Transcript Highlights:

• Uh so we didn't work on any different uh program or funding pieces outside of the program integrity pieces
• Uh so we didn't work on any different uh program or funding pieces outside of the program integrity pieces
• </c> didn't work on any different uh program didn't work on any different uh program or<00:02:49.840>
• </c> or funding pieces outside of the program or funding pieces outside of the program integrity<00:02
• Uh it establishes new programs.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not a bill that creates a new program or a bureaucracy.
• Yet, so far, the governor has not opted into that program.
• However, one aspect of the program design severely limits its full potential.
• But right now, the program is not reaching its full potential.
• But right now, the program is not reaching its full potential.

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The committee heard several tax and revenue-related bills. SB 1277, by Senator Grove, proposed a California Cost of Living Tax Credit modeled on the 2022 middle-class tax refund to provide direct relief to low- and middle-income Californians facing high housing, fuel, and utility costs. Supporters argued it would help families struggling with affordability, while opponents, including the California Tax Reform Association and CTA members, said California’s tax system already provides relief and that the bill would reduce General Fund revenue and harm schools. After extended debate, the bill was put on call and later failed on a 1-4 vote, though reconsideration was granted. SB 1287, by Senator Retado, would create a performance-based tax credit for short-line rail investments; supporters said it would improve freight efficiency, safety, emissions, and rural access, while opponents preferred direct grants. The bill was placed on call and later passed 5-0 to Transportation. SB 1407, by Senator Archuleta, would exempt military retirement pay and survivor benefits from state taxes; the author, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and veterans’ groups said it would help retain veterans and their economic contributions in California, while CTA and CTRA opposed on General Fund grounds. The bill passed 5-0 to Military and Veterans Affairs. SB 1349, by Senator Gonzalez, would direct the LAO to review major tax expenditures for effectiveness and impacts on schools and the budget; CTA and CTRA supported it as a way to increase accountability, and it passed 4-1 to Governmental Organization. SB 1120, by Senator McNerney, would extend the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035 and make credits refundable for certain strategic industries; business and industry witnesses said this would help startups and manufacturers monetize credits and attract investment, and it passed 5-0 to Appropriations. SB 1275, also by Senator McNerney, proposed converting the state sales tax on vehicle purchases into a deductible vehicle license fee to reduce Californians’ federal tax burden; the LAO provided technical testimony, and the bill passed 4-0 to Transportation. The committee also heard SB 1078, by Senator Laird, to let Santa Cruz County voters consider a temporary local tax increase for health and safety-net services, but it was put on call. Later, the committee returned to SB 1314, by Senator Min, addressing youth tobacco and illicit smoke shop sales, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're very interested in the America 250 program.
• So I lead a master's in educational leadership program, which is a program that aligns our students to
• So I lead a master's in educational leadership program, which is a program that aligns our students to
• training programs.
• I mean, it's wrong. programs. So it doesn't make, Idaho wouldn't be an outlier.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A program that is a program that is a program that is a...
• Practical update to West Virginia's industrial access road program, a program that has helped communities
• This bill modernizes the program by increasing the annual funding of the Industrial Access Road program
• It's part of a good program.
• They just liked the program better.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have a very comprehensive program to address active shooter prevention.
• We go through the same background check for hiring officers and a four-month field training program.
• That's actually a part of... also developed a program. It's called ActiveNet.
• And those are incorporated into training programs for EMS personnel at EMS training schools.
• As I mentioned, the TEMS program—some counties have very robust TEMS programs where there are a lot of

Committee: House Emergency Management

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is a loan from the TIRCP program that needs to be paid.
• And so in that process, they've not just eliminated DEI programs.
• In less than a year, they have managed to dismantle some of our most important programs.
• And so in that process, they've not just eliminated DEI programs.
• In less than a year, they have managed to dismantle some of our most important programs.

Summary: The Senate first took up two budget-related transportation trailer bills. AB 107 was described as a budget junior bill making technical corrections, updating federal appropriations by about $15 million, and exempting certain Proposition 4 appropriations from the Administrative Procedures Act to speed spending; Senator Niello objected to the transparency implications, but the bill passed 28-10. AB 117 then authorized a $590 million state loan from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to provide operating support to Bay Area transit agencies, with repayment secured by transit assistance revenues and interest; supporters called it an emergency bridge to prevent major service cuts at BART, Muni, AC Transit, and Caltrain, while critics questioned ridership recovery, governance, and accountability. The measure passed 28-9 after extensive debate, with several senators emphasizing both Bay Area urgency and the need for broader statewide transit funding and reform. The Senate then confirmed two California Air Resources Board appointees. Linda Hopkins, Sonoma County supervisor and air district chair, was confirmed after brief support from Senator Becker highlighting her rural North Bay perspective. Patricia Locke Dawson, Riverside mayor and South Bay air district representative, was also confirmed, with Senator Becker again praising her academic and practical background. Both confirmations passed on largely party-line votes with broad support from the majority and opposition from a small group of Republicans. The chamber next considered SCR 89, a resolution by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas condemning federal attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs under President Trump. Supporters from both parties and multiple caucuses framed DEI as essential to civil rights, education, workforce development, national defense, and inclusion for marginalized communities, while the author argued California must resist federal rollbacks. The resolution passed after a lengthy debate and roll call, with several senators also using the discussion to share personal experiences with educational access and discrimination. Finally, the Senate took up SCR 78, authored by Senator Cabaldon, commemorating the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and warning against repeating such abuses. Senators from across the chamber spoke in support, citing the injustice of Executive Order 9066, the resilience and military service of Japanese Americans, and the importance of museums and historic sites such as Manzanar and the Japanese American National Museum. The resolution was presented as both remembrance and a caution against fear-driven policies and erosion of due process.

Transcript Highlights:

• It increases substantially the current program from $25,000, maximum of $25,000 a year for three years
• Our program was very uncompetitive in terms of the amounts of money that were being offered to physicians
• That program is no longer in the Second Judicial District.
• So if we only give one program, one curriculum, it might not be as effective as looking at all the programs
• So if we only give one program, one curriculum, it might not be as effective as looking at all the programs

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 66, which would expand and restructure the Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Fund. The sponsor said the substitute narrows the bill to a $25 million fund, with 50% reserved for physicians and the rest for other health professionals, and raises physician awards to at least $75,000 per year for a four-year commitment. Supporters from nursing, physical therapy, health systems, social work, and advocacy groups said the program would help recruit and retain providers in New Mexico. The committee moved the substitute and then passed the bill on a do-pass motion. House Bill 38, dealing with coverage for prosthetics, orthotics, and mobility devices, drew extensive testimony from amputees, Paralympians, clinicians, and disability advocates. The bill would clarify and expand coverage for activity prosthetics, activity wheelchairs, and related complex rehab technology, with limits on the number of devices and replacement tied to physiological changes. Supporters said access to these devices is medically necessary for physical and mental health, independence, and participation in sports and daily life. After questions about provider qualifications, insurance contracting, and replacement for growing children, the committee adopted the substitute and passed the bill. House Bill 257 would appropriate funds to increase Medicaid reimbursement for vagus nerve stimulation implants for drug-resistant epilepsy. The sponsor and manufacturer’s representative argued current reimbursement is too low, leaving only UNM Hospital performing the procedures and limiting access statewide; they said better reimbursement could reduce emergency visits and long-term Medicaid costs. Members raised concerns about the bill’s language, including whether it could allow payment above allowable rates or create uncertainty about the reimbursement standard. A motion to table failed, and the committee then passed the bill 5-4, with several members noting they supported the concept but wanted the language tightened before the next committee. The committee also passed House Bill 178, which appropriates $3 million for shade structures in rural parks and outdoor recreation areas, after testimony that the project would reduce sun exposure, heat illness, and skin cancer risk. House Bill 198, which provides $2 million for peer-to-peer mental health training and treatment for first responders, also advanced on a do-pass without recommendation after members said they supported the goal but wanted clearer language on training standards, liability, and administration. Finally, House Bill 202, which would require data-sharing agreements to help the Office of Child Advocate access records from state agencies, drew support from child advocacy groups but concern from IT and family advocates about timelines, system complexity, privacy, and the need for family collaboration; the discussion continued with suggestions to refine the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• To increase the efficacy of U.N. programs, we must drive reform.
• Typically, UNICEF is another example, in addition to the World Food Program.
• Does that include our contributions to UNICEF and the World Food Program?
• I think, again, the World Food Program is a very successful program.
• Programs such as UNRWA have actively assisted. terrorists.

Committee: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• , which is a tractor replacement program where agricultural entities are given... ...program where agricultural
• I hope it continues to, because it has been a very effective program.
• program.
• And, can we get back to the programming?
• We have a research grant program, and we've also expanded that grant program to include more research

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Many Idaho patients rely on co-pay assistance programs to access essential medications.
• For these patients, co-pay assistance programs are not just a convenience.
• Tiffany Meekum: It undermines the assistance and the intent of these programs.
• And if I might respond to that one, that’s why this is a pilot program.
• The program relied on tactics that were not therapeutic.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What we've seen a big change in is our student ridership program.
• MetroLink has been a beneficiary of that with our SCORE program, our state of good repair program.
• or an afternoon program.
• funding from the state's cap-and-trade program.
• Like other agencies have been discussing, we've also been rethinking our pass programs, our Go Pass program

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This program invests in our officers and recruits before crisis hits.
• It is modeled after the 585 program, which is the state program. It is about 20 hours.
• It launched program, which is the state program. It is about 20 hours.
• Many police departments want to move beyond crisis response and build proactive, wellness-based programs—programs
• For these programs to work, officers must trust them.

Bills: SB1048 , SB1071 , SB1092 , SB1314 , SB1391 , SB1400 , SB1401 , SB1452

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Keywords: juvenile services, Coconino county, rehabilitation, detox center, financial appropriation, Arizona Rangers, statutory repeal, security, state law, regulatory changes, probation, dangerous crimes, children, Arizona Revised Statutes, criminal justice, juvenile offenses, appropriations, salary increase, corrections, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• The information and training programs are for both workers and supervisors.
• L&I administers and enforces a broad range of programs, including the workers' comp program, the Washington
• This bill started with a couple of our programs saying, we all... ...started with a couple of our programs
• For example, our retro program with employers.
• And so we found a couple of our programs who were...

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several Labor and Workplace Standards bills. HB 2492 would require building and construction apprenticeship programs, beginning in 2027, to include two hours of behavioral health and wellness training covering topics such as suicide prevention, substance use disorder, recognizing distress, peer support, and connecting to resources. The prime sponsor and many labor, apprenticeship, and contractor witnesses supported the bill, describing high suicide and overdose rates in construction and sharing personal stories about losses and struggles in the trades. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then heard HB 2405, a Department of Labor and Industries request bill creating a pilot to allow earlier treatment for PTSD claims in workers’ compensation, including up to 11 treatment sessions before claim adjudication and limited follow-up treatment after closure. L&I and NFIB supported the measure as a way to speed treatment and reduce barriers, while one legal advocate supported it but raised technical concerns about pre-claim treatment and urged more focus on workplace prevention; another witness cautioned against emphasizing psychiatric drug treatment. The bill was heard only; no action was taken. HB 2406 would expand L&I’s ability to send notices electronically, with opt-in/opt-out provisions and some changes to timing rules for workers’ compensation and WISHA notices. L&I supported the bill as a modernization measure, while labor and workers’ advocates opposed changes affecting workers’ compensation notices, arguing that email should not become the default for vulnerable workers who may miss deadlines. HB 2478 would give L&I discretion, rather than a mandate, to investigate wage complaints and allow penalties when the department initiates an investigation; L&I supported it as a more efficient enforcement tool, and the committee discussed how complaints would still be handled and communicated. Finally, HB 2471 would create a state collective bargaining framework for private-sector workers if federal labor law or the NLRB no longer covers them. Supporters said it would preserve organizing and dispute-resolution rights if federal protections fail, while agricultural employers and NFIB opposed it, arguing it would inappropriately apply to agriculture and small businesses, could disrupt perishable harvests, and should rely on secret-ballot elections rather than card check. No votes were taken on any of the bills in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 692 HD1 SD1, relating to the Preschool Open Doors Program.
• I have myself as chair, uh Program.
• And and frankly it exchange program.
• </c> we've had the needle exchange program we've had the needle exchange program and<02:27:11.840><c>
• </c> universal immunization funding program. universal immunization funding program.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• know that some programs are better than other programs according to the evidence.
• is an incredibly strong program is an incredibly strong evidence-based<00:31:05.159><c> program</c><
• </c> what the cost is on these programs what the cost is on these programs we<00:37:58.359><c> know</
• </c> people try to uh unwind their program people try to uh unwind their program the<00:43:14.040><c>
• our home visiting programs.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: House Finance Division III held an informational hearing with the Department of Health and Human Services focused on child and family services, children’s behavioral health, DCF, juvenile justice, and adult mental health. Before the presentation, members discussed scheduling a future site visit to Waypoint, including possible dates, mileage reimbursement logistics, and whether to reschedule the department’s developmental disabilities and healthy aging presentation because the associate commissioner was out sick. The department then outlined that it would concentrate on children’s behavioral health, DCF residential care and the Sununu Youth Services Center/YDC new build, and adult mental health, while noting the broader DHHS structure and the value of keeping related services under one leadership. The department emphasized an integrated “system of care” approach and said it was trying to shift resources toward earlier, lower-intensity interventions rather than relying mainly on high-cost residential and acute services. It cited youth risk data showing roughly four in ten New Hampshire high school students feeling sad or hopeless and about one in five considering suicide in the past year, and said these trends worsened during the pandemic, peaking in 2021 and easing somewhat by 2023. Members asked how New Hampshire compared with neighboring states and about pre-COVID trends; the department said it would follow up with more exact data. The presentation also described a long-term policy effort beginning with federal funding in 2012, the state’s 10-year mental health plan, and later legislation aimed at strengthening children’s behavioral health and transforming juvenile justice so that youth with behavioral health needs are not routed into punitive systems first. Members raised questions about out-of-state residential placement oversight and the statutory basis for inspections and follow-up. The department said the General Court had funded more “boots on the ground” oversight, in coordination with the Office of the Child Advocate, and agreed to provide a longer follow-up presentation on that topic after the governor’s budget is released. The department also described evidence-based prevention efforts, including home visiting programs such as Healthy Families America and a DCF-connected home visiting cohort for families already touching the child welfare system, as examples of trying to keep children out of deeper system involvement.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so one of the ways you do this is through evidence-based programming. What is our programming?
• It's to do a program inventory. So you can see we have 70 different programming options in 2023.
• So you can see we have 70 different programming options in 2023.
• And we talk about the program, so we're holding each other accountable.
• It supports Medicaid. programming, employment counseling.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met to approve the May 5 minutes and hear a presentation from the Massachusetts Probation Service. The minutes were approved unanimously, with a request that a member’s closing remarks be added to the record. The commission also noted online participants and confirmed quorum before moving to the presentation. Probation leaders described the agency’s role as the state’s largest post-release supervision system and emphasized its focus on reentry, accountability, and reducing technical violations. They outlined the from-and-after sentencing structure, dual supervision with parole, and efforts to reduce revocations and non-criminal violations. Members asked about racial and ethnic disparity work, and probation said that effort is funded through the trial court and state budget, not federal grants. The presentation highlighted community engagement, simplified and translated probation conditions, workforce diversification, and training aimed at improving trust and access for court users. A major portion of the discussion focused on Community Justice Support Centers, evidence-based programming, and shared services such as housing, MassHealth enrollment, transportation, and behavioral health referrals. Probation said the centers are underutilized but have shown improved outcomes in non-randomized studies, with lower recidivism among participants compared with similar probationers. Members discussed mental health access, veterans identification, medication-assisted treatment, and the importance of state IDs and driver’s licenses for successful reentry. The commission also heard about housing supports, including transitional and sober housing, and a statewide behavioral health initiative for justice-involved individuals. The meeting ended with plans for the next session on July 11 and a motion to adjourn, which passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a citation and fine program, and that's for more fixable types of violations.
• So the Student Tuition Recovery Fund does work like an insurance program.
• So I think as a, I think the way that the program is. those credits.
• He's gutted, I think, every grant program and policy that I worked on when I was there.
• At the Oakland campus, there's 1,200 students in undergrad and graduate programs.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a citation and fine program, and that's for more fixable types of violations.
• So the students— The student tuition recovery fund does work like an insurance program.
• So I think as a, I think the way that the program is. those credits.
• At the Oakland campus, there's 1,200 students in undergrad and graduate programs.
• At the Oakland campus, there's 1,200 students in undergrad and graduate programs.

Summary: The joint Sunset Review Oversight Hearing focused on the Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education (BPPE) and its reauthorization, with committee chairs and members emphasizing the Bureau’s role in protecting students, overseeing private postsecondary schools, and responding to a changing federal higher education landscape. BPPE and the Department of Consumer Affairs reported that the Bureau has modernized data systems, improved enforcement, increased citations and inspections, reduced pending complaints, and is now meeting its statutory inspection mandate. They also said the Bureau faces a structural budget deficit and has reduced costs through staffing cuts, streamlined inspections, and shifting some student-relief functions to the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF).

Transcript Highlights:

• So, what is your connection to the program?
• </c> ownership development program report. ownership development program report.
• </c> what is your connection to the program? what is your connection to the program?
• Talk to me about this program specifically. What does it aim to do?
• The reality is there is not enough government money, whether it be this program or similar programs,

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The program would obviously be something that's in conjunction with the federal program which you've
• If I start a program as a governor, I'm usually not going to review my own program.
• We felonious assistance program fraud.
• If I start a program as a eight years.
• The next review my own program.

Committee: Joint Judiciary, Division B

Keywords: Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 2 February, 2026; 4:30 P.M., 925, all