Transcript Highlights:

• There are 16 halfway houses and 13 recovery Kentucky centers.
• </c> houses and 13 recovery Kentucky centers. houses and 13 recovery Kentucky centers.
• </c> and recovery Kentucky centers. and recovery Kentucky centers.
• This is for calendar year 2025, and these would be a count of recordings.
• </c><00:31:04.640><c> of</c> year 2025 and these would be a count of year 2025 and these would be a count

Keywords: Call to Order 00:17 Department of Corrections 01:35 Community Transitional Services 06:47 Administrative Office of the Courts 23:06 Department of Criminal Justice Training/ KSP 45:49 Adjournment 59:14, 958, all

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:

• sorting material handling systems, as well as software and integration solutions for the new ABC central
• Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid services and health provider standards.
• Robert Lebranch, US Space and Rocket Center. Um, you have before... and Rocket Center.
• extension of two years for a contract we've had in place since 2013, providing services to the College Counts
• 529... services to the College Counts 529 program and the ABLE account.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This approach is trauma-informed and survivor-centered.
• I'm a direct services manager at the East Boston Social Center.
• I'm a direct services manager at the East Boston Social Center.
• Early Childhood Policy Pathways Fellow at East Boston Social Centers.
• And does this money count as income for public benefits?

Bills: H5085 , H5286

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: poverty alleviation, family support, economic mobility, youth transition, financial education, matched savings, community programs, Department of Children and Families, DCF, child abuse investigation, child neglect, pediatrician, advanced practice registered nurse, medical misdiagnosis, rickets, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, vitamin D deficiency, bone fragility, child welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• The Disability Law Center, the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, the Arc of Massachusetts
• Those in favor, please rise, and the monitors will return the count. First division.
• Those in favor, please rise, and the monitors will return the count. First division. 16.
• H5472 replaces this outdated model with a framework centered on consumer rights and accountability.
• Another central part of this bill is the consumer rights.

Summary: The House began with ceremonial resolutions, adopting several measures congratulating new Eagle Scouts and recognizing the town of Sturbridge on the 250th anniversary of the United States. It then took up and advanced several local bills, including the Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act (S. 2619/H. 5472), a Fall River land conveyance bill, a Belmont alcohol licensing bill, a Reading senior property tax exemption bill, and a Lynnfield fund appropriation bill. The House also recessed and later returned to continue floor action. The most extensive debate centered on the data privacy bill, which supporters described as a comprehensive consumer privacy framework. Members emphasized rights to access, correct, delete, and transfer personal data; limits on data collection; enhanced protections for sensitive data; a ban on selling precise location data; restrictions on targeted advertising to minors; and enforcement focused largely on large data holders rather than small businesses. Several members spoke in favor, framing the bill as a response to surveillance capitalism and a protection for vulnerable groups, civil liberties, and small businesses. The House adopted amendments and passed the bill to be enacted by roll call vote. The House also passed a fiscal year 2026 supplemental appropriations bill after a separate constitutional vote, and enacted a bill extending Milton’s deadline to appropriate money for a high school or conservation land. Another major item was the bill authorizing municipalities to opt into a temporary summer 2026 pilot extending liquor license hours and allowing public consumption in designated districts; after debate and an amendment, it was passed to be engrossed and the House concurred with the Senate’s referral. The House additionally enacted a bill updating laws concerning individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with members praising the removal of outdated and offensive language and stressing that the measure changed terminology without altering substantive rights. The session ended with the House adopting an order to adjourn and meet again the following Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, the centralized organization would be very useful in making sure that that holds.
• I don’t even need to count to three.
• data centers.
• Projects like data centers are specific types of uses that fit into these broader categories.
• We understand that there's significant growing demand for data centers.

Bills: HB2452 , HB2592

Committee: House Artificial Intelligence & Innovation

Keywords: comprehensive plans, county governance, data centers, zoning, state regulations, land use, energy production, infrastructure, environmental impact, artificial intelligence, government regulation, innovation, procurement, administrative burdens, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:30:48.120><c> structure</c> offered through a centralized structure offered through a centralized
• </c> to assess and implement person- centered to assess and implement person- centered planning<00:58
• </c> Intervention Program it had an in center Intervention Program it had an in center program<01:03:
• I'm counting on it. No pressure, Mr. Chair.
• </c> he comes up with thank you I'm counting he comes up with thank you I'm counting on it<01:47:39.119

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I count myself as one of them because several projects in my district got deferred.
• We value MV, you know, motor vehicles, you know, count, and we value X.
• Rebecca Gonzalez with the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• My name is Deweido with the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.
• My name is Deweido with the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.

Summary: The committee first heard a DMV budget presentation on the state-to-state verification system required for Real ID compliance and the Digital Experience Platform (DXP) modernization project. DMV officials said the state-to-state system is a pointer-based exchange used when a person applies for a license in another state, with only limited identifying data shared initially and the full driver history sent only after a qualified request. Members raised concerns about privacy, possible misuse by other states or federal actors, notification to Californians, hacking, and whether California could detect or stop abusive access. DMV said it can monitor requests, see patterns of access, work with AAMVA and legal counsel, and seek to block or challenge misuse; LAO said California is in a difficult position and should consider guardrails rather than opt out. On DXP, DMV said the project is on its revised schedule and budget, occupational licensing is complete, vehicle registration is expected by the end of calendar year 2026, and the full system should be finished by fiscal year 2028-29, with phased rollout and reappropriated funding to keep costs controlled. The committee then heard from the California High-Speed Rail Office of Inspector General on a trailer bill and AB 1608. The Inspector General said current law does not clearly authorize public reports or establish a framework for retaining and disclosing work papers, and the proposed trailer bill would create that framework while also adding authority to hire needed classifications and purchase goods and services. He also said the office needs a clearer statutory definition of “proposed agreements” and notice when the High-Speed Rail Authority is reviewing them, so the office can review contracts and related agreements effectively. LAO raised no concerns with the trailer bill language, and Finance said any amendments would come in the May revision. Members debated the scope of confidentiality in the Inspector General proposal, especially whether reports could be held confidential when they identify weaknesses in fraud controls, security, or other vulnerabilities. The Inspector General said confidentiality would be temporary, tied to articulating the risk, reassessing it every 120 days, and releasing the report once the risk is no longer substantial; he also said the office had already published reports at its discretion and had found at least one procurement violation involving an amendment that added services not in the original contract. Several members pressed for stronger transparency and suggested time limits or broader disclosure, while others argued the bill would improve oversight and make the Inspector General’s authority clearer. No votes were taken during the discussion, and the item was left for further work on the trailer bill and AB 1608 language.

Transcript Highlights:

• That does count as one of those six courses.
• That does count as one of those six courses. But in the in the ...boot camp that Dr.
• That does count as one of those six courses. But in the statutes, it does say six. Okay.
• Do any of those things count toward either hours or the certification process?
• We do count some of those workplace skills.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We rely on the ag centers to keep us informed.
• The Ag Center has the largest intellectual property program in the state.
• The LSU Ag Center is, as I would say, kind of a dual status.
• , Pennington, Health Science Center, New Orleans, Health Center, Shreveport.
• We currently have a state appropriation to the Ag Center. Orleans, Health Center, Shreveport. Okay.

Committee: House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and welcomed a new member, then took up a series of agriculture-related bills, many focused on Louisiana seafood and producer protections. HB 121 by Rep. Domain would let the Department of Agriculture and Forestry seize and destroy adulterated imported seafood after a stop order, rather than relying on another agency to do it; the commissioner said the bill would improve enforcement without adding major cost, and it was reported favorably. HB 725, also by Rep. Domain, was amended to require retailers to keep invoices for imported seafood for six months so inspectors can verify country of origin and labeling; the committee adopted the technical amendment and reported the bill favorably. HB 367, dealing with Structural Pest Control Commission hearing notices, was described as a technical change to align notice procedures with the Administrative Procedure Act and was also reported favorably. HB 505, on certification cards for commercial applicators, pesticide salespersons, and agricultural consultants, was amended to keep unexpended pesticide fund money in the fund and streamline renewal timing; it too passed favorably. The committee then considered several measures aimed at protecting farmers from market losses. HB 344 by Rep. Coates raised the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund thresholds for suspending and restarting assessments, with the commissioner explaining that recent bankruptcies and broker failures had shown the need for a larger reserve; the bill was reported favorably. HB 370, a follow-up measure on the same fund, increased the assessment rate on agricultural commodities so the fund could grow faster, and it also passed without objection. HB 847, on Soil and Water Conservation Commission district supervisor elections, was amended to require certified nominating petitions, shift election administration to the Secretary of State, and remove outdated statewide election language; supporters said the change would modernize a system that had become costly and unwieldy, and the bill was reported favorably. HB 370 and HB 847 drew discussion about ballot access, election administration, and the nonpartisan nature of soil and water districts. The meeting also included a lengthy agriculture update from Commissioner Strain and a presentation from LSU Ag Center Dean Matt Lee. Strain discussed seafood imports, labeling enforcement, shrimp industry promotion, feral swine damage, fertilizer and diesel cost pressures, pesticide disposal, and export markets for rice and timber, emphasizing that Louisiana agriculture depends on testing, marketing, and international trade. Lee reported that LSU Ag Center research is ranked among the nation’s top agricultural programs, with major work in sugarcane variety development, and said the center’s research generates substantial economic returns for Louisiana producers. Several industry representatives, including Louisiana Farm Bureau and LSU Ag Center staff, spoke in support of the bills and the state’s agricultural programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Although litigation is ongoing, uncertainty and chaos are the only things that we can count on right
• Every other sector outside of health care and government has seen a decline in the total job count.
• My name is Tegan Levine, and I'm from North Central Washington.
• Lose either, and we weaken our revenue base and our role as a global center for technology.
• My name is Lack Tran, and I'm a high school senior in White Center with the Washington Bus.

Bills: HB2334 , HB2140 , HB2326 , HB2100

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: cash transactions, pennies, currency adjustment, economic impact, consumer protection, tax exemption, governmental transfer, agriculture, land use, property tax, emergency medical services, levies, healthcare funding, local government, taxation, excise tax, large companies, payroll expenses, minimum wage, Well Washington fund

Transcript Highlights:

• There's an emergency operations center where you have all sorts of people communicating.
• We often define data as the bean counting or the measuring.
• There's the bean counting, but there's also the stories and experiences.
• And I'm also the founding director of the Center for Reducing Health Disparities.
• I'm the director of the LGBTQTA Center for the California Reducing Disparities Project with the Center

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules established quorum and approved several routine items on the agenda, including governor’s appointments not required to appear: Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair/member assignments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous votes. The committee noted that some 2026 committee changes would take effect February 1, 2026, and that new committees would depend on adoption of a Senate resolution. The committee then heard from Dr. Hernando Garson, nominated as chief medical officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority. He described his background in emergency medicine, disaster response, and EMS leadership, and members questioned him about EMSA’s strategic plan, data integration, statewide standards versus local flexibility, ambulance patient offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, and emergency response coordination. Dr. Garson emphasized data-driven decision-making, technical assistance to local agencies, collaboration with hospitals and EMS stakeholders, and the need for safer alternatives to routine ambulance transport such as community paramedicine, telehealth, and nurse triage. He also discussed disaster preparedness for vulnerable and rural communities and the use of regional and state assets, including ambulance strike teams, during fires and floods. The committee approved his appointment 4-0. The final item was Stephanie Weldon’s nomination as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon, who identified as Yurok-Tolowa and Karuk, spoke about her tribal, county, nonprofit, and state experience, her role as the first Native American woman in the position, and her commitment to health equity, rural communities, and culturally responsive public health work. Senators asked about how the office sets priorities, measures outcomes, addresses behavioral health, tribal consultation, youth mental health, and how it responds to political pressure around DEI language; Weldon said the office focuses on community-driven, data-informed work and transparency. Public commenters strongly supported her confirmation, citing her leadership on the California Reducing Disparities Project and related equity efforts. The committee approved her appointment 4-0, sending it to the full Senate for confirmation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hospitalization counts are tabulated using principal diagnosis, Hospitalization counts are tabulated
• For the Texas Poison Center network, they're all Doing that for the Texas Poison Center network.
• We do not have a diversion center.
• That's the Texas Behavioral Health Center in Dallas, which just opened, and then the Dunn Center.
• That's the Texas Behavioral Health Center in Dallas, which just opened, and then the Dunn Center.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Implementing and deploying an integrated centralized system, I think it's important that we work with
• the centralized system with those security protocols as well as let us know what the cost savings are
• because that is extremely important, and we can still have that layered security in the centralized
• Most of our funds are brought in by, you know, we're more of a not centralized department, but we host
• In units, we're actually building a 100. child daycare center.

Bills: SB132 , SM16 , SM17

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Keywords: SB132, DOIT, Department of Information Technology, software replacement, equipment replacement, technology funding, revolving fund, capital equipment, enterprise services, state IT budgeting, software budgeting, amortization, depreciation, State Treasurer, Department of Finance and Administration, New Mexico, information technology, IT infrastructure, fund accounting, legislative appropriation

Transcript Highlights:

• Good afternoon, Molly Malo, representing Central California Alliance for Health, in support.
• My district, South Central Los Angeles, is home to one of the largest Black populations in California
• It has long been a center of Black culture, Black history, Black politics, Black community, and Black
• Corridor, Leimert Park, and Central Avenue.
• The legendary cultural centers like the Crenshaw Corridor, Leimert Park, and Central Avenue, where murals

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Diane Escamilla, policy coordinator with the Central American Resource Center.
• I'm an attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
• The four social workers in Gabriel's case were charged with one count of child abuse and one count of
• They weren't counting ballots; they were just going to count the outside of the envelopes, how many ballots
• They weren't counting ballots; they were just going to count the outside of the envelopes, how many ballots

Summary: The Senate Public Safety Committee met without a quorum and operated as a subcommittee while hearing a long agenda of bills. Early items included AB 2605, which would require statewide reporting on public defense services; supporters said California lacks basic data on how indigent defense is delivered and that the bill would help identify under-resourced counties, while no opposition appeared. AB 1650 would require rental vehicles used in law enforcement operations to display agency identification; supporters framed it as a transparency and community-trust measure in response to immigration enforcement tactics, while sheriffs and police groups opposed it unless amended, arguing it could compromise undercover and task-force operations and raise legal and indemnification concerns. AB 1930 would require notice to the Attorney General before business entities respond to subpoenas involving legally protected abortion or gender-affirming care information; supporters said it protects patient privacy and provider safety, while opponents raised constitutional, law-enforcement, and business-burden concerns. The committee also heard AB 458, directing state procurement guidelines for firearms and accessories so agencies buy from responsible vendors, with support from police chiefs, gun-violence prevention groups, and local officials, and no opposition testimony offered. The committee then heard AB 1588 on sideshows and street takeovers, which would update the definition of sideshows, include motorcycles and dirt bikes, and align penalties with street racing. Supporters, including police, city, transportation, and road-safety advocates, said the bill responds to dangerous events, property damage, and injuries; opponents from civil liberties and public defender groups argued higher fines and criminal penalties are ineffective and disproportionately harm low-income people, favoring roadway design and community-based prevention instead. AB 910, the Survivors Act, would expand affirmative defenses and vacature relief for survivors of trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence; supporters, including a survivor who described decades of abuse and wrongful conviction, said the bill gives survivors a chance to tell their stories and seek relief, while district attorneys opposed expanding relief to violent offenses and warned it could erase restitution and undermine victims’ rights. AB 2624 would expand Safe at Home confidentiality protections to immigrant service providers, employees, and volunteers; supporters described threats, doxxing, and harassment against immigrant-serving organizations, while opponents claimed the bill was prompted by investigative reporting on fraud and would chill journalism and transparency. The committee also heard AB 31, making the tribal police pilot program permanent and creating a missing and murdered Indigenous persons task force, which drew strong support from tribal representatives and no opposition. Later, AB 1959 sought to close a resentencing loophole tied to a 2001 Santana High School shooting case by restoring judicial discretion in resentencing for certain juvenile offenders; supporters said the current process can lead to automatic release even after parole denial, while opposition testimony began with concerns that the bill was responding to one case and lacked broader evidence. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly noted they supported several bills but could not formally vote because the committee lacked a quorum, so motions were held for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Alden Conger the United sou Central Alden Conger the United sou Central which<00:03:48.400><c> is
• </c><00:05:03.120><c> located</c> District of 10A uh centrally located District of 10A uh centrally located
• Line 12 shows the Area Learning Center Transportation Aid.
• Line 33 shows the Building Assets Reducing Risks Center.
• </c> per puple some measure of student count per puple some measure of student count basis<00:58:36.799

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Central Texas is in a unique situation. I imagine all of you have a home here.
• We serve those through our Christ-centered values and we deliver.
• Systems landfill versus Travis Central Appraisal District. Got it.
• Where we find the issues is, I'll just pick the Central Business District.
• Every day counts, and we ask you to take actions quickly. Thank you.

Bills: SB467 , SB325 , SB867 , SB994 , SB1052 , SB1237 , SB1449 , SB1531 , SB2063 , SB2172 , SB2173 , SB2520 , SB2529 , SB2538 , SB2541 , SJR46 , SJR84

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: SB 467, Texas property tax, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, residence homestead, fire damage, house fire, destroyed home, temporary tax relief, appraisal district, chief appraiser, local taxing unit, tax rollback, tax refund, Tax Code Chapter 11, prorated exemption, homestead improvement, disaster relief, property tax exemption, residential property

Transcript Highlights:

• Justice Center.
• Justice Center.
• Justice Center in Orange.
• So as we talked about a bit earlier, the Orange Central Justice Center is one of the projects that's
• , $64 million for the Central Justice Center, and $40 million for maintenance renewals and to modernize

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation held a hearing focused on courthouse facility funding and the Governor’s budget proposals for the judicial branch. The Legislative Analyst’s Office outlined the state’s courthouse funding structure, including the Trial Court Facilities Act, the main facility funds, the fixed county facility payment, and the heavy reliance on General Fund backfill. LAO also explained that the state’s construction funds were depleted after large transfers and declining fine-and-fee revenue, leaving a backlog of roughly 80 construction projects and more than 22,000 deferred maintenance projects statewide. Members and witnesses discussed the long timelines for capital projects, the need for reassessments, and the impact of inflation, CEQA, and site acquisition delays. Judicial branch representatives, including Justice Hill, Judge Moorman, and Judge Tapia, testified that courthouses across the state face serious seismic, ADA, security, and maintenance problems. They described cost-cutting efforts in design and construction, but emphasized that many facilities are aging and unsafe, with examples from Los Angeles, Compton, Ukiah, and other courts involving flooding, elevator failures, asbestos issues, and closures that disrupted thousands of cases. Judge Moorman highlighted the Ukiah courthouse replacement as an example of a project that is on time and on budget and would improve access, safety, and community services. Judge Tapia stressed that deferred maintenance in Los Angeles County alone exceeds $1.4 billion and argued that preventive maintenance is fiscally prudent because emergency repairs and closures are more costly. Committee members pressed the panel on how priorities are set, whether caseload and population growth are adequately reflected, how quickly projects can be accelerated, and what level of funding would actually meet statewide needs. The Department of Finance and Judicial Council staff explained that the county contribution is fixed and not inflation-adjusted, that acquisitions require willing sellers and can be delayed by CEQA and market conditions, and that the Judicial Council’s prioritization process was based on 2019 criteria that may need updating. LAO cautioned that any new General Fund commitment would require tradeoffs with other state priorities and suggested the Legislature decide what level of funding it is willing to support. The committee also reviewed the Governor’s budget proposals for courthouse facilities, which include backfill for the construction fund, selected new construction and judgeship-related projects, and major facility modifications such as the Orange County Central Justice Center and relocation of Los Angeles courtrooms from the Spring Federal Building.

Transcript Highlights:

• typically meant was taking some of that spending that was above the minimum in the previous year and counting
• gets, once again, I guess, readjusted, and then going forward, 2025-26 going forward, TK gets now counted
• gets once again, I guess, readjusted, and then going forward, 25, 26 going forward, TK gets the now counted
• to backfill Local Control Funding Formula costs, and $44 million will be used to backfill student-centered
• Good morning, Paige Clark with the National Center for Youth Law.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance held its first hearing of the year on Proposition 98, focusing on the Governor’s budget estimates for the three-year budget window, the Public School System Stabilization Account (PSSA), and repayment of education deferrals. The Department of Finance said the minimum guarantee would rise by about $21.7 billion over the 2025 Budget Act, with increases in each year, full repayment of the existing settle-up obligation in 2024-25, a new $5.6 billion settle-up obligation proposed for 2025-26, and a higher guarantee in 2026-27. Finance also noted revised downward estimates for transitional kindergarten attendance and Los Angeles County property tax reimbursements, and said community colleges would be funded above the split because of enrollment growth. The Legislative Analyst’s Office emphasized fiscal risk and volatility, warning that recent revenue gains are tied heavily to the stock market and tech sector and could reverse quickly. The LAO argued the Governor’s proposed $5.6 billion delay shifts risk into future years and recommended instead fully funding the current estimate, making a larger reserve deposit, considering advance payments or pension-related uses, and finding additional non-Prop 98 solutions to reduce the state’s structural deficit. On the reserve and deferral items, Finance described revised PSSA deposits and withdrawals that would leave about $4.1 billion in the reserve by 2026-27, and both Finance and the LAO supported paying off the remaining LCFF and SCFF deferrals as good fiscal practice. Committee members questioned the size of the settle-up amount, the degree of revenue volatility, the use of the reserve, and the ongoing K-12/community college split. Finance said the proposal is meant to avoid overappropriation if revenues fall, while the LAO said a buffer of roughly $3.5 billion would address typical forecasting risk. Public commenters, including school boards, county offices of education, teachers, and advocacy groups, largely opposed the $5.6 billion withholding or settle-up delay, calling it a manipulation of Prop. 98 and urging full funding and more stable revenue solutions. Several speakers also urged dedicated funding for students experiencing homelessness. The hearing ended with no vote, and the chair announced that broader program discussions would occur in later hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:18.360><c> for</c><00:19:18.960><c> and</c><00:19:19.080><c> are</c><00:19:19.200><c> counting
• on us to had voted for and are counting on us to deliver.<00:19:21.080><c> Under</c><00:19:21.360><c
• </c><00:26:12.280><c> transit-oriented</c> and centering transit-oriented and centering transit-oriented
• </c><00:39:36.640><c> So</c><00:39:37.280><c> um</c> centralized planning.
• So um centralized planning.

Keywords: 1183, house