Transcript Highlights:

• Basically what this is, it's a technology that I would call an emerging technology that has the capability
• Basically what this is, it's a technology that I would call an emerging technology that has the capability
• Basically what this is, it's a technology that I would call an emerging technology that has the capability
• It's a pretty new technology.
• Let's go to the technology portion of it.

Summary: The House Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee met to consider House Bill 534, sponsored by Rep. DJ Johnson, with a committee substitute. Johnson said the bill was the product of interim work with the Secretary of State’s office, the State Board of Elections, county clerks, KREF, and other stakeholders, and that the committee substitute folded in several election-administration changes. He highlighted provisions clarifying the timeline for felony voter-roll removals, allowing the Board of Elections to work with federal agencies to identify non-citizens on the voter rolls, creating a process for those individuals to prove citizenship and vote provisionally, and changing some KREF board appointments. He also described technical campaign-finance changes and said some provisions might still be adjusted through floor amendments. Members raised concerns about fiscal impact, timing, and voter privacy. Rep. Bivens questioned the cost and whether the bill could affect voter records; Johnson responded that the bill itself did not require new equipment or broad new spending, though a special election in a local government failure scenario could create costs. Rep. Hancock and Rep. Marzian argued the bill could create unnecessary burdens on county clerks and questioned whether there was a demonstrated problem to justify the changes. The county clerks’ association, through Rockcastle County Clerk Danetta Ford Allen, opposed the bill as introduced, warning that citizenship checks could wrongly remove eligible voters, that online ballot images or cast vote records could threaten voter privacy and facilitate vote buying, and that the emergency clause would force major changes too close to the May primary. Johnson defended the bill as a targeted response to a real local election failure and said the citizenship data sharing would be limited to name, date of birth, and Social Security number. He also explained that the ballot-image language was permissive and intended to let counties explore emerging technology, but he was open to removing that section or changing the effective date in a floor amendment. He further said he would consider preserving gubernatorial appointments to KREF with Senate oversight instead of shifting appointments to legislative leaders. After discussion, the committee voted 9-2 with one pass to report the bill out, with several members explaining yes votes as support for moving the bill forward while expecting further cleanup, and no votes citing cost, timing, and voter-access concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we get new technologies, we basically find a way to train them.
• Essentially, it's a term for just incorporating new technologies into it.
• So it's like there's not a finishing point; it's just a term for incorporating better technologies to
• It's a state-of-the-art facility with technology funded by the 911 Board.
• <00:21:21.760><c> yes</c> Technologies yes Technologies yes absolutely<00:21:25.279><c> this</c><00:21

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Summary: The committee heard and discussed three nominations to the 911 Board: Matthew Kurara (Governor’s Message 505), Re Mahuna (Governor’s Message 614), and Rebecca Liberman/Weberman (Governor’s Message 661). Kurara, a Honolulu Police Department communications captain, said he would bring PSAP and dispatch experience to the board, with a focus on Next Generation 911, better coordination among PSAPs, and recruiting and retaining telecommunicators. Mahuna, a longtime Hawaiʻi Police Department officer and current board member, emphasized his emergency-response experience during disasters on the Big Island and his support for improving communication through Next Generation 911, including the new joint call center on Hawaiʻi Island. Liberman, the board’s VoIP representative and a Charter/Spectrum government affairs director, said she was continuing her second term and would keep working on legislative and government issues, including the statutory change removing “enhanced” from the board’s name to better support Next Gen efforts. Members asked each nominee about rural coverage, redundancy, training, broadband, radio-system limitations, and how Next Generation 911 would affect service in places like Puna and other rural areas. The nominees generally said the system is designed with redundancy so service would revert to backup systems if new technology fails, and that the main challenges in rural areas are often broader communications or radio issues rather than 911 itself. Kurara and Mahuna both said each PSAP currently handles much of its own training, though there is interest in more standardization and national best practices. Liberman explained that VoIP calls generally work over the internet and may benefit from Next Gen, but that location/address issues for some internet-based calling services may still need further review. The committee also discussed public education about text-to-911, the use of technologies such as FirstNet, and whether the E911 special fund ceiling needed to be raised again. Mahuna said he did not see a current need to raise the ceiling further. Written testimony was received in support of all three nominees, including support from public officials, law enforcement, county agencies, and private individuals. No opposition testimony was noted, and the chair said decisions would be made later with the other nominees.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:57.600><c> are</c> have a say in how the technologies are have a say in how the technologies
• </c> times in past periods of technological times in past periods of technological disruption,<00:21:
• </c> techno- technology displaces their jobs. techno- technology displaces their jobs.
• </c> provide notice of technological provide notice of technological displacement.<00:44:29.800><c> Um
• </c> recognition technologies. recognition technologies.

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: Seize a quorum, the Senate Technology and Telecommunications Committee.
• Chair: The Senate Technology and Telecommunications Committee meeting will come to order with a lovely
• What of all those things does include in that technology? Thank you for that question.
• One through six is in the current language that was technology transfer back in 1989.
• And so we are just directing the state regents to update that transfer technology.

Bills: SB1670 , SB1716 , SB1521

Committee: Senate Technology and Telecommunications

Summary: The Senate Technology and Telecommunications Committee considered three Senate bills. SB 1670, by Senator Reinhart, would require the State Regents to update Oklahoma university technology transfer guidance, create a tiered ownership framework, and revisit the guidance every seven years. Members questioned the seven-year review period, the scope of terms like aerospace and autonomous technologies, and how broadly the new tiered system would apply. The bill was presented as a way to modernize an outdated 1989 framework and help turn university research into companies, jobs, and economic impact. It passed 8-0. SB 1716, by Senator Howard, amended the Security Breach Notification Act to replace references to a “cybersecurity event” with “breach of the security of a system” and to clarify that there is no private right of action for ordinary negligence when a business reports breaches to the Attorney General. Howard explained that the Attorney General would retain exclusive enforcement authority for reasonable-standards violations, while private lawsuits would remain available only for more egregious conduct such as willful, wanton conduct or gross negligence. Members asked about the negligence standard, HIPAA-related breaches, and staffing needs for the Attorney General’s office. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 8-0. SB 1521, by Senator Hamilton, would prohibit minors from accessing artificial intelligence companions and set age-verification and re-verification requirements, including use of government-issued identification and periodic re-verification. Hamilton said the bill was aimed at protecting children from harmful interactions with AI companions and was narrowly drafted to avoid sweeping in other AI tools like customer-service bots. Members raised concerns about the reasonableness and consistency of age verification, account creation requirements, and how the bill would interact with existing statutes on sexually explicit conduct. The chair spoke in support of the measure, and the bill passed 8-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are known technologies.
• It is a reactor technology that came out of—it's a fast reactor?
• It's just a small one that will run the MARVEL microreactor technology.
• What technology needs to be in place to operate them?
• And what it does is basically allows you to do technology maturation at each step.

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Summary: The meeting was a presentation and Q&A at Idaho National Laboratory focused on the state of nuclear energy, advanced reactors, and the lab’s role in testing, regulation, and commercialization. Speakers described INL’s broader mission beyond nuclear, including cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, but emphasized its major nuclear capabilities: the Advanced Test Reactor, TREAT, the Materials and Fuels Complex, and other test beds used to accelerate fuel and materials testing. They also highlighted the lab’s size, workforce, internship pipeline, and partnerships with DOE, DHS, DOD, and private companies. A major topic was the federal push to speed up nuclear deployment through executive orders and regulatory reform. Speakers said DOE and the NRC are reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, streamlining environmental reviews, and working toward a goal of having three new nuclear systems achieve criticality by July 4, 2026. They discussed the difference between microreactors, small modular reactors, and traditional gigawatt-scale plants, arguing that advanced reactors can be factory-built, safer, and better suited for data centers, military bases, remote communities, industrial heat, and other nontraditional uses. They also said the U.S. is rebuilding its nuclear supply chain, including enrichment and fuel fabrication, and that states willing to host parts of the fuel cycle could see major economic benefits. The speakers addressed questions about cost, safety, waste, and international competition. They said advanced reactors rely on passive safety features, TRISO fuel, and natural circulation, and that the industry’s challenge is often cost uncertainty rather than a precise fuel or materials limit. They argued used nuclear fuel should be viewed as a resource rather than waste if recycling becomes policy, and said microreactors should produce relatively small amounts of spent fuel. They also noted that China and Russia continue to build aggressively, with China on pace to surpass the U.S. in total nuclear generation, while U.S. projects such as Palisades, Crane Clean Energy Center, Duane Arnold, Oklo, Aalo, MARVEL, and Project Pele are moving forward under DOE and private-sector partnerships.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the first Friday of the session and the meeting of the Technology, Economic Development, and
• Welcome back, everyone, to the Technology, Economic Development, and Veterans Committee.
• But we would have the GDP of Mississippi without our technology industry.
• what's the future of technology in Washington State going to look like?
• And if we put some technology for a long time leader across the country.

Summary: The committee first took executive action on House Bill 1170, which would require disclosures when content is developed or modified by artificial intelligence and address provenance tools and enforcement. Staff described a proposed substitute and several amendments. The committee rejected amendments that would have applied the bill to public entities and tribal nations, added technical-and-commercial-feasibility language, and created a geo-blocking provision or a right to cure. It adopted amendments allowing comparable existing detection tools to satisfy the bill, protecting covered providers from liability when disclosures are unintentionally altered despite reasonable preservation measures, and setting a January 1, 2028 effective date. Members then debated whether the bill was ready for enactment, with supporters emphasizing transparency and consumer trust and opponents warning it was premature and could hinder innovation. The committee voted 7-4, with two excused, to report the bill out of committee with a do-pass recommendation. The committee then heard House Bill 2186, which would expand state support for applicants seeking federal economic development funds, create a matching-funds account, and require a study of available federal grants. The prime sponsor said the bill would help Washington capture more federal dollars, especially for projects that require matching funds, and would expand the Fund Hub WA website beyond environmental grants. Testimony in support came from the Port of Seattle, the Washington Economic Development Association, the City of Pasco, a downtown Kennewick nonprofit, and the Department of Commerce, all saying the bill would improve competitiveness, help underserved communities, and leverage state dollars for larger federal returns. Commerce said it was still developing the fiscal note and technical edits. The hearing on HB 2186 was then closed. Finally, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 2351, which would protect emergency responders and emergency response operations. Staff explained that the bill would bar local governments and incident command systems from assisting enforcement actions targeting emergency responders based on protected status, create emergency operation zones with restrictions on law enforcement activity, and change the obstruction statute to cover obstruction of emergency responders. The prime sponsor and many local officials, firefighters, and advocates testified in support, citing incidents where federal enforcement actions disrupted wildfire response and other emergencies. Some witnesses raised concerns about administrative burden, ambiguity, and possible unintended consequences, including a proposed mental-health defense and clarification of responder identification. The Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and the Association of Washington Cities said they supported the goal but wanted changes to avoid conflicts and reduce burdens. The hearing concluded without a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• checks on the performance of the detection technology.
• I'm concerned about the technology regarding sequestration.
• I contended that the hydrogen hub concept was really based on unfounded technologies, unproven technologies
• Representative García, may we respond to the question of technology?
• So, very respectfully, this is a mature technology.

Committee: House House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• . $15.1 million for technology improvements to streamline in-person services, including a secure document
• Colonel Goodson is here with me, the critical infrastructure technology. There's a lot in that.
• Technology is just, we should not be doing that. We can cut those times in half. That helps.
• So how do we fix that and there's technology? that now that will help us do that.
• That's a problem and there's technology to fix every one of those.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> introduced to technology at young ages. introduced to technology at young ages.
• </c> technology and meet with them in March. technology and meet with them in March.
• harness as emerging technologies of the harness as emerging technologies of the past<01:08:21.040><c>
• our education technology plan.
• ,</c> In terms of education technology, In terms of education technology, cybersecurity<01:13:28.800>

Summary: The Artificial Intelligence Task Force met and adopted the prior minutes before turning to AI in education. Jeff Gagne of the Southern Regional Education Board described SREB’s Commission on AI in Education, which has organized its work into committees on policy, K-12 instruction, postsecondary instruction, and skills development. He highlighted eight commission recommendations covering statewide AI networks, targeted guidance for different user groups, professional development, standards and curricula, local capacity assessments, risk management, procurement, and AI-ready workforce skills. He also emphasized that states need more specific guidance for students, teachers, faculty, administrators, and parents, and that training is essential because many educators have not been prepared to use AI in instruction. Gagne also summarized two recent SREB reports: one on AI-ready workforce skills and one on AI use in K-12 classrooms. The workforce report recommends embedding AI across standards, strengthening computer science and digital learning standards, collaborating with industry and workforce agencies, building AI competencies into training and upskilling, providing educator professional development, and monitoring readiness. He said the report identifies three skill areas: success skills, industry baseline skills, and technical skills. The classroom guidance report promotes responsible AI adoption, with four pillars focused on increasing cognitive demand, streamlining teaching and administrative work, supporting personalized learning, and developing ethical AI users. He also noted that the report includes an AI procurement tool for school districts. Members thanked Gagne for providing outside examples and resources. One member noted JCPS has an introductory AI professional development offering for educators. Gagne said Kentucky’s David Couch serves on the SREB commission and that the commission’s member list and reports are available on SREB’s website. The committee then heard from Travis Powell of the Council on Postsecondary Education, who said CPE had surveyed campuses and found that Kentucky institutions have broadly embraced AI in teaching, research, student services, and administrative operations. He said all institutions have AI-focused degrees, minors, or courses, and many are integrating AI into general education and across disciplines. Powell also said CPE is considering an AI consortium and that campuses are using AI in research partnerships and applied work, while continuing to focus on ethical and effective use.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> making a the next step into technology. making a the next step into technology.
• </c> here or a forwardinking technological here or a forwardinking technological first<00:59:35.119><
• The technologies exist.
• /c><01:02:05.760><c> and</c> the technology of multi-approval and the technology of multi-approval and
• It's about these technologies exist.

Summary: The commission met with a quorum, approved the agenda, and approved the November 12 minutes after a motion, second, and unanimous voice/online consent. The chair said the meeting would include two presentations—one from Noah Herman of Fortress Global and one from John Kicko and team from Hedera—followed by discussion of the commission’s next steps and public comment. The chair also noted he was still seeking a clerk for note-taking. Herman’s presentation focused on stablecoins, blockchain use cases, and operational considerations for states and other institutions. He described Fortress as an enterprise crypto-wallet and treasury platform serving corporates, governments, and nonprofits, and used examples such as Save the Children and a large global commodities firm to illustrate custody and treasury management on blockchain rails. He said stablecoins are designed to maintain a U.S. dollar peg, are increasingly backed by treasuries and subject to greater transparency, and are being adopted by major firms and payment companies because they can improve speed, reduce cost, and simplify payments. He also highlighted market growth, including claims that stablecoins now represent a significant share of on-chain activity and are a major holder of U.S. Treasuries. He identified custody as a key issue for state and institutional use, outlining qualified custody, managed custody, and self-custody models. He said the main practical challenge for the commodities client was moving funds safely and quickly across global time zones and that blockchain rails could solve problems that traditional banking rails could not. He framed the broader trend as one of accelerating institutional adoption, citing recent acquisitions and product launches by Visa, Stripe, Citi, and PayPal as evidence that stablecoin infrastructure is becoming mainstream.

Transcript Highlights:

• These emerging technologies are emerging very quickly.
• Thank you so much for your patience, California Department of Technology.
• Thank you so much for your patience, California Department of Technology.
• The intent was to quickly address technology issues as they arise.
• The intent was to quickly address technology issues as they arise.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held a May Revise hearing focused on state administration proposals, with the chair noting no actions would be taken and all items would remain open. The committee heard presentations on a range of budget proposals, including technical adjustments for the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement and the California Workforce Development Board, security and election-related funding for the Secretary of State, modernization and loan-backfill requests for the Department of Consumer Affairs, and multiple Employment Development Department updates covering EDD Next, UI and DI/PFL benefit estimates, workforce funding, and an EMT training reappropriation. Several items drew discussion from the LAO and committee members. The LAO generally supported technical or modernization items such as PERB’s implementation requests, GoServe’s College Corps adjustment, the Secretary of State’s security and HAVA grant items, and the Board of Pharmacy modernization proposal, but raised concerns about the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education’s proposed $10 million General Fund backfill and interest-free loan language. For EDD, the LAO flagged the size of the DI/PFL benefit adjustment and the unusual structure of the document management system proposal within EDD Next, while EDD said the changes reflected higher participation and benefit levels after SB 951 and ongoing modernization needs. The Department of Industrial Relations drew the most extensive questioning. It proposed funding for legal unit reclassifications, EAMS and Cal/OSHA data modernization, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COYA reappropriation, and trailer bill changes requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and adjusting the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board timeline. Members pressed DIR on high vacancy rates, long wage theft and workers’ compensation backlogs, low collection rates for fines, and the need for clearer workload and outcome measures. DIR said the requests were intended to improve efficiency, support audits and corrective action plans, and better address emerging workplace risks, while the LAO said the workload drivers behind delays remain unclear. The hearing also included support for CalHR’s employee assistance program consolidation and CDT’s proposal to expand “Poppy,” a statewide generative AI assistant for state employees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kids know those technologies better than their parents.
• Kids know those technologies better than their parents.
• This is a new technology.
• It is such new technology. The technology changes over time.
• also ensure the technology itself is designed safely.

Summary: The hearing focused on online safety controls and whether parental controls are sufficient to protect children on social media and other digital platforms. The chair and several members framed the issue as a child safety and public health problem, not just a technology issue, and said the goal was to understand what parental controls do, where they fail, and what policy solutions might be needed. Opening remarks also emphasized that California should lead on safer online spaces for children. Victoria and Paul Hinks gave emotional testimony about the death of their daughter, Alexandra, saying that despite using screen time limits, content filters, app restrictions, and other parental controls, their daughter was still exposed to harmful content and found ways around the settings. Researchers and advocates from Stanford, Children Now, and other organizations said parents face major challenges because digital parenting is complicated, platforms and apps change constantly, children can bypass controls, and many tools are costly or inaccessible. They argued that parental controls are often incomplete, hard to use, and not enough on their own to prevent harms such as cyberbullying, self-harm content, eating disorder content, and exploitation. Witnesses also discussed broader risks in digital spaces, including mental health harms, addiction, fentanyl-related contact through social media, and concerns about AI chatbots. Several speakers said safety should be built into products from the start, with stronger age assurance, clearer reporting systems, independent standards, and corporate accountability. Members asked about what “safe” means, whether other countries’ restrictions are effective, and which features are most harmful. There was broad agreement that no single tool is enough and that multiple layers of protection are needed. The final panel featured representatives from Meta, Google, OpenAI, and Roblox, who described their companies’ teen safety features and parental tools. They pointed to default protections for minors, content limits, bedtime and screen-time tools, age assurance efforts, and new parent notifications for certain self-harm searches. They also supported legislation on age assurance and app-store parental approval. Members pressed the companies on whether their tools are truly effective, and several witnesses acknowledged that current systems still have gaps and that more work is needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of uh our jointly developed technology of uh our jointly developed technology into<00:27:24.880>
• ,</c><00:29:45.760><c> if</c> adoption of this of this technology, if adoption of this of this technology
• </c><00:30:20.559><c> We</c> have to focus on the technology. We have to focus on the technology.
• </c> and it we do use a Zoom room technology. and it we do use a Zoom room technology.
• I do not find that to be to technology.

Summary: The Public Safety and Judiciary Committee met without a quorum, so approval of the January 3, January 20, and February 3 minutes was postponed. The committee then heard an update from the Department of Corrections on halfway house and Recovery Kentucky funding and operations. Deputy Commissioner Hillary Daily said DOC contracts for up to 1,752 halfway house beds and 780 Recovery Kentucky beds, with 16 halfway houses and 13 Recovery Kentucky centers statewide. She reported 6,329 admissions in fiscal year 2025, average daily populations of 1,041 in halfway houses and 494 in Recovery Kentucky, and explained that Recovery Kentucky placements are more restrictive, generally excluding violent and sex offenders, while halfway houses serve probationers, parolees, and sex offenders who need treatment. She also described programming such as MRT, parenting, adult basic education, and trauma-focused services, and said some facilities offer supervised visitation. Daily said no new funding request was included in the current budget, though DOC has sought rate increases in prior cycles. Community Transitional Services director Barbara Stum also testified in support of halfway houses as re-entry and substance abuse treatment centers. She said CTS primarily serves men coming out of prison or returning to prison who need treatment, and that halfway houses provide security, accountability, treatment, employment support, and help with home placement. Stum said the state moved substance abuse treatment into the community in 2010 to avoid sending people back to prison for treatment, and argued halfway houses are the least expensive form of incarceration. She cited daily rates of $33.61 for CTS beds and DOC figures of $37.33 to $44.33 per day, compared with higher prison and jail costs, and said reimbursement has not kept pace with inflation since the last increase in 2019. She said staffing and supplies are the main pressure points, with counselor pay below market rates, and noted two counselor vacancies. A former resident, Michael Bird, testified that CTS helped him recover and re-enter the community successfully. The committee also received an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of the video arraignment/video conferencing system. AOC officials Zach Ramsey and Charles Buyers said the system is now fully implemented in all courtrooms and is used for video arraignments and other Zoom-based court proceedings. Buyers described the pandemic-era transition from older, inconsistent equipment to improvised laptop/webcam setups, then to a more integrated vendor-supported system with touchscreen controls and a judicial support specialist position for training and operation. He said 324 courtrooms are already up to the current standard, with 128 remaining on an older bundle, and that there are no technical barriers to continued use. AOC said it is seeking $3.8 million in recurring annual funding to keep the systems upgraded and current, and plans to upgrade 46 systems in fiscal year 2026 across 15 counties.

Transcript Highlights:

• WE MUST FULLY UTILIZE PRIVATE, PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS TO ADVANCE THIS TECHNOLOGY.
• Thrust necessary to lift spacecraft into orbit and a testament to space technology.
• The dedicated folks in NASA are moving forward with these new technologies.
• -- TECHNOLOGICAL DOMINANCE THAT IS SO NECESSARY FOR US TO WIN THIS SECOND COLD WAR.
• Technologies.

Bills: HR818 , HR832 , HR825 , HR828 , HR804 , HR754 , HR788

Keywords: impeachment, judge, criminal conduct, judicial behavior, Supreme Court, assassination attempt, sentencing, ideology, National Chemistry Week, education, STEM careers, science promotion, public engagement, government transparency, communication, House of Representatives, appropriations, furlough, Federal agencies, military service

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 888 is specific to procuring information technology services.
• House Bill 888 is specific to procuring information technology services.
• They can do a financial technological analysis within the office.
• In law enforcement, we rely on technology every second of our shift.
• Called the Information Technology Authority.

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have applied technology, diplomas and apply.
• or that would that would be in our engineering technology field.
• But Susan Whiting technology, welding technology, advanced truly have so many opportunities to go on
• Moving on to another one of our flagship programs are welding Technology and Welding Technology Advanced
• He's about to finish building on technology. Advanced incredible student.

Transcript Highlights:

• Floridians should be able to trust that technology is serving them, not deceiving them.
• I think that it is, despite... ...able to trust that technology is serving them, not deceiving them.
• We are so permissive with the way technology will aggressively attack our children in school.
• We are so permissive with the way technology will aggressively attack our children in school.
• So our institutions that rely on technology can be able to adopt that technology in such a way that it's

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> because we can utilize this technology because we can utilize this technology in<00:10:35.920><c
• I'm not a cell phone technology guy. One has a screen all the way around the front.
• I'm not a cell phone technology guy.
• I'm not a cell phone technology guy.
• :14:36.399><c> the</c><00:14:36.560><c> violation,</c> the technology detects the violation, the technology

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it uses a lot of other technologies.
• , some digital technology more and more.
• And medical technology, some digital technology more and more, but again, a little more sheltered from
• They need to replace those drugs that are going off patent with new technologies.
• Everything from computer science, digital technologies, artificial intelligence...

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology and Medical Technology met to examine how federal funding cuts, tariff uncertainty, and proposed state policy changes are affecting California’s biotech and life sciences ecosystem. The chair and panelists emphasized California’s outsized role in the industry, describing major clusters in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Irvine, and San Diego, and warning that disruptions to NIH, NSF, and FDA-related funding are already chilling venture capital, slowing startup formation, and threatening the state’s competitiveness against places like China and Massachusetts. Industry witnesses from Biomedical Manufacturing Network, Biocom California, California Life Sciences, and Farma said federal research dollars are the catalyst for the pipeline from university research to startup formation, clinical trials, commercialization, and manufacturing jobs. They argued that cuts or uncertainty in NIH and NSF funding reduce grant applications, delay or cancel projects, weaken doctoral and postdoctoral training, and could drive scientists and physician-scientists out of the field. They also raised concerns about proposed antitrust limits on mergers and acquisitions, saying M&A is a key exit path for investors and a common route by which therapies reach market. University representatives from UC, Stanford, CSU Biotech, and UCLA described direct impacts on research programs, graduate training, and lab operations. They reported suspended or terminated grants, reduced training opportunities, canceled retreats and internships, and anxiety among students and early-career researchers. UC said hundreds of millions in funding have been suspended or terminated and that reduced facilities-and-administration rates could harm patenting and tech transfer; Stanford said more than 1,000 training and career-development grants are frozen or terminated nationwide; CSU Biotech said 133 grants had been cut or scaled back, totaling about $140 million, with about $30 million from NIH and NSF. The committee discussed possible state responses, including restoring or strengthening the R&D tax credit, supporting STEM education and apprenticeships, encouraging manufacturing expansion, and preserving the research workforce pipeline.

Transcript Highlights:

• Technology. I'm very No. Okay. One more moment. Technology.
• This is a U.S. technology, okay? This is a U.S.
• I love technology. I love the whole AI thing. I was doing... I'm a tech junkie. I love technology.
• So I'm not against technology and AI.
• It goes on then about mitigation technologies.

Committee: Joint Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee