Transcript Highlights:

• I move adoption of striking amendment S-5820.4 by Leas.
• S-5820.4 by Leas. It's been moved and seconded that we adopt the striking amendment S-5820.4.

Summary: The Transportation Committee met in executive session on Gross Substitute House Bill 2711, a transportation resources measure, after a staff walkthrough of the Senate striking amendment S-5820.4. Staff explained that the striker largely replaced the bill with provisions from Senate Bill 6352 and related transportation revenue and policy changes, including updates to mobile driver’s licenses, account interest provisions, recreational vessel and luxury vehicle tax clarifications, peer-to-peer tax administration changes, fuel tax timing changes, aircraft fuel tax and account changes, bicycle education grants, ferry payment-card fee authority, traffic safety camera revenue and rebuttable presumption rules, online driver education regulation, transit annexation tax/liability clarification, Sound Transit 75-year bond authority limits, stolen copper protections for light rail and DOT communications infrastructure, and a highway contracting threshold change. Staff also reviewed fiscal impacts, including revenue gains from trade-in value clarifications and aircraft fuel changes, and losses from the diesel tax delay, motorhome exemption, and repeal of the luxury aircraft tax. Members asked several clarifying questions, including the luxury RV tax threshold, how trade-in value is treated under the luxury vehicle tax, whether ferry debit-card fees are authorized, and the legality of passing card-processing fees to customers. Staff and counsel said the luxury vehicle tax applies to value over $100,000, trade-in value is added back for the luxury tax calculation, and the ferry provision is intended to clarify that both credit and debit card surcharges may be passed through. On the traffic safety camera section, staff described a revised approach that would require stronger proof from registered owners to rebut presumed responsibility, and on Sound Transit bonds, staff clarified that bonds over 40 years would be limited to federal transportation loan purposes and would affect eligibility for certain state grants. After caucus, the committee returned to executive session, waived the amendment posting deadline under Senate Rule 45, adopted the striking amendment, and then voted to advance ESHB 2711 as amended with a do pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. The motion carried, and the chair thanked staff before adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• why it's in that part of the code thank you all right committee motion before us is to introduce r s
• 33459 all right committee motion before us is to introduce r s 33459 those in favor signify by saying
• representative rebelle representative birch okay thank you those will be the nays next up representative boyle r s

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• specifically to get some of these answers that and figure out what we're doing to try to help Oklaho p re s
• s office and their investigators. Do we know what data they do collect.
• s office investigators or law enforcement that may be involved.

Bills: HB3287 , HB2947 , HB3784 , HB3901 , HB4275

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: public health, domestic violence, human trafficking, healthcare facilities, hospital protocols, behavioral health, Medicaid expansion, clinical interns, mental health services, licensing requirements, micropigmentation, medical procedure, physician oversight, nursing certification, state regulations, psychological autopsy, mental health, suicide prevention, state health department, investigation

Transcript Highlights:

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• ><c> solar</c><00:12:33.680><c> energy</c> relating to portable s solar energy relating to portable s

Transcript Highlights:

• the State Fire Marshall selection rules the State Fire Marshall selection commission<00:03:59.360><c> s<
• consist</c><00:04:00.159><c> of</c><00:04:00.280><c> the</c><00:04:00.400><c> following</c> commission s
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Committee: Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs

Summary: The joint Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Labor and Technology met on March 14, 2025, to consider House Bill 1064, House Draft 2, relating to fire protection. The bill was described as implementing recommendations from the Phase 3 report by the Fire Safety Research Institute on the August 2023 Maui wildfires, clarifying the role of the State Fire Marshal, and appropriating funds. Members also discussed structural changes to the State Fire Marshal’s office and whether the office should remain under the Department of Defense rather than the Governor’s office. The committee heard from a senior adviser from the Governor’s office, who said the administration would support creating a State Fire Marshal selection commission and did not object to Senate advice-and-consent involvement for some commission members. He also agreed that placing the office under the Department of Defense made sense. In its decision-making, the chair recommended passing the bill with amendments, including accepting proposed amendments from the Attorney General and the Hawaii Insurance Council, with one exception to the Attorney General’s proposal. The adopted amendments would establish a seven-member State Fire Marshal selection commission beginning January 1, 2026, with authority to appoint and remove the State Fire Marshal, receive complaints, and conduct annual performance reviews. The commission would be attached to the Department of Defense for administrative purposes, be subject to the Sunshine Law, and include both voting and non-voting members, with some appointments made by the governor, House speaker, and Senate president. The committee also made technical changes, deleted several pages and lines, and changed the effective date to July 1, 2077. The chair’s recommendation was adopted by both committees, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• S 329, an act relating to criminal procedures involving firearms. >> Now the bill has been read the first
• S 329, an act relating to of the bill.
• We will start with Proposal 4, and the next bill on the calendar is S. 212.
• So, the first bill will be Proposal 4, and then we'll move down the calendar to S. 243.
• I'm offering an amendment to section two of S.243.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative S...? Thank you. I realize I left it on. Thank you.
• Thank you, Representative S... and I do agree with you.
• Representative S... here to speak to your motion, Representative Crawford.
• To build on Representative S...'
• 01:12:11.040><c> thank</c> s thank s thank you<01:12:13.080><c> not</c><01:12:13.360><c> withstanding

Summary: The Transportation Committee met in executive session on several House bills. HB 212, allowing a 180-day operation waiver when a vehicle fails an emissions test, was retained at the sponsor’s request for possible modifications. HB 249, which would have let bicyclists treat stop signs as yields and stop lights as stop signs, was recommended inexpedient to legislate (ITL) by a 9-7 vote, with a minority report expected. The committee then retained HB 298, creating an exception for removing VIN tags from pre-1981 vehicles when needed for repair or restoration, by a 15-1 vote. HB 411-FN, making handheld device use while driving a secondary offense, was recommended ITL by consent after members argued the current primary-offense law is more effective for enforcement and safety. On HB 414, which would have barred DMV license suspensions based on debts owed to private towing or storage companies, the committee rejected ITL and instead retained the bill 16-0 after members split over whether the current law unfairly ties driving privileges to private debt collection. HB 441, addressing visible diesel emissions and “rolling coal,” was recommended ITL 16-0 because members said the conduct is already illegal under existing state and federal law. The committee then took up HB 461, concerning Department of Safety and DMV training and testing materials, where members debated whether driver testing should be limited to English and whether multilingual materials are a safety necessity or discriminatory; the transcript cuts off before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

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• s sp11 I'll<00:04:18.160><c> just</c><00:04:18.280><c> read</c><00:04:18.440><c> you</c><00:04:18.639
• talk</c><00:04:19.880><c> to</c><00:04:20.040><c> you</c><00:04:21.040><c> um</c><00:04:21.239><c> s<
• sp11 will ensure I'll talk to you um s sp11 will ensure that<00:04:22.600><c> New</c><00:04:22.800><c
• /c><00:54:00.400><c> sp16</c> um I did have the sheets on uh s sp16 um I did have the sheets on uh s

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• 25:38.760><c> to</c><00:25:38.919><c> wage</c><00:25:39.159><c> and</c><00:25:39.320><c> hour</c> to S
• Bill 1454 relating to wage and hour to S Bill 1454 relating to wage and hour law<00:25:41.080><c> okay
• Let's move on to S Bill 1357. Oh, I'm sorry, is there somebody on Zoom?
• let's</c><00:36:38.400><c> move</c><00:36:38.560><c> on</c><00:36:38.680><c> to</c><00:36:38.800><c> S<
• /c> testify yes see none let's move on to S testify yes see none let's move on to S Bill 1357<00:36:42.880

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard several labor and personnel measures. Senate Bill 1567 would require the Department of Human Resources Development to conduct a comprehensive review of the executive branch classification and compensation system and allow it to contract with a third party outside normal procurement rules. Director Brana Hashimoto testified in support, saying the state has more than 1,400 classes of work and limited staff to keep the system current; she said outside vendor help and market data are needed to update class specifications, minimum qualifications, and pay structures. She noted the project scope and timeline would depend on funding, and said the governor had approved about $1 million for the effort. Members asked about vendor scope, comparisons to the private sector and other public employers, consolidation of obsolete classes, and whether the exemption from procurement rules would speed the work. The committee also heard Senate Bill 326 on defense of state employees, with testimony in support from HGEA, the Hawaii State AFL-CIO, and the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Senate Bill 337 would expand the pool of interest arbitrators used in collective bargaining disputes by allowing the Hawaii Labor Relations Board to request a list from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and to use arbitrators from both FMCS and the American Arbitration Association; HGEA supported the bill, saying the broader pool would improve selection and address communication issues. Senate Bill 1233 would create a State Internship and Workforce Development Program within DeHerd. The University of Hawaiʻi, HGEA, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and the Chamber of Commerce supported it. DeHerd said the program could help place interns into vacancies and convert them to civil service jobs, but said it would need about five FTE and roughly $330,000 in salaries to administer a program serving about 50 to 75 interns at a time; members questioned whether the positions could be filled and whether the program could proceed without added resources. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1359, which would increase the employer-based composite monthly contribution to the Hawaii EUTF Benefits Trust Fund beginning in January 2026 and then tie future increases to Medicare Part B premium changes with a lag. The EUTF administrator testified, and a member noted the measure resembled a bill that had died in conference the prior year. Senate Bill 1454 would give the Labor and Industrial Relations director authority to issue wage payment violation orders, establish penalties and appeals, and broaden the definition of wage; the department supported it, explaining it would align procedures under chapter 387 with existing chapter 388 enforcement and make investigations easier. Finally, the committee moved through a series of collective bargaining cost-item bills for various bargaining units and related entities, with testimony generally in support from Budget and Finance, HGEA, UH, HHSC, UPW, and other unions and associations. One amendment request was to include bargaining units 1 and 10 in the temporary hazard pay funding bill, and the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association noted its airport firefighters unit was still in arbitration and would provide final numbers later.

Transcript Highlights:

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• expanding SNAP testifying s sp53 expanding SNAP benefits<00:15:49.839><c> to</c> 300%<00:15:53.360><
• s siblings.
• </c><00:40:58.040><c> going</c><00:40:58.119><c> to</c><00:40:58.240><c> defer</c><00:40:58.640><c> s<
• s SP 974<00:41:00.319><c> indefinitely</c><00:41:01.319><c> okay</c><00:41:01.760><c> and</c><00:41:

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services began by explaining strict one-minute testimony limits, reliance on written testimony, and that it had quorum and would move directly to decision making on deferred measures. It first adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass SB 8 with amendments, creating a five-year trial period for a jury-duty exemption for actively practicing APRNs, delaying implementation to January 1, 2027, and adding a defective date. It then adopted amendments to SB 189 on breast cancer screening, replacing references to “woman” with “patient,” clarifying that supplemental imaging and mammograms must be medically necessary and ordered by the patient’s provider, deleting one subsection, and adding a defective date. The committee then heard testimony on several bills. SB 46 on insurance/mental health coverage drew support from a member of the public and others, but later the chair said it would be deferred indefinitely pending a required sunrise analysis and a concurrent resolution. SB 642 on fertility preservation services received broad support from providers, advocacy groups, and an individual who described facing cancer treatment and high out-of-pocket costs; the chair later amended it to make coverage optional, limit it to those over 26, and add a defective date. SB 49 on terminal illness had limited testimony and was later passed with amendments incorporating agency and professional association changes plus a defective date. The committee also heard strong support for SNAP-related bills. SB 53, expanding SNAP eligibility to 300% of poverty, drew testimony about the “benefits cliff,” but the chair later deferred it indefinitely, citing uncertainty about costs and system issues. SB 58 on public assistance had no testimony. SB 960 and SB 961, both SNAP-related, drew extensive support from nonprofits, health groups, and others; DHS said its modernization work would not be ready until fall 2026 and that current systems could not automatically extend certification periods. SB 963 on SNAP also received support, including testimony from a volunteer reentry advocate and a public health advocate, but the chair later said it would be deferred indefinitely because the committee could not determine the fiscal impact and wanted to wait until next year. Finally, the committee heard SB 798 on child welfare and SB 974 on foster care. Testimony on SB 798 included support from child welfare and advocacy organizations, but also criticism from a witness who said the bill lacked voices of those harmed by the system and another who emphasized the need for independence, implementation, and accountability. The committee then recessed to regain quorum and later returned to decision making, where it deferred SB 46 indefinitely, passed SB 642 with amendments, passed SB 49 with amendments, and deferred SB 53 indefinitely. The transcript ends while the chair is continuing through the remaining measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here to speak on S. 820 and H. 1263, an act relative to reducing racial and socioeconomic inequities
• advocacy associate with the Consumer Federation of America, and we're here to urge your support for S.
• And we're here to urge your support for S. 820.
• And this bill, S. 820, is a moderate, common-sense reform.
• S. 820 is going to make auto insurance more affordable to the state's most financially vulnerable consumers

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Financial Services

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a public hearing on a wide range of auto insurance and vehicle-related bills. Testimony focused heavily on autonomous vehicle regulation, auto insurance rating by ZIP code, rental car liability coverage, and surcharge thresholds for minor accidents. Representative Polito supported a bill to regulate autonomous vehicle testing and deployment, arguing for school-zone restrictions, slower speeds, a remote kill switch, and minimum insurance requirements to protect the public. Representative Mendez and Senator Payano testified for legislation to reduce racial and socioeconomic inequities in auto insurance pricing by limiting the weight insurers may place on territorial loss costs, while the Mass Insurance Federation and Consumer Federation of America offered opposing and supporting views, respectively, on the fairness and actuarial impact of geographic rating. The committee also heard support for a bill to remove inspection-sticker violations from license-point calculations, and for a bill to raise the damage threshold for insurance surcharges and minor/major accident classifications. A substantial portion of the hearing addressed House Bill 1301 on rental car liability. Enterprise Mobility, the American Car Rental Association, and a small Massachusetts rental company supported the bill, saying personal auto insurers should be primary when their insureds drive rental cars, that Massachusetts is an outlier compared with most other states, and that the change would reduce costs and simplify claims handling. The Mass Insurance Federation opposed the bill, arguing that current Massachusetts law already clearly makes the vehicle owner’s policy primary and that shifting liability would raise costs for private-passenger policyholders. Committee members asked detailed questions about how rental coverage works, whether premiums or rental rates would change, and how other states handle the issue. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to adjust surcharge rules for at-fault accidents, with sponsors arguing that repair costs and vehicle values have risen sharply and that the current thresholds are outdated. Members discussed how the point system affects drivers, whether the proposal should apply cumulatively or per incident, and how Carfax and out-of-pocket repairs factor into consumer costs. At the end of the hearing, the chair noted written testimony could still be submitted and, during a brief personal privilege, recorded support for two underinsurance bills, H. 1109 and S. 748. The committee then moved and seconded a motion to adjourn, and the hearing ended without any votes on the bills themselves.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's one amendment in the EBB, S-E-246 by Representative Peterson.
• It looks like S-RE 246. It looks like S-RE 246.
• Yes, amendment S-RE 246 has been moved and seconded. That is my amendment.
• Seeing no further discussion, all those in favor of amendment S-RE 246, please signify by saying aye.

Committee: House Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• thank you, Senator Warnick, for carrying this bill. 12 is in strong support of Senate Bill 5932. 12's
• completed construction of the state's first, of Senator Bill 5932. 12's completed construction of the
• In October 2025, Ecology made a concerted effort to accommodate 12's request to source zero-carbon-intensity
• We strongly support 12's presence in Moses Lake and are eager to see the company grow and expand its
• We also support the intent of SB 6246's new emissions data and decarbonization planning requirements,

Summary: The Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee heard three bills. SB 6246 would direct Ecology to develop recommendations for how no-cost allowances for emissions-intensive trade-exposed facilities (EITEs) should work from 2035 to 2050, and would require EITEs to submit facility-specific emissions data and periodic decarbonization plans as a condition of receiving allowances. Supporters said the bill preserves the Climate Commitment Act’s goals while giving the Legislature and Ecology better information to prevent emissions and job leakage and to plan for industrial decarbonization. Opponents argued the bill adds costly reporting and planning burdens, could threaten competitiveness, and in some cases could lead to allowance withholding; Ecology said it generally supports the approach but wants some streamlining and noted implementation costs are not in the governor’s budget. SB 5932 would provide certainty for sustainable aviation fuel development by changing how Ecology applies electricity carbon intensity in the Clean Fuels Program and by setting an earlier trigger for aviation fuel tax incentives. The sponsor and 12, a Moses Lake SAF developer, said the bill would give investors and producers needed certainty for expansion and help Washington remain competitive. Ecology and Climate Solutions opposed parts of the bill, saying it would weaken incentives for new renewable electricity generation, limit Ecology’s technical discretion, and reduce the Clean Fuels Program’s effectiveness, though Ecology said it supports decarbonizing aviation and is willing to work on the issue through rulemaking. Some testimony also supported the tax certainty portion while objecting to the Clean Fuels Program changes, and one witness asked for clarification on local participation in the incentive. SB 6172 would end remaining state tax and regulatory exemptions for the coal-fired TransAlta plant after its scheduled closure date. The sponsor said Washington should remove special treatment now that the state has phased out coal, while supporters said the bill reinforces the state’s clean energy transition and protects public health and climate goals. A few witnesses raised concerns about possible costs to utilities and ratepayers if the plant were ever required to run in an emergency, and asked for language to protect against that. The hearing concluded with the committee closing public testimony on all three bills; no votes were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The statewide award today, Humana serves over 540,000 and many members. 32,000 lts S beneficial the beneficiaries
• Community Care is the only statewide provider service network PSN in the SMC program as a reminder P S
• Your guys so use you said about 60's as when they'll go out. >> Yes.
• Essentially a man is a managed service organization or an M S and is a a company or an entity that then
• from a decision point, whether it's a provider that we directly contract with or we contract with an M S

Transcript Highlights:

• years, Senate Finance added $27.8 million over the next two years to meet the requirements of the Kevin S
• That's kind of central to the Kevin S. settlement. central to the Kevin S. settlement.
• If I missed anything, Secretary S. Cern is here to add it. Yeah, that's good.
• My name is Alex S. Eubanks, and I'm with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• S. Marwa for DS.
• :04:43.479><c> any</c> 185 okay seeing none any 185 okay seeing none any questions<00:04:45.320><c> s<
• </c><00:29:56.799><c> vote</c><00:29:57.360><c> voting</c><00:29:57.600><c> on</c><00:29:57.720><c> S<
• /c><00:29:58.039><c> Bill</c> Vice chair for a vote voting on S Bill Vice chair for a vote voting on
• S Bill 1287<00:29:59.080><c> the</c><00:29:59.159><c> recommendation</c><00:29:59.600><c> is</c><00:29

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard several labor-related measures. SB 183 would allow arbitration to resolve disputes over state and county contributions to the EUTF benefits trust fund; labor groups supported it, and the committee advanced it with amendments. SB 185, concerning indebtedness to the state, drew support from unions and discussion with DAGS about tiered repayment options for lower-paid employees; DAGS said the system could be programmed to accommodate the bill, and the measure was also advanced with amendments. SB 458 would expand the definition of employer for wage-payment laws to include the state and counties when no comparable public-employee provision exists; HSTA testified in support, citing repeated delayed pay for teachers, while DAGS and county representatives raised operational concerns. The committee deferred SB 458 for further administrative work. SB 425, on qualified community rehabilitation programs and the aggregate contract cap, was advanced with technical amendments after UPW said employers were splitting contracts to exceed the statutory threshold. The committee also considered SB 1287, which would apply unfair and deceptive practices law to tipped food and beverage establishments and require tip-pool signage with wage-division contact information. The Attorney General’s office recommended a savings clause to avoid retroactive application issues, and the committee passed the bill with amendments. SB 1660 would require hospitality employers to adopt anti-harassment measures, training, panic buttons, and anti-retaliation protections; the Commission on the Status of Women and worker advocates supported it, while DLIR noted existing complaint systems and the need for rulemaking. The committee adopted amendments incorporating sexual assault hotline information, panic-button guidance, and employer flexibility on translation languages, then passed the bill with amendments. SB 631, relating to the Department of Human Resources Development, was deferred, with the chair noting a prior law already allows departments to screen and select applicants from initial pools.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, there are lots of small nonprofits and large nonprofits, 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4)s, variations of
• When I say the high number, it's four to five times the number of 501(c)(3)s that have come to see me
• .as lobbying groups in the state during and before and after session through interims, the 501(c)(3)s.
• Speaker and gentlelady, are 501(c)(3)s... Mr.
• These are the Kevin S. identified counties. Mr.

Bills: HB145 , HB164 , HR1 , HB20 , HB65 , HB66 , HB80 , HB306 , SB29 , SB37 , HB99 , HB206 , HB213 , HB270 , SB104 , SB193 , HB38 , HB254 , HB256 , SB58 , SB64 , HJM1 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM32 , HM13 , HM47 , HM20 , HM51 , HM1 , HM31 , HM35 , HM36 , HM46 , HM53 , HM54 , HM39 , HM29 , HM43 , HM59 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50 , HB253

Keywords: high-wage jobs, tax credit, job creation, New Mexico, economic development, lobbying, transparency, public records, government oversight, accountability, House Resolution 1, HR1, House investigatory subcommittee, special committee, legislative investigation, subpoena power, public corruption, criminal activity, Zorro ranch, Santa Fe County

Transcript Highlights:

• Now moving on to H.R. 1's significant restrictions on state funding tools and vital funding mechanisms
• HR1's eligibility changes could strip coverage from up to 3.4 million Medi-Cal members, creating a surge
• A specific policy solution to mitigate HR1's impacts is to simplify today's currently burdensome manual
• A specific policy solution to mitigate HR1's impacts is to simplify today's currently burdensome manual
• I am here to continue to oppose H.R. 1's impact on immigrants' community health, including Medi-Cal.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the impacts of H.R. 1 on California’s Medi-Cal program and on community health effects from recent immigration enforcement actions. Committee leaders said H.R. 1 would sharply reduce federal funding, increase administrative burdens, and worsen access to care, especially for Medi-Cal enrollees, immigrant families, rural communities, and reproductive health patients. The second half of the hearing examined how ICE raids and related federal actions are creating fear, reducing clinic and emergency department use, and disrupting children’s access to schools and early childhood education. Department of Health Care Services Director Michelle Bass outlined the main H.R. 1 provisions affecting Medi-Cal: work requirements, semiannual eligibility redeterminations, shorter retroactive coverage, new cost-sharing, limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments, reduced federal support for emergency and lawful immigrant coverage, and a one-year ban on Medicaid funding for prohibited abortion providers. She estimated millions could lose coverage, with tens of billions of dollars in federal funding at risk. Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California warned the defunding provision could force clinic closures, service reductions, and loss of access to family planning, STI testing, and cancer screenings. The California Hospital Association said the financing changes could cut hospital revenue by tens of billions over 10 years and threaten access, especially for rural and safety-net hospitals. The Western Center on Law and Poverty argued the law would increase churn, paperwork, and uninsured rates, disproportionately harming working adults and people experiencing homelessness. Committee members asked about implementation timelines, notification systems, administrative costs, the effect on immigrant eligibility, and whether California could delay or mitigate some provisions. Bass said the state was still assessing federal guidance, planning county and provider outreach, and exploring a possible delay for work requirements and a transition period for provider-tax changes. Members also discussed how state budget actions may need to be revisited in light of H.R. 1, and how California might preserve access through state-only funding or other policy changes. In the second panel, CHIRLA, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and the Children’s Partnership described the health consequences of immigration enforcement. Speakers said raids and data-sharing fears are causing anxiety, trauma, and avoidance of care, with Los Angeles County reporting declines in emergency, urgent care, and clinic visits after enforcement actions. The Children’s Partnership said school and early childhood absences are rising in some communities and that enforcement is undermining children’s emotional well-being and access to education. Members asked for more data and discussed possible state protections, telehealth, mobile care, and legal and policy responses to reduce fear and preserve access to health and education services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now moving on to H.R. 1's significant restrictions on state funding tools and vital funding mechanisms
• HR1's eligibility changes could strip coverage from up to 3.4 million Medi-Cal members, creating a surge
• A specific policy solution to mitigate HR1's impacts is to simplify today's currently burdensome manual
• for All coalition alongside the California Immigrant Policy Center, and we continue to oppose H.R. 1's
• I am here to continue to oppose H.R. 1's impact on immigrants' community health, including Medi-Cal.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused first on the impacts of H.R. 1 on Medi-Cal and California’s health care system. Department of Health Care Services Director Michelle Bass outlined provisions including work requirements, semiannual redeterminations, reduced retroactive coverage, new cost-sharing, limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments, reduced federal matching for emergency services for some immigrants, restrictions on lawful immigrant coverage, and a one-year ban on Medicaid funding for certain abortion providers. She said the law could put tens of billions of federal dollars at risk, with estimates of up to 3 million members losing coverage from work requirements, about 400,000 from more frequent redeterminations, and major pressure on hospitals, clinics, and rural providers. She also noted the state is considering implementation timelines, possible delays, and planning for communications, county systems, and a rural health transformation fund. Testimony from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the California Hospital Association, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty echoed those concerns. Planned Parenthood said the federal defunding provision would immediately threaten access to reproductive health care, with possible clinic closures, reduced hours, and workforce cuts if injunctions are lifted; it estimated about $305 million in annual federal matching funds are at stake in California. The hospital association warned that reduced provider taxes and state-directed payments could cut hospital revenue by an estimated $66 billion to $128 billion over 10 years, risking service reductions and closures, especially in rural areas. The Western Center argued the changes would reverse ACA-era coverage gains, increase churn and administrative burden, and disproportionately harm working poor people and those experiencing homelessness. Committee members asked about implementation, notification, state mitigation options, and the effect on hospitals and patients; no votes were taken. The second panel addressed community health impacts of recent immigration enforcement actions. CHIRLA described raids as a public health crisis that creates fear, trauma, family separation, and avoidance of health care. Los Angeles County Department of Health Services reported declines in emergency, urgent care, and clinic visits in immigrant-heavy areas after enforcement actions, and said it has responded with multilingual outreach, patient navigation, telehealth, and assurances that patient information remains protected. The Children’s Partnership said enforcement also disrupts children’s access to early childhood education and schools, citing increased absences and fear among families, and urged stronger protections, legal services, and funding for child care and school-based supports. Members asked for more data on visit declines, the effects on children and families, and how to reduce the chilling effect on care-seeking and benefit enrollment.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:43.120><c> they</c><00:09:43.360><c> are</c><00:09:43.560><c> generally</c><00:09:44.680><c> S<
• /c> to Albert Lea and they are generally S to Albert Lea and they are generally S corporations<00:09:
• Pass-through entities such as S corporations, partnerships, and LLCs form the backbone of Minnesota's
• </c> basically said you're S C or something. basically said you're S C or something.
• Up only a very small share of HR1's total tax cuts, and at the federal level they are temporary.

Bills: HF3127 , HF3524 , HF3525 , HF3754

Committee: House Taxes