Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Robbins, welcome to the Committee of Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development.
• This is particularly acute in industries that depend on consistent production schedules and skilled labor
• This is particularly acute in industries that depend on consistent production schedules and skilled labor
• ><c> simply</c><00:34:07.720><c> can't</c> today's labor market, we simply can't today's labor market
• . skills. skills.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• addressing the immediate needs of low-income families and individuals while helping them attain the skills
• This includes access to safe and affordable housing, employment skills and training and job placement
• Department of Labor as Native American grantees providing services under the Workforce Innovation and
• Department of Labor as Native American grantees providing services under the Workforce Innovation and
• We have vocational training, basic skills training, and we help youth learn skills and improve their

Summary: The Senate and Assembly Human Services Committees held a special oversight hearing on California’s 2026-27 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) state plan, a federal anti-poverty funding stream. Committee members opened by citing statewide poverty and homelessness data and said the hearing was meant to review how CSBG dollars are used, how local agencies respond to community needs, and how the state is preparing for possible federal funding cuts. Jason Wimbley of the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) explained that California’s CSBG network works through 60 organizations in 58 counties, serving about 1.5 million low-income Californians in 2023, and that the state received $68.4 million in federal CSBG funds in fiscal year 2025. He described the program as flexible funding used for housing, employment, education, food, health, transportation, and emergency response, and noted that the federal administration had proposed eliminating CSBG, though the Senate Appropriations Committee had voted to fully fund it for the coming year. Representatives from the California Community Action Partnership Association and several CSBG-funded agencies described how the program supports local anti-poverty work and leverages other funding. CalCAPA emphasized local flexibility, workforce development, partnerships, and data systems such as ROMA, while also warning that agencies are preparing for possible reductions by tightening budgets, planning staffing contingencies, and seeking private foundation support. Agency witnesses from Contra Costa County, Northern California Indian Development Council, Proteus, and Sacred Heart Community Service described services including housing assistance, food distribution, utility help, employment training, youth programs, and culturally specific services for Native communities and migrant farmworkers. They repeatedly said CSBG is essential because it funds staffing and infrastructure that allow them to braid other grants and serve people who do not qualify for standard safety-net programs. Members also asked about the impact of federal staffing changes and the Los Angeles fires. Wimbley said federal layoffs had affected some CSD programs but not CSBG administration, and that the department coordinated disaster response with state agencies and used CSBG-funded supply distribution, food, water, clothing, and documentation support during the fires. Witnesses said they were preparing for possible future cuts by diversifying funding, reducing expenses, and considering service changes, while county officials warned that state and federal reductions could not be backfilled locally. During public comment, one speaker urged stronger oversight of community action agencies and raised concerns about transparency and compliance with state law. The chair then thanked the witnesses, emphasized the importance of CSBG for low-income seniors, youth, and people with disabilities, and adjourned the hearing without any votes or formal action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• The skilled nursing facility at Yountville is a 240-bed, more than 317,000-square-foot facility that
• They really are to replace the skilled nursing facility at Holderman.
• They really are to replace the skilled nursing facility at Holderman.
• ...which is the level below skilled nursing.
• I'm not sure what the waiting list is for skilled nursing at Yountville.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on State Administration heard several CalVet budget updates first. CalVet reported progress on the Southern California Veterans Cemetery at Gypsum Canyon, explaining that DGS is revising the earlier feasibility study to reflect a smaller footprint and lower grading costs, with updated numbers expected by the end of April. Members and public commenters emphasized the project’s importance and asked whether additional budget authority or trailer bill language was needed; CalVet said it may need more spending authority but wanted to return after the revised study is complete. The committee also reviewed the Yountville skilled nursing facility replacement project, where CalVet said construction is nearing completion, a certificate of occupancy was received, and the new 240-bed facility will replace Holderman Hospital while older buildings will be repurposed for lower levels of care. CalVet also defended eliminating about 178 vacant positions at Yountville and West Los Angeles as a fiscal and staffing efficiency measure, saying current care levels can still be met and that retention and hiring efforts are improving. The committee then took up the Department of Cannabis Control’s enforcement and legal affairs proposal. DCC described the size of the illicit cannabis market, said enforcement alone cannot solve the problem, and asked for additional sworn staff, a new Redding-area field office, and more analysts to focus on distribution networks, organized crime, environmental harms, and high-priority public safety cases. Finance supported the proposal as a targeted investment, while the LAO had no additional comment. Members asked about funding impacts and local co-location options, and DCC said the request would be funded from cannabis excise tax revenues and could help shift sales into the legal market. Public testimony from the cannabis industry strongly supported more enforcement against illicit retail and said it would help legal operators compete. DCC also presented its hemp enforcement and regulation proposal tied to AB 8. The department said the law closes loopholes around intoxicating hemp products, strengthens enforcement across agencies, and prepares for hemp to enter the cannabis regulatory framework in 2028. DCC requested staff for a civil enforcement unit, field-testing equipment, lab capacity to detect synthetic cannabinoids, a track-and-trace specialist, and a policy specialist. Members asked about enforcement in informal retail settings and consumer confusion, and DCC said the biggest problems have been smoke shops and online sales. Public commenters from the legal cannabis industry supported the proposal, saying intoxicating hemp has harmed the regulated market and created public safety risks. The Cannabis Control Appeals Panel then requested ongoing funding of $3.4 million to support 12 positions and its quasi-judicial appeals function. The panel said that with provisional licenses largely phased out, more annual licensees now have appeal rights and the workload is beginning to increase, with two cases currently on the docket. The LAO recommended limiting funding to three years and requiring a workload and comparative analysis before making the funding permanent, while Finance supported ongoing funding as consistent with the panel’s permanent statutory role. Members questioned the panel’s compensation and workload, noting that the five-member body is paid at a high statutory rate despite historically meeting only quarterly, though panel staff said the work now includes substantial case preparation and monthly hearings. Finally, the Department of Consumer Affairs introduced two proposals: $2 million ongoing for the Contractors State License Board’s IT needs and $251,000 plus one limited-term position for the Board of Pharmacy to implement Proposition 34-related licensing policy and reduce barriers to licensure.

Transcript Highlights:

• The skilled nursing facility at Yountville is a 240-bed, more than 317,000-square-foot facility that
• They really are to replace the skilled nursing facility at Holderman."
• So those residents will leave those buildings, go into the new skilled nursing facility building.
• That will be our assisted living RCFE level, which is the level below skilled nursing, so we will..."
• I'm not sure what the waiting list is for skilled nursing at Yountville.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Before coming to the state legislature, I worked for many years as a community and labor organizer.
• Chair, Sarah Flock, California Federation of Labor Unions, in support. Thank you. Thank you.
• On SB 1203, Smallwood-Cuevas, the motion is do pass to the Committee on Labor and Employment.
• On SB 1203, Smallwood Quaivas, the motion is due pass to the Committee on Labor and Employment.
• Since 2012, nearly 60 hospitals in labor and delivery units across California have closed.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Business Affairs and Labor will meet at 1:30 today in Room 112.
• Business Affairs<00:33:50.640><c> and</c><00:33:50.799><c> Labor</c><00:33:51.279><c> will</c><00:33:
• 51.600><c> meet</c><00:33:52.159><c> at</c><00:33:52.480><c> 1:30</c> Affairs and Labor will meet at
• </c> English on business affairs and labor English on business affairs and labor for<00:40:21.599><c>
• </c> builds on principles of skills-based builds on principles of skills-based hiring<00:57:44.000><c

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They require skilled labor and custom materials, which can discourage development and leave buildings
• Our labor partners know that when productions leave, careers leave with it.
• With me today is David Michael Gonzalez, Vice President of Labor Relations and External Affairs at the
• AB 2403 will help stabilize employment for skilled workers.
• AB2403 will help stabilize employment for skilled workers.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The skilled labor shortage also continues to grow.
• They're currently over 12% a year per the Texas Workforce Commission's bill. most recent labor market
• You know, better skills for the manufacturers and, you know, builders. you name it, everybody right?
• Texas faces an urgent need for a skilled workforce with about 54% of jobs in our state requiring some
• And one of the things that contributes to that housing affordability are labor shortages.

Bills: SB530, SB757, SB769, SB1085, SB1241, SB1242, SB1409, SB1878, SB2138, SB2314, SB2231, SB2361, SB2431, SJR59

Keywords: accreditation, postsecondary education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, baccalaureate degrees, junior colleges, program delivery, faculty recruitment, higher education, performance standards, student loan debt, degree programs, funding, students with disabilities, accessibility, enrollment, report, SB 1085, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Del Rio

Transcript Highlights:

• They require skilled labor and custom materials, which can discourage development and leave buildings
• It means fewer jobs for skilled workers, fewer opportunities for Real consequences.
• Our labor partners know that when productions leave, careers leave with them.
• With me today is David Michael Gonzalez, vice president of labor relations and external affairs at the
• AB 2403 will help stabilize employment for skilled workers.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several tax-related bills, beginning with AB 760, which would exempt settlement payments tied to the Garden Grove chemical incident from California income tax. The author and a school district trustee described evacuations, school closures, and losses to residents, businesses, students, and staff, arguing the payments should make victims whole rather than be taxed. There was support from the Orange County Board of Supervisors, no opposition, and the bill passed 3-0 to Appropriations, with committee amendments accepted. Members then heard AB 2319, creating a California post-production tax credit for film and television work done in-state, even when principal photography occurred elsewhere or the project did not receive the existing film credit. The author and supporters from the Motion Picture Editors Guild, California Post Alliance, and others said post-production jobs and facilities are leaving California and that the bill would help retain high-wage work; opponents were not present. The committee members generally supported the measure, and it passed 3-0 to Appropriations. AB 2186 followed, excluding future reparations benefits for descendants of formerly enslaved people from state income tax. The author and NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference said taxing such benefits would undermine reparative justice; there was no opposition, and the bill passed 3-0. The committee also heard AB 762, which would ban the sale of disposable nicotine vapes and add enforcement tools. Supporters, including waste, recycling, local government, and public health groups, said disposable vapes create fire hazards, waste problems, and costs for local agencies; opponents argued the bill would mainly eliminate the legal market while leaving illicit products untouched and urged stronger enforcement instead. The author accepted committee amendments adding CDTFA enforcement, but the bill was not voted on because a motion was pending and members were absent. Later, AB 1519, AB 2172, AB 2222, AB 1793, AB 2089, and AB 1265 were heard and each received support from committee members and passed 2-0 or 3-0 to Appropriations, with amendments accepted where noted. AB 1519 clarified that the 20-year tax collection statute of limitations should not be reset by later fees or penalties; AB 2172 would let large counties use a single assessment appeals commissioner for complex property tax appeals; AB 2222 would create a temporary tax credit for local news organizations to retain and hire journalists; AB 1793 would authorize symmetrical cash rounding to the nearest nickel after the federal penny phaseout; AB 2089 would streamline the welfare exemption filing process for affordable housing; and AB 1265 would extend and revise the historic building tax credit to encourage adaptive reuse for housing and mixed-use projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• an excellent lineup of speakers today from public and private colleges and universities, as well as labor
• The fact is that companies could meet their skilled workforce needs if students of color earned college
• That's the bread and butter for our members who labor every day on construction projects all across the
• The UMass Boston campus was totally rebuilt by our members under a project labor agreement.
• The campus was totally rebuilt by our members under a project labor agreement.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on the economic impact of Massachusetts higher education institutions, with opening remarks noting the significance of September 11 and the role colleges and universities play in the state’s economy, workforce, and research ecosystem. UMass leaders testified first, describing UMass as a major employer and economic driver that educates large numbers of Massachusetts residents, supports thousands of jobs, and generates billions in annual economic activity. They emphasized the importance of research funding, warned that federal grant cancellations, suspensions, and slowdowns were harming research operations and talent retention, and voiced strong support for Governor Healey’s proposed DRIVE initiative as bridge funding to protect research capacity and jobs. Committee members focused heavily on workforce preparation in emerging fields such as AI, cyber, quantum computing, and engineering. UMass leaders said AI is being embedded across curricula and research, but also warned that financial constraints forced reductions in PhD admissions, especially in computer science and engineering, which could weaken the future workforce pipeline. They also described the practical effects of grant uncertainty, including reduced graduate admissions and concerns about losing researchers to institutions abroad. Members asked for more detailed data on grant timing, funding gaps, and where students and researchers were going. A second panel from private colleges and universities, including AICUM, Suffolk, Smith, and Clark, highlighted the broad economic and civic contributions of private higher education. Testimony cited large annual economic impacts, job creation, tax revenue, community service, legal clinics, dual enrollment, entrepreneurship support, sustainability investments, and access programs. Speakers also discussed enrollment pressures, COVID-related social and mental health challenges, student visa and federal policy concerns, and the need to preserve liberal arts alongside career-focused training. The committee then heard from MIT, where testimony focused on research commercialization, biotech spinouts, and the role of federal, philanthropic, and industry funding in sustaining innovation; members pressed for more data on funding sources and asked what state policy could do to keep talent and businesses in Massachusetts. The hearing continued with additional public higher education testimony, including Bridgewater State, Bristol Community College, and Northeastern, which emphasized workforce-aligned programs, social mobility, apprenticeships, co-op education, and the need for better coordination between higher education, employers, and state workforce systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of them did this, and all supervisors now have to be trained in CPR and will have the skills of
• Most of them did this, and all supervisors now have to be trained in CPR and will have the skills of
• Most of them did this, and all supervisors now have to be trained in CPR and will have the skills of
• Most of them did this, and all supervisors now have to be trained in CPR and will have the skills of
• </c> DNR as well as the Department of Labor DNR as well as the Department of Labor have<00:36:01.839>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They've developed new skills and been exposed to new things in many different ways.
• So there's, it's a different skill set.
• And it's a different, they are professionals, but it's a different set of skills that they need.
• There aren't enough people that are available to do the work, that have the specialized skills.
• There aren't enough people that are available to do the work, that have the specialized skills.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation
• With track and system, it is bringing a very different high-level skill set labor that we will need for
• Most of these projects, this is how the labor works.
• James Thoreactor of the California State Council of Laborers.
• James Thoreactor of the California State Council of Laborers.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the labor market information office.
• </c><00:16:15.839><c> market</c> that we also house the labor market that we also house the labor market
• I know what you of the labor cabinet.
• ,</c> or labor, or labor, um<00:40:47.119><c> corrections,</c><00:40:47.920><c> for</c><00:40:48.079>
• </c> learning, whether through new skills learning, whether through new skills training<00:45:37.520>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on State Government met for its first meeting and heard a presentation from the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KY Stats) by Executive Director Matt Barry and Legislative Director Calli Arnold. The presentation reviewed KY Stats’ statutory background, its evolution from KESUS, its board membership, and its role in housing Kentucky’s longitudinal data system and labor market information office. Barry explained that KY Stats links data from multiple state sources, validates and cleans it, deidentifies it, and uses it to produce reports, evaluations, and responses to data requests for policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Barry described the scale of the system, noting more than 6,000 active data elements, 178 unique file types, and data from 48 sources across 26 agencies. He highlighted the agency’s privacy and security practices, including separate servers for source data and deidentified reporting data, and said KY Stats does not use real-time data. He also outlined the types of reports produced, including the annual high school feedback report and a recent life outcomes report tracking the 2017 public high school cohort’s postsecondary education, completion, wages, and employment outcomes. Members asked about the timeliness and availability of data, especially SNAP and Medicaid information, and Barry said most data arrive annually or quarterly and that Medicaid data had been used in a limited one-time project rather than as an ongoing feed. Questions also focused on artificial intelligence; Barry said KY Stats has not integrated AI but is exploring it cautiously because of privacy and security concerns. Several members encouraged further work with AI tools, while Barry emphasized that any use would need to protect confidentiality. The committee also discussed staffing and funding, with Barry saying KY Stats has about 49 total staff and annual funding of roughly $3.1 million in state general funds, plus federal labor-related funding. Committee members praised the agency’s work and suggested legislators may not fully understand its capabilities. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we're going to go through the commissioner criteria, the skills that folks have.
• And then going down to the next section, we do talk about skills and expertise.
• And then going down to the next section, we do talk about skills and expertise.
• Where are the gaps now from the skill sets?
• Where are the gaps now from the skill sets?

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The commission met to continue work on planning a Cape Verdean Cultural Center in Massachusetts, with a focus on finalizing membership and preparing for a feasibility study. After roll call and introductions, members reviewed and unanimously approved the November 25 minutes. The chair described the commission’s mandate, including monthly meetings, cultural institution visits, listening sessions, and hiring a consultant to conduct the feasibility study. Members also discussed the historical importance of the project in light of Cape Verde’s 50th anniversary of independence and the 250th anniversary of the United States. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to a draft nomination criteria document for expanding the commission. The criteria emphasized geographic, generational, gender, and sector diversity, along with needed expertise in areas such as arts and cultural programming, history, museum work, architecture, fundraising, nonprofit governance, higher education, language preservation, community organizing, economic development, legal issues, and communications. Members highlighted several organizations and institutions as important designees, including Bridgewater State’s Pedro Pires Institute, Mili Mila, the Schooner Ernestina Morrissey Advisory Board, and the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The criteria document was amended to explicitly include Cape Cod, and then approved unanimously. The commission then reviewed a slate of 16 additional nominees to fill the remaining seats, discussing gaps in legal expertise, Taunton representation, and other regional needs. Members noted that some nominees could also support a separate Cape Verdean associations body rather than serve on the commission itself. After discussion, the body approved forming a three-member nominating committee consisting of the chair, Commissioner Monica Vega, and Commissioner Manny Lopes to narrow the list and report back. Commissioners also agreed to schedule another meeting later in the month to vote on final appointments, and the meeting adjourned after those action steps were set.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have boost and we're very competitive skilled us.
• We're producing more apprenticeships into the skilled trades.
• And we partner with the county and our students in the skilled trades.
• Our new Institute for the skill treat right on our campus. That Institute for skilled trades.
• They had dinner and then the parents go off, do their skills and children go into reading skills and

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• do have a study that we talked about in the other amendments to discuss a lot of the impacts about labor
• I'm here on behalf of law enforcement labor services and its member organizations with the Minnesota
• services and I served enforcement labor services and I served as<01:21:13.360><c> a</c><01:21:13.600
• I'm here on behalf of law enforcement<01:21:23.679><c> labor</c><01:21:24.080><c> services</c><01:21:
• 24.560><c> and</c><01:21:24.800><c> its</c> enforcement labor services and its enforcement labor services

Bills: HF3169, HF3749, HF2605, HF3541, HF4102, HF3513, HF268

Keywords: suicide prevention, transportation, mental health, bridge safety, data collection, state law, bridge inspection, active transportation, truck parking, public safety, vehicle registration, fee structure, full-service providers, Capitol security, emergency management, state buildings, law enforcement, Minnesota State Patrol, State Patrol compensation, trooper salary

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the past 17 years, the cost of materials, equipment, and labor has risen dramatically.
• As union construction employers, our labor agreements are collectively bargained, and we don't have any
• Yeah, I do have concerns about the ability for our labor partners to be able to dispatch and not being
• in our societies, giving people good, stable jobs that come with benefits, which is something that labor
• That is the benefit of a skilled and trained workforce, of having a unionized contractor, that it's not

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• CUSD is actively partnering with registered apprenticeship program sponsors, industry partners, labor
• In addition, the district offers, workplace expectations and industry skills.
• The motion is due pass as amended to Labor and Employment Committee. Patel: Aye. Hoover: Aye.
• The motion is due pass as amended to Labor and Employment. Bonta, Garcia, Garcia: Aye. Garcia: Aye.
• The motion is due pass as amended to the Labor and Employment Committee. Bonta: aye. Bonta: aye.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard several Senate bills focused on student health, access, equity, and career preparation. SB 608 by Sen. Menjivar would expand access to condoms and related sexual health resources for students in grades 7–12 and direct the Department of Education to align with the California Healthy Youth Act. Supporters argued the bill would help address high STI rates among youth and remove barriers to access, while opponents raised concerns about parental authority, local control, and encouraging early sexual activity. The bill was approved on a 6-1 vote and sent to the Health Committee. SB 965 by Sen. Blakespear would prohibit libraries from requiring a parent to be physically present for a 16- or 17-year-old to obtain a library card, while still allowing libraries to require parental consent or signature. Supporters said the current rule creates unnecessary barriers for teens and school research projects, and the California Library Association said it was now neutral after amendments. The committee passed the bill 6-0 to Appropriations. SB 998 by Sen. Gonzalez would define and expand the duties of discrimination prevention coordinators in the state’s Office of Civil Rights, including adding a disability coordinator and deputy coordinators focused on anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Latino, and anti-Native American discrimination. Testimony emphasized the need to address rising hate incidents and discrimination in schools, especially for Black, LGBTQ+, AAPI, and other marginalized students. The bill was approved and sent to Judiciary with amendments to be processed there. SB 845 by Sen. Perez, which expands work-based learning and youth apprenticeship opportunities, also received broad support from education, workforce, and industry groups and passed unanimously to Labor and Employment. The committee also approved a consent calendar of additional bills and adjourned after all items were acted on.

Transcript Highlights:

• She worked alongside my grandfather to secure the first labor contract at Almaden Vineyards in the 1960s
• People like my grandfather, people like many of your parents and relatives, people who labored in the
• He was a cement laborer in the Laborers' International Union of North America, Local 294, whose work
• In retirement, he continued working with his hands as a skilled carpenter.
• In retirement, he continued working with his hands as a skilled carpenter who did woodworking, and he

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, heard a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through a largely ceremonial and procedural floor session. Speaker Revis delivered remarks condemning the sexual abuse allegations involving Cesar Chavez and said he would work with Senate leadership on legislation to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farm Worker Day. The body also handled several procedural motions, including re-referrals of bills to committees and guest introductions for visiting students, advocacy groups, and university representatives. The main substantive actions were on a series of resolutions. H.R. 83, recognizing Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, drew extensive personal testimony from Assemblymembers about family members and constituents with disabilities, the need for inclusion, and the importance of state funding and direct support services; it was adopted by voice vote after 70 co-authors were added. ACR 154, recognizing California Down Syndrome Awareness Week and Day, was similarly supported with personal stories about family members with Down syndrome and the need for continued awareness and services; it was adopted after 67 co-authors were added. ACR 148, designating Family Physician Week, highlighted the shortage of primary care doctors and the importance of investment in family medicine; it was adopted after 60 co-authors were added. ACR 156, recognizing National Day of Play, emphasized social connection, reduced screen time, and community engagement; it also passed with 60 co-authors added. The Assembly also adopted the consent calendar, which included Senate Concurrent Resolution 125 related to Ramadan, by a 60-0 vote. Later, members gave an adjournment in memory for Raymond Martin Melgoza, a union laborer and community member from the Central Valley. The session ended with announcements about the schedule, including no floor session on March 20 and a mandatory joint convention on March 23 for the State of the Judiciary address, followed by adjournment until March 23 at 1 p.m.