accepting payment constitutes debt collection, then virtually every
• It has nothing to do with asking them or, at least, forcing a debt payment.
• It has nothing to do with asking them or, at least, forcing a debt payment.
• This is an important bill as more Californians rely on digital wallets and peer-to-peer payment platforms

Committee: House Banking and Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:16.720><c> but</c> slight increase in benefit payments but slight increase in benefit payments
• You can see those are three years in a row of double-digit or very nearly double-digit returns.
• TRS takes that lump-sum payment.
• /c><01:40:20.880><c> we</c><01:40:21.360><c> get</c> payment that 30% payment we we get payment that
• . payments. payments.

Summary: The meeting opened with a quorum call, the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer, and approval of the prior meeting minutes. The first presentation was from Bo Craycraft of the Judicial Form Retirement System, who gave an update on investment performance, asset allocation, cash flow, and projected employer costs. He reported strong fiscal year 2025 investment results, with both the legislative and judicial retirement plans outperforming their actuarial assumed rates of return and benchmarks, driven largely by U.S. equity performance. He also noted the plans remained near their target asset allocation and continued to experience negative cash flow, though he said that was manageable in context of strong asset growth. Craycraft then discussed a recent experience study and actuarial assumption changes, especially a revised salary growth assumption and a higher cash balance interest credit rate. He said these changes increased projected employer costs, with contributions rising from about $700,000 to a projected $2 million in later years, though he expected the eventual 2025 valuation and investment gains to reduce that estimate. Members asked about mortality assumptions, the impact of the experience study on liabilities, and the sharp increase in the judicial plan’s projected employer cost. Craycraft explained that the increase was driven mainly by the updated assumptions and that no other major plan changes were involved. At the chair’s request, Craycraft also addressed the recent rise in Medicare Advantage premiums for the plan’s health coverage, saying the 2025 increase was largely tied to Part D changes and the Inflation Reduction Act and had been about 45%, but that future growth was expected to be under 5%. After his presentation, the committee moved to the Kentucky Public Pensions Authority update, where the next speaker began by saying the funds had exceeded actuarial assumed returns for the fiscal year.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 744 was a critical step forward by establishing payment parity for telehealth services.
• , Medi-Cal payment, payment parity, and other supportive policies, such as those surrounding broadband
• This is especially true for patients with digital barriers to care, like lack of sufficient broadband
• Telehealth payment parity or reimbursement requirements like those added by AB 744 Telehealth payment
• These bills have led the nation in expanding access to care, first through payment parity.

Committee: House Health

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> experience such as the Minnesota digital experience such as the Minnesota digital exhibit<00:10:
• The next part of our request relates to digital accessibility.
• </c> relates to digital relates to digital accessibility<00:14:40.680><c> Justice</c><00:14:41.240><c
• </c><00:15:13.480><c> accessibility</c> establish specific digital accessibility establish specific digital
• </c> resources and content are digitally resources and content are digitally accessible<00:15:34.079>

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:

• They don’t have a car payment.
• I'm with the Digital Childhood Alliance.
• This mission would provide a lifeline for our children's digital well-being.
• What Jack said is that if you send it to medical payment for payment through your Blue Cross or whomever
• What the average payment is for that, correct? Yes. Okay, thank you. Bye.

Bills: SB30 , SB517 , SB1313 , SB1314 , SB1316 , SB1541 , SB1698 , SB1845 , SB1860 , SB2420 , SB2429 , SB 30

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• BNPL is typically offered during a customer payment, at the point of payment during a transaction, and
• Those payments are deducted automatically from the consumer's payment account.
• the transaction, so those payments are deducted automatically from the consumer's payment account.
• So when you are at the point of payment, when you choose your payment option, right, and what I mean
• Payments are typically automatic.

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Business