Transcript Highlights:

• So I wanted to just cover quickly a little bit about provisional licensure external engagement.
• Representative Curran then clarified that she was asking whether any other government entities outside
• Representative Curran asked more specifically whether any other entities or government agencies outside
• He said DHS, as the Medicaid agency, is the entity that identifies when there are issues with a service
• </c><01:38:06.239><c> that</c> Medicaid agency are the entity that Medicaid agency are the entity that

Bills: HF3379

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: housing stabilization, disability services, predatory funding, provider requirements, housing accessibility, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We understand; I just ask you to cover a lot of ground, so we'll do our best to accommodate you.
• We understand I just ask you to cover a lot of ground. So we'll do our best to accommodate you.
• now is in the Merced area, we are actually discussing with the city and the county, both of those entities
• We have not reached any agreement with any of the entities.
• And I think most of it was covered already, so I'm not going to go over that in too much depth.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan, with testimony from the authority, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General. Chair Cortese framed the hearing around the project’s recent changes: a new CEO, revised delivery strategy, loss of federal funds, renewed interest in private financing and value capture, and proposed adjustments to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment. He also raised concerns about statutory compliance, transparency, and whether the draft plan fully reflects required elements and true costs and timelines. Authority CEO Ian Chaudhry said the project has made substantial construction progress in the Central Valley and is moving toward track installation, with the state’s $1 billion annual cap-and-invest funding providing a stable base. He argued the plan uses design optimization, direct procurement of materials, and revised sequencing to reduce costs and support an early operating segment by about 2032-33. He also promoted broader commercialization of the corridor through real estate, energy, broadband, logistics, and public-private partnerships, saying private sector interest is now real. Several senators pressed him on station locations, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, permitting delays, transparency, and whether the project can realistically reach Los Angeles and San Francisco on the current timeline and budget. The LAO and Inspector General were more skeptical. LAO analyst Helen Kirstine said the draft plan assumes major scope changes, including a shorter segment, a Merced station outside downtown, more single-tracking, and several statutory changes that have not yet been enacted. She warned that the plan may not comply with recent legislative requirements, that funding may still be insufficient even for the reduced segment, and that borrowing against future cap-and-invest revenues is risky because those revenues are uncertain and volatile. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan fails to comply with newer statutory requirements, especially regarding the Merced-to-Bakersfield scope, the funding plan, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the presentation obscures cost increases and schedule delays and limits the Legislature’s ability to compare current estimates with prior reports. Committee members generally supported continued oversight and some form of project delivery reform, but several expressed concern that the plan relies on legislative changes that have not been approved and on private financing that may not materialize. Chaudhry said the authority would address the Inspector General’s findings in the final business plan and continue to pursue federal grants, private capital, and corridor commercialization. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We understand; I just ask you to cover a lot of ground. So we'll do our best to accommodate you.
• now is in the Merced area, we are actually discussing with the city and the county, both of those entities
• We have not reached any agreement with any of the entities.
• And I think most of it was covered already, so I’m not going to go over that in too much depth.
• And I think most of it was covered already, so I’m not going to go over that in too much depth.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan, with testimony from the authority, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General. Chair Cortese framed the hearing around the project’s recent changes: a new CEO, revised delivery strategy, proposed station and scope changes in the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, the loss of major federal funds, and the authority’s push for private investment and ancillary revenue. He also raised concerns about financing risks, the proposed changes to the initial operating segment, and the Inspector General’s finding that the draft plan may be missing required statutory elements. Authority CEO Ian Chaudhry said the project is now in a more disciplined phase, citing major construction progress in the Central Valley, near-completion of right-of-way and utility work, and plans to begin track and systems procurement. He said the authority expects the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment to be completed around 2032-33, with broader Phase 1 service later, and argued that design optimization, direct procurement, and public-private partnerships could reduce costs and attract private capital. He also described plans for ancillary revenue from real estate, broadband, energy, and logistics, and said the authority is discussing station locations and value-capture tools with local governments rather than locking them in yet. Several senators questioned the legality and practicality of tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, transparency, and whether the project’s revised scope still meets high-speed rail standards and public expectations. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the draft plan assumes major statutory changes, including changes to station locations and scope, and warned that the plan’s cost and schedule estimates depend on assumptions that may not materialize. LAO said the plan lacks transparency because it does not clearly disclose the assumed station changes, and it questioned whether even the shorter segment can be delivered within existing funding once borrowing costs and other risks are included. The office also noted uncertainty around future greenhouse gas reduction fund revenues and said ancillary revenues are not yet credit-worthy for financing. The Inspector General’s office said the draft business plan does not appear to meet several statutory requirements, including requirements added in AB 377, and reiterated that the final plan must address those omissions. Chaudhry said the authority would respond to the OIG’s findings in the final business plan and committed to resolving the compliance issues before final adoption.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the local government entity decided, you know what, we're going to go to our local legislator and
• And the local government entity decided, you know what, we're going to go to our local legislator and
• The entity decided, you know what?
• But it does cover this topic quite extensively.
• They actually covered what I was going to talk about: the why.

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 1087 from Senator Joe Nicola, which would update limited driving privileges and create a process to suspend licenses after repeated failures to appear or pay for minor moving traffic violations. Nicola said the bill was intended to improve public safety and municipal court compliance without restoring the pre-2015 system of fines and fees. Supporters, including officials from Independence, O’Fallon, and the Missouri Municipal League, argued that municipal court reform had sharply reduced citations and increased failure-to-appear rates, leaving courts with too little leverage to ensure compliance and creating safety problems for repeat offenders. They said the bill would preserve discretion, protect work and basic travel needs, and help law enforcement and courts address chronic noncompliance. Opponents, including the State Public Advocate, argued the bill would restore a cash-cow system, burden low-income residents, and create harsh consequences for missed notices or address problems. The hearing closed without a vote on SB 1087. The committee then moved into executive session and reconsidered House Bill 2288, ultimately voting to reconsider and then voting the bill due pass by a 10-5 margin. The committee also adopted a substitute and passed House Bill 3006 due pass by 13-1, passed House Bill 2289 due pass by 10-3 with one present, and passed House Bill 2906 due pass by 13-1 after adopting an amendment and rolling it into a substitute. Members discussed procedural issues about quorum and the reconsideration motion during the HB 2288 vote. Later, the committee heard House Bill 3491 from Representative Don Mayhew, which would codify English-language proficiency requirements for commercial driver’s license holders and impose penalties on drivers and motor carriers when those requirements are violated. Mayhew and a Lincoln County prosecutor described a recent Highway 61 incident involving a Minnesota CDL holder who could not communicate in English, could not identify his location, and was taken out of service after a Highway Patrol proficiency test. Supporters said the bill would mirror federal rules in state statute, improve safety, and hold both drivers and carriers accountable. Some members questioned whether the bill was redundant with federal law, whether it would be enforceable before an accident, and whether the language was too broad, especially the phrase about conversing with the general public. The prosecutor said the current tools are mostly reactive and that the bill would help remove dangerous drivers and penalize carriers, but no final action was taken on HB 3491 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• to include parents of children with IEPs, and I think that on the list B and C could qualify for covering
• the needs of people in all sorts of For covering those two IEPs.
• It covers the same ground and uh does it very nicely.
• I think the way this is written, it just covers too broad of an area because a lot of the stuff that
• I think the way this is written, it just covers too broad of an area because a lot of the stuff that

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we have a budget allocation, our dollars no longer cover our cost.
• Wisconsin, where it is now part of a coordinated national litigation effort on behalf of public entities
• firms and have closed factories, that's what we're having to deal with as a small local government entity
• some of the things we need to look at, because we don't want to be held hostage by these private entities
• You've heard from some entities that are doing everything that they can, and your involvement in this

Committee: House Emergency Management

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• your worst-case scenario is and what your bandwidth is, and then make sure you have it and you're covered
• not being responsive or as responsive as they could be to community concerns and to the regulated entities
• something that informs a lot of the discussions that we have in our meetings with particular regulated entities
• than to pass along that that is a concern that we hear in nearly all of our meetings with regulated entities
• than to pass along that that is a concern that we hear in nearly all of our meetings with regulated entities

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• made at the state level, at the Nature Conservancy, at the private company level, and so many other entities
• We have over 50 entities involved with beaver work.
• But all these other entities are collaborating on managing beavers along with other species like salmon
• That has happened in partnership with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and all the entities
• Okay, I'm going to kind of skip through these next parts because I've already covered them, except this

Bills: SB6104 , SB6241 , SJM8015 , SB6318

Committee: Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: agriculture, protection, state regulation, farmers, land use, sustainability, steelhead, conservation, wildlife, fishing, environmental protection, federal response, wildfire protection, community safety, infrastructure, natural resources, commercial shellfish, fees, fishing industry, regulations

Transcript Highlights:

• made at the state level, at The Nature Conservancy, at the private company level, and so many other entities
• We have over 50 entities involved with beaver work.
• But all these other entities are collaborating on managing beavers along with other species like salmon
• That has happened in partnership with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and all the entities
• Okay, I'm going to kind of skip through these next parts because I've already covered them, except this

Summary: The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held public hearings on several bills and a joint memorial, with testimony largely focused on steelhead recovery, agricultural viability, wildfire funding, and shellfish fees. On SB 6241, which would create a wild broodstock conservation program for steelhead, staff described a statewide program with a fiscal note of about $14.6 million in FY 2027, while sponsor Sen. Braun argued the concept could boost wild populations and fishing opportunity at lower cost than the fiscal note suggests. Proponents, including anglers and conservation groups, said broodstock programs could improve fisheries, preserve genetics, and support local economies; opponents, including Trout Unlimited, argued the bill was too broad, not sufficiently science-driven, and should be left to agency and co-manager discretion. The public hearing closed with a strong pro/con sign-in count in favor of the bill. The committee then heard SB 6104, a broad agriculture-protection bill that would require agricultural impact statements for certain agency actions, annexations, and zoning changes, and would direct mitigation measures when actions harm agricultural or natural-resource-based commercial activities. Sponsor Sen. Muzzall said Washington agriculture is under severe pressure and losing farms, while supporters from farm groups said the bill would force agencies to consider ag viability and compensate for impacts. Opponents, including a small farmer and environmental advocates, said the bill was too procedural, could burden modernization or conservation efforts, and might create uncertainty around existing conservation funding accounts. The hearing ended with more testimony in opposition than support. The committee also heard SJM 8015, urging the federal government to ensure wildfire-response consolidation does not reduce capacity or firefighter safety. Sponsor Sen. Short and many testifiers, including private forest owners, tribes, students, conservation groups, and local officials, emphasized the importance of maintaining and fully funding Washington’s wildfire response and forest-restoration investments, especially the 1168 account. Testimony highlighted fuel breaks, early detection, community protection, and the economic costs of wildfire. The memorial drew overwhelmingly pro testimony. Finally, the committee suspended the five-day notice rule to hear SB 6318 on commercial shellfish fees; staff explained it would cap Department of Health fee increases after a recent fee review, and shellfish growers strongly supported the bill as necessary to keep small farms viable. The committee also took a work session on beaver relocation and habitat restoration, where presenters described beavers as a water-retention and wildfire-resilience tool and discussed coexistence, relocation, and possible future management changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:06:57.560><c> are</c><01:06:57.760><c> not</c><01:06:58.400><c> confidential,</c> entities are not
• confidential, entities are not confidential, I<01:07:00.360><c> would</c><01:07:00.560><c> like</c><
• Did we sufficiently cover that?
• Did we sufficiently cover that? issue. Did we sufficiently cover that?
• And there's still concern that the entities won't be treated similarly in the same manner.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with quorum and seating issues, including the temporary appointment of Representative Shaw to fill in for a House member, followed by approval of the previous minutes and the consent calendar. Two items were then postponed to next month: Mechanical Licensing Board item 25-241 and Board of Veterinarian item 25-223. The committee then took up Department of Energy rulemaking on distributed energy resources interconnection procedures, including items 25-220 and related sections on fees, additional controls, and equipment. The Department explained revised language to address concerns that the original draft improperly suggested agency or PUC approval of utility fees; under the amended language, utilities would set fees designed to recover costs, with complaints handled through existing complaint procedures. Committee members and the Department discussed the statutory basis for that approach, including cost responsibility versus fee-setting authority. Public testimony was mixed. A small solar developer argued the rules still exceed statutory authority, impose unfair costs on customer generators, and allow utilities to shift transmission-related study costs onto interconnecting customers. Clean energy advocates supported the Department’s revised language but asked for clearer limits on charging customers for later-added controls, arguing costs should be tied directly to the customer’s interconnection and not to later utility-driven changes. Eversource supported the revised fee language, said most prior concerns were resolved, and recommended conditional approval, while also suggesting a minor wording change in the “Additional Equipment” section to clarify that only operational performance is covered.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now let’s cover the ground rules for appropriate conduct.
• Now let’s cover the ground rules for appropriate conduct.
• Today, each trip is covered by multiple forms of insurance: a million dollars in liability insurance,
• And so it isn't that I wouldn't be covered any longer.
• I just would be covered through the regular system that everybody else uses for that system.

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee heard three bills. SB 371 by Senator Cabaldon would reduce uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage requirements for transportation network companies from $1 million to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, with committee amendments adding findings and declarations, higher limits than originally proposed, and a joint study on UM/UIM impacts. Supporters, including Uber, Lyft, business groups, and some consumer advocates, argued the bill would lower fares and increase driver earnings by reducing insurance costs. Opponents, including consumer attorneys, labor groups, and consumer watchdog organizations, warned it would cut protections for riders and drivers and might not guarantee savings would be passed through. The committee approved SB 371 on a due-pass basis and re-referred it to Appropriations by a 9-0 vote. The committee then heard SB 716 by Senator Durazo, which would create a Home Internet Lifeline Program to let eligible low-income households apply Lifeline subsidies to home broadband service. Proponents said the bill addresses broadband affordability after the federal Affordable Connectivity Program expired, and that it would help students, workers, and families access reliable internet. Opponents from the wireless industry objected to the funding mechanism, arguing the surcharge would fall unfairly on wireless consumers, while one broadband group moved to neutral after amendments. The bill was approved on a due-pass basis and sent to Appropriations, but the roll was held open and later completed with the bill passing 7-1. The committee also took up SB 480 by Senator Archuleta relating to autonomous vehicles as a consent item, with no presentation or debate. It was approved on a due-pass basis and re-referred to Appropriations by a 9-0 vote. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly focused on affordability, consumer protection, and whether savings from the bills would actually reach riders, drivers, or households.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe I covered anything.
• </c> hopefully I covered everything for you. hopefully I covered everything for you.
• It recorded and it doesn't cover that. It covers<01:34:55.920><c> that.
• </c><01:34:57.520><c> So,</c> covers that. [laughter] Thank you. So, covers that.
• </c> authorized entities. authorized entities.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I got this covered, she said, but we got to have this board to go.
• They're going to be divided into seven regions, and there will be different entities that are going to

Committee: Senate Confirmations

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; Future ready covers both. &gt;&gt; Future ready covers both.
• You're going to get sued by who knows what entity over education. You have to decide.
• </c> to get sued by who knows what entity to get sued by who knows what entity over<03:05:44.160><c>
• ,</c> or fractured amongst other entities, or fractured amongst other entities, yes,<03:08:14.680><c>
• </c> and I just want to cover some of them. and I just want to cover some of them.

Committee: Joint Education

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> correctly and therefore did not cover correctly and therefore did not cover some<01:05:48.079><c
• Our membership covers every corner of the state.
• Our membership covers every corner of the state.
• </c><01:52:44.639><c> by</c> what meetings we're going to cover by what meetings we're going to cover
• </c> and doesn't provide for entities and doesn't provide for entities to<04:32:16.720><c> use</c><04

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• residents to pay only one upfront fee residents to pay only one upfront fee that<00:24:55.880><c> covers
• at-home and public charging, that covers at-home and public charging, replacing<00:24:58.640><c> those
• Ensuring safety is the purpose of third-party nationally recognized certification entities.
• </c><00:53:51.520><c> They</c><00:53:51.640><c> create</c> certification entities.
• They create certification entities.

Bills: SF0095 , SF0107 , SF0112

Committee: House Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs

Keywords: driver's license, motor vehicle services, third-party providers, Wyoming, regulatory compliance, motor vehicle, registration, license plate, electronic system, State Department of Transportation, county treasurers, vehicle fees, public records, license plates, replacement cycle, vehicle registration, motor vehicles, state fees, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Olafson will be covering.
• Olafson<00:02:05.720><c> will</c><00:02:05.840><c> be</c><00:02:05.920><c> covering.
• </c> Olafson will be covering. Olafson will be covering.
• 00:02:29.720><c> was</c><00:02:30.160><c> insufficient</c><00:02:30.920><c> to</c><00:02:31.000><c> cover
• </c> appropriations was insufficient to cover appropriations was insufficient to cover their<00:02:31.400

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee on the housing omnibus bill began with member introductions and a staff walk-through comparing House and Senate provisions. House Research staff reviewed major policy differences affecting Minnesota Housing Finance Agency operations, including limits on how much the agency may retain from state appropriations for administrative costs, new reporting requirements, restrictions on transfers between appropriated accounts, and House-only language requiring annual expenditure of investment income from state appropriations. Senate provisions were also summarized, including tighter rules on when appropriations may be placed into Housing Development Fund bookkeeping accounts, updated operating-cost reporting, and Senate-only changes to how investment earnings may be used. Staff also described shared and differing provisions on program-money transfers, a lived-experience earnings exemption, and a long list of Senate-only policy changes, including manufactured home park tenant protections, low-income housing tax credit and bond-related changes, a task force on housing taxes and fees, and repealers affecting Housing Development Fund authority and certain older programs. Fiscal staff then reviewed the budget impacts. The House side included one-time appropriations for workforce housing development, family homeless prevention and assistance, a Minnesota Nice Home Share pilot, and homebuyer education, along with debt service for $100 million in housing infrastructure bonds and transfers/cancellations that produced a net zero general fund impact across the budget window. The Senate side noted a fiscal note for the housing taxes and fees task force and a smaller housing infrastructure bond authorization, with corresponding debt service costs and a total Senate budget-window impact of about $1 million in general fund debt service. After the staff presentations, the committee moved to public testimony. Commissioner Jennifer Ho of Minnesota Housing said the bill’s housing infrastructure bonds and continued support for family homeless prevention were important, and she supported the lived-experience earnings exemption, while noting concerns about the interest-earnings provisions. Testifiers from Greater Minnesota groups praised the workforce housing investments and Senate updates to the state housing tax credit and infrastructure grant program, though they suggested changes to the geographic distribution language. HOME Line urged funding for statewide tenant hotline services, citing rising demand and asking for $1 million if additional money becomes available. The Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers supported the bill’s investments and emphasized the need to pair housing development with supportive services. Housing First Minnesota praised housing infrastructure bonds and other investments but criticized the omission of the Minnesota Starter Homes Act. The Minnesota Multi Housing Association began testimony opposing certain rent-control-related provisions in the House bill. No votes or final actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• While federal oversight previously covered these fair lending obligations under this administration,
• That is in California's purview and allows for California institutions to be covered by the law.
• It fills a federal gap by adding nondiscrimination chapters to three Financial Code divisions covering
• disparate impacts on protected classes. current standards to use to ease burden for institutions covered
• It fills a federal gap by adding nondiscrimination chapters to three financial code divisions covering

Summary: The committee heard AB 801, which would require the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation to conduct fair lending examinations of lenders on a regular schedule. The author and supporters, including the Greenlining Institute and several housing and consumer groups, argued the bill was needed because federal fair lending enforcement has weakened and California borrowers of color continue to face lending disparities. Banking and credit union representatives opposed the bill as duplicative and costly, though they acknowledged the author’s amendments and continued negotiations. The bill was approved on a vote and re-referred to Judiciary, with some members voting no or not voting at first and later the measure passing on a fuller roll call. The committee then heard AB 871, which would strengthen elder fraud protections by requiring financial institutions to report suspected financial abuse to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and notify customers of the report. The author and county and adult protective services supporters said the bill would improve pattern detection and help stop or reverse scams more quickly. Bankers opposed the customer-notification requirement, warning it could alarm seniors and that the reporting process would add operational burden, but the author and supporters said victim information is important for investigations. The bill passed with committee support and was re-referred to Judiciary. AB 1842 and AB 1847, both related to mortgage forbearance after major disasters and the Eaton and Palisades fires, were also heard. AB 1842 would create a statewide framework for forbearance after federally declared major disasters, and AB 1847 would extend relief for wildfire survivors; both bills were amended to narrow triggers, clarify repayment and documentation issues, and remove some reporting requirements. Supporters included local officials, consumer groups, and housing advocates, while mortgage and banking groups remained in opposition on some implementation points but said they were working toward compromise. Both bills were approved and re-referred to Judiciary. Finally, AB 2116, dealing with merchant cash advances and small business financing transparency, was heard with broad support from small business and consumer advocates and partial support from some industry representatives after amendments; opponents still raised concerns about disclosure authority and unconscionability standards. The bill was also approved and sent to Judiciary. The committee additionally adopted a consent calendar of unrelated bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• While federal oversight previously covered these fair lending obligations under this administration,
• That is in California's purview and allows for California institutions to be covered by the law.
• It fills a federal gap by adding nondiscrimination chapters to three Financial Code divisions covering
• It fills a federal gap by adding nondiscrimination chapters to three financial code divisions covering
• DFPI regulated lenders, establishes a mandatory 48-month examination expressly covering both intentional

Committee: Senate Banking and Financial Institutions

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill creates a five-year tax credit from 2027 to 2032, up to $20,000 per year, to help cover costs
• It covers cleanup costs like waste removal, sanitation, and repairs from damages.
• It covers cleanup costs like waste removal, sanitation, and repairs from damages.
• It does not cover ongoing maintenance, wages, or permanent upgrades.
• AB 1606 provides a five-year tax credit covering 100% of those cleanup expenses, and it is a targeted

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 988, house, all