Transcript Highlights:

• one, selection of building materials... ...factors in protecting homes from wildfires.
• It's a practical and important wildfire resilience... ...in support of SB 9-1-1.
• It's a practical and important wildfire resilience measure that helps close a significant defensible
• ignition, increased fire spread, and threaten entire neighborhoods during major wildfire events.
• Chair and members, Jim Wood here on behalf of Fireside, a technology-based wildfire risk management company

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• California needs to seriously address wildfire.
• Building transmission lines, wildfire mitigation, and much more.
• Lake and Kauai Lake, claiming it was to help combat wildfires in Southern California.
• Every time we have a major wildfire in California, we talk about them.
• And then we do nothing. we go from wildfire to wildfire.

Transcript Highlights:

• Virginia Klein, managing attorney at Central...
• The average area burned by wildfire will increase.
• A court cannot consider evidence on what would happen with respect to catastrophic wildfires, that wildfire
• A court cannot consider evidence on what would happen with respect to catastrophic wildfires, that wildfire
• No, the wildfire costs are a fixed cost.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't just face wildfires across California.
• We don't just face wildfires across California.
• Water is scarce in the rural areas during wildfires.
• Agencies must be required to manage the contract amendments, the funding extensions, they're... to manage
• And with today's climate-driven wildfires, And with today's climate-driven wildfires, when I was a young

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on the rising cost and long delivery times for fire apparatus and related equipment, with opening remarks stressing that aging fleets, supply chain problems, and delayed replacements are affecting emergency readiness across California. Cal OES and Cal Fire described statewide procurement challenges, including higher prices, multi-year delivery timelines, two-year encumbrance limits, and the strain on mutual aid when engines remain in service beyond their intended replacement cycles. Cal Fire said it operates 537 engines, with 300 meeting replacement criteria and 243 at least 16 years old, and explained the difference between mandatory contracts and one-time acquisitions. The Department of General Services said vendors have cited labor costs, chassis pricing, and the need for longer production timelines, while also noting that statewide contracts can include nominal price increases but not open-ended price hikes. Local fire chiefs from Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles County, Napa, and Fullerton testified that apparatus prices have risen sharply while delivery times have stretched from under a year to three to five years or more. They described specific examples of engines and ladder trucks costing far more than prior purchases and arriving years later, forcing departments to keep older reserve apparatus in service, spend more on maintenance, and defer other budget priorities. Several witnesses said industry consolidation has reduced competition and contributed to delays and price increases, with Los Angeles County and Fullerton noting they have pursued antitrust complaints and litigation against major manufacturers. Napa also described proprietary parts and software limiting in-house repairs, and Santa Barbara County said a vendor’s unfulfilled delivery promise caused the department to lose its place in line. Members asked about possible solutions, including whether the state should consider manufacturing apparatus itself, whether procurement rules or prototype requirements could be streamlined, whether DGS staffing or contract processes could be accelerated, and whether more stable long-term purchasing commitments would help manufacturers plan production. Witnesses said safety-driven specification changes are necessary but can add time, and that the main bottlenecks are industry capacity, consolidation, and vendor performance. The vice chair raised concerns about how grant funding windows and local matching requirements are affected by multi-year delays, especially for small and rural departments that rely on grants and on used apparatus passed down from larger agencies. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with committee members indicating interest in possible legislative, regulatory, and antitrust follow-up.

Transcript Highlights:

• are caused by the wildfire.
• there were actually caused by the wildfire.
• South Coast Air Quality Management District.
• South Coast Air Quality Management District.
• As a first-time campaign manager, I often sought his advice.

Transcript Highlights:

• The analysis goes partly into those: load management.
• Section 1 refers to the CEC-adopted load management standard. What is this?
• The language in section one refers again to the CEC's load management standard...
• Finally, clarity around the allocation of operational and wildfire-related risk is essential.
• safety, specifically around wildfire mitigation plans.

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, the January 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires destroyed 18,000 The January 2025 Los Angeles
• County wildfires destroyed 18,000 structures and displaced over 150,000 people, many of whom continue
• That underlying affordability crisis was exacerbated in January when devastating wildfires resulted in
• That underlying affordability crisis was exacerbated in January when devastating wildfires resulted in
• It is about a response to the wildfire, and I humbly ask for your aye vote on AB 306. Thank you.

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and pledge, then took up a series of procedural motions and a large third-reading file focused heavily on housing, wildfire recovery, insurance, and related regulatory changes. Early actions included a successful motion to place Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 on the third-reading file, followed by a unanimous vote on SB 26, a cleanup measure related to lemon-law civil discovery procedures and automaker opt-outs from the AB 1755 framework. The chamber then moved through a package of urgency bills tied to the January 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires and broader housing affordability concerns. Measures approved included AB 311 allowing displaced tenants to temporarily house wildfire victims and pets, AB 299 extending hotel/motel/short-term rental stays beyond 30 days for disaster-displaced families, AB 226 giving the California Fair Plan access to bond financing in catastrophic-loss scenarios, AB 253 allowing third-party plan checks when local review exceeds 30 days, AB 301 aligning state permitting timelines with local deadlines, AB 306 imposing a six-year pause on new residential building-code updates, AB 462 exempting certain ADUs in Los Angeles County coastal zones from coastal development permits, AB 493 requiring interest to be paid to homeowners on insurance proceeds held by lenders, and AB 597 tightening rules on public adjuster solicitation, fees, and contract transparency. Each of these urgency bills passed, generally with strong bipartisan support and mostly unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The Assembly also approved several non-urgency measures, including AB 293 on groundwater transparency and board disclosure, AB 251 on elder abuse litigation standards when evidence is intentionally destroyed, AB 59 removing a sunset on Reclamation District 108’s hydropower authority, AB 417 streamlining EIFD and CRIA financing tools, and AB 312 updating procedures for agricultural theft proceeds. In addition, ACR 6 was adopted by voice vote, recognizing Black April Memorial Month and the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, with extensive remarks from Assembly Member Ta and support from other members. The consent calendar was adopted, and the body later heard adjournment-in-memory tributes for David Myers and Olivia Guerrero before adjourning to April 3, 2025. Several vote changes were announced after adjournment, including changes on AB 251 and AB 417.

Transcript Highlights:

• To the wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience fund.
• The act would be known and cited as the Wildfire Elevation Support Act, and the effective date of the
• The purpose of the bill that's in front of us is to restore funding to the state's wildfire response,
• And they were not able to come up with a funding source for wildfire preparedness.
• My name is Casey McLean, and I'm the Washington Policy Manager at Renewable Northwest.

Summary: House Finance met on Friday, January 23rd, and heard three bills. On House Bill 2194, staff explained that the bill would allow a county and a city within that county to both impose the cultural access sales and use tax at the same time, with the county providing a credit for the city tax. Representative Parsley said the change would let more jurisdictions support cultural, arts, science, and school-related programs. Olympia and Thurston County officials testified in support, describing grant funding for cultural organizations, free programming, and school access benefits; a committee member raised a question about how the change could affect county bond obligations. The committee then heard House Bill 2089, which would narrow a B&O tax preference for first mortgage interest by removing the requirement that a financial institution be located in 10 or more states, and direct the resulting revenue to the wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience account. Staff said the bill would raise significant revenue and have implementation costs for the Department of Revenue. Representative Scott said the bill was intended to restore wildfire funding and limit the preference to community banks, while opponents from the Washington Bankers Association and Community Bankers of Washington warned the bill could harm community banks and mortgage lending if not drafted carefully. The Department of Natural Resources and a public employee representative supported restoring wildfire preparedness funding. Finally, the committee heard a proposed third substitute for House Bill 1960, which would replace property taxation for new or repowered large renewable energy facilities and battery storage systems with a state and local excise tax structure, while also creating a local investment distribution account and a tribal capacity grant program. Staff and the sponsor described the bill as a way to reduce property tax shifts onto nearby taxpayers and provide more stable, predictable revenue for local governments and tribes. County officials, assessors, treasurers, and some clean energy and conservation groups supported the concept but asked for clearer definitions, payment timing, and rate adjustments; utilities and renewable developers said they supported the goal but opposed the bill as drafted because of concerns about the rates and the treatment of centrally assessed utilities. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after closing the hearings on all three bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> thousands of California wildfire thousands of California wildfire survivors<00:16:25.319><c> my<
• Over here, this is a managed land.
• Now, in the designation, it did acknowledge the risk of wildfire and the need to manage it, but what
• the risk of wildfire and the need<03:00:05.760><c> to</c><03:00:05.920><c> manage</c><03:00:06.279><
• I</c><03:17:27.120><c> showed</c> management the brush management I showed management the brush management

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite being a manageable disease, in 2023, The U.S.
• It was... ...and limitations of public water systems in responding to wildfire.
• It requires urban retail water suppliers in high-risk wildfire zones to include wildfire-specific response
• of wildfire damages and that wildfire spread is not an inherent risk of water system design.
• As California continues to face devastating wildfires, we must ensure our water systems are prepared

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> department's manager of the year award. department's manager of the year award.
• HB 732 CD1 passes final reading. management areas. Is there any management areas.
• Wildfires.
• This is not wildfire prevention.
• This is not wildfire prevention.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, the Senate Emergency Management Committee will come to order.
• knowingly or recklessly interfere with law enforcement or emergency response efforts related to wildfire
• During last year's devastating wildfires in Pacific Palisades, we saw the significant risk that drones
• 1749 is an important step to strengthen our deterrence against the unlawful operation of drones in wildfire
• Okay, Senate Emergency Management is hereby reconvened.

Committee: Senate Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• She works very closely with patients to help them manage symptoms and be able to return to their daily
• House Bill 4457 by Newton of the house and Eck of the senate and act relating to pharmacy benefits managers
• House Bill 4457 by Newton of the house and Eck of the senate and a Relating to pharmacy benefits managers
• House Bill 3261 directs the state department of Education to create and manage a database for registering
• The other concern I had is that I know that part of the focus on managed care programs that target our

Bills: HB2059 , HB3920 , HB2992 , HB3267 , HB4457 , HB3800 , HB3818 , HB4425 , HB4427 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB4333 , HB4340 , HB4343 , HB4344 , HB4363 , HB4229 , HB4230 , HB4236 , HB4246 , HB1979 , HB3431 , HB3052 , HB3047 , HB3048 , HB4092 , HB4302 , HB3261 , HB3704 , HB3312 , HB3546 , HB3849 , HCR1021 , HB4105 , HB4159 , HB4304 , HB3835 , HB3619 , HB4490 , HB3710 , HB4201 , HB3907 , HB3748

Keywords: health care, medication, inmates, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, reimbursement, county jails, medical expenses, sales tax exemption, nonprofit organizations, procurement, transplant research, Oklahoma Tax Code, HB2992, Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma utilities, ratepayer protection, data centers, artificial intelligence computing, AI data centers

Transcript Highlights:

• Load management. We've talked about that a little bit, the curtailing, everything.
• Section 1 refers to the CEC adopted load management standard. What is this?
• The language in Section 1 refers again to the CEC's load management standard.
• Finally, clarity around the allocation of operational and wildfire-related risk is essential.
• safety, specifically around wildfire mitigation plans.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 710, which would expand dynamic pricing and time-of-use electricity rates and require utilities to develop plans for advanced metering infrastructure so more customers can participate. The author and supporters said the bill would encourage load shifting to times when electricity is cheaper and cleaner, reduce curtailment of renewable energy, and help address affordability. PG&E and SDG&E opposed the bill as drafted, arguing the deadlines were premature, could disrupt ongoing CPUC rate proceedings and pilot programs, and might force costly changes before results are known; Golden State Power Cooperative was neutral and flagged a technical issue. After questions and discussion about timing and scope, the committee passed AB 710 on an 11-0 vote and also approved the consent calendar 15-0. The committee then held its first 2026 oversight hearing on implementation of the California Transmission Accelerator created by SB 254. GoBiz, IBank, CAISO, and the Department of Finance outlined the new program’s structure: GoBiz’s energy unit will coordinate the accelerator, IBank will evaluate and finance eligible projects, CAISO’s transmission planning and competitive solicitation process will identify projects, and the tax credit will provide an additional incentive for developers. Administration witnesses said trailer bill language and about 10 limited-term positions are being proposed to clarify roles, protect confidential information, and support the revolving fund, with roughly $26 million in administrative costs over five years. Committee members focused on coordination among agencies, supply-chain risks, regional market planning, and whether the accelerator has enough authority to move projects quickly. CAISO said its planning and competitive procurement processes already align closely with the accelerator and that no tariff changes are expected, while GoBiz and IBank said they are still developing financing strategies and learning from other states. Public commenters supported faster transmission but urged the committee to preserve the role of competitive developers, clarify ownership and risk allocation, and ensure wildfire safety and accountability. The hearing ended with no formal action beyond receiving testimony and committing to continued oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mary Joe restoration and management.
• Congratulations, managers of our time.
• </c> firewall between promoters and managers. firewall between promoters and managers.
• </c> emergency management ranking member Mr. emergency management ranking member Mr.
• </c> against drone incursions during wildfire against drone incursions during wildfire suppression<04

Transcript Highlights:

• This proposal excludes all wildfire settlements from taxation that are paid January 1, 2025 or later
• for California families experiencing hardship after a wildfire disaster.
• No fiscal impact is currently budgetarily scored because this bill is prospective and future wildfire
• The state has historically provided gross income exclusions for wildfire settlements through one-off
• So I think the governor is committed to providing relief for wildfire settlements.

Transcript Highlights:

• of wildfire along with suppression efforts.
• We have a um a forest management plan that's recognized through the Department of Interior.
• So that wilderness management plan is going on 55 years being outdated.
• It could be a wildfire situation where we have to de-energize power lines.
• Anyone here who's been through an extreme event, a wildfire, when it's a wildfire and you're trying to

Transcript Highlights:

• assist us in reducing the risk of wildfire is of extreme value.
• Wildfire prevention is another area supported by Prop. 4.
• John Moffitt, on behalf of Waste Management, similar position. Appreciate the amendments.
• My name is Jason Dafforn, General Manager, Valley Sanitary District.
• Sorry, Jim Dunbar, general manager for LISTech International.

Summary: The committee heard several natural resources bills focused on wildfire resilience, recycling, forest management, and organic waste diversion. AB 442 would remove a requirement that a harvest area be limited to a single watershed for working forest management plans; the author and supporters from the California Forestry Association and Pacific Forest Trust said it would reduce barriers to forest resiliency work, and there was no opposition. AB 623 would require state agencies to report on the use of CEQA and Coastal Act suspensions for wildfire and fuel-management projects after the governor’s emergency proclamation; the author said the bill would provide data on how well the suspensions are working, and it drew support with no opposition. AB 35 would exempt Proposition 4-funded programs from the Administrative Procedures Act to speed implementation of climate, water, wildfire, and environmental projects; the author and a large coalition of local governments, water agencies, conservation groups, and fire organizations argued the exemption would help get funds out faster, while no opposition was present. The committee also discussed AB 3333, which would create a market-development payment to support end users of non-container glass, such as ground glass pozzolan used in cement, in order to divert glass from landfills and reduce carbon emissions. Supporters said the bill would create a productive use for hard-to-recover glass, while opponents from the Glass Packaging Institute, Californians Against Waste, and waste management interests argued it would divert beverage container recycling funds away from the bottle-to-bottle system and could undermine existing recycling investments and recycled-content goals. Members raised questions about the fund’s revenue sources, the purpose of the beverage container recycling program, and whether the bill would amount to “downcycling”; despite those concerns, the bill advanced on a due-pass-as-amended recommendation, with members noting fiscal and policy issues for further work. AB 643 would allow certain diverted organic material used as a beneficial agricultural amendment, including CDFA-licensed fertilizer products made from biosolids, to count toward SB 1383 recovered organic waste procurement targets. Supporters from wastewater agencies and Clean Water SoCal said the change would expand options for meeting procurement requirements and help move biosolids out of landfills, while Californians Against Waste and other opponents argued the bill could expand procurement credit beyond SB 1383’s original intent and weaken investments in composting infrastructure. Committee members questioned what kinds of biosolids would qualify, how the procurement credit would work, and whether the bill could be narrowed to historically landfilled materials; the author said she would continue working with opponents and wait for CalRecycle technical assistance. The committee adopted the bills’ amendments and passed AB 35 with urgency, AB 3333, AB 442, AB 623, and AB 643 to Appropriations, and also approved consent-calendar AB 946. After roll calls, all of the measures were reported out of committee, and the hearing adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• , where we've seen from 2017 to 2021 wildfire resulted in about...
• A court cannot consider evidence on what would happen with respect to catastrophic wildfires, that wildfire
• Also, they could not look at what would happen when a municipality started a wildfire.
• A court cannot consider evidence on what would happen with respect to catastrophic wildfires, that wildfire
• No, the wildfire costs are a fixed cost.

Summary: The committee heard several bills and took action on a number of them. SB 1234 by Senator Alvarado-Gil would require fentanyl to be included in drug tests ordered by juvenile courts for parents or guardians in dependency cases; there was no opposition, a committee member confirmed it would apply to caregivers rather than children, and the bill was supported for moving forward. SB 1257 by Senator Arreguín would require the Attorney General to publish an annual public report on immigration enforcement incidents at designated safe locations such as schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship; supporters from immigrant advocacy and health groups testified about fear and chilling effects in communities, while questions focused on how data would be collected and concerns were raised about sanctuary policies. SB 1176 by Senator Choi would bar foreign adversary entities from buying California agricultural land; supporters cited national security concerns, but committee members pressed on enforcement, straw buyers, and who would be responsible for identifying prohibited purchasers, and the bill was held on a 2-4 vote after debate. The committee also heard SB 1146 by Senator Gonzalez, which would require clear disclosure when AI-generated or altered images, audio, or video are used in health-related advertisements depicting health care providers. The California Medical Association and California Dental Association supported the bill, describing deepfake health ads as deceptive and harmful; it passed the committee 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 988 by Senator Grayson would regulate auto glass insurance practices by restricting assignment of benefits, requiring claim numbers and itemized estimates, and addressing steering and billing practices; supporters said it would curb fraud and stabilize premiums, while independent glass businesses worried about steering and market concentration. After discussion of consumer choice and small-business impacts, the bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 1288, presented by Senator Grayson on behalf of Senator Laird, would require financial institutions to make a good-faith effort to notify beneficiaries of non-probate assets and would reduce barriers to claiming those assets, especially for nonprofits. Nonprofit witnesses described long delays and burdensome account-opening requirements, while SIFMA and bankers opposed the bill unless amended, citing conflicts with federal and industry obligations and concerns about retroactivity and verification. The bill passed 8-0 to call. The committee also heard SB 941 by Senator Padilla, which would cap commissary markups in private immigration detention facilities at 35% above vendor cost; the Attorney General’s office and immigrant advocates supported it as a response to exploitative pricing and poor conditions, and it passed 8-0 to call. Finally, SB 909 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would raise and index public works contractor fees and penalties and dedicate more penalty revenue to enforcement; labor supporters said stronger funding is needed to address wage theft and backlogs, while contractors opposed the fee and penalty structure as uncapped and costly. The bill was moved forward on a vote and remained on call after committee discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• In California, wildfire is no longer an abstract issue.
• At the same time, insurance costs are rising sharply across wildfire-prone regions.
• Insurance costs are rising sharply across wildfire-prone regions.
• There's much need to be done as far as wildfire issues that need to be addressed.
• These outages become a regular part of wildfire prevention strategy.

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation