Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.
• SUPPORT OF THE UNDERLYING LEGISLATION.
• The yeas and nays are requested. Those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise.
• been requested.
• >> WE REQUEST A RECORDED VOTE. >> SIMILAR A RECORDED VOTE HAS BEEN REQUESTED.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation recognizes the leadership that some of our local governments are undertaking in their
• Speaking in support of AB 1129 is Martha Guerrero, legislative representative for Los Angeles County.
• Therefore, we respectfully request your aye vote. Thank you.
• So, we appreciate you hearing this and respectfully request an aye vote. Thank you.
• So you've brought this forward, and we're in the Appropriations Committee.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have the privilege of being a member of this committee, and at this group's request, this group being
• the list of persons self-excluded from gambling include procedures that allow a person to submit requests
• Requires such procedures to ensure parity between electronic and non-electronic requests with respect
• to record retention and transmission of requests through licensed gambling gaming facilities and mobile
• So I think this is a wholly appropriate bill, and I hope we pass it. Thank you.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee, chaired for the day by Senator John Liu, took up a long agenda of bills covering labor and benefits, corrections, health, taxation, government transparency, and public services. Early measures included increasing short-term disability benefits, adjusting a poverty-level-related earned income disregard, expanding correctional health staffing review, and authorizing the Inspector General to investigate sexual assault complaints in correctional facilities; each of these advanced to the floor. The committee also advanced bills on ovarian cancer screening access, retirement system membership changes, a trail stewardship program, live agency representative access, FOIL/open meetings fee awards, a Harriman campus development plan, court data reporting, educator conventions, park water testing, an energy storage tax abatement, a Native American Affairs office, adult changing tables in public facilities, Medicaid Inspector General audit standards, remote training certification for agency personnel, newborn Gaucher disease testing, electronic self-exclusion requests for gambling, and child daycare inspections and opioid antagonist requirements. Several bills drew discussion. The prescription drug transparency bill (Print 488A) prompted questions about possible overlap with federal Hatch-Waxman/FTC oversight and whether a New York notice requirement could slow generic-drug settlements; sponsors and staff said it was intended as a supplemental transparency measure for consumers. The court reporting bill (Print 1849A) raised concerns about mandates on local governments, but supporters said it mainly required OCA to compile data in one format. The Medicaid local-share phaseout bill (Print 5519) generated the most debate, with supporters arguing it would provide major property tax relief and should be addressed in the budget, while opponents emphasized the need to curb Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse first. Two major fiscal oversight proposals were defeated. Print 8661, which would have required the Comptroller to hire an independent private auditing firm to review state-funded programs for fraud and abuse, was opposed despite support from some members who argued outside auditing was overdue; it failed by one vote. Print 5519 was also ultimately defeated after a recount confirmed it lacked the required majority of the full 22-member committee. Most other bills were approved and sent either to the floor or, in the case of the drug transparency bill, to the Rules Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so my hope is to ensure that tax dollars are spent appropriately.
• Vote no on this anti-democratic, anti-freedom legislation.
• I requested to rename I-4 to the Kessel Run.
• I requested to rename I4 to the Kessel Run.
• of legislation to preserve history.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for Walton County Deputy Will May, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. The Rules and Ethics Committee’s special order report for April 3, 2025 was adopted, and CS/HB 947 was recommitted to the Judiciary Committee. The chamber then moved through a series of bills, mostly reviser and technical measures, with several companion Senate bills substituted and passed: SB 36 (Florida statutes adoption act), SB 42 (general reviser’s bill), SB 40 (deleting inoperative statutory provisions), and SB 38 (renaming references from the Division of Investigative and Forensic Services to the Division of Criminal Investigations). All of those passed unanimously or near-unanimously. The House also passed HB 513 on electronic transmittal of court orders, requiring clerks to electronically send certain petitions, notices, summonses, and orders within six hours, including Baker Act, Marchman Act, and risk protection order documents. Members discussed whether judges needed to direct transmission and whether there were fail-safes if clerks did not comply. HB 615, on electronic delivery of notices between landlords and tenants, was amended to strengthen tenant protections and passed 108-0. HB 655 establishing a regulatory framework for pet insurance, HB 299 on elevator accessibility requirements, and HB 1145 on workforce education also passed, with HB 1145 receiving 100 yeas and 4 nays. HB 649, removing the paper supervised protocol for certified registered nurse anesthetists, passed 77-30 after structured debate. A major portion of the meeting focused on CS/HB 1205, which would significantly revise Florida’s citizen initiative process. The bill adds a $1 million bond requirement after 25% of required signatures are collected, requires petition handlers to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, imposes background checks and training for paid circulators, shortens petition turn-in deadlines to 10 days, increases penalties, adds signature revocation notices, and creates additional criminal penalties and enforcement provisions. Supporters argued the changes were needed to address fraud and protect petition integrity; opponents said the bill would burden First Amendment activity and make citizen-led amendments much harder to qualify. Numerous amendments were offered, including proposals to remove sensitive personal information from petition forms, soften deadlines and penalties, change validation thresholds, and alter the estimating conference process; most failed, though one amendment clarifying who pays for background checks was adopted. The transcript ends during continued debate on an amendment to strike most of the bill and prohibit public funds from being used to advocate for or against constitutional amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• via a data that data could be requested via a data practices<00:20:41.760><c> request</c><00:20:42.960
• ><c> um</c> practices request um practices request um it<00:20:44.720><c> is</c><00:20:44.960><c> not
• </c><00:21:11.120><c> requiring</c> are passing state legislation requiring are passing state legislation
• </c><00:25:24.720><c> a</c> that background when you had requested a that background when you had requested
• </c><00:30:14.640><c> rather</c> TEGA board I can see legislation rather TEGA board I can see legislation

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:49.440><c> two</c> within our budget, we had requested two within our budget, we had requested
• Chairman, uh the appropriation, Mr.
• c> Appropriations, Travel, Recreation, Appropriations, Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, Wildlife, Wildlife
• ><00:23:15.960><c> a</c><00:23:16.280><c> interim</c> appropriations when this was a interim appropriations
• Uh it is uh an direct appropriation.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• offices to provide members and staff with advice on legislation and public policy issues.
• Our appropriations chair. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Committee or the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide appropriation authority for legal settlements
• One of his dearest friends was former legislator and Secretary of State Bruce McPherson.
• I'll request that the adjournment in memory be deemed read and printed in the journal.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In appropriations, thank you, sir. I ask you to please present from the dais and appropriations.
• Would spend state-appropriated dollars on salaries and benefits for teachers.
• Does not require an appropriation. Yield for questions.
• If, in a future hypothetical date, this legislative body so deemed fit to appropriate money into this
• If you'll refer back to my initial statement on the piece of legislation, this title of piece of legislation

Summary: The committee met for a very long session and considered a large number of bills, with the chair noting the meeting would run late and providing pizza and a recess. Early measures included HB 1752, authorizing the AG’s office and district attorneys’ counsel to buy vehicles with available funds, and HB 2961, a tuition waiver for Gold Star recipients; both advanced with strong support, though HB 2961 drew a question about its estimated annual cost of roughly $312,000 to $520,000. Members also approved HB 2967, exempting certain family vehicle transfers from motor vehicle excise tax, and HB 2973, requiring school districts to use a specific accounting code to show how state-appropriated dollars are spent. Several education and transparency bills also moved forward, including HB 3031 on common course numbering, HB 3057 centralizing statutorily required reports with LOFT, and HB 3052 codifying child welfare procedures related to fentanyl exposure cases. The committee then took up a series of public safety, health, and infrastructure measures. HB 3242, which would create a framework for student prayer during non-instructional time, generated extensive debate over whether it was a mandate, whether it could create fiscal and supervision burdens, and whether it raised local control and constitutional concerns; it passed 17-10. Other bills approved included HB 3066 creating a revolving fund tied to rural behavioral health workforce dollars, HB 3086 requiring the DOC director to brief the board annually on budget and inmate deaths, HB 3175 creating an Oklahoma Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, HB 3177 letting the Oklahoma Corporation Commission set salaries for its court reporters, HB 3178 establishing standard depreciation tables for farm equipment, HB 3429 creating an alternative funding mechanism for career tech capital projects, HB 3548 encouraging youth-run small businesses, HB 3638 directing Oklahoma to participate in the federal Summer EBT program, and HB 3704 expressing intent to opt into a federal tax credit for scholarship-granting organizations. Later, the committee approved HB 1590 creating an education infrastructure linked deposit program for charter and nonprofit schools, HB 3759 requiring temporary school allocations to be set before June 30, HB 3831 recognizing and funding Oklahoma Task Force One after federal support declines, HB 3904 unbundling Medicaid maternal health payments, and HB 4092 creating a protected 988 mental health trust fund and related oversight. After a brief recess, the committee continued with HB 1979 creating a task force to study a centralized early childhood office, HB 1983 requiring a middle school course on online scams and digital safety, HB 1242 expanding agricultural sales tax exemptions to deer and elk, HB 1250 creating a law enforcement public safety technology revolving fund, HB 2952 changing motor vehicle excise tax treatment for trade-ins, HB 3404 setting up a prescribed burn association fund, HB 3671 allowing experienced teachers to carry career teacher status to a new district with approval, HB 3920 extending a tax exemption to organ transplant nonprofits, HB 4118 creating a nonrefundable caregiver tax credit, HB 3944 cleaning up the State Finance Act, HB 3969 renaming a correctional facility after a former sheriff, HB 3973 creating a revolving fund tied to reopening Swojack, HB 3975 and HB 3976 creating mechanisms for oversight and potential funding of rural health initiatives, HB 3978 updating the Oklahoma World Jobs Act, HB 3983 serving as a placeholder for tobacco tax negotiations, and HB 3984 creating a mechanism to recruit productive new residents. Most bills passed on strong votes, while HB 1983 failed in committee 13-14 and was not reported out.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> this</c><00:02:20.560><c> scale,</c> appropriated, especially at this scale, appropriated, especially
• </c> responders from the appropriate responders from the appropriate departments<00:02:50.400><c> come
• She felt that it was more appropriate, She felt that it was more appropriate, better<00:19:30.799><c>
• </c> what curriculum was appropriate. Right? what curriculum was appropriate. Right?
• So, go ask your legislator, for the DOE. So, go ask your legislator, right?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, just for clarification, we're working off of request number 3969.
• I'm sure that's request number 3969.
• It's request number 3969. OK, Senator Kirt, you have a question. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• a future date, there would be dollars appropriated.
• It was not originally a City of Tulsa request, but through working with the House.

Bills: HB1823 , HB3031 , HB3369 , HB3378 , HB3429 , HB3624 , HB3657 , HB3880 , HB4215 , HB4476

Committee: Senate Economic Development, Workforce and Tourism

Keywords: housing finance, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, publication requirements, housing policy, state regulations, HB3031, North Pointe Workforce Development Initiative, workforce development, job training, skills training, job placement, local hiring, economic development, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, revolving fund, state treasury, appropriation, budget, workforce investment, employment outcomes

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:26:17.039><c> by</c> information that was um, requested by information that was um, requested
• </c> you hearing similar requests in MPS? you hearing similar requests in MPS?
• </c><01:07:20.960><c> and</c> as a last resort when appropriate and as a last resort when appropriate
• </c> it can be used well and appropriately it can be used well and appropriately and<01:07:40.319><c>
• We heard appropriately used. Right?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> senile 1393 very important legislation senile 1393 very important legislation regarding<00:11:06.839
• environmental legislation.
• is for a roll call vote that request is for a roll call vote that request<01:36:57.560><c> is</c><01
• to</c><01:36:59.119><c> be</c> request is granted also requested to be request is granted also requested
• That request is granted, and it is also requested to be entered in the journal.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For requesting a roll call? Senator Short requests a roll call.
• For requesting a roll call? Senator Short, request a roll call.
• Do one-sixth of the members join in the request for a roll call? The request is sustained.
• President, this legislation is about accountability. Under this legislation, our law enforcement...
• But yet this legislation could have removed him.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The Senate took up Second Substitute Senate Bill 5974, which would modernize and strengthen laws governing sheriffs, police chiefs, town marshals, and other law enforcement agencies, particularly by setting certification and background-check standards and addressing what happens if an elected sheriff is decertified. The chamber first considered several amendments focused on preserving voter control over sheriffs, limiting the bill’s reach, and shifting costs to the state. Amendment 632, which would have required a recall-style vote if a sheriff were found uncertified, failed. Amendment 628, which would have excluded foreign convictions from consideration, failed. Amendment 633, which would have made the state pay background-check costs, failed. Amendment 634, which would have exempted current sheriffs from the bill’s five-year uninterrupted employment requirement, failed on a roll call vote of 21 yeas to 28 nays. Members then rejected additional amendments: Amendment 631, which would have carved out an exception for Capitol security personnel, failed; Amendment 629, which would have prevented a vacancy if a sheriff was acting consistently with the state and U.S. constitutions, failed; Amendment 630, which would have created a private right of action for removed sheriffs, failed; and Amendment 627, which would have retained language barring men and women from being confined in the same cell when removing an old “police matron” provision, failed on a roll call vote of 19 yeas to 30 nays. Supporters of the bill argued it was about accountability, integrity, and aligning sheriffs with certification standards already applied to other law enforcement officers. Opponents argued it would override voter choice, create unfunded mandates, and let an unelected state body remove elected sheriffs. After amendments were disposed of, the Senate suspended the rules and advanced the bill to third reading and final passage. In final debate, supporters emphasized public safety, professional standards, and the need for clear decertification rules when a sheriff loses certification. Opponents repeatedly framed the bill as an unconstitutional intrusion on local democracy and a solution in search of a problem, warning it would disenfranchise voters and set a dangerous precedent. The transcript ends during final-passage debate, with no final vote on the bill shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• You got we we very much need assistance in our road fund and this will put a dent and the appropriation
• So and I would suspect that the dot also as far as their appropriation would would look at this, you
• This is done at the request of FHP because it did not align with existing practices and we do not want
• Those weren't previously in the legislation does provide those specific instances where the governor
• Unless a senator requests a separate vote on individual appointment appointee, we will take one vote

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:39:44.320><c> a</c> Senator Alt Schiller has requested a Senator Alt Schiller has requested a
• Passing this legislation does statewide.
• ><c> to</c> legisl legislative study committee to legisl legislative study committee to examine<05:03
• </c> wardens and matrons do the appropriate wardens and matrons do the appropriate thing<05:10:12.718
• Critically, PAS legislation problems.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But according to this legislation, they can't even be asked.
• In our legislation, that would not be allowed.
• So I would pass general legislation, which says whatever the feds allow, we allow with the appropriate
• I wasn't going to be 100% against this legislation.
• Because of my job, I interact with legislators and government bodies in multiple I interact with legislators

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This hearing is the 12th official convening of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary for the 194th legislative
• be prosecuted, and go to the district court if that would be appropriate.
• It just gives us an ability to assess and treat defendants appropriately as well. Any questions?
• The legislation also provided CPCS with funds to significantly expand our staff.
• We are hiring and training new staff attorneys as mandated by the legislation.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on bills in the Civil Actions 2 and Court Administration areas, with testimony spanning judicial security, judicial compensation, civil process fees, bar advocate compensation, interstate discovery, defamation protections for sexual assault survivors, and related criminal procedure changes. Chairs Edwards and Day opened with housekeeping rules on testimony limits and written submissions, then called witnesses on each bill in turn. On H. 1766, judicial officers and the Massachusetts Bar Association strongly supported a judicial security bill that would protect judges’ personal information, citing threats, online harassment, swatting, and violence against judges and their families. On H. 1819, judges and the Massachusetts Judges Conference asked for higher compensation, saying Massachusetts judges rank low nationally after cost-of-living adjustment and that pay affects recruitment and retention. The committee also heard support for H. 1582/S. 1183 to raise civil process service fees, with sheriffs saying the fees have been unchanged since 2003 and are needed to cover rising costs, safety equipment, and operations funded by those fees. The committee heard from prosecutors on H. 1604 and H. 1846, which would give district courts concurrent jurisdiction over certain school-threat and leaving-the-scene offenses, allowing prosecutors to handle less serious or panic-driven cases more efficiently while preserving mandatory penalties. CPCS and bar advocates supported H. 1876 on bar advocate compensation, describing a continuing shortage and crisis in indigent defense despite recent pay increases and staffing investments. The Boston Bar Association supported H. 1857, a Massachusetts version of the Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act, saying it would simplify out-of-state discovery and reduce cost and delay. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 1974/S. 1143, which would protect survivors of sexual assault and harassment from retaliatory defamation suits unless the plaintiff proves actual malice, and would allow fee shifting and damages against abusive suits. Survivors, advocates, and attorneys described threats, legal costs, and chilling effects that silence reporting, while supporters said the bill would protect truthful speech and improve access to counsel. The committee also heard insurance-industry testimony on S. 1101, which would change personal injury protection payment rules to require insurers to tender disputed amounts within 30 days to avoid attorney’s fees; insurers said the bill would curb a growing volume of provider lawsuits and reduce abuse of the no-fault system. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair closed after all scheduled testimony was complete.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we appropriate something or if I appropriate something, you know, by under the law, it can all be
• I mean, obviously it wasn't a department request, but it wasn't a request of theirs.
• I've had conversations with them, that's my request.
• That was a department request. This is a partial restoration.
• That's something they've requested.

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The committee heard extended discussion of the chair’s House budget substitute, especially House Bill 2 for elementary and secondary education and House Bill 3 for higher education. The chair said the operating budget leaves roughly $300 million in reserve, explained several cuts and restorations, and described proposed changes to child care, including cutting enhancement payments and keeping attendance-based rather than enrollment-based subsidy payments. Representative Fogle objected to the child care cuts and the proposed language limiting the department’s move to prospective payment and enrollment-based reimbursement; State Budget Director Dan Hogg testified that the governor’s office still intended to move to payment on enrollment in May if the budget language did not block it, while prospective payment remained under review because of federal funding concerns. The chair also explained a restriction on Parents as Teachers services for children already in public pre-K, and members debated whether that would reduce duplication or improperly limit services. The chair further proposed a new competitive Title I innovation grant program funded by a reallocation of some Title I dollars, with questions raised about what services would be reduced to offset it. The bulk of the meeting focused on a major higher education funding overhaul in House Bill 3. The chair and vice chair proposed replacing the current base-plus model with an FTE-based formula that would distribute the same overall state funding according to student credit hours, with community colleges funded on a 12-hour FTE, four-year undergraduate students on a 15-hour FTE, and graduate enrollment discussed as a separate issue. They said the goal was to make funding follow students rather than institutions and to reduce long-standing disparities between schools. Several members supported the idea as overdue and more transparent, while others warned it was being done too quickly and could harm institutions with high-cost programs, research missions, or smaller enrollments. Concerns were raised about possible closures, accreditation problems, and unintended effects on workforce programs such as nursing, engineering, and technical training. The chair and vice chair said there was no intent to force consolidation, but acknowledged that some institutions would gain and others would lose under the new model. Members also questioned how the formula would treat research and doctoral funding, especially at the University of Missouri, and whether graduate programs were properly counted. The chair said some special-purpose lines were retained, but a large portion of MU’s research and doctoral funding was folded into the broader pool and redistributed through the FTE model. Several members asked for clarification on whether graduate hours were counted at nine credits, and the chair said he was not certain and would seek follow-up from staff or the department. Community college representatives were discussed as having unanimously opposed the recommendation, and the chair noted that the institutions were briefed only shortly before the hearing. No votes were taken during the exchange, and the committee appeared to be gathering testimony and concerns ahead of markup and future action on the budget bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• So is there—I don't know if it has to be a legislative... Bakersfield for treatment.
• So is there—I don't know if it has to be a legislative fix.
• Is that a regulatory fix or is that a legislative fix? Thank you, Senator.
• Yeah, ensuring appropriate Medi-Cal eligibility enrollment is crucial, not only to Appropriate Medi-Cal
• And typically that's how, when one of us requests something, we'd like for it to be shared to all. of

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee established quorum and first approved several non-appearing gubernatorial appointees and procedural items on unanimous 5-0 votes, including Hampus Eitsiter to the Boating and Waterways Commission, Peter Stern to the California Horse Racing Board, Dean White to the State Mining and Geology Board, references of bills to committees, and floor acknowledgements. The committee then heard testimony on Tyler Sadwith’s appointment as Chief Deputy Director of Healthcare Programs at the Department of Health Care Services. Sadwith emphasized protecting Medi-Cal access and equity, continuing CalAIM and behavioral health transformation, and drawing on personal experience with family members needing care. Senators focused heavily on hospital financial distress, rural access, eligibility redeterminations, fraud oversight, provider reimbursement, dental access, labor and delivery closures, and the impact of federal changes; Sadwith said the department is working on expedited payments, monitoring distressed hospitals, county technical assistance, and strategies to reduce disenrollments and improve program integrity. Public commenters from county, hospital, and care organizations supported his confirmation, and the committee advanced his nomination to the full Senate on a 5-0 vote. The committee next considered Chris Thayer, PhD, for Director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Thayer described OEHHA’s role as providing transparent, scientifically rigorous health assessments and supporting tools such as Prop 65, CalEnviroScreen, and risk communication. Senators pressed him on the use of models versus real-world data, fenceline monitoring, PFAS, wildfire health impacts, and whether OEHHA’s work adequately reflects lived experience and local conditions. Thayer responded that the office often must rely on the best available evidence, including animal, human, and alternative methods, while continuing to improve communication and community engagement; he also discussed EnviroScreen updates, Prop 65 warning reforms, and research gaps. Public testimony in support highlighted OEHHA’s scientific role and the importance of biomonitoring and PFAS work. The committee approved Thayer’s nomination to the full Senate on a 3-1 vote, with Senator Grove voting no and Senator Jones not voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• So is there, I don't know if it has to be a legislative... Bakersfield for treatment.
• So is there—I don't know if it has to be a legislative fix.
• Is that a regulatory fix or is that a legislative fix? Thank you, Senator.
• Yeah, ensuring appropriate Medi-Cal eligibility enrollment is crucial, not only to...
• Appropriate Medi-Cal eligibility enrollment is crucial not only today, but also in light of a number

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met to consider several governor’s appointees and routine committee actions. Members approved, by unanimous 5-0 votes, three not-required-to-appear appointments: Hampus Eitsiter to the Boating and Waterways Commission, Peter Stern to the California Horse Racing Board, and Dean White to the State Mining and Geology Board. The committee also approved references of bills to committees and floor acknowledgements, each by 5-0 vote. The committee then heard testimony on Tyler Sadwith’s appointment as Chief Deputy Director of Healthcare Programs at the Department of Health Care Services. Sadwith emphasized protecting Medi-Cal access for 14 million Californians, navigating federal changes, and continuing CalAIM and behavioral health reforms. Senators focused heavily on hospital financial distress, rural access, Medi-Cal redeterminations, work requirements, provider reimbursement, fraud oversight, dental access, labor and delivery closures, and the effectiveness of CalAIM and community supports. Public commenters from county, hospital, and provider groups largely supported the nomination, citing his experience and collaborative approach. The committee voted 5-0 to send his appointment to the full Senate. The committee also considered Chris Thayer’s appointment as director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Thayer described OEHHA’s role as providing transparent, science-based health assessments, improving risk communication, and supporting tools such as CalEnviroScreen and Prop 65 guidance. Senators raised concerns about reliance on models versus real-world data, PFAS, environmental justice, wildfire and battery-fire impacts, and whether CalEnviroScreen and Prop 65 are working as intended. Public testimony from environmental and health organizations supported the nomination and highlighted OEHHA’s scientific role. The committee approved Thayer’s appointment 3-1, with one senator not voting, and forwarded it to the Senate floor.