Transcript Highlights:

• Louis City. Lady from St. Louis City. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
• Louis City. Gentleman from St. Louis City. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• Louis City, too, since it's a city, not a county, due to its size.
• Louis City: Okay.
• Louis City: Yes.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the previous day’s journal by a 126-0 vote, and suspended business for the Speaker to sign several bills and substitutes. Members then spent much of the day introducing guests, including county assessors, students, civic groups, and visitors from local schools and universities. The chamber then took up House Bill 2002, the elementary and secondary education budget. Members adopted several amendments, including technical fixes to allow board-operated schools to use personal service funds for career ladder payments, clarifications to child care subsidy language, and changes to Parents as Teachers rules so that enrollment remains voluntary and virtual visits are not reimbursable. An amendment to shift $1 million from one child care facilities line to Child Care Works passed, as did an amendment to fund a new Success-Ready Student Assessment with $2 million to help replace the MAP test. A proposal to pay child care subsidies for foster children based on enrollment rather than attendance failed 53-93, and an amendment to divert $10 million in Title I funds into a competitive grant program also failed. A later amendment to send budget reports to the ranking minority member passed, while an attempt to remove child care subsidy language from the bill failed. The House then moved to higher education and workforce development appropriations. Members approved an amendment broadening a pre-apprenticeship program statewide and supported funding for Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries through a transfer from dual credit scholarship funds. The most extensive debate centered on House Bill 2003’s higher education funding model, where the chair defended an FTE-based approach as more transparent than the long-standing status quo, while opponents warned it would sharply cut funding for institutions such as Harris-Stowe, Lincoln, Truman State, and some community colleges, and would ignore factors like graduation rates, research, and workforce needs. A compromise amendment to soften the transition was withdrawn, and a separate amendment to restore the governor’s recommendation was also debated at length, with members arguing over the fairness and consequences of the proposed model.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, in Agawam, Massachusetts, the city council passed a resolution supporting retention of their
• Now is the time to make sure that no town or city in our Commonwealth maintains or introduces Native
• Our alliance includes parents, teachers, school staff, city counselors, equity experts, legal experts
• I think that the abuse might have been prevented if our school had a clear code of conduct and a culture
• educator across the state needs to have abuse prevention training, and every school needs a clear code

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on 41 bills related to school climate and safety, with chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlining procedures and noting more than 125 witnesses. The first major topic was the “Study Act” on cell phones in schools and related social media restrictions (House 666/Senate 335). Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Attorney General Andrea Campbell testified in strong support, arguing that bell-to-bell phone-free policies would improve student focus, reduce anxiety and distraction, and support mental health. Several legislators also supported the approach, though Representative Jeff Turco and Senator John Keenan emphasized narrower bills focused only on school-day phone restrictions rather than broader social media regulation. Senator John Velis likewise backed a comprehensive school-hours restriction, citing student distraction and mental health concerns. Representative Tarsky described successful implementation of a Yondr pouch system in a school where he served as principal, saying it improved engagement and reduced bullying and discipline issues. The committee then heard testimony on a bill to prohibit Native American mascots in public schools (Senate 312/House 575). Senator Joe Comerford, Brittany Wally, and Rhonda Anderson all urged passage, saying Native mascots are dehumanizing, harmful to Native youth, and inconsistent with civil rights and educational values. They described support from tribal nations and noted that many Massachusetts schools have already changed mascots, but some still resist. The hearing also included testimony on school start times (House 647/Senate 360), where middle school students Caroline Duffy and Emery Jarvis described exhaustion and survey data showing widespread sleep deprivation. Former educator Telia Jacobs, former principal Rep. Tarsky, and others argued that later start times would improve health, learning, and student well-being, while acknowledging transportation and scheduling challenges. Zoriana Petrosian, who helped write one of the bills as a student, said the state already has enough research to act now. Additional bills drew testimony on related school issues. Dr. Raul Fernandez supported a bill promoting racially integrated schools (Senate 324), citing a recent advisory council report showing large disparities in segregated schools and urging DESE to develop a statewide integration strategy. On safe firearm storage education (House 548/Senate 397), multiple witnesses from Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention and school communities supported annual school-based education about secure storage, saying it would help prevent child access to unsecured firearms and build on local resolutions already adopted in some districts. The committee also heard testimony on bills to expand career and academic plans (House 533/Senate 438), with speakers saying more structured planning would help students make informed college and career choices. Later, testimony on child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support bills described the prevalence of abuse, the need for training in schools and youth-serving organizations, and the importance of extending compensation and prevention measures. Throughout the hearing, chairs repeatedly closed bills with no witnesses and moved the agenda forward, but no votes were taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment is coded A2.
• The amendment is coded<00:30:26.360><c> A2.
• Mandate after mandate after mandate on local governments, on counties, on cities, on school districts
• Mandate after mandate after mandate on local governments, on counties, on cities, on school districts
• Mandate after mandate after mandate on local governments, on counties, on cities, on school districts

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Notwithstanding Chapter 21.1.3 of the Government Code which prohibits the Comptroller from marketing.
• They can use their funds as allowed by the Texas Education Code and such. They're not.
• In Houston it's a big city... 640,000 miles wide.
• Leaves and I've looked at data from other states, and the majority have been from failing inner city
• So here's my question: I represent the center city of San Antonio.

Bills: HB 3

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management, public safety infrastructure, Project 25, P25, broadband emergency alerting, outdoor warning sirens, homeland security, disaster response

Transcript Highlights:

• House number 5098, an act authorizing the city of Salem to grant an additional license for the sale of
• House number 5342, an act authorizing the city known as the town of Bridgewater to issue an additional
• The House bill relative to property tax classifications in the city of Watertown for fiscal year 2027
• The House bill relative to property tax classifications in the city of Watertown for fiscal year 2027
• This would include information repositories like Wikipedia and collaborative code-writing websites like

Summary: The Senate took up several local and special bills for final passage, including measures on culverts and dams in Town Line Brook and Lindenbrook, alcohol license conversions and additions in Milford, Salem, and Bridgewater, and special legislation allowing William Pilarie to take a firefighter civil service exam in Arlington despite the age limit. All five bills were passed to be enacted. The Senate also concurred in House amendments to bills on alcohol licenses in Bolton and conservation restrictions in Hanson, and adopted a resolution commending the National Safety Council and recognizing June as National Safety Month. The chamber then considered Ways and Means reports and orders for House bills on improving Massachusetts home care and requiring health care employers to prevent workplace violence. Both bills were amended with new Senate text and ordered to second reading on July 16, 2026, with the new text pending and further amendment procedures specified. The Senate also advanced several House bills passed to be engrossed, including land transfers in Norton, transportation bond terms, and Watertown property tax classifications, each being ordered to a third reading. The main debate centered on Senate No. 30, a bill to protect children from addictive social media feeds, which was taken up with a Ways and Means substitute draft, Senate No. 3164. Senators supporting the bill argued it targets addictive design features such as algorithmic feeds, autoplay, infinite scroll, and overnight notifications while preserving access to social media, privacy, and First Amendment rights; opponents and some supporters raised concerns about parental authority and the role of the state. The Senate adopted a series of amendments, including changes to the definition of user, stronger limits on minors’ nighttime notifications, parental consent and privacy protections for location sharing and age verification, exemptions for nonprofits and open-source platforms, age-signal clarifications, dark-pattern restrictions, and data-security/reporting provisions, while rejecting several other amendments. The debate remained ongoing at the end of the transcript, with additional amendments and discussion still pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this particular bill creates a new article in the Code of Criminal Procedure that prohibits
• She's a former council member from the city of Sulphur and has served on a lot of boards in her life.
• I've served on a city council and a fire board following open meeting law, so I have a lot of insights
• So what's happened is, as an example, Sulphur City Council, no problem following the law, attorneys sitting
• I'm a city girl. I've been trying to follow and get an education through the context clues.

Bills: HB55 , HB608 , HB997 , HB1035 , HB1045 , HB1048 , HB1049 , HB1057 , HB1131 , HB1177 , HB1201

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Keywords: juror confidentiality, public records, criminal procedure, privacy, court disclosure, intercollegiate athletics, confidentiality, revenue sharing, student athletes, official journal, public notices, government transparency, local government, municipal website, school board notices, parish council, police jury, special districts, levee district, drainage district

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a change made to the military leave policy that we offer to government and state and city local
• Code 5901 through 5905, Congress established a comprehensive system governing who may assist veterans
• And we looked at first at the... ...tiny home project and found out, you know, by VCP out of Kansas City
• Louis area, 23% out of southwest Missouri, and 21% out of the Kansas City area.
• Twenty-three percent out of southwest Missouri and 21% out of the Kansas City area.

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2535 in executive session. Members adopted a House committee substitute and two cleanup amendments, including clarifications related to Gold Star spouses and a correction to a property tax exemption amount for veterans. The substitute was then approved, and the committee voted the House Committee Substitute for HB 2535 do pass by a recorded vote of 15 ayes and 1 no. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 974, which Senator Black described as a consumer-protection measure aimed at preventing exploitation of veterans by unaccredited claims assistance companies. The bill would restrict compensation for referrals and certain claims work, require written agreements, cap fees tied to benefit increases, and prohibit upfront fees and misleading practices. Supporters, including a former VA official and several veterans, argued the bill would provide needed guardrails and choice for veterans navigating a difficult claims process. Opponents, including the VFW and Missouri veterans groups, argued the bill conflicts with federal law and could legitimize paid claims assistance outside the VA accreditation system; they urged striking the contested section and relying on existing federal rules and Missouri consumer-protection law instead. Testimony also covered several other provisions folded into SB 974, including military leave for public employees, National Guard-related items, survivor benefit tax deductions, and the MoGives living organ donor language. Witnesses on the organ donor provision said it would help service members avoid financial hardship while donating organs. The hearing ended without a vote on SB 974, and the chair announced the committee was out of time and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is us taking all of the plan provisions, coding them into our own valuation software, taking
• We see a lot of evidence of pay increases, some retention payments in cities across the state trying
• So our city police departments are having a harder time finding people, apparently, than the sheriff.
• Our city police departments are having a harder time finding people, apparently, than the sheriff, so
• Our city police departments are having a harder time finding people apparently than the sheriff, so I

Summary: The Public Retirement System Actuarial Committee met on February 23, 2026, approved the December 18, 2025 minutes, and heard actuarial valuation reports and experience studies for several retirement systems. Presenters repeatedly noted strong investment performance, payroll growth, and generally improving funded ratios across the systems, with most plans showing lower minimum recommended employer contribution rates for fiscal 2027. The committee also received explanations of funding deposit accounts, frozen unfunded liabilities in some plans, and how recent legislative changes, including the move to five-year DROP periods in some systems, affected costs and assumptions. For the Clerk of Court, District Attorney, Firefighters, Municipal Employees (Plans A and B), Municipal Police, Registrars of Voters, and Sheriffs systems, the committee reviewed 2025 actuarial evaluations and, where applicable, 2025 experience studies. The actuarial reviewers reported no significant deficiencies and said the valuations were completed in accordance with applicable actuarial standards, generally accepted actuarial practice, and state statutes. The experience studies generally led to modest assumption changes, with some cost decreases from salary, mortality, withdrawal, and asset experience, while some plans saw offsetting increases from retirement or post-DROP behavior. The committee asked a brief question about mortality assumptions and was told the studies use separate male/female and safety/non-safety tables adjusted for Louisiana experience. The committee adopted each valuation and experience study without objection. Key fiscal 2027 minimum recommended employer contribution rates included 14.75% for Clerk of Court, 3.0% for District Attorneys, 25.5% for Firefighters, 20.75% for MERS Plan A, 8.75% for MERS Plan B, 26.5% for Municipal Police, 0% for Registrars of Voters with a $207,683 allocation to the Member Supplemental Savings Fund, and 7.75% for Sheriffs. The committee also recognized DROP crediting rates where applicable and adjourned after completing all agenda items.

Transcript Highlights:

• My dad was a narcotics detective in New York City, so he was obviously against heroin.
• Today, our insurance code requires a child be diagnosed by age eight, and the services are only mandated
• , and the hospital gave us 14 days to decide what to do with my mom, either to take her to another city
• We read more and more about rural areas and larger inner-city facilities that are to close their OB practices
• Like communities like Liberty City, like where my father is from? Nobody cares about them there.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several health-related bills. SB 398, by Senator Burgess, would create a statewide Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign through the Department of Elder Affairs, focused on early detection, brain health, risk reduction, clinical trial access, and community resources. Supporters said Florida has a large and growing Alzheimer’s population and that the campaign would help families and vulnerable communities; the bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. The committee also adopted an amendment to SB 714, by Senator Burton, which would create non-opioid advanced directives and add liability protections for providers in medical emergencies involving opioids. Supporters framed it as a patient-choice measure, while opponents argued it was vague and could interfere with appropriate pain treatment; the amended bill was then reported favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 756, which removes the current age-eight diagnosis requirement for autism-related insurance coverage and extends coverage beyond age 18 for those diagnosed with autism. Senator Burton said the bill would help families whose children are diagnosed later or whose needs continue into adulthood. There was brief discussion about existing lifetime benefit caps, but the sponsor said the bill did not change those limits. The committee then took up SB 734, a proposal by Senator Yarbrough to repeal Florida’s wrongful death exception that bars certain parents and adult children from recovering non-economic damages in medical negligence cases. The sponsor and supporters described the current law as discriminatory and unjust, especially for families of older adults and disabled individuals, while opponents warned it would raise malpractice costs, increase premiums, and worsen provider shortages. The bill drew extensive public testimony from both grieving family members and health care/insurance representatives, and members debated whether caps or other safeguards should be added. No final action on SB 734 is reflected in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• county commissions to sponsor resolutions opposing the amendment that led to 15 different counties and cities
• Our concern with this amendment, and we'd like some information... ...and cities around the state of
• We adhere to a code of ethics that include non-core competencies.
• Cecile Scone from Panama City is on deck. Ms. King? Hi.
• I'm from Panama City. I'm co-chair of the League of Women Voters of Florida.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections heard SPB 7016, a bill revising Florida’s citizen initiative petition process to address fraud, voter information, and ballot integrity. The bill and its amendments would add sponsor bonds and deposit requirements, require more identifying information from signers and circulators, bar certain felons and non-citizens from circulating petitions, require circulator training, shorten the time to submit signed petitions, require notices to voters whose signatures are verified, and change how financial impact statements are handled. Several amendments were adopted, including a $1 million bond framework, 10-point font and page limits for petition forms, a ban on incentive-based pay tied to petition counts or speed, removal of a requirement that fraud be proven by criminal conviction before administrative fines, county deposit and payment procedures for supervisors of elections, invalidation of petitions gathered by ineligible circulators, training requirements within 30 days, and a prohibition on public funds being used to advocate for or against constitutional amendments. Committee discussion focused heavily on implementation and fairness. Supporters, including the sponsor and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, argued the bill was needed to deter fraud, protect voter information, and ensure sponsors—not taxpayers—bear the costs of the initiative process. Supervisors of elections testified that county taxpayers should not subsidize petition verification, but also warned that some provisions would be difficult to implement quickly because of software and operational constraints. Senators raised questions about the bond cost, the 10-day submission deadline, notice to voters whose petitions are invalidated, the effect on returning citizens, and whether the bill could disenfranchise voters who sign petitions in good faith. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed. Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, NAACP Florida, Florida Rising, Equality Florida, All Voting Is Local, and other advocates said the bill would suppress grassroots participation, criminalize volunteers, create costly barriers, and favor wealthy or corporate interests. They objected especially to the bond, the new signer identification requirements, the shorter submission window, and the lack of notice when a petition is invalidated. A few supporters, including the Florida Chamber, backed the measure as a safeguard against fraud and outside influence. After debate, the committee did not reach a final vote on the bill in the portion provided, but the bill remained before the committee as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Genocidal slogans, our city streets, in them we heard chants of death to America.
• She's a legal fellow at the National Jewish Advocacy Center, New York City.
• My family is originally from Syria and Lebanon and then they moved to Mexico City where I was born before
• It has since built into workplaces, boardrooms, and city streets.
• Behind me, you will probably recognize the familiar color of the Code Pink activists, and what is unspoken

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Keywords: anti-Semitism, hate crimes, college campuses, civil rights, public safety, protests, intimidation

Summary: The committee meeting focused on addressing the rising tide of anti-Semitism across the nation. Among the discussions, members expressed concerns about the disturbing acts of hate witnessed on college campuses, with instances of harassment and intimidation targeting Jewish students being highlighted. High-profile incidents, including vandalism and the display of extremist symbols, prompted urgent calls for investigations and measures to protect civil rights. The importance of moral clarity in confronting such hate crimes was emphasized as well, outlining the responsibilities of leaders to ensure safety and uphold justice.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Silver City, New Mexico, my parents made $22,000 a year, and I don't know what we would have done
• I actually think that the boundary of the precinct was a little further, but that was a city construction
• As we clean up our tax code, where are we finding loopholes where people are not having a tax liability
• Public transportation, particularly in rural areas, is non-existent, and it's not great in the city.
• I think I have a county commissioner on there and someone from the city. I also...

Committee: House House Commerce & Economic Development Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And if this becomes a law, I will definitely look forward to seeing parishes and cities across the state
• he does not have the money in the budget to take care of the issues that the blight is causing the city
• Murray then explained that the amendment set, coded 2860-2860, had been distributed and was available
• “Okay, all right, because I was curious if it was parishes or cities or cities.” “Yes. Okay.”
• I was curious if it was parishes or cities or cities. Okay.

Summary: The committee first took up HB 1088, which would authorize state and local sales and use tax rebates for certain items used in aerospace facilities and activities. Chairman Bacala, LED Secretary Susan Bouchois, and governor’s office representative Julie Emerson argued the bill would help Louisiana compete with states like Texas and Florida for aerospace and defense investment, build on Michoud’s history, and attract high-paying jobs. Members asked about job growth, the scope of aerospace versus defense, and whether downstream activities like jet fuel production could qualify. The bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee then approved HB 1179, which extends the ad valorem tax exemption for certain manufacturing establishments to aerospace manufacturing establishments, also reporting it favorably without objection. HB 1122, a placeholder bill tied to a future path toward reducing the state income tax rate, was voluntarily deferred by its sponsor after brief explanation. The committee then heard HB 515, which would let political subdivisions sell certain adjudicated properties directly to buyers at appraised value if the property is under $50,000. The sponsor and supporters said the bill was intended to help parishes clear long-vacant blighted properties and return them to commerce and the tax rolls. Members raised concerns about transparency, competition, title issues, and possible conflicts with recent tax-sale reforms. The committee adopted a conceptual amendment requiring the property to have been offered at public auction within the preceding 12 months before an over-the-counter sale could occur, and HB 515 was reported favorably as amended. The committee next considered HB 440, a constitutional amendment allowing parishes to increase the homestead exemption above the current level. The sponsor said the exemption has not been updated since 1980 and argued that raising it would provide relief from rising property taxes, insurance costs, and cost of living pressures. Amendments were adopted requiring parish approval and a local election before implementation, and delaying effectiveness until 2030. Several members and LABI warned the change could shift tax burdens onto businesses and other taxpayers, create parish-by-parish disparities, and affect bond ratings. The committee voted 5-9 against reporting HB 440, and the sponsor voluntarily deferred the companion bill, HB 543. Finally, the committee took up HB 614, presented with help from eighth-grader Elijah Brown as part of a civics competition. The bill would rebate state sales taxes on lodging and meals for utility company workers performing disaster or emergency-related work. After discussion, the committee adopted a large amendment set that narrowed the bill to water, gas, and electric utilities regulated by the PSC, limited the rebate period to 10 days after a declared disaster, tied eligible lodging and meal costs to federal per diem rates, and capped annual rebates at $55,000. Members asked about administration, eligible workers, and fiscal impact; the Department of Revenue said it could administer the rebate with existing resources. The discussion was ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The city of Shakopee has asked that a sign on that be backlit so that people know they're entering the
• city of Shakopee, and that is the amendment.
• The city of bridge uh over the highway.
• The city of Shaki<00:11:52.320><c> has</c><00:11:52.480><c> asked</c><00:11:52.640><c> that</c><00:11
• they're be back lit so that people know they're entering<00:11:56.880><c> the</c><00:11:57.040><c> city

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that is the coding on this one.
• </c><00:23:29.440><c> Rise</c><00:23:29.919><c> 1.4</c> million one time Twin Cities Rise 1.4 million
• Twin Cities Urban League 400,000.
• MIC 1 million<00:25:50.240><c> City</c><00:25:50.480><c> of</c><00:25:50.640><c> St.
• Paul Right Track million City of St.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we did not respond code three.
• So, we did not respond code three.
• So, we did not respond code three.
• So, we did not respond code three.
• So, we did not respond code three.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Work that I did as a city planner.
• I'm just a local businessman there in Silver City.
• So we're enjoying Silver City. We had a big fire, as you know.
• There are very specific code issues for schools.
• Everybody knows what Aldo Leopold is in Silver City.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• There are only three methadone clinics north of the Twin Cities, which limits its use.
• </c><00:09:50.480><c> As</c> Twin Cities, which limits its use.
• As Twin Cities, which limits its use.
• I trained at Mayo Clinic over 30 years ago and run a large pain program in the Twin Cities.
• I'm going to use a code that we know through list to do the cash and select GA.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Megan Johnson, Deputy Director, Department of Customer Services, City and County of Honolulu.
• Megan Johnson, Deputy Director, Department of Customer Services, City and County of Honolulu.
• First up, we have testimony<01:15:22.480><c> from</c><01:15:22.640><c> the</c><01:15:22.800><c> city<
• and County of Customer Services, City and County of Honolulu.<01:15:38.239><c> Uh,</c><01:15:38.480>
• </c><01:21:24.320><c> Um</c> That is built into our penal code.

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1552, which would make the attorney general the interim chief election officer if that office becomes vacant until the Elections Commission appoints a replacement. The Department of the Attorney General opposed the bill, saying it could create a conflict of interest if the attorney general were both the state’s lawyer and the chief elections officer in any related litigation. The League of Women Voters supported having some interim backup for the office, but said it was not necessarily advocating that the attorney general fill the role. Several other testifiers, including the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women, opposed the bill, arguing the current law already provides for a prompt commission appointment and warning about partisan bias and concentration of power. Supporters, including Indivisible Hawaii, said an interim mechanism is needed to ensure election certification in a crisis. The chair also asked whether any statutory acting capacity already exists, and the attorney general said none was known. The committee then took up House Bill 2125, which would bar corporations operating under state law from engaging in election activity. The attorney general opposed the bill, citing Citizens United and arguing that corporations have First Amendment-protected political speech rights and that the bill would likely be unconstitutional. Indivisible Hawaii supported the measure, saying it would keep elections focused on the will of the people rather than corporate influence. Libertarian Party testimony was mixed: one witness supported the goal of reducing corruption but warned the bill could suppress organized dissent and sweep too broadly by treating many associations as corporations. The bill’s introducer asked whether the legislature could still enact it as a policy matter, but the attorney general maintained federal constitutional law would control. No vote was taken on either bill during the portion of the hearing provided. The committee also heard House Bill 2493 on wrongful imprisonment, which would set procedures and compensation for people whose convictions are reversed or vacated on grounds consistent with innocence and whose charges are dismissed. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation supported the bill’s intent but objected to language assigning it responsibility for helping released individuals secure housing, identification, health coverage, and other reentry needs, saying it no longer has jurisdiction after release and suggesting the courts or a community-based contractor handle that role. The Office of the Public Defender strongly supported the bill, emphasizing the harm of wrongful conviction and the need for compensation, case management, and medical coverage after release. No action or vote was reported on this measure in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• So looking at placing digital ads in counties by looking at various zip codes where more Medi-Cal members
• the state of California has done a significant amount of work and has multiple agencies, both at the city
• In 2024-25, UC cared for patients from 99% of the state's ZIP codes.
• In 2024-25, UC cared for patients from 99% of the state zip codes.
• I just want to add to what it looks like for the city and county of San Francisco in terms of the need

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 and related federal actions on Covered California, Medi-Cal, and immigrant access to care. The chair framed the discussion around three main issues: expected losses in marketplace coverage as enhanced federal premium subsidies expire, new federal work and renewal requirements that would add administrative burden to Medi-Cal, and the loss of eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants. Covered California testified that H.R. 1 and new federal rules, combined with the end of enhanced premium tax credits, are driving higher premiums, lower new enrollment, and more cancellations, especially among middle-income, Latino, and Black enrollees. The agency said California’s $190 million state subsidy program is helping lower-income enrollees but cannot replace the lost federal assistance, and it noted that roughly 120,000 lawfully present immigrants in Covered California will lose federal tax credits in 2027. On Medi-Cal, the Department of Health Care Services said H.R. 1 will require work and community engagement verification, six-month renewals for certain adults, and other changes that the department expects will reduce enrollment substantially. DHCS estimated 233,000 members could lose coverage by June 2027 from the work requirement and 289,000 from six-month renewals, with losses rising much higher by 2028; it also said it is using automation, outreach, clinic navigators, coverage ambassadors, community health workers, and street medicine providers to reduce procedural disenrollments. The department described a two-phase outreach plan and said it is working with counties on implementation, while the Department of Finance said the Governor’s budget maintains $190 million for the state subsidy program and does not propose additional changes at this time. The LAO said its independent forecast is somewhat higher than the administration’s, estimating about 2.1 million fewer Medi-Cal enrollees by June 2028, and urged the Legislature to review county administrative workload and readiness. Public testimony and member comments focused on the human and fiscal consequences of coverage losses. A representative from the Sacramento Native American Health Center warned that reduced reimbursement and coverage losses would destabilize community health centers, increase uncompensated care, and worsen outcomes by pushing patients into emergency care. Members raised concerns about paperwork burdens, county capacity, outreach effectiveness, and whether the state should do more to preserve coverage, including possible modeling of additional H-CARF spending and support for middle-income consumers and immigrant enrollees. The hearing did not take any votes or formal actions, but it ended with public comment and continued discussion of implementation and budget options.