Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation will complicate the state code since there are no provisions existing in federal law
• AB 2192 includes a $200 million General Fund appropriation to reimburse cities and counties for their
• working with our... ...the first year of this exemption and look forward to working with both the cities
• Cardenas, here on behalf of the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities
• Kisham Kumar with Lighthouse Public Affairs on behalf of the city of Fresno, in support. Thank you.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation met as a subcommittee and announced that all bills on the agenda had revenue impacts placing them on the suspense file, so none were eligible for immediate vote. The chair also reviewed procedural rules, including the deadline for position letters and the suspense-file threshold, and later established a quorum before proceeding through the agenda. Most measures were presented, heard, and then referred to suspense without committee votes. Several bills focused on tax credits or exclusions tied to housing and property. AB 1606 proposed a five-year tax credit for small businesses facing cleanup costs from illegal dumping and encampments; AB 1971 would clarify that home-hardening retrofits are not assessable for property tax purposes; AB 2394 would create a capital gains exclusion to encourage long-term homeowners to sell and downsize; AB 1714 would offer a credit for sellers who complete required repairs for CalHFA-assisted first-time buyers; and AB 2389 would extend the property tax exclusion for newly installed solar systems. Supporters generally framed these bills as targeted relief or affordability measures, while opponents raised concerns about revenue loss, policy effectiveness, or implementation. The committee also heard a series of agriculture-related bills. AB 2427 proposed a tax credit for qualified agricultural producers to offset labor, equipment, infrastructure, and production costs, and AB 2192 would extend the state’s farm equipment sales tax exemption to local sales taxes with a General Fund backfill for local governments. Supporters argued both measures would help preserve California agriculture, jobs, and food security amid rising costs and regulatory burdens; opponents questioned the need for the subsidies and the size of the fiscal impact. Both bills were referred to suspense. Other measures included AB 1611, which would end a tax break on capital gains from single-family home sales for large corporate investors to discourage investor competition with homebuyers; AB 2522, which would exempt over-the-counter medications from sales tax; AB 2444, which would add a state deduction for ScholarShare 529 contributions and align California law with federal Roth IRA rollover rules; and AB 1550, which would allow deductions for tips and overtime. Each drew support from sponsors and allied groups, while tax reform and local government representatives opposed several bills over revenue and policy concerns. All of these measures were also sent to the suspense file, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation will complicate the state code since there are no provisions existing in federal law
• AB 2192 includes a $200 million General Fund appropriation to reimburse cities and counties for their
• appropriation would only cover the first year of this exemption and look forward to working with our cities
• Cardenas, here on behalf of the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities
• Kisham Kumar with Lighthouse Public Affairs on behalf of the City of Fresno in support. Thank you.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On the other hand, trying to drive to make access to care in larger cities would not work for us.
• I think there can be with a local county, city, what have you, working together.
• We've done several in the city of Grants, and then one up in McKinley County.
• We've done several in the city of Grants, and then one up in McKinley County.
• We were granted some special appropriation money that we were unable to get DFA and procurement code

Bills: SB21 , SB42 , SB81 , SB101 , SB139

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Keywords: SB 21, Medicare supplement, Medigap, open enrollment, guaranteed issue, birthday month enrollment, health insurance, insurance regulation, senior health coverage, elderly, retiree, Medicare beneficiaries, preexisting conditions, underwriting restrictions, premium discrimination, New Mexico insurance law, superintendent of insurance, health care coverage, policy portability, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 5972 expands interest arbitration to correctional employees of city or county jails by removing
• the decision of an arbitrator involving correctional employees of jails not binding on the county or city
• I think it's only fair that we give that same protection to our locals, counties, and cities.
• given the state that same right and responsibility, and I think it's only fair that we allow the cities
• She was first flown to a hospital in Tri-Cities that didn't have a surgeon available.

Summary: The committee first held a public hearing on Senate Bill 6136, which would require Labor and Industries to publish actuarial indicated workers’ compensation rates for each risk class and disclose when rate increases are capped below those indicated levels. The sponsor and supporters from the hospitality, retail, business, and construction sectors said the bill would improve transparency about how rates are set and how reserve funds and investment earnings are used to hold down premiums. L&I testified that the bill would require publication of a large amount of rate-setting information, but said it was already developed in the normal process and that the bill had no fiscal impact. Questions focused on reserve use, advisory committee involvement, and how the actuarial calculations interact with investment returns. The committee then moved to executive session and took action on several bills, adopting substitutes or amendments and advancing bills including SB 5292, 6014, 5972, 5869, 5874, 6058, 6039, 5944, and 6180, with most sent to Rules and SB 5292 sent to Ways and Means. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5847, which would expand injured workers’ access to medical care by allowing treatment outside the L&I provider network when no provider is available nearby, limiting employer steering to specific providers, shortening utilization review timelines, allowing provider deviation from L&I guidelines when medically appropriate, and expanding continued treatment and cancer monitoring. Labor and worker advocates argued the bill would better reflect the Murray decision and reduce delays in care, while L&I and employer groups said the current evidence-based guideline system works for most claims and warned the bill could weaken quality controls, create vague standards, and increase costs. Testimony also raised concerns about the 15-mile access rule, the employer communication restrictions, and the appeal process for provider removal. The sponsor said the goal was to improve individualized care and continue working with stakeholders. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6067, which would change workers’ compensation time-loss calculations so that 100% of the employer-paid health insurance contribution is included in the benefit calculation instead of the current partial inclusion. Supporters said the bill would help injured workers keep health coverage during recovery and reduce pressure to choose between medical care and income, while opponents argued it would not guarantee the money is actually used for health insurance, could be diverted to other uses or attorney fees, and would significantly increase costs for employers and the accident fund. L&I said the bill would require IT and administrative changes and estimated substantial ongoing benefit costs. The hearing ended without further action on SB 6067, and the chair closed the session after public testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the school superintendents in the city representative, the district 7, which is Valencia County,
• The core infrastructure that's needed to connect to city utilities there, and it will support 137 multifamily
• the money thus far has gone into Bernalillo County, Doña Ana, Otero, Santa Fe, Taos, and then the city
• Chairman, just my last little statement, we're having a city election in Aztec right now and it's very
• Are we building these homes in accordance with current codes and guidelines?

Committee: House Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's based on the code, and it's city council-manager model, and so it's sort of like a business,
• So, um, nine-year city council member, so under a statutory city... don't um there's a bunch of stuff
• city council member nine-year city council member so<00:32:30.960><c> under</c><00:32:31.519><c> a</
• c> a</c> So under a statutory city, under a council-manager form of government, the city manager is the
• The city very small, they have law.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I was on the Albuquerque City Council.
• They will have to go through the city to reach another port.
• Sure, it will connect to the city of Santa Park...
• To get into the state of Texas as well, the city of El Paso.
• Can provide for the future of the traffic in the city.

Transcript Highlights:

• Scottsdale, a chaplain for the Paradise Valley Police Department, national director for Not in Our City
• anything out that is opposed by anybody because it's supposed to be simply corrections to the tax code

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, and recognized the Doctor of the Day and numerous guest introductions, including advocates for children’s health, Jewish advocacy, housing affordability, environmental issues, and other community groups. Members also made several personal privilege remarks, including a resolution-style statement for Lobo Week supporting Mexican gray wolf conservation and a brief announcement about an upcoming CAP update. The chamber then moved into Committee of the Whole and considered two Senate bills. SB 1415 was recommended do pass without amendment, and SB 1430 was amended in committee to remove a disputed provision so the measure remained limited to tax-code corrections; it was then recommended do pass as amended. The House adopted the Committee of the Whole report, and both bills were deferred for engrossing. Earlier calendar actions also included the placement and referral of several Senate bills and resolutions. On third reading, the House passed HB 2680 on workers’ compensation by a vote of 55-1, and SB 1029 on campaign contributions and expenses by a vote of 57-0. The session included extended partisan debate during personal privilege remarks over the federal government shutdown, TSA pay, ICE presence at airports, and broader federal and state budget issues. The House later recessed briefly, received additional bill referrals and first readings, and adjourned until 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• So any government, county, city, municipality, it allows them to partner with private, for-profit...
• I think— They think they can break the code and they want a shot at doing it.

Summary: The Natural Resources A and B Subcommittee considered nine bills, with members asking questions on funding sources, program structure, and implementation. HB 3915, by Rep. Dallens, would direct existing animal-friendly tag revenue to a spay-and-neuter grant program overseen by the Department of Agriculture to address pet overpopulation; it passed 5-4. HB 3311, by Rep. Eves, would raise the cap on the Commerce P3 program from $200 million to $250 million; members discussed whether the program was nearing its limit, and it passed 8-1. HB 3465, by Rep. Bowles, would extend the sunset on the mission tax credit to July 1, 2029, with no new funding requested; it passed 9-0. HB 3786, by Rep. Adams, sought a 15% pay raise for park rangers to address turnover and vacancies; the committee heard that rangers were paid about $20-$23 per hour and that turnover was around 20%, and the bill passed 9-1. HB 3403, by Rep. Pascowski, proposed a five-year biosolids pilot study involving OSU, DEQ, and a private entity; debate focused on whether the practice is already unsafe, the scope of testing, and the role of the private participant, and the bill passed 9-2. HB 4333, by Rep. Moore, would modernize and streamline Commissioners of the Land Office operations by removing outdated language and clarifying authority; concerns were raised about outside property managers, and it passed 10-1. HB 3177, by Rep. Archer, would remove a statutory cap on Corporation Commission court reporter pay to improve retention; members discussed staffing levels and compensation comparisons, and it passed 9-1. HB 3126, by Rep. West, would create a CLO revolving fund for concurrent enrollment, modeled on an existing stabilization fund, to help support that program over time; it passed 8-2. The chair then adjourned the meeting and announced the committee would meet again the following Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• He's leading an evaluation where I'm working for him for the city of Philadelphia.
• So there are lots of incentives in the tax code that are to incent certain kinds of activity, like the

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rural economic development and investment program to serve rural counties with growing moderate sized cities
• Currently, the government code requires that the director of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission

Committee: Senate Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• We serve all the major counties in Texas, all the major cities, and so we know a thing about veterans
• also clarifies and updates statutory language, uh, to ensure consistency throughout the, uh, relevant code

Committee: House S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• This would allow the city to annex the property that is the resort and to allow them to sell alcohol.
• We're kind of riding as a team and this energy as a team and this energy funding bill amends Alabama Code

Bills: SB311 , SB322 , SB304 , SB313 , SB315 , SB316 , HB489 , SB90

Committees: House Tourism , House Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: electric transmission, public highways, permit processing, economic growth, infrastructure, rural development, condemnation actions, state regulations, community development district, CDD, annexation, municipal annexation, wet municipality, dry county, wet county, Sunday alcohol sales, ABC Board, alcohol licensing, on-premises consumption, golf course

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve as superintendent for Bloomville City Schools, and I'd like to share with you what we've seen
• Um, just basically restores a couple of words back to the code section that were taken out in a very

Bills: SB210 , SB225 , HB280 , HB287 , HB94 , HB88 , SB157 , HB7 , HB8 , HB42

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: hospital liens, medical billing, government healthcare, insurance claims, patient rights, blood tests, DUI, law enforcement, traffic offenses, chemical analysis, public nuisance, event liability, local government, community health, legal action, transparency, reporting, public safety, regulation, accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• ADDITIONALLY THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION'S 2024 HEALTHCARE FACILITIES CODE REQUIRES THE
• WE HAD A SITUATION IN THE MARTIN COUNTY OR ACTUALLY PALM CITY WHERE A WOMAN WHO HAD GIVEN BIRTH CAME

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the City of Lakes.
• the City of Lakes.
• I am the city administrator for the city of Delano.
• I am the city administrator for the city of Delano.
• I am the city administrator for the city of Delano.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I know the BIA is bound pretty close by that as opposed to say the city of Riverton or the city of
• </c><02:11:42.000><c> of</c> that as opposed to say the city of that as opposed to say the city of Riverton
• You know, we're not the city.
• You know, we don't—we're not the city.
• The people don't order code ordinances.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Tribal Relations

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I can tell you the city of Concord, they were very concerned about this whole Hampshire has um very uh
• </c><02:27:03.120><c> with</c><02:27:03.439><c> municipal</c> who are medically coded with municipal
• who are medically coded with municipal officials<02:27:04.560><c> during</c><02:27:04.880><c> times</
• What is a medically coded customer?
• Medically coded customer is a customer who contacts us and fills out a medical certification form that

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• City and County of Honolulu, &gt;&gt; Thank you.
• City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services with comments.
• City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services with comments.
• City and County of Honolulu not present.
• </c><00:38:48.880><c> Department</c> City and County of Honolulu Department City and County of Honolulu

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Transportation heard several measures and took action on each after testimony. SB 2697 SD1 would prohibit driving on roadway shoulders except in limited circumstances, authorize towing or impoundment of vehicles with expired registrations of three or more years, increase certain fines and penalties, and require annual reporting; the Department of Transportation supported it, and the committee later adopted amendments and recommended passage. SB 2399 SD2 would provide a general excise tax exemption for aircraft maintenance materials, parts, tools, and related facility construction; it drew support from industry groups and comments from the Department of Taxation and Tax Foundation of Hawaii, and was also passed with amendments. SB 2665 SD2 would require driver’s license renewal applicants with a recent traffic citation to complete a road-safety course and exam; DOT supported it, the Public Defender opposed it as not clearly linked to safer driving, and the committee amended the bill to raise the trigger from one citation to two citations within five years before recommending passage. The committee also heard SB 2851 SD1, which would allow deaf vehicle owners to register a deafness designation visible to law enforcement; the Disability and Communication Access Board supported it, Peter Fritz testified in support while urging amendments on verification and threshold issues, and the committee adopted amendments and passed the measure. SB 3102 SD2 would clarify DOT’s role in port pilotage standards and appeals; DOT, DCCA, pilots, maritime interests, labor, and harbor users supported it, and it was passed with amendments. SB 2521 SD1 would exempt emergency medical services personnel from CDL requirements, require emergency-vehicle training, and update the definition of authorized emergency vehicle; DOT, DOH, Honolulu emergency services, and UPW supported it, and it too was passed with amendments. Finally, SB 3157 would transfer unencumbered automated speed enforcement special fund balances above a set threshold to the general fund. DOT supported the concept, but members questioned whether excess funds would ever accumulate and whether the money should instead support safe routes to school; the committee increased the threshold from $12 million to $25 million, discussed but did not adopt a transfer to another special fund, and passed the bill with amendments. The chair noted the next hearing would be held the following Tuesday, likely at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• If students' learning experience should not depend on their zip code.
• If students' learning experience should not depend on their zip code.
• I'm Candace Fock, representing the Association of Washington Cities.
• Cities face many of the same struggles that counties do when it comes to funding public defense.
• Cities face many of the same struggles that counties do when it comes to funding public defense.

Summary: The Senate Ways and Means Committee heard an overview from OFM Director Katie Chapman See on Governor Ferguson’s 2026 supplemental budget proposal. She said the budget was built in response to higher caseloads and inflation, a roughly $390 million revenue forecast drop, new federal costs tied to H.R. 1, and a relatively small ending fund balance. The proposal would increase near general fund spending by about $1.1 billion and solve an estimated $2.3 billion two-year gap through about $800 million in reductions, revenue shifts and tax preference changes, use of other funds, and about $1 billion from the budget stabilization account. She also noted the budget is balanced over two years but not fully over four years under the state’s outlook rules. Chapman See highlighted reductions in Working Connections Child Care, including a soft cap on enrollment and holding subsidy rates at the 75th percentile, delays to long-term care and developmental disability-related changes, and across-the-board reductions to higher education and administrative spending. She also described investments in wildfire suppression and preparedness, affordability programs like utility rebates and home energy assistance, housing-related planning and permitting support, One Washington IT replacement, behavioral health workforce programs, and continued support for some K-12 initiatives such as ninth grade success and homeless student stability. In response to questions, she said some proposed cuts were based on the governor’s subjective judgment about what was critically necessary, that current child care enrollees would not be cut off immediately, and that the budget would maintain services for about 500 highest-acuity Medicaid clients who lost eligibility under federal changes. Public testimony was largely critical of the proposed cuts in K-12, early learning, and higher education. School officials, educators, nurses, and advocacy groups opposed reductions to Transition to Kindergarten, Local Effort Assistance, Running Start, MSOC, school leadership and support grants, and higher education funding, arguing the cuts would worsen existing funding gaps and harm student outcomes. Several witnesses supported restoring or maintaining funding for ninth grade success, Treehouse’s foster youth graduation program, homeless student stability, and Science on Wheels. In early learning, child care providers and advocates opposed the Working Connections cap and subsidy-rate reduction, warning it would reduce access and destabilize providers. In higher education, campus leaders and labor representatives opposed across-the-board cuts and fund shifts, while some institutions and advocates supported targeted investments such as behavioral health workforce programs and DigiPen aid restoration. In human services, Planned Parenthood advocates praised restored abortion access funding and Medicaid reimbursements. The committee took no votes or final action in the transcript provided.