Transcript Highlights:

• this and co-sponsoring this legislation.
• this and co-sponsoring this legislation.
• So this is my piece of legislation.
• The Saturday after the 100th legislative day.
• Like I said before, this is kind of accidentally given my career to being a legislator and legislative

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2825, which would replace criminal enforcement for unpaid court fines, fees, restitution, and incarceration costs with a civil collection framework and end arrest warrants and contempt proceedings for nonpayment. Representative Chris Lopez said the bill would let people keep working and repay debts through wage garnishment and other civil tools, while a Justice Action Network representative testified in support. The committee adopted the Blackman amendment limiting challenges to a second default judgment entered within one year of a prior one, then passed HB 2825 with a 7-0 due pass recommendation. The committee then took up HB 2070, an emergency appropriation of $25 million for Gila County flood relief. Gila County supervisors, mayors from Globe and Miami, the county emergency manager, and public works staff described severe flooding, deaths, major debris and sediment removal, damaged roads and utilities, and the county’s inability to meet matching-fund requirements for federal or state grants. Members discussed FEMA denials, federal review, and the need to act before monsoon season. HB 2070 passed unanimously with a due pass recommendation. Next, HB 2129, which moves the deadline for municipal library trustees’ annual report from the first Monday in July to the second Monday, was supported by the Arizona Library Association as a simple timing fix for smaller and rural libraries. It passed 6-1. HB 2439, exempting public and semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ water pollution rules, was presented as a way to reduce regulatory confusion and costs for small businesses; it also passed 6-0 with one member absent. The committee then approved HB 2773, barring Arizona and its entities from assisting the International Criminal Court, after debate over sovereignty and constitutional authority, by a 4-3 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, this is an Office of Fiscal Analysis publication, and I think they're reflecting the appropriation
• It would be the revised appropriation if this item were approved by the committee.
• Right back, or this is appropriate, Madam Governor.
• So, essentially the same question, and looking at the post-FAC action, it is the appropriation that this
• We've got historical data to support our requests that will go in for the biennial budget.

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The Finance Advisory Committee approved the minutes of its April 2 meeting and then took up three budget transfers. The first, FAC 2026-6 for the Office of the State Treasurer, moved $75,000 from personal services to other expenses to pay for consultant help applying for federal energy credits under the Inflation Reduction Act’s direct pay provisions. Treasurer’s office staff said the agency had one open position and several others pending posting, and members discussed how the transfer related to vacant positions and the committee’s budget display. The second item, FAC 2026-7 for the Office of the State Controller, transferred $700,000 from personal services to other expenses to cover higher Core-CT software maintenance and licensing costs. Comptroller staff said the office had 21 open positions, most in Core-CT, and explained that the system, implemented in 2003, receives regular quarterly and monthly updates from Oracle. Members also discussed how the system serves payroll, HR, purchasing, accounting, and related functions for many state agencies, including UConn and the Board of Regents. The final item, FAC 2026-8 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, transferred $700,000 from personal services, the veterans opportunity pilot, and headstones accounts to other expenses for year-end operational needs. Commissioner Ron Welch said most vacancies were in the skilled nursing facility, food service, and physical plant, with staffing challenges especially for nurses and aides. He also explained that the veterans opportunity pilot never fully launched, that the Institutional General Welfare Fund has been depleted and the agency now relies more on general fund support, and that the department faces rising food, utility, and pharmaceutical costs, including a federal VA reimbursement change that will leave the state responsible for medication costs by 2027. All three transfers were approved, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• But as they do meet that, they can move over on steps on the career ladder appropriately, and then...
• But as they do meet that, they can move over on steps on the career ladder appropriately.
• Chairman, members of the committee, for the record, Jared Taitro, with Legislative Services and the Impact
• Again, Jared Taitro, Legislative Services, for the record. The Idaho career ladder can be found.
• Only on that $2,000 request we made in 2010.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first disposed of Senate Bill 1291 with a due-pass recommendation to the floor. It then took up House Bill 816, which would adjust Idaho’s career ladder rules for career technical education and pupil service staff so prior relevant experience can count toward movement on the ladder, rather than leaving many employees stuck for years at the same level. The bill’s sponsors and LSO staff explained that the career ladder is an apportionment model, not a salary schedule, and that the change is intended to help recruit and retain educators who come from industry or clinical settings. Testimony in support came from a school psychologist, a school nurse, school administrators, and a CTE representative, all emphasizing shortages, recruitment problems, and the cost of contracting for these services. Despite support, a motion was made and approved to hold HB 816 in committee. The committee then considered House Bill 815, a narrow fix for Answer Charter School’s transportation block grant funding. Sponsor Sonia Galavis and Answer representatives explained that the school began full busing only in 2022-23, but its transportation funding was still being calculated from a small 2010 pilot program, leaving it far below comparable schools despite running multiple buses and transporting students daily. Testifiers, including a parent and the school’s executive director, said the current formula creates an unfair funding gap and limits access for families. The committee heard that the bill would correct an unintended anomaly without affecting newer charter schools, and it voted to send HB 815 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. The committee also adopted an RS for House Bill 816, with a technical correction to the language, and sent it to the second reading calendar. Representatives Diger and Galavis were named to carry that measure on the floor. The meeting then adjourned after completing its work for the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• We pray for your continued guidance, guard, and glory to rest upon the legislators, leaders, laborers
• , state Representatives, Capitol employees to be blessed with wisdom, humility, and love as they legislate
• Make this eighty-ninth regular legislative session a positive, productive, and peaceful process in the
• A record vote has been requested by Mr. Lowe. A record vote is granted.
• HB 1 by Bonn and General Appropriations Bill refer to the Committee on Appropriations HB 2 by Buckley

Transcript Highlights:

• We pray for your continued guidance, guard, and glory. to rest upon the legislators, leaders, laborers
• representatives, capital employees to be blessed with wisdom, humility, and love as they learn. legislate
• Make this 89th regular legislative session a positive, productive, and peaceful process in the joint
• A record vote has been requested by Mr. Lowe. A record vote is granted.
• HB 1 by Bonin, General Appropriations Bill, referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest, or other appropriate legal
• I respectfully request this body recognize a special birthday coming up over the weekend.
• The members down below are counting on you to be the legislators of tomorrow.
• My amazing young legislators-to-be, welcome.
• The request to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal.

Summary: The Assembly met for a floor session marked largely by ceremonial and procedural business. After a quorum call, the body opened with Valentine’s Day remarks, a prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by guest introductions recognizing California YMCA Youth and Government participants from several delegations, including Glendora High School, Crenshaw YMCA, Wilmington YMCA, and Mid Valley YMCA. On the daily file, most items were passed, retained, or continued without controversy. The only recorded vote was on the consent calendar, which included Senate Concurrent Resolution 107 honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; it was adopted 63-0. The chamber also approved a request to allow certain members to speak on adjournments in memory. Several members then offered adjournment tributes: Assembly Member Gibson honored James Armstrong, a veteran and community leader in Carson and Watts; Assembly Member Rubio remembered actor-comedian Thomas Kent Carter (TK Carter); and Assembly Member Boerner honored Dave Hodges, founder of the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. The Assembly then announced there would be no session on President’s Day, with the next floor session scheduled for Tuesday, February 17 at 1 p.m., and adjourned accordingly.

Transcript Highlights:

• Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest, or other appropriate legal
• I respectfully request this body recognize a special birthday coming up over the weekend.
• The members down below are counting on you to be the legislators of tomorrow.
• My amazing young legislators-to-be, welcome.
• The request to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That would leave... ...that can be appropriately managed by AI and have those handled.
• The appropriators don't control it.
• The request for information is due April 1st.
• The request for information is due April 1st for the nuclear fuel cycle innovation centers.
• Like, how many sessions do you think we will have before the legislative session in January?

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation will lower construction costs and fees for both private and governmental clients of
• have made three more changes on behalf of the board requests.
• So we have bent over backwards to meet... ...on behalf of the board requests.
• So we have bent over backwards to meet every regulation they've requested.
• I've been going through Wes Sutton, who is the legislative liaison for the board.

Committee: House Professional Registration and Licensing

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> that we have beds at the appropriate that we have beds at the appropriate care<00:07:29.520><c>
• budget cycles ago, we had a request to budget cycles ago, we had a request to hire<00:24:32.480><c> 200
• </c> restricted fund appropriations to spend. restricted fund appropriations to spend.
• is basically legislation that is passed by the General Assembly.
• is basically legislation that is passed by the General Assembly.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services heard a presentation on Kentucky personal care homes from representatives of the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities, Management Systems of Kentucky, and Elder Care Partners. Witnesses described personal care homes as a lower-cost, 24/7 residential option for adults with serious mental illness who do not qualify for nursing home care but need structured support, medication assistance, meals, housekeeping, transportation, and supervision. They said the homes are regulated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, are not Medicaid-funded, and rely on a state supplementation rate of about $50.70 per day, which they argued no longer covers operating costs because of rising food, labor, insurance, and maintenance expenses. The presenters said the sector has shrunk significantly over time, citing a drop from 64 homes in 2002 to 34 today among the homes serving this population, with 30 closures over 23 years and two more closures since August. They argued that the closures have contributed to homelessness, hospital overcrowding, and longer stays in psychiatric hospitals, and they gave examples of residents who had spent many months in hospitals before stabilizing in a personal care home. One provider also described spending more than $800,000 on capital improvements after acquiring Kentucky facilities and said reimbursement is too low to sustain safe operations. They asked for an incremental reimbursement increase over two years and said they have also proposed an assisted-living model for people with mental illness. Members asked about staffing, reimbursement, and the number of people still needing placement. The presenters said there is no requirement for licensed or certified staff in these facilities, though some homes use medication technicians and occasional LPNs. They estimated they are currently serving about 2,000 residents and said they receive roughly 30 referrals for every one person admitted, with many referrals involving people whose needs exceed the personal care home level. Senator Meredith and Representative Fleming said any funding request would need documentation of savings and corresponding budget offsets, while Representative Duval expressed support and asked about possible staffing and program improvements. The witnesses also compared Kentucky’s flat-rate reimbursement to a more individualized reimbursement model in Minnesota, saying a needs-based system would better match staffing and reduce hospitalizations.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the request, we, in coordination with the Health and Human Services Agency, are requesting $730,000
• Will Owens, Legislative Analyst's Office.
• The coalition is also requesting trailer bill language, and for that request, I'll hand things off to
• Lastly, we have two legislative priorities.
• Wanted to center the request for continued funding of the overdose prevention, wanted to center the request

Summary: The committee heard a series of budget and oversight presentations from CalHHS-related departments and agencies. CalHHS opened with a broad overview of its 2026-27 budget and priorities, including behavioral health, housing and human services integration, children and youth services, and aging/disability supports. OICR then presented its budget and its SB 823 realignment report on youth formerly committed to DJJ, saying county implementation varies widely but that the state has not seen evidence of net widening in the available data. OICR recommended climate surveys, youth advisory councils, stronger behavioral health and education programming in secure youth treatment facilities, better transitional planning, and improved longitudinal data systems. The agency also described a Title II federal grant transition problem, saying it cannot yet pay some subrecipients for prior work and is awaiting federal action on retroactive spending authority and an administrative funding adjustment. The Ombudsperson division requested two additional positions to address a growing complaint workload and access issues with counties over youth meetings, records, and grievance files; LAO raised no policy objection but noted the ongoing General Fund cost. The State Council on Developmental Disabilities requested $730,000 General Fund ongoing to cover the gap between federal limits on administrative overhead and the actual cost of an interagency agreement with the Department of Social Services. EMSA presented its department overview and several proposals, including a delayed AB 716 ambulance rate report, a $2.6 million request to replace aging disaster-response vehicles, a $250,000 security architecture assessment, and four positions plus ongoing General Fund for HR, enforcement, and legal workload. Members questioned the delay in the AB 716 report, the optics and timing of the vehicle replacement request, and whether EMSA was doing enough to prevent future staffing and enforcement problems. LAO repeatedly noted the ongoing General Fund implications of EMSA’s requests. The Department of Community Services and Development sought reappropriation of unspent Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund money for the Low-Income Weatherization Program and described a Proposition 4-funded continuation of the farmworker housing component, which would require a new statewide administrator and program design process. The Department of Rehabilitation requested authority to draw an additional $60 million in federal funds annually and add 54 positions to meet sharply increased Vocational Rehabilitation caseloads; LAO had no concerns. Child Support Services proposed restoring a prior reduction to local child support agency funding and reported higher federal performance incentives, while also presenting a supplemental report on full pass-through of child support collections to CalWORKs families, estimating about $150 million annually for full pass-through or about $80 million for a state/county-only approach, plus automation costs. Members questioned why funding should rise when caseloads are declining, and whether the policy could be made cost-neutral. CDPH closed the hearing with an overview of its $5.1 billion budget and its state of public health report, highlighting record-low mortality and higher life expectancy, but also rising overdose deaths among ages 25-44, persistent maternal and infant mortality disparities, and the need for stable public health and emergency-response capacity; no votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Vermonters about the process and concurred with the member from Poultney and others that this area of legislation
• The member from Wool requests that when the vote is taken, it be taken by roll.
• The request is sustained. amend there to. So, now we turn to the amend there to.
• The committee heard from Legislative Council, Office of Legislative Council reporter of the bill, Senate
• <01:05:07.320><c> diverse</c> appropriately diverse appropriately diverse um<01:05:08.960><c> and</c>

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have AB 1866 by Rogers, which is a due pass to the Committee on Appropriations.
• AB 1866, Rogers, due pass to the Committee on Appropriations.
• And I think that it is focused on making sure that the plans that are required under the legislation
• Plans that are required under the legislation would not be duplicative of existing efforts.
• The motion is due pass to the Committee on Appropriations. Ransom? Aye. Ransom, aye. Alanis. Aye.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Emergency Management met with a quorum and first took up its consent calendar, advancing AB 1749, AB 1866, AB 1873, and committee bill AB 2471 on a 5-0 vote, with the roll held open for an absent member. The committee then heard AB 1934 by Assembly Member Bennett, which would create a voluntary State Fire Marshal home hardening certification program tied to wildfire mitigation and defensible space. Bennett described the bill as a response to increasing wildfire destruction and said the California Professional Firefighters Association supported it; the committee accepted amendments, and the bill passed as amended to the Committee on Natural Resources on a 5-0 vote. The committee also heard AB 2472, authored by Assembly Member Ransom, which would require Cal OES to develop additional catastrophic incident plans for pandemics, CBRNE incidents, and wildland-urban interface wildfires. Ransom said the bill would fill gaps in existing catastrophic planning and improve preparedness for future disasters. A committee member raised concerns about duplicative planning and suggested the bill could be amended to rely on existing plans where possible; Ransom responded that the bill was intended to supplement, not duplicate, current efforts. AB 2472 passed to the Committee on Appropriations on a 6-0 vote. After returning to the consent calendar, the committee completed the remaining roll call and confirmed the earlier consent items were out. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have AB 1866 by Rogers, which is a due pass to the Committee on Appropriations.
• And I think that it is focused on making sure that the plans that are required under the legislation
• Plans that are required under the legislation would not be duplicative of existing efforts.
• We just simply received notice that it was requested to come off of consent due to opposition, but I
• The motion is due pass to the Committee on Appropriations. Ransom: Aye. Ransom, aye. Alanis: Aye.

Committee: House Emergency Management

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :00.320><c> your</c><00:23:00.640><c> school</c> certainly request of your school certainly request of
• </c> make a you know to make an appropriate make a you know to make an appropriate dis<00:24:28.320><
• But I don't think we should be legislating that.
• But I don't think we should be legislating that.
• </c> be legislating that. be legislating that.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's also listed in the legislation as well.
• Requests to make from that department.
• I think in a citizen legislature, it's totally appropriate that legislators serve on these various executive
• It came to a head in this legislation.
• Chair, legislate love and hate. We can't legislate that.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• process unfold. ...are safe during their time here while they watch the legislative process unfold.
• When our security officers... ...hit some of our legislators.
• Was it passed in legislation? Was there past funding passed for it?
• I know that you can get legislative history information from the legislative library here in this building
• So I do not see the commission's legislative liaisons or legislative team in attendance.

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If appropriate for use by our members.
• So we respectfully request your approval of this amendment.
• request your approval of this<00:31:44.320><c> amendment.
• Dave Jenny Gilbert, legislative liaison.
• /c> Scott, uh legislative regulatory Scott, uh legislative regulatory adviser,<00:48:15.280><c> DMS.

Keywords: 0:22 – Roll Call 0:30 – Approval of minutes 1:04 – Department of Veterans Affairs 2:06 – Board of Pharmacy 3:20 – Board of Optometric Examiners 39:26 – Board of Nursing 40:07 – Board of Emergency Medical Services 41:52 – Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources 44:36 – Transportation Cabinet: Department of Vehicle Registration 45:36 – Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control 47:00 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services: Department for Medicaid Services 49:59 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services: Department for Community-Based Services, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee approved the minutes from the previous meeting and then took up several regulations. The first was a Department of Veterans Affairs regulation, with a staff amendment, to allow nurse practitioners to apply for the Veterans Affairs nurse loan repayment program year-round and to make technical drafting changes. The committee heard from the Office of Kentucky Veteran Centers, then adopted the staff amendment and approved the regulation without objection. The main item of the meeting was the Board of Optometric Examiners’ proposed amendment to 201 KAR 5:010, which would allow applicants to use the Optometry Examining Board of Canada written exam in place of part one of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam for licensure. The board said the change would improve access to care, provide an additional pathway for Canadian-trained candidates, and still require applicants to pass the remaining national board parts. Opponents, including NBEO officials, ARBO, Pearson VUE, and several optometrists, argued the Canadian exam is not equivalent, does not test the same biomedical science content, is not validated for U.S. scope of practice, and raises concerns about test security, transparency, and portability across states. They urged the committee to find the amendment deficient or vote no. Committee members questioned both sides about prior communication with the board, whether Kentucky would be the first state to adopt such a change, the rationale for the proposal, and the cost difference between the exams. Supporters said the board had received some written comments and one phone call, and that the proposal was driven by access concerns and the presence of Canadian students. Opponents said they had not had direct discussions with the Kentucky board before the hearing. No final vote on the optometry regulation is reflected in the transcript excerpt, but the committee heard extensive testimony and rebuttal before moving on.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, you all appropriated $10 million.
• The total request is $81 million.
• Our intent and purposes were in passing that legislation, those pieces of legislation.
• Is that my understanding of what the legislation does?
• of the Primary Care Capital Funding Act with $25 million appropriated.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• CARB's work is the result of significant legislative direction.
• This legislation builds off past climate legislation and once again demonstrates that California is a
• So the legislation that was passed authorized a margin cap if that was found to be appropriate and if
• And even when this legislation moved forward...
• Will there be actual legislative recommendations within that plan?

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held its annual oversight hearing on the transportation fuels sector, focused on California’s fuel transition, the announced refinery closures by Phillips 66 and Valero, and the potential effects on supply, prices, and the broader fuel system. Committee leadership said the state needs a system-wide transition plan rather than a piecemeal approach, and state witnesses from CARB, the CEC, and DPMO described the fuel market as a complex, interconnected ecosystem involving crude production, refining, storage, imports, and delivery. They emphasized that declining gasoline demand from EV adoption is occurring alongside shrinking in-state refining capacity, which could increase volatility and price spikes if not managed carefully. CARB Chair Liane Randolph reviewed the state’s climate and air-quality programs, including AB 32, SB 32, the 2022 scoping plan, the low-carbon fuel standard, and vehicle emissions rules. She said these policies have reduced emissions substantially but that California still faces major ozone and PM2.5 problems, especially in disadvantaged communities. Randolph also said federal actions challenging California waivers could complicate the state’s clean-air efforts, and she noted that while liquid fuels will still be needed in some sectors, the state must continue reducing fossil fuel dependence while protecting public health. CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda and DPMO Director Ty Milder presented data on gasoline demand, refinery throughput, crude imports, and price differentials. Gunda said the Legislature’s special-session laws gave the agencies transparency and planning tools, and that the CEC is developing a fuels transition plan while evaluating whether any regulatory tools should be used. Milder previewed DPMO findings that Californians have paid a long-running “mystery gasoline surcharge” averaging 41 cents per gallon since 2015, with higher margins concentrated in branded gasoline and among vertically integrated firms. He said the data show a concentrated market with some refiners doing well and others struggling, and that DPMO will continue investigating price behavior, competition, and supply risks. Members pressed the witnesses on whether state regulations contributed to refinery exits or higher prices, and on whether the agencies had adequately analyzed consumer costs. Witnesses said they had not yet implemented the new permissive tools from SB X1-2 and AB X2-1 because they were still assessing risks and benefits, and they stressed that refinery closures and capital decisions are driven by broader market conditions as well as regulation. No vote was taken; the hearing was informational, with the committee seeking updates and urging the agencies to develop a practical transition strategy that balances affordability, reliability, climate goals, and worker/community protections.