Transcript Highlights:

• if we over-regulate...
• We need some regulations on that.
• But when we regulate ourselves... out of business or we regulate ourselves to a point where we can't
• We don't have that data. We don't have exemption data.
• Those are regulated by the federal government, and any state law cannot regulate the payment structure

Committee: House Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Even well-intended regulations can add up in ways that affect feasibility.
• The state has a direct role in housing regulation in some ways.
• The regulators generally do not allow a project to do the practical solution.
• In our role as a regulator, we work to ensure that cities...
• So when it comes to our hazardous waste regulations...

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Regulatory Authority held its first hearing to examine how California’s regulatory framework affects housing production, affordability, and timelines. Chair Pacheco and Assemblymember Haney framed the discussion around the state’s housing shortage and the need to reduce costs while maintaining environmental, safety, and community protections. The first panel featured housing experts and industry representatives who argued that state regulations, code complexity, utility constraints, and agency review processes add substantial cost and delay to development. Bill Fulton described overlapping state and local land-use authorities and the tension among housing, coastal protection, climate, and wildfire goals. CBIA’s Chris Ochoa and California Apartment Association representative Bob Raymer said building codes, energy mandates, and agency processes have materially increased per-home costs, and they urged more centralized affordability analysis and greater scrutiny of regulatory impacts. The Bay Area Council’s Louis Marante called for a statewide cost target for housing and stronger timelines and accountability for state agency reviews. The second panel brought in state agencies to explain their roles. HCD said its housing element enforcement, streamlining laws, and technical assistance have helped increase production, shorten entitlement timelines, and improve compliance by local governments. CARB said SB 375 is a planning law that does not directly regulate land use, and argued that regional housing assumptions in sustainable communities strategies are not being fully implemented on the ground. The Coastal Commission said it works with local governments to balance coastal protection, sea-level-rise risk, and housing, and noted recent guidance and pilot efforts to streamline housing approvals in the coastal zone. The Energy Commission said its building energy standards are designed to be cost-effective and save consumers money over time, though they can add some design and documentation complexity. Fish and Wildlife and DTSC both emphasized early engagement and collaboration to reduce delays while protecting natural resources and public health; DTSC said it is refining vapor intrusion guidance and using brownfield grants to support redevelopment. The State Water Resources Control Board said it uses general orders and basin planning to provide predictable permitting while balancing water quality, water rights, and housing needs, and noted billions in grants and loans for water infrastructure and site remediation that can support housing affordability. In response to questions from Assemblymember Haney, several agencies described ongoing coordination across departments, including regular meetings among HCD, CARB, the Coastal Commission, and transportation agencies, as well as broader interagency efforts to reduce redundancies and identify pinch points in project delivery. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; the main outcome was informational testimony and discussion of possible future reforms to improve coordination, predictability, and affordability in state regulatory processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not advocating for no regulations and no guardrails.
• But as the data mounted, the reality became undeniable: regulation is simply not enough to stop the bleeding
• States are starting, at the end of 2024, to regulate these machines.
• Right here in New England, Connecticut was early to pass regulations.
• Section... ...their models or share safety data with their business clients.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite these risks, the U.S. has yet to regulate nitro musks, while other countries, including Canada
• ACI is actively working with the FDA to provide data on these ingredients that would establish their
• So I did notice a lack of, like, what's the scientific data we're relying on here?
• UC Davis, Northwestern, page eight, are frequent publishers of such data. But they're not cited.
• We should let scientists make the regulations, just like my colleague talked about.

Summary: The Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee met to adopt its rules, establish quorum, and approve a consent calendar of five bills, all sent to the Committee on Appropriations. The committee then heard three measures: AB 638 by Assembly Member Rodriguez on stormwater capture for irrigation of urban public lands; AB 60 by Assembly Member Papin on banning synthetic nitro musks in cosmetics and personal care products; and AB 916 by Assembly Member Lee on restricting certain antibacterial soap ingredients in consumer hand soaps and body washes. AB 638 was presented as a climate and water-supply measure directing the State Water Resources Control Board to develop guidelines for capturing and safely reusing stormwater for irrigation. Supporters, including NRDC and several environmental groups, argued it would reduce potable water use and help move stalled projects forward. The bill drew no opposition and received strong support from committee members, including requests to coauthor. It passed the committee on a due pass motion to Appropriations. AB 60 would ban synthetic nitro musks in cosmetics and personal care products due to health and environmental concerns. Supporters cited endocrine disruption, reproductive harms, persistence in waterways, and international restrictions. The bill passed on a due pass motion to the floor, with one member not voting. AB 916 generated the most debate: supporters said the three targeted antimicrobials offer no added benefit over plain soap, may contribute to health harms and antibiotic resistance, and should be banned in consumer products while exempting health care settings. Opponents argued the ingredients are already under FDA and DTSC review, raised preemption concerns, and warned of costs and impacts on food handling and other uses. After extensive discussion, the committee approved AB 916 on a due pass motion to the Committee on Health, with several no votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Using EPA data, they estimate that it would take about 60 residents in order to exceed, under average
• that we collect to ensure accurate and timely regulation of our substances such as tobacco, alcohol,
• cannabis, and other regulated substances in the state of Washington, while legal, are being measured
• regulates this data, to do so in a meaningful way.
• regulates this data to do so in a meaningful way.

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a prayer before caucusing briefly. The chamber then approved the prior day’s minutes, received a Senate message announcing passage of Senate Bill 5068, and referred bills from the introduction and committee report sheets as designated. The House took up second reading on three bills: HB 1187, HB 1345, and HB 1501. HB 1187, concerning protections for patients involved in motor vehicle accidents, was amended to remove an outdated effective-date section and then passed 89-2. HB 1345, dealing with detached accessory dwelling units in rural areas and related local requirements, received a technical amendment and passed 86-5 after supporters described it as a long-negotiated measure to expand housing options in rural communities; some members raised concerns about water-meter requirements but still supported the bill. HB 1501, addressing inquiries into HOA and condominium governance and operations, was amended with a striker to add flexibility for smaller volunteer-run associations and passed 55-36, with supporters emphasizing transparency and critics warning it could add legal and administrative burdens. The House then considered several bills on third reading. Substitute HB 1066, on centralized reporting and transparency for regulated substances data, passed 84-7. HB 1069, allowing certain employer-sponsored organizations to bargain over supplemental retirement benefits including health care for correctional officers and other workers, passed 72-19 amid debate over costs and worker retention. HB 1347, shifting cannabis testing-related work from Ecology to Agriculture to reduce duplication and improve oversight, passed 88-3. Engrossed Substitute HB 1541, reorganizing the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee to improve flexibility and fill vacancies, was amended with a striker and passed unanimously 91-0. The House also re-referred HB 2592 from Transportation to Appropriations and then adjourned until the following Friday morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• and we want time to review that data.
• I don't think that's without data.
• This data is important.
• This bill requires regulations.
• Well, the regulators don't.

Committee: Senate Health

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1377, a bill on medical exemptions for school immunizations. The author and supporters said the measure was a narrow reform to restore physician discretion and reduce what they described as chilling effects from audits and license discipline; opponents from pediatric, medical, public health, and school groups argued the current system already works, protects against fraudulent exemptions, and should not be weakened. Committee members debated the data, the number of exemptions reviewed or revoked, and the effect of the proposed amendments. The bill was amended in committee, but because there was no quorum it was not formally voted on at that time. The committee then heard SB 995, the Masuma Khan Justice Act, which would create a statewide inspection and compliance framework for large private detention facilities. The author and supporters described severe conditions in immigration detention, including denial of medication, unsafe food and water, and lack of oversight, and the bill was presented as a response to those abuses. The California Hospital Association raised concerns about duplicative regulation and overlapping standards, but said it was continuing to work on a solution. The committee discussed constitutional and jurisdictional issues, and the bill was moved on a do-pass motion to the Committee on Judiciary with a 5-0 vote placed on call. Next, SB 1089 was heard, proposing expanded access through CalPERS and CalRX to GLP-1 medications for chronic weight disease and diabetes prevention. The author and supporters from the American Diabetes Association and medical groups argued the drugs are effective tools to prevent type 2 diabetes, reduce long-term costs, and improve health equity, while the author also shared personal experience with weight loss and medication access barriers. There was no opposition testimony. The bill was moved on a do-pass motion to the Committee on Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement with a 5-0 vote placed on call. Finally, the committee heard SB 1221, dealing with Murphy conservatorships for people found not guilty by reason of insanity or otherwise under criminal-mental health conservatorship. Supporters, including prosecutors and psychiatrists, said the bill addresses a gap created by a court decision and would improve public safety and placement decisions for a small population of high-risk individuals. Opponents from county behavioral health and disability rights groups warned it would turn a civil process into a quasi-criminal one, expand district attorney involvement, and disrupt bed prioritization and least-restrictive-placement principles. The discussion centered on the scope of the bill and its amendments, but no final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Data will be collected. There will be reports.
• Also, that's how we do our investigations as we use METRIC data.
• Can you pull all the data?
• That's what I'm asking is for that data to Oklahoma.
• No, we would use METRIC data. I mean, they're a vendor, yeah.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But it's very, very much regulated.
• for other data points.
• Here's what the regulators and watchdogs are seeing.
• The data is collected, but it's not reported, and we really need key data about usage, patient demographics
• That's always good to have that data.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 41 by Senator Wiener, which would regulate pharmacy benefit managers by increasing transparency, banning patient steering and spread pricing, and requiring full pass-through of rebates. Supporters, including independent pharmacists and health advocates, said PBM practices are driving up drug costs and closing neighborhood pharmacies. Opponents from PBM and health plan groups argued the bill overlaps with recently enacted licensing and reporting requirements, would not lower consumer prices, and may be preempted by ERISA. Members discussed confidentiality issues, consumer savings, and the relationship between SB 41 and the new budget trailer bill; the author asked for an aye vote. The committee then took up SB 378, also by Senator Wiener, aimed at online marketplaces that advertise illegal intoxicating hemp and unlicensed cannabis products. Supporters from labor, public health, and the licensed cannabis industry said online sales are undermining regulated businesses and exposing children to unsafe products. Opponents from tech and hemp industry groups warned the bill is overbroad, could sweep in general-purpose platforms and lawful hemp wellness products, and raises Dormant Commerce Clause and First Amendment concerns. The author said he would narrow the bill, remove industrial hemp references, and address strict liability and standing issues; members largely focused on how to target illegal products without capturing lawful marketplaces. SB 243 by Senator Padilla addressed AI companion chatbots, with supporters including Common Sense Media and transparency advocates warning that these systems can be addictive, manipulative, and dangerous for minors and vulnerable users, citing studies and the death of a Florida teenager. The bill would require disclosures, anti-addiction design limits, self-harm protocols, audits, reporting, and a private right of action. Tech and business groups opposed the measure as overly broad and said its definitions could sweep in general-purpose AI tools; several members supported the goal but questioned the breadth of the definitions and the private right of action. Finally, SB 522 by Senator Wahab would extend just-cause eviction protections to rental units that were previously covered by the Tenant Protection Act but were destroyed in disasters and later rebuilt. Supporters, including Los Angeles city officials and tenant advocates, said the bill would help keep displaced renters housed after wildfires and other disasters. Apartment and realtor groups opposed it, arguing it would remove a key exemption needed to finance rebuilding and could discourage post-disaster reconstruction. Members expressed support for tenant protections in disaster areas, and the author asked for an aye vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• So is all the training data boring regulations and guidelines documents and bill analyses and that sort
• So is all the is all the training data boring regulations and guidelines documents and build analyses
• “Find data, right? Yeah, yeah.
• No part of the data is used for training at all. This does not send data out.
• So it cannot...” “...and data out, data does not leave our boundaries.

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision proposals from the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Government Operations Agency, the Department of Technology, and the Franchise Tax Board, with public comment to come later and all items held open. CDFA presented funding for the animal care program implementing Proposition 12, including a one-time $5.2 million General Fund transfer to the Ag Fund and $2.8 million ongoing, and the LAO recommended approval while noting the Legislature should revisit the funding once litigation and federal preemption questions are resolved. CDFA also proposed ending state oversight of industrial hemp and moving to the federal USDA program by January 1, 2028, with an $8.3 million General Fund transfer to cover startup and transition costs; the LAO supported the transition. Additional CDFA items included $204,000 ongoing and one position to preserve agricultural statistics reporting after USDA reorganization, and trailer bill changes to clarify the department’s 5% indirect cost cap; both drew no objections from Finance or LAO. The Government Operations Agency and Cradle to Career items focused on implementing the new federal Workforce Pell program. Finance described trailer bill language establishing state eligibility processes, with the California Student Aid Commission as the authorizing entity in consultation with the Workforce Development Board, and proposed $1.3 million one-time General Fund for Cradle to Career to build data linkages. The LAO urged caution because federal rules were just finalized and said more information was needed on workload, costs, and whether existing data systems could support the work. Senators raised policy concerns about limiting the program to public institutions and about aligning the proposal with broader workforce and labor goals. The committee also briefly discussed SB 53/Cal Compute, with GovOps saying no appropriation had been provided for its consortium work, and Finance saying the administration was not proposing funding at this time. The Department of Technology presented a $30 million operational backstop for the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative, intended to cover any shortfall if expected revenues from the Golden State Net third-party administrator do not materialize in time. The LAO initially recommended rejection over broad spending authority, then suggested amendments with stronger reporting and legislative review; committee members questioned the revenue assumptions, oversight, and whether the request could recur. CDT also sought $1 million for Poppy, the state’s GenAI digital assistant, to expand secure statewide use; the LAO had no concerns, and members asked about data security, model bias, training restrictions, and possible local-government use. Finally, FTB proposed realigning CalFile resources after the federal Direct File program was discontinued, retaining three ongoing positions and returning the rest of the funding and positions to the General Fund; the LAO said the reduced scope was reasonable, and members discussed keeping the free filing system user-friendly and ready for future federal changes. The committee also heard the administration’s digital pre-written software tax proposal, which would extend sales tax to electronically delivered software and SaaS beginning January 1, 2027, generating an estimated $450 million General Fund in 2026-27 and $900 million ongoing, plus local revenue. The LAO supported modernizing the tax base but recommended broadening the proposal to include more digital products while considering a business-use exemption or reduced rate, and flagged a newly added video game exemption as a revenue downside. Senators generally supported the goal of raising revenue and aligning California with other states, but questioned the local revenue distribution and equity effects, and one senator said they would not support expanding the tax to books, music streaming, and similar consumer products. All items were left open without votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, ICASA at NM Tech has been working on data sharing protocols.
• But we are also involved in our overall data practices.
• I'm a lawyer from Denver, and even worse than that, I'm an old regulator.
• If you've got a major data center project, we can make it a 500 kV line.
• They're going to need to go in front of state regulators for approval.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:06.400><c> Madam</c> data that our team will have. Madam data that our team will have.
• Uh, before that, they had to go to multiple data systems to pull data with electronic attendance.
• They had to go to multiple data systems to pull data with electronic attendance.
• </c> control case review process and data. control case review process and data.
• They're able to go in and look at licensing data, billing data.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Earlier this year, we released a report on the growth of data centers and how the data centers should
• Earlier this year, we released a report on the growth of data centers and how the data centers should
• This bill addresses those needs for transparency and data access.
• Regulators currently rely largely on aggregated electricity consumption data, which can make it difficult
• Better data would allow the state to plan responsibly for the rapid expansion of data centers while protecting

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of bills, with members repeatedly noting that votes would likely be held later because a quorum was not yet present. Early measures included AB 2393, which would create fixed statutory damages for false arrest or imprisonment claims involving aggravating conduct such as face coverings, restraints, forcible transport, or firearms; supporters said it would help victims obtain accountability, while no opposition appeared. AB 2050, the HOA reserve-funding bill, drew support from HOA and housing finance advocates who said underfunded reserves lead to special assessments and safety risks, while consumer groups warned of large cost increases; Senator Laird said he would move it when a quorum was available. AB 1564, making employee-union communications confidential in certain public-employment disputes, was supported by labor groups and opposed by counties, school administrators, and other local agencies who argued it would hinder investigations. AB 2231, a CEQA streamlining bill for two Sutter Health hospital projects, was backed by the author and health-care supporters but opposed by a construction trade group that said it would strip workers of wage-and-hour remedies. The committee also heard AB 2689, which would allow non-renewal of subsidized housing leases for over-income tenants under specified conditions; there was little testimony beyond the author’s presentation. AB 801 would require the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation to regularly examine lenders for fair lending compliance; supporters framed it as a response to federal retreat from consumer protection, while credit unions and bankers said they shared the goal but wanted more work on impacts to smaller institutions. AB 2721, as amended, would require hotels to post notice when they have actual knowledge of ICE or CBP reservations; hospitality workers and labor supporters said it would improve worker safety, while hotel industry groups said they were moving toward neutral after amendments, though some owners remained opposed. AB 2035 would create a narrow, court-supervised alternative vote threshold for a single HOA, Laguna Woods Village, to amend outdated CC&Rs; the author and HOA representatives said the change was needed because repeated elections had failed to reach quorum. Later bills included AB 1827, which would raise the small-claims limit for businesses from $6,250 to $15,000 and allow up to three filings per year; supporters said it would modernize access for small businesses, while the Judicial Council opposed it as likely to crowd calendars and shift small claims away from its intended purpose. AB 1577 would require data centers to report energy-use information to the Energy Commission and local agencies; supporters said better data is needed for grid planning, while one industry group remained opposed in print but encouraged by amendments. AB 2164 and AB 1854 both expanded California shield-law protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care providers and related entities against out-of-state legal actions and extradition requests; supporters said the bills were needed to protect providers and patients after Dobbs, while opponents argued they would shield harmful medical practices and interfere with parental rights and other states’ investigations. AB 2529 would require claims against public agencies to include a declaration that the contents are true and correct, and AB 2247 would create the Thrive Act to fund trauma-focused mental health services for youth affected by gun violence; both drew support from local agencies or survivors, with no significant opposition recorded in the excerpt. The final bill discussed, AB 1821, would change Public Records Act response timelines from calendar days to business days to address large, complex, or bad-faith requests; the author said it would better match agency work capacity while preserving access, and the hearing continued with testimony as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the things I want to emphasize is much of the data in this section is not data that, what I'll
• </c> I want to emphasize is much of the data I want to emphasize is much of the data in<01:01:12.960>
• </c> one is HHF data this is data being one is HHF data this is data being volunteered<01:19:24.480><
• That's cutting the data too fine.
• </c> hard data. hard data.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint committees held an informational briefing on efforts to expand insurance capacity in Hawaii’s property market, especially for condominium and homeowners coverage. The Insurance Commissioner reviewed the background: a legislative task force, the governor’s emergency proclamation in August 2024, and Senate Bill 1044 in May 2025 led to new condo insurance products. He said the work over the past two and a half years was producing positive results and introduced representatives from HPIA and HHRF/HHR to provide updates. HPIA’s board chair and its administrator described the organization’s history, structure, and current products. HPIA said it was created in 1991 as a residual market for homeowners insurance, now writing four residential products: HO2 homeowners, renters, HO6 condo unit owners, and dwelling fire. They reported policy counts have grown again as admitted-market carriers tightened underwriting, and they discussed financial pressure from reinsurance costs, though those costs had declined in 2025 after different purchasing decisions. They also said the market has become more favorable overall, with some capacity returning and deductibles beginning to ease. Members focused much of their questioning on HPIA’s proposed higher dwelling limits. HPIA explained that the current $450,000 limit for homeowners and dwelling fire was set in 2023, but agents are now asking for a higher limit in the $650,000 to $750,000 range because construction costs have risen and many policies are not being submitted when the limit is too low. HPIA said it has the authority to raise the limit through a filing with the Insurance Division and expects more submissions if the cap increases. They also discussed the shift in the book of business from roughly 70% lava-zone coverage to closer to a 50/50 split between lava and non-lava risks. HPIA outlined strategic initiatives: a new policy administration system that went live October 1 and now allows online payments, online claims reporting, and electronic notices; a filed request to raise the homeowners and dwelling fire limit to $650,000 effective March 1 for new business and April 1 for renewals; an increase in the HO6 condo unit owners limit from $5,000 to $100,000; and a planned commercial property all-other-perils-excluding-hurricane condo product targeted for filing by January 31. No votes were taken, and the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Data centers and we have an effort to incentivize high-quality data center projects in the state.
• Our members are leading data center owners and operators and companies that lease large amounts of data
• So the data center can go bigger.
• The Data Center Coalition is a national trade association for the data center industry.
• Our members are leading data center owners and operators and companies that lease large amounts of data

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act, which would streamline approvals for portable plug-in solar devices while setting safety standards. The author and supporters argued the bill would help renters and homeowners with high electricity bills by allowing low-cost balcony solar systems to reduce monthly costs, and they emphasized that the devices would not feed power back to the grid. Supporters included environmental and consumer groups, solar advocates, and many members of the public. Opponents, including electrical workers, firefighters, utilities, and PG&E, raised concerns about shock, fire, overloading, and the need for California-specific building standards. After discussion, the author agreed to committee amendments and later to add compliance with the California Electrical Code in addition to the National Electrical Code; several opponents said that change would move them to neutral. The committee then voted to pass SB 868 out as amended to Senate Judiciary, with some members expressing support while reserving concerns about safety as the bill moves forward. The committee then took up SB 886, dealing with data center electricity use and ratepayer protections. The author said the bill is intended to prevent large data centers from shifting grid and infrastructure costs onto other customers, citing rapid growth in data center demand and examples from other states. Supporters, including TURN and climate groups, said the bill would require data centers to pay for their own grid impacts, pre-fund long-term clean energy resources, participate in demand response, and cover related costs. Opponents from the data center industry, tech and business groups, utilities, and some energy users argued the bill was unnecessary, could duplicate CPUC processes, and could create discriminatory rate treatment or operational problems, especially around mandatory demand response and limits on backup generation. Committee staff described amendments narrowing the bill to large data centers, clarifying tariff and cost-allocation provisions, replacing a storage requirement with a long-term zero-carbon procurement mechanism, and exempting certain public and utility facilities. Members discussed the balance between affordability, reliability, and clean energy, with the bill framed as a way to protect ratepayers while allowing data center growth.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:50.560><c> to</c> subject to transmitting data to subject to transmitting data to unauthorized
• >> We follow the FAA regulations.
• You can download your data. I does that. You can download your data.
• </c> by executive order or regulation. by executive order or regulation.
• </c> Um and there are federal regulations. Um and there are federal regulations.

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill defines very clearly what data centers are and authorizes municipalities to regulate them in
• And why that's important is it creates a consistent statewide framework for siting and regulating data
• </c><01:35:32.640><c> data</c> um for siting and regulating data um for siting and regulating data centers
• </c> data centers. data centers.
• </c> board adopting regulations. board adopting regulations.

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• centers, you know, what it takes to operate a data center.
• to protect ratepayers as new data centers come in.
• data centers come in.
• data centers.
• by data centers, just five.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Energy Supply, Energy Conservation, and Energy Resilience

Summary: The Joint Committee on Energy Supply, Energy Conservation, and Energy Resilience opened by electing Senator Shoemake as chair and Representative Alex Ibarra as vice chair. Members then moved into a series of work sessions focused on data centers, transmission, and workforce needs tied to Washington’s clean energy and grid planning challenges. Kate Bruns and Glenn Blackman presented preliminary findings from the governor’s Data Center work group, created under Executive Order 25-05. They said the group met for six months, received more than 1,000 public comments, and included representatives from agencies, industry, tribes, labor, utilities, environmental groups, and research institutions. The presenters emphasized that data centers are expected to be the largest source of load growth over the next five to ten years, creating concerns about grid capacity, ratepayer impacts, forecasting, water use, backup generation, and compatibility with Washington’s energy and climate laws. They described nine recommendations, including protecting existing energy and climate policy, improving forecasting, seeking more clean power and transmission, and encouraging flexible data center operations. A proposed tax incentive change that would have expanded eligibility while tying the exemption to new clean electricity sources narrowly failed in the work group. Members asked about tribal consultation, cooling technologies, and local benefits from data centers; the presenters said tribal consultation was ongoing and a final report would follow. Keegan Moyer of West Tech then outlined a regional transmission study showing major strain on the Western grid from load growth, electrification, resiliency needs, and limited transmission capacity. He said the 10-year study identified about 12,000 line miles of needed projects across the West, with roughly $56 billion in estimated costs, including planned projects, reliability upgrades, and new interregional transfer projects. He stressed that many projects are upgrades within existing rights-of-way, but new corridors are still needed, and he previewed recommendations on permitting, equipment procurement, cost allocation, and project sponsorship. In response to questions, he discussed the difficulty of crossing jurisdictional “seams,” the role of federal coordination, landowner compensation, eminent domain as a last resort, and the limited role of public financing beyond a federal GRIP grant. Stephanie Scott of Commerce presented the transmission workforce study, which focuses on substation technicians, line workers, and line clearance tree trimmers. She said current workforce levels are far below what will be needed under a clean energy expansion scenario, and that active projects are essential because apprenticeship training depends on thousands of hours of hands-on work. She highlighted barriers such as high upfront CDL and pre-apprenticeship costs, the need for wraparound supports, and the importance of expanding access for women, people of color, and tribal communities. Members asked about tribal utility apprenticeship programs, utility-run training pipelines, and whether the study included funding sources; Scott said the report would include an inventory of apprenticeship programs and tribal considerations, but revenue ideas were outside the study scope. Finally, Brant Johnson of Grid United described the North Plains Connector as a case study in large transmission development. He said the project, a 420-mile, 3,000-megawatt HVDC line connecting Montana and North Dakota, has relied on early stakeholder engagement, route changes, tribal consultation, and coordinated federal and state permitting to reduce risk and shorten timelines. He said the project aims for permits by the end of 2026 and construction beginning in 2028, with an earliest commercial operation date of 2032. In response to questions, he discussed the challenges of crossing regional seams, interconnection queues, land acquisition and compensation, eminent domain, and financing, noting that the project is primarily privately financed with a $700 million federal grant covering a portion of costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• I need my regulators to understand that we need to be able to track the data to determine whether that
• Commission regulations.
• Market data, survey data, and anecdotal information collected through Friday, April 17th, altogether
• Where do I find the rules and regulations?"
• They are utilizing it because of regulations overseas, so they're meeting regulations in the European

Committee: House Energy Resources

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• chatbots and systems that collect children's data.
• AB 91, Herabedian, Middle Eastern and North African data.
• AB 91, Herabedian, Middle Eastern and North African data.
• AB 555, Jackson, ARB regulations report: holding committee.
• AB 1095, Papan, data centers: holding committee.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee held its May 23, 2025 suspense hearing and opened by emphasizing the difficult budget environment, rising costs for constituents, and the need to make tough choices. The chair said many bills would be held, amended to reduce costs, or made two-year bills because the state could not afford broad program expansions this year. The committee also noted the agenda was organized alphabetically by author and that results would be posted later that day. The committee then acted on a large suspense file, taking up hundreds of Assembly bills across topics including housing, health care, education, labor, public safety, climate, water, transportation, elections, and technology. Many bills were held in committee, while many others were approved with cost-saving, clarifying, or author’s amendments. Examples included measures on CalABLE, Covered California enrollment, wildfire and insurance issues, reproductive health, school and college programs, prison and juvenile justice matters, AI and data privacy, and local government and utility regulation. Several bills were converted to two-year bills to continue discussion. Throughout the hearing, the committee repeatedly voted on bills by A roll call or B roll call, often with Republicans not voting on amended measures. Some bills were advanced with notable amendments, such as narrowing scope, removing appropriations, delaying implementation, or striking costly provisions. The committee also approved a number of committee bills and omnibus measures, including emergency management, judiciary, insurance, and water-related bills. At the end of the hearing, the chair stated that the committee had moved 435 bills to the Assembly floor, either as do pass or do pass as amended, and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• There should not be any other reasons to use that data than prosecuting a crime.
• </c> be any other reasons to use that data be any other reasons to use that data than<00:05:15.840><c
• Next up, members, we have five administrative regulations for review.
• These regulations have already been reviewed by our staff and the Administrative Regulations Subcommittee
• That regulation was out of step with the statutory references we had to go back in and change the regulation

Keywords: Roll Call 00:32 Approval of Minutes 01:38 HB 20 Discussion 02:08 HB 20 Vote 06:00 HB 188 Discussion 07:07 HB 188 Vote 10:10 Administrative Regs 11:09, 958, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum, approved the previous meeting’s minutes, and heard two House bills plus several Transportation Cabinet regulations. House Bill 20, sponsored by Rep. Hodson, would restrict the retention and sale of automated license plate reader data, limit storage to 60 days, and prohibit nonconsensual tracking devices such as micro-trackers and subcutaneous trackers. Hodson said the bill was aimed at protecting citizens’ privacy and noted it had passed the House previously; members asked about enforcement and deletion responsibility, and one member suggested criminal penalties might be worth considering in the future. The committee voted to report HB 20 favorably. House Bill 188, sponsored by Rep. Duvall, addressed driveaway plate businesses that transport vehicles for others. Duvall said Kentucky law had created confusion about how many vehicles could be on the road and had driven up insurance costs, hurting a Warren County business; the bill would let such companies purchase the exact number of plates needed, which he said would reduce exposure and premiums. He emphasized the bill would not affect dealer tags or trailer transport and said he was working on a floor amendment to make that clear. The committee reported HB 188 favorably as well. The committee then reviewed five administrative regulations, including Transportation Cabinet rules allowing technology to be used in title examinations, extending an off-road vehicle pilot program to July 2026 and updating the definition of local government, aligning truck weight-mass rules with statute, adopting the MUTCD traffic control manual, and an emergency Kentucky State Police regulation adjusting a TSA-related hazardous materials endorsement fee because the federal change came too quickly for the normal regulatory process. Members asked whether the title rule covered rebuild titles, and staff said it applied to all titles. The committee noted the regulations had been reviewed and then adjourned, with the next meeting tentatively set for the following Tuesday.