Transcript Highlights:

• for Human and Machine Cognition is a nationally recognized center of scientific and engineering research
• This language moves certain and engineering research located in Pensacola.
• NFIB, our Small Business Research Foundation, did a small business economic trend survey. our Small Business
• Research Foundation did a small business economic trend survey.
• All right, Matthew... our small business research foundation did a small business economic trend survey

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Summary: The committee took up several bills and reported each favorably after brief presentations, amendments, and roll calls. SB 1760, by Senator Grall, would require certain elected officials and agency heads to reside in Florida, with agency heads also required to be U.S. citizens and live in the county where their agency is headquartered; it also clarifies the constitutional prohibition on holding more than one office. SB 1202, by Senator McClain, expands insurance benefits for firefighters who are totally and permanently disabled during official training exercises, and its amendment was adopted to avoid local fiscal impact. SB 582, by Senator Leak, increases penalties for unlawful demolition of historic buildings and limits the higher penalty to properties on the National Register of Historic Places or in a listed district; supporters included representatives of St. Augustine and the Florida League of Cities, while one opponent waived in opposition. SB 312, by Senator Gates, revises governance of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and allows affiliated nonprofit subsidiaries to enter agreements with universities; an amendment adding one public member to the board was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then considered SB 676, by Senator Martin, which would allow employees to waive the state minimum wage right under a framework the sponsor said would help young or inexperienced workers gain entry-level experience. The bill drew extensive public testimony, with supporters arguing it could help small businesses hire and create opportunities, and opponents saying it would undermine the voter-approved minimum wage, invite coercion, and exploit vulnerable workers. Senator Martin’s amendment clarifying the Fair Labor Standards Act exception was adopted, and the bill passed on a favorable vote despite opposition from Senator Arrington and others. Finally, SB 440, by Senator McClain, was heard as an expansion of prior law to cover public employees and prohibit certain employment practices related to gender identity and pronoun use; after an amendment narrowing the bill by deleting references to training, instruction, or other activity regarding sexual orientation, the committee heard extensive testimony both for and against, with supporters framing it as protecting conscience rights and opponents calling it discriminatory. The committee ultimately reported SB 440 favorably as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• With Austin booming, texting, Houston Medical Research powerhouse, and Dallas business friendly environment
• would allow people in both places, Israeli or not, to create and expand partnerships to develop research
• My family has been involved in medical research of pancreatic cancer at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel
• Uh, Shiba Medical is collaborating with MD Anderson in Houston in several researches for years.
• healthcare innovation, I believe that the opening of a trade office in Israel would foster the medical research

Committee: House S/C on International Relations

Transcript Highlights:

• directing my comments to the issue of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, once considered a research
• 00:03:41.159><c> once</c><00:03:41.640><c> considered</c><00:03:42.200><c> a</c><00:03:42.519><c> research
• </c> commission once considered a research commission once considered a research and<00:03:43.879><c>
• directing my comments to the issue of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, once considered a research

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• first established in 2014, we had an affiliate network of social work and other faculty providing research
• Each year we hold an annual symposium together, researchers and professionals in the community in the
• Also what we try to do each year with our symposium over the last few years is align our research priority
• So we've released a priority research, a word that we are looking for more research specifically on the

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• side of that business growth phase I mentioned earlier, to help those companies develop, find the research
• opportunities, and then... ...earlier to help those companies develop, find the research opportunities
• work we've done to collaborate with the state of Florida to develop the Florida University Space Research
• This symbiotic partnership makes way for collaborative research opportunities and increased exposure
• to advanced technology, significantly enhancing NASA's research output in fields such as aerospace engineering

Committee: Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security

Summary: The committee met to hear presentations on Florida’s space economy and related infrastructure. SpaceX Vice President Kiko Donchev described the company’s Florida operations, launch cadence, reusable rocket program, Starlink service, and plans for future Starship activity at the Cape. Senators asked about Florida employment, expansion plans, satellite lifetimes, disaster-relief uses of Starlink, and recreational connectivity; members also praised SpaceX’s hurricane response and broader public benefits. Donchev said SpaceX’s Florida workforce has grown to about 1,600 and that the company hopes to add Starship pads and continue expanding in the state. The committee then recognized Commander Dennis Baker for his military service and veteran advocacy, including his leadership of the Florida Veterans Foundation, grant work, the Walk of Honor, and the Gadsden Flag license plate program. Members highlighted that revenue from the plate helps fund veterans’ dental care and noted upcoming dental services for veterans in Volusia County. Baker received a flag flown over the Capitol and a framed gubernatorial proclamation. Newview CEO Clint Grumman presented the company’s commercial satellite LiDAR mapping system, describing its Lake Nona headquarters, Florida ownership, planned jobs, and applications for infrastructure planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. He said the company’s satellite data could improve accuracy and lower costs, and noted partnerships including a Department of Defense contract and a European Space Agency moon-mapping effort. Space Florida then outlined its role as the state’s aerospace finance and business development authority, emphasizing its pipeline of projects, spaceport improvement program, workforce academy, and efforts to address infrastructure constraints and seek tax-exempt bond authority for spaceports. NASA’s Kelvin Manning closed with an update on Kennedy Space Center, highlighting Artemis progress, rising launch demand, commercial partnerships, economic impact, and the Florida University Space Research Consortium. No bills were voted on, and the meeting adjourned after comments from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><03:46:07.920><c> and</c> a facility that's doing research and a facility that's doing research and
• Um, so besides the research institutes, Um, so besides the research institutes, what<03:49:16.560><c>
• I'd have to go research. Look, take a quick look.
• </c><04:23:28.159><c> yet</c> haven't done a lot of the research yet haven't done a lot of the research
• ,</c> again, as we really do more research, again, as we really do more research, once<04:24:01.600><

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee focused primarily on a bill concerning long-term care insurance rate increases and consumer notice. Members and staff discussed replacing or supplementing a proposed public hearing requirement with annual reporting, website updates, and consumer-facing disclosures about approved rate increases, carriers writing the products, and how the products work. Several participants emphasized that long-term care policies are long-term products, that rate increases can be spread over many years for actuarial reasons, and that consumers need better information about trends and the impact of increases. A major point of disagreement was whether the bill should try to cap premium increases. One member argued the real problem is unexpected increases of 15% to 20% and urged a statutory cap to protect consumers. Insurance department representatives and others responded that hard caps had been struck down in prior case law, that the department’s core responsibility is solvency, and that carriers need sufficient premium to pay future claims. They also said the market is struggling because many carriers stopped selling the product, leaving in-force policies to bear the cost, and that overly restrictive caps could cause insurers to withdraw from the state. The discussion then shifted toward a compromise requiring carriers to notify policyholders before a rate increase is approved and allowing a 60-day comment period. Participants debated whether the notice should come from the carrier, how confidentiality rules would apply before approval, and what the department should do with public comments. The department said it already reviews filings carefully and that submitted rates are often adjusted before approval; lawmakers noted that prior commissioners had pushed back on increases in some cases, including a seven-year moratorium. No final vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair repeatedly tried to move the subcommittee along to other bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've already done some very early research on that, so that's absolutely a thread that we would love
• tax credit. ...because 85% of all business tax credits are from the research and development, or R&D
• whether these companies choose to invest, expand operations, hire workers, or conduct long-term research
• The predictability and the use of that research and development tax credit is a critical factor in decision
• This proposal sends a troubling message to the research-intensive employers who account for a significant

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Decades of research from the U.S.
• Decades of research from the U.S.
• Decades of research from the U.S.
• Y'all can do the research with Louisiana, I mean with Jeanerette.
• I'm the Associate Director of Research with the Vera Institute of Justice.

Committee: Senate Judiciary B

Summary: The committee first approved the April 28 minutes and announced that Senate Bill 499 was voluntarily deferred. It then heard several House bills, beginning with HB 168, a reentry/transitional housing program for female parolees near release; supporters said it would improve public safety and reduce recidivism, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. HB 322, a cleanup bill from the Maggie Grace Act clarifying that victims or families requesting transcripts would not be charged, was also reported favorably without objection. HB 622, which aligns Louisiana criminal history information practices with federal rules, was amended and then reported favorably. HB 821, moving the School for Safe Centers from GOSEP to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, was reported favorably as well. The committee then took up HB 364, which directs State Police to partner on public awareness efforts about the illegality of discharging firearms, especially around holidays. An amendment removed a proposed printing cost and shifted the bill toward PSAs; the bill was reported favorably with amendments. HB 568, which strengthens enforcement of drug-free school zone laws by creating a clearer offense for openly smoking or vaping illegal drugs in school zones and setting a specific penalty for marijuana, drew extensive debate. Supporters, including the author and governor’s office, said it was needed to protect children and families and to give law enforcement a workable deterrent. Opponents argued it would impose harsh, geography-based penalties, sweep in medical cannabis patients and veterans, and worsen racial and fiscal disparities. After roll-call, the committee reported HB 568 favorably by a 3-2 vote. The committee also approved HB 296, a cleanup bill removing long-defunct programs from statute, without objection. HB 823, creating an Orleans Parish DA pilot diversion program for unhoused people accused of nonviolent offenses, was supported by Covenant House and others as a way to avoid criminalizing homelessness and was reported favorably without objection. Finally, HB 1038, a major bill revising the authority and liability structure of city marshals and local governments, prompted extensive testimony. The bill and amendments would limit some marshal powers in smaller jurisdictions, require local approval for certain staffing/insurance matters, and allow local governments to restore powers by ordinance. Supporters said it would reduce liability, clarify authority, and address problems in some marshal offices; opponents, including multiple marshals and law enforcement supporters, said it would undermine elected marshals, hurt small offices, and was too broad and under-studied. The transcript ends amid that hearing, with no final committee action shown on HB 1038.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this last point that I have, it might be a little off topic, but I was looking, doing some research
• Well, on the insurance side, it does after we did more research.
• Well, on the insurance side, it does it after we did more research.
• I'm going to research that because I do believe there is.
• I'm going to research that because I do believe there is.

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Research shows the average drunk driver will drive under the influence approximately 80 times before
• In closing, she said the bill is grounded in data, supported by national safety research, and proven
• It is supported by national safety research.
• And we researched that because you can't be within so many feet of a school...
• We researched that because you can't be within so many feet of a school or a playground, which in this

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first went into executive session, where House Bills 3012, 2997, and 3058 were combined into a House committee substitute and then voted do pass by a 17-0 roll call. House Bill 2868 was set aside for further work on a substitute. The committee then moved into public hearings, beginning with House Bill 1740, “Melanie’s Law,” which would increase penalties for intoxicated driving cases involving injury or death and expand ignition interlock requirements, including for high-BAC offenders. The sponsor and family members of victims described the bill as a response to fatal crashes involving loved ones, while law enforcement, MoDOT, prosecutors, and MADD supported the measure as a prevention tool and cited data on recidivism and fatal crashes. Members asked about BAC thresholds, whether the bill would cover drug impairment, fiscal impacts, and the relationship to existing sentencing and parole rules. No vote was taken on HB 1740 during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bills 3049 and 368, described by the sponsors as technical cleanup bills to resolve conflicts in Missouri’s sex offender registry statutes after court rulings and to reorganize and clarify the law. A prosecutor testified in support, and members discussed registry tiers, age-of-consent issues, and how the changes might affect people whose offenses were tied to older laws or unusual fact patterns. The bills were presented as consistency and cleanup measures, and no opposition testimony was offered. Next, House Bill 2311 was heard, proposing to raise the age of consent to 18 and reduce the close-in-age exception from four years to three. The sponsor said the change was intended to align the law with recent marriage-age changes and avoid mixed signals. Members raised concerns about criminalizing high-school relationships and about consistency with existing law, but there was no testimony in opposition or a vote. Finally, House Bill 3105, a revised Second Amendment Preservation Act-style bill, was heard. The sponsor said it would remove unconstitutional language from the prior law, bar state and local officials from knowingly violating law-abiding citizens’ firearm rights, and preserve cooperation with federal law enforcement. Supporters, including sheriffs, argued it protects constitutional rights while allowing officers to act against dangerous criminals and people in crisis. Opponents, including gun-rights advocates, argued the bill still lacked a meaningful deterrent to federal overreach and raised concerns about vague language such as “danger to self or others,” which they said could function like a red-flag law and be misused. The hearing ended without a vote on HB 3105.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are there any questions for our Office of Program Research analysts? Thank you both very much.
• Are there any questions for our Office of Program Research analysts? Thank you both.
• That's all. or generalized research findings are not sufficient to establish causation.
• We hear it in our research studies. We certainly hear it and see it far too much in society.
• You can go out and do your research. And none of that is prevented.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2073, which would require nonprofit health carriers with surplus above 600% of risk-based capital to pay 3% of the excess to support the Cascade Care Savings premium assistance program. Committee staff said the bill could generate about $80 million in FY 2027 based on 2024 surplus data, while carriers and business groups argued their reserves are needed to pay claims, manage risk, and avoid premium increases. Supporters said the bill would redirect consumer-funded surplus to help Washingtonians afford coverage, especially as federal subsidies expire. No action was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2132, which limits disclosure and retention of personally identifying and financial information in WASFA applications. Staff explained the bill would exempt WASFA records from public disclosure, restrict sharing to narrow purposes, and shorten retention periods, with significant fiscal impacts tied to purging records and updating data-sharing practices. Student and advocacy testimony strongly supported the bill as a privacy and safety measure for immigrant and mixed-status students. The committee also heard House Bill 2403, which lowers the penalty for failure to register as a sex offender and adds community custody and DOC supervision; public defense supported it as a cost-saving, consensus reform, and staff projected DOC savings. House Bill 2587 was also heard, creating a Commerce pilot to provide limited advance grant funding to eligible nonprofits; supporters said it would help smaller nonprofits manage reimbursement-based contracts, while staff estimated indeterminate but potentially significant administrative costs. The committee heard House Bill 2607, which would require DCYF to periodically rebase child care subsidy rate regions to better reflect local cost differences. Supporters from Benton and Franklin counties said current regional rates are outdated and unfairly low in fast-growing areas; staff said the fiscal impact was indeterminate. The committee then moved into possible executive session on several bills. Second Substitute House Bill 1170, dealing with generative AI disclosures and provenance tools, was amended and ultimately passed out of committee on an 18-9 vote after all proposed amendments were rejected. Substitute House Bill 1570 was amended to narrow its scope to Western Washington University and then passed out of committee on a 17-9 vote. The committee also began action on proposed Third Substitute House Bill 1710, which would create a state pre-clearance requirement under the Washington Voting Rights Act, but the transcript cuts off during consideration of amendments to that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows us to collect more data, research those outcomes, and then we can do a cost-benefit analysis
• </c> allows us to collect more data, research allows us to collect more data, research those<00:42:27.359
• Whereas research consistently demonstrates that young people with mentors are more likely to succeed
• Whereas<00:58:00.880><c> research</c><00:58:01.520><c> consistently</c> Whereas research consistently
• Whereas research consistently demonstrates that young people with mentors are more likely to succeed

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation and pledge, established a quorum, excused absent members, and approved the journal. During second reading, several bills and a joint resolution were reported to the Rules Committee, including measures on trauma center provider coverage, cremation, public library trustees, local occupational license fees and taxes, and a food-is-medicine resolution. The House also communicated passage of House Bills 176, 178, and 280 and requested concurrence. Committee reports advanced Senate Bill 39, Senate Bill 181 with a committee substitute, Senate Bill 17 with a committee substitute and title amendment, and Senate Bill 34. The chamber then took up and passed Senate Bill 13, which would allow military installations to have ex officio representation on nearby planning and zoning bodies to improve communication about land use near bases. It passed 37-0. Senate Bill 46, concerning school transportation, was amended by committee substitute to require background checks and drug testing for drivers of school vans and to extend van use to 10-passenger vehicles; it passed 37-0 after a brief clarification about the amendment’s display in the system. Senate Bill 22, expanding the dual credit scholarship program to support a teacher apprenticeship pathway, was amended to require a 2.75 GPA and then passed 36-1 after questions about employment status and liability; the sponsor explained it would help address teacher shortages and reduce student debt. The Senate also passed Senate Bill 90, which extends the behavioral health conditional dismissal pilot program from 2027 to 2031 to continue offering treatment-based alternatives to incarceration for eligible low-level offenders; it passed 37-0. Senate Bill 51, a proposed constitutional change to freeze property tax assessment increases for homeowners age 65 and older on their primary residence, also passed 37-0. Senate Bill 30 was passed over but retained its place in the orders of the day. The rules committee later posted Senate Bills 27, 40, and 76 for the next day, and the Committee on Committees referred Senate Bill 109 to Licensing and Occupations, Senate Bill 68 to State and Local Government, and Senate Resolutions 45 and 46 to the Senate floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• and more difficult to pass a Farm Bill that is crucial to all kinds of infrastructure, including research
• like we talked about in the previous panel. ...all kinds of infrastructure, including research, like
• I'm a researcher at the nonpartisan nonprofit Public Policy Institute of California.
• And I'll do this based on PPIC's research and also my assessment of the broader research landscape.
• Regardless, research finds that food insecurity experiences are harmful to health for people of all ages

Summary: The joint oversight hearing focused on food insecurity in California and how state and federal nutrition programs, agricultural production, and food distribution systems intersect. Assemblymembers emphasized that many Californians, including farmworkers, seniors, children, and communities of color, remain food insecure despite California’s agricultural abundance. Panelists and members discussed CalFresh, WIC, school meals, Sun Bucks, food banks, and the impact of federal policy changes, including possible nutrition cuts, tariffs, and immigration enforcement, on access to food and the agricultural workforce. Secretary Karen Ross described CDFA programs aimed at improving access to fresh food and supporting local agriculture, including the senior farmers’ market program, California Nutrition Incentive Program, Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program, Community Food Hubs, Farm to School, urban agriculture, and a proposed tribal food sovereignty program. She said these efforts help connect local producers to consumers, expand healthy food access, and build infrastructure such as refrigeration, mobile markets, and aggregation hubs. Department of Social Services Deputy Director Alexis Fernandez Garcia outlined CalFresh, CFAP, Sun Bucks, CACFP, emergency food programs, and tribal nutrition assistance, noting that CalFresh and related programs significantly reduce poverty and food insecurity, but participation gaps remain for non-English speakers, some Asian American communities, and undocumented households. PPIC researcher Tess Thorman presented data showing that 13% of California households experienced food insecurity in 2023, with higher rates among households with children and Latino, Black, and other households. She said nutrition programs reduce poverty and food hardship, but federal rules, income thresholds, immigration restrictions, and high living costs limit their reach. Members asked about simplifying applications, improving call center access, increasing outreach in multiple languages, and adjusting benefits for inflation. Officials said the state has used available federal options to streamline enrollment, improve customer service, and target outreach, but many core rules and benefit levels are set federally. The second panel shifted to food production and market access. A farmer, a UC food systems leader, and a produce distributor described efforts to connect small and medium farms with food banks, schools, universities, and Medi-Cal food-as-medicine programs. They highlighted programs such as Farms Together, the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center, Farm to School, food hubs, and climate-smart infrastructure grants as ways to create stable markets for local growers while improving food access. Speakers also raised concerns about land tenure, consolidation, regulatory burdens, labor constraints, and the loss of federal funding, and members discussed whether state investments and Prop. 4 funds could help sustain and expand these efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• coalition is in favor of adopting conformity with Section 179 expensing, bonus depreciation, and research
• and research and experimentation expensing.
• </c> for Section 179 research for Section 179 research and<00:46:04.040><c> research</c><00:46:04.520
• ><c> and</c><00:46:04.600><c> experimentation</c> and research and experimentation and research and experimentation
• MHP drives innovative housing solutions through original research, expert community development support

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When you factor in the vulnerable profile of impacted adults based on the national research, including
• Hi, Ryan Gillette, Research Automation and Data Division, Department of Social Services.
• I will say we did review research related to a variety of impacts.
• The research is clear: work requirements will make this even worse.
• We hope to have more to share soon with the committee on the outcomes of this additional research.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Unless we're doing research on treatment, I'm not sure. We have Dr.
• So I am primarily a researcher. I'm a physician and a scientist. I'm a practicing dermatologist.
• Your research that you've been doing in these areas, and I'm sure other areas, last year we heard that
• The data that our research staff have seen, if you go above 90%, 91, 92, 93, you're going to start to
• The data that our research staff have seen, if you go above 90%, 91, 92, 93, you're going to start to

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, that's a research project that's going to be worked on.
• Um,<00:41:15.520><c> that's</c><00:41:15.760><c> a</c><00:41:16.000><c> research</c><00:41:16.560><c>
• project</c><00:41:16.960><c> that's</c> Um, that's a research project that's Um, that's a research project
• So pretty much, that's what my research showed, and there's a very vague synopsis of it in the paper
• </c><01:14:02.480><c> on</c> whatever, at least do some research on whatever, at least do some research

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee on Family Court reviewed several previously distributed reports, including a comparison of family court structures in other states and a report on improving New Hampshire family court pre-trial and mediation practices. The main new topic was a report on the intersection of domestic violence and family courts in New Hampshire, with members discussing how domestic violence cases in superior or district court can overlap with custody matters in family court and how courts may not be aware of related proceedings in other venues. Members discussed RSA 490-D:2 and related statutes, noting that family courts have original jurisdiction over certain abuse, neglect, and domestic violence matters, with concurrent jurisdiction in some protective-order cases. The discussion focused on practical problems such as confidentiality in domestic violence cases, limited access to case information by nonparties, and the need for courts to better communicate about companion cases. Suggestions included a shared or unified database, expanded lethality assessments for law enforcement, and a requirement that criminal courts report domestic violence convictions or protective-order violations to family court so judges are aware of the full case context. The subcommittee also discussed ways to help self-represented litigants, including better education at first appearance, clearer guidance about raising protective orders or criminal charges at hearings, daily docket review by clerks, and a possible “lawyer for the day” program modeled on Massachusetts. One member raised the idea of a family safety docket, while another noted that New Hampshire already has a complex case docket for high-conflict matters and that cases generally stay with one judge when possible. No votes were taken, and the chair said the subcommittee would continue reviewing materials and could return to work next year, with possible bill amendments to follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• It would require us doing a bit more research around different regions, perhaps.
• It would require us doing a bit more research around different regions, perhaps.
• It would require us doing a bit more research around different regions, perhaps.
• </c><01:43:50.000><c> and</c> Because I think from my own research and Because I think from my own research
• </c><02:42:21.520><c> on</c> We've also done a lot of research on We've also done a lot of research on

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and also conducts research but serves the Senate only.
• for example which serves is research for example which serves is also<00:08:31.479><c> nonpartisan</
• also conducts research also nonpartisan also conducts research but<00:08:33.560><c> serves</c><00:08
• </c><00:10:36.760><c> tells</c><00:10:37.040><c> us</c> facts report what our research tells us facts
• Yes— We have done, for example, a program evaluation of the research and development tax incentive.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I learned through further research that too much added sugar is linked to serious health issues like
• Medical research right now is making life-changing progress for people like me.
• We know that we have ongoing research and innovation to move us closer to expanding access, improving
• I founded this organization because after surviving this industry and then researching it, I realized
• For the past five years, I've worked alongside midwives as a researcher and now as a student midwife.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several measures, beginning with SB 331 by Sen. Menjivar, which would require large-group health plans to cover hearing aids for children. The author and supporters described the bill as a long-running effort to address a developmental emergency and reduce out-of-pocket costs for families, while opponents were absent. Testimony from parents, advocates, medical experts, and organizations emphasized the importance of early access to hearing aids; committee members voiced strong support, and the bill was moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations, with several members requesting to be added as coauthors. The committee then heard SB 608, also by Sen. Menjivar, to expand access to condoms in school-based health centers and related settings and to prevent barriers such as ID checks. Supporters, including students and school health advocates, argued the bill would improve sexual health and reduce stigma, while opponents from family and faith groups argued it would undermine parental authority and normalize early sexual activity. The bill was supported by committee members and moved forward on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. Next, SB 971 by Sen. Choi proposed community-based healthy aging partnerships for older adults, with testimony from the California Senior Legislature and supporters from aging and dementia organizations. The measure was described as voluntary and focused on connection, independence, and local collaboration; there was no opposition, and the committee moved it on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 869 by Sen. Weber Pierson, which would require warning icons and statements on chain restaurant menus for beverages with very high added sugar content. Supporters framed it as a transparency and public health measure, while restaurant and beverage industry representatives opposed it unless amended, citing cost and menu-space concerns; the bill was nevertheless moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations after a roll call vote, with some members voting no and the measure placed on call. The committee also considered SB 950 by Sen. Weber Pierson, aimed at ensuring timely coverage of FDA-approved, medically necessary treatments for early-onset Alzheimer’s disease on commercial plans. Supporters, including the Alzheimer’s Association and a patient advocate, said the bill would reduce delays and barriers to care, while health plan representatives opposed it over step therapy and utilization-management concerns. Members discussed the limited treatment window and the need for early access, and the bill was moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. In addition, SB 490 by Sen. Umberg would set timelines for DHCS investigations of unlicensed sober living homes and allow counties to assist if the department cannot act in time; supporters from Anaheim and a patient-brokering survivor described serious abuse and oversight gaps, while county behavioral health representatives opposed the county role as an unfunded and potentially liability-creating burden. After discussion, the bill was also moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1037 by Sen. Weber Pierson on health insurance affordability and rate review, with supporters arguing it would tie premium increases more closely to affordability targets and public reporting; the transcript cuts off before the committee completed action on that measure.