Transcript Highlights:

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

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

Transcript Highlights:

• The big thing there is data governance.
• But none of this happens without better data and tools.
• We have no problem with data centers, but we need to be very smart about where we put data centers, and
• It's already here—and that's the single-use packaging regulation.
• It's already here, and that's the single-use packaging regulation.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the state of agricultural production in California, with opening remarks from the Senate and Assembly Agriculture Committee chairs and Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry emphasizing agriculture’s economic importance and the need for stronger state investment. They highlighted concerns about water scarcity, labor shortages, rising costs, extreme weather, tariffs, pesticide and regulatory pressures, and the lack of agricultural funding in recent climate-related allocations. Aguiar-Curry also urged immediate action on the glassy-winged sharpshooter outbreak, which CDFA said would cost about $18.5 million annually to detect, monitor, and eradicate. The first panel featured CDFA and the Department of Water Resources. CDFA described California agriculture as a $61.2 billion industry producing more than 400 commodities, but also noted farm bankruptcies, rising input and compliance costs, climate stress, trade issues, and crop removals in vineyards and almonds. DWR focused on hydrologic variability, snowpack decline, groundwater overdraft, subsidence, and SGMA implementation, and discussed tools such as forecast-informed reservoir operations, groundwater recharge, basin characterization, and the 2028 water plan update. Members asked about immediate legislative priorities, flood response after 2023, Prop. 4 and greenhouse gas reduction funding, and regulatory alignment; officials pointed to pest control, science-based water management, affordability, infrastructure, and better coordination across agencies. The second panel examined water, climate, and resource sustainability. PPIC presented estimates that SGMA, climate change, and environmental regulations could reduce irrigation water in the San Joaquin Valley by about 20% by 2040, potentially requiring 500,000 to 900,000 acres of fallowing and affecting billions in agricultural GDP and tens of thousands of jobs. UC Merced discussed practical adaptation tools including FIRO, managed aquifer recharge, on-farm recharge, land repurposing, agrivoltaics, and crop flexibility. The Agricultural Energy Consumers Association argued that energy costs are unsustainable, that electricity and natural gas rates are rising sharply, and that state programs supporting climate-smart agriculture, biomass, and food processing need more funding and coordination. Members and witnesses discussed how limited Prop. 4 and GGRF dollars might be used for recharge, conveyance, subsidence mitigation, and regulatory improvements. The final panel addressed workforce innovation and the future of food production. Industry representatives said food and fiber processors cannot pass along rising costs from energy, labor, workers’ compensation, packaging rules, and compliance mandates, and warned that SGMA-driven land fallowing, pest pressure, and abandoned orchards threaten small farms and processing jobs. The Almond Alliance called for periodic review of regulations, stronger invasive species response, and targeted support for orchard removal, ag burn alternatives, and water efficiency. The California Farmworker Foundation described its work providing health, education, and civil assistance services to farmworkers in multiple counties, including health navigation, field-based clinics, and food support, and stressed the needs of an aging labor force and food insecurity in rural communities. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with members and witnesses discussing possible future legislation and funding priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Access is a regulator. They are not a payer.
• We want input because we want this to change.
• We want input because we want this to change.
• Access did not act like a competent regulator.
• We always stand on the side of more data is always good.

Committee: Senate Senate Health and Human Services COR

Summary: The committee first approved the February 4 minutes, then heard Senate Bill 1086, which would require AHCCCS contractors to reimburse non-contracting providers for certain lab services when a member was referred by a contracting provider and would bar prior authorization for diagnostic services. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address unpaid claims and improve access, while Access testified neutral but warned the prior-authorization ban could increase utilization and create a fiscal impact. The committee adopted the Warner amendment limiting non-contracting reimbursement rates to no more than contracting rates, then passed SB 1086 as amended on a 4-2 vote. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1611, an emergency measure to require Access to contract with an administrative services organization for the American Indian Health Plan, while keeping Access ultimately responsible for administration. The chair’s amendment expanded ASO duties to include provider support, quality improvement, and data analytics, removed Access claims-payment authority, added tribal observers to the selection committee, and exempted IHS and tribal-facility services. The sponsor and tribal witnesses described the bill as a response to fraud, provider nonpayment, and harm to Native communities, while Access raised concerns about the fast timeline, tribal consultation requirements, possible duplication of program-integrity functions, and fiscal uncertainty. After debate over the emergency clause and tribal consultation, the committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1611 as amended on a 5-2 vote. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1630, which would direct Access to seek federal approval for a Medicaid home- and community-based services program for adults with serious mental illness. Supporters said the bill would create a long-term community-care option for the sickest SMI members, reduce cycling through hospitals, jails, and homelessness, and potentially save state general fund dollars; family members and advocates testified in support. Access was neutral and said it was finalizing a fiscal estimate. The Angus amendment narrowed eligibility to long-term SMI, reduced the enrollment cap from 500 to 250, changed reporting to semiannual, and removed priority-order language; the committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1630 as amended unanimously. Later, the committee passed Senate Bill 1193, which protects emergency medical care technicians’ personal identifying information from sale or disclosure by the Department of Health Services, after adopting a clarifying amendment expanding the protected information and addressing commercial requests. It then heard Senate Bill 1318, which repeals the state’s separate dense-breast notification requirement so Arizona law aligns with the FDA’s newer mammography notice standard; the sponsor and DHS said the change would reduce confusion from duplicate, slightly different notices, and the bill was moving forward with discussion of possible future amendment language.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what is the reason for making that data not public, or private data?
• And what is the reason for making that data not public, or private data?
• Senator Westrom, what is the purpose of making this data not public? this data.
• </c> data would would have access to the data data would would have access to the data for<00:51:15.920
• It does not withstand the current data practices provisions for grant data.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• and more data.
• As I'm going to, there are many data points that we track.
• We are deep into the work of issuing the first draft of the HDFC regulations. One of the early...
• And so pulling together a group of folks to get their input...
• And the more of that input we can get in to inform our work, the better the product's going to be.

Committee: House Housing and Community Development

Transcript Highlights:

• It is important to... ...and regulated and supervised by the state's Department of Finance.
• requirements needed by the lender, and successful consumer outcomes are what make a land... and regulated
• So we are actually asking to regulate that and cap it at lower than 36, at a blended rate with a 24%
• So it's also to promote consistency across both for regulation as well.
• We want them to obtain a loan with a product that is regulated through Arizona statute and provides customer

Bills: SB1165 , SB1206 , SB1212 , SB1291 , SB1347 , SB1516 , SB1554 , SB1649 , SB1689 , SB1812

Committees: Senate Finance , Senate Senate Finance Committee of Reference

Keywords: breast cancer, screening services, health insurance, cost sharing, preventive care, storm damage, catastrophic storm, hail damage, wind damage, roof repair, roof replacement, post-storm repairs, insurance claim, property and casualty insurance, adjuster, public adjuster, contractor licensing, homeowner protections, deductible waiver, insurance fraud prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• As the Senator mentioned, the office is coordinating with the Public Regulation Commission on this bill
• And is administered by the Public Regulation Commission.
• This provides the Public Regulation Commission the authority to stand up an alternate household system
• We've already heard from them as we did that the first time and we took input on the bill.
• data system continues.

Bills: SB152 , SB145 , SB190 , HB247 , SB152 , SB145 , HB2 , SB190 , HB247

Committees: Senate Senate Finance , Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion, rural internet, broadband infrastructure, eligible telecommunications carrier, ETC, tribal consent

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, it's just a lot of different aspects of this: taxes, regulations, and all these things come into

Bills: SB5925 , SB6086 , SB6074 , SB5962 , SB6296 , SGA9272 , SGA9255 , SGA9256 , SGA9271

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Keywords: Attorney General, civil investigative demand, CID, subpoena-like demand, investigative authority, consumer protection, civil enforcement, pre-suit investigation, document production, interrogatories, deposition, oral testimony, confidentiality, trade secrets, judicial review, enforcement action, Washington RCW, law enforcement powers, government transparency, due process

Transcript Highlights:

• AARP's own data shows why this matters.
• Our concern is that the bill does not define medical debt, even though it regulates executions arising
• By that same thing, when we're clearly allowing this consideration of these out-of-state regulations,
• The data also shows us really high rates of recidivism.
• Thank you, Madam Chair and members, for allowing me to throw in my input.

Bills: SB5962 , SB6105 , SB6203 , SB6296

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Keywords: spring blade knives, knife legislation, weapon regulation, public safety, law enforcement, medical debt, garnishment, wage garnishment, earnings exemption, exempt wages, debt collection, consumer debt, student loan debt, private student loans, disposable earnings, minimum wage, writ of garnishment, exemption claim, judgment debtor, creditor

Transcript Highlights:

• HHSC data from 2023 shows that nearly one in five newborns were not enrolled. not automatically enrolled
• And with that, My intention is to ensure that DNA collection and the data associated with that genetic
• I'm concerned about the physical data that can be linked.
• So just putting regulations on them to ensure the security and privacy of people that are in the foster
• Because if we are not all in support of that, then we are criminals ourselves, because the data speaks

Bills: HB2646 , HB3941 , HB5153 , HB5155 , HB5394 , HB 1106 , HB426 , HB4529 , HB3984 , HB4273 , HB 1097 , HB3940 , HB1941 , HB4377 , HB3153

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: child care, task force, high-quality care, affordability, prekindergarten partnerships, foster care, transitional living, Medicaid reform, youth assistance, independent living, services for youth, employment training, educational support, mental health services, health care, public health, child health program, reimbursement, local health entities, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• And it collects data and our only quick comment is while we're collecting data we ask you to collect
• With input from the work group, the Health and Human Services.
• The peer support services would be subject. to Medicaid-funded regulations and limitations.
• Really appreciate all of your input. Any other questions? Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you.
• These are highly regulated by the FDA, we can't. go back and just take care of these patients.

Bills: HB2646 , HB3941 , HB5153 , HB5155 , HB5394 , HB 1106 , HB426 , HB4529 , HB3984 , HB4273 , HB 1097 , HB3940 , HB1941 , HB4377 , HB3153

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: child care, task force, high-quality care, affordability, prekindergarten partnerships, foster care, transitional living, Medicaid reform, youth assistance, independent living, services for youth, employment training, educational support, mental health services, health care, public health, child health program, reimbursement, local health entities, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• The data is clear.
• an efficient government and an effective one, but I just don't think that this bill, based on the data
• National data shows that immigration...
• If HB5580 were to pass, I want to uplift that at the end of the day... these data points are people,
• partner agencies. and the program posed significant oversight risks due to the absence of reliable data

Bills: HB1320 , HB2012 , HB2293 , HB2655 , HB3174 , HB4108 , HB4661 , HB4799 , HB5534 , HB5580

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Keywords: transportation, infrastructure, funding, state budget, public safety, child welfare, county boards, membership, local governance, public welfare, government service, social services, Texas Family Code, regulation, vendors, solicitors, roadside sales, county authority, Sweeny Hospital District, board of directors

Transcript Highlights:

• Regulate roadside vendors.
• The data is clear. Harris County is facing a substance use crisis.
• I don't have that data in front of me, but we know that that happens.
• I can't say that they are; I don't have the data for that.
• You're asking me if I know of all the data...

Bills: HB1320 , HB2012 , HB2293 , HB2655 , HB3174 , HB4108 , HB4661 , HB4799 , HB5534 , HB5580

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Keywords: transportation, infrastructure, funding, state budget, public safety, child welfare, county boards, membership, local governance, public welfare, government service, social services, Texas Family Code, regulation, vendors, solicitors, roadside sales, county authority, Sweeny Hospital District, board of directors

Transcript Highlights:

• So we try to regulate it instead of letting the free market take care of it. What can be done?

Bills: HB741 , HB 1199 , HB2070 , HB2402 , HB2542 , HB2665 , HB2789 , HB3096 , HB3396 , HB3595 , HB3747 , HB4116 , HB4127

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: child welfare, relative caregiver, monetary assistance, Department of Family and Protective Services, child custody, family law, emergency power, nursing facilities, assisted living, generator requirements, health and safety, emergency generators, power outage, emergency generator, assisted living facilities, power source, child abuse, neglect registry, court findings, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• We have similar standards in our existing regulations. regulation.
• These regulations work.
• The regulations around that program are still pending, so.
• need is any more regulation because they're already over-regulated.
• regulation than what the state requires already.

Bills: HB741 , HB 1199 , HB2070 , HB2402 , HB2542 , HB2665 , HB2789 , HB3096 , HB3396 , HB3595 , HB3747 , HB4116 , HB4127

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: child welfare, relative caregiver, monetary assistance, Department of Family and Protective Services, child custody, family law, emergency power, nursing facilities, assisted living, generator requirements, health and safety, emergency generators, power outage, emergency generator, assisted living facilities, power source, child abuse, neglect registry, court findings, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• This is about Wall Street algorithms and computers that exploit data speed advantages to skim profits
• The major purpose of the Cain Amendment is to regulate activity by local governments, which is unrelated
• HB 4255 by McLaughlin, relating to the regulation of physicians in the disciplinary area, authority of
• for authorization to operate a. composting facility in front of the Committee on Environmental Regulation
• HB 4294 by Shaheen relating to the regulation of the platforms for the sale and distribution of software

Bills: HJR4 , HJR6 , HB195 , HB 13 , HB143 , HB135

Keywords: occupation tax, securities, financial regulation, tax exemption, legislative amendment, capital gains tax, realized gains, unrealized gains, investment income, asset sale, capital assets, wealth tax, estate tax, trust tax, tax limitation, constitutional amendment, Texas Constitution, Article VIII, property tax, sales tax

Bills: SB197 , HB140 , SB214 , HB214 , HB147 , HB270 , SB73

Committee: Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development

Keywords: food trucks, mobile vendors, health inspection, fire safety, state law, regulation, food service, business license, subdivision, transfer of land, immediate family, exemption period, county regulations, Sweet Home Alabama Tourism Investment Act, tourism rebate, tax rebate, sales tax rebate, lodging tax rebate, transactional taxes, tourism development

Transcript Highlights:

• Data reporting is a big component of our evolution here in regulations.
• The proposed regulations.
• How do they get their hands on the data? What does that data tell them? Can you interpret it?
• And we can see that in the data.
• And we can see that in the data.

Summary: The committee held a work session on autonomous vehicles, beginning with an overview from the Washington State Transportation Commission on the state’s five-year AV work group. The commission described its 2018 legislative mandate, the 35-member executive committee and seven subcommittees, and the resulting 29 recommendations and “roadmap to the future.” The presentation emphasized six policy “building blocks” for Washington: agency readiness, public outreach, equity, safety, testing and pilots, and a path to deployment. It also noted current Washington law requires AV testing companies to self-certify with the Department of Licensing, carry $5 million in liability insurance, report collisions and violations, and notify local law enforcement before testing; three companies are currently certified. State regulators from California and Arizona then outlined their AV frameworks. California described its long-running permit system for testing with and without a safety driver and for commercial deployment, its current rulemaking to expand use cases to heavy-duty trucks and passenger shuttles, and new requirements for mileage, operational assessments, and more detailed crash and incident reporting. California also said it is creating a new enforcement tool allowing citations to be issued to manufacturers for moving violations by AVs. Arizona described its executive-order-based approach, later codified by statute, which allows testing and driverless operations through self-certification, law enforcement interaction plans, quarterly meetings with companies, and reporting of crashes or near misses; Arizona also said it tracks crashes monthly and has not recorded fatalities attributed to AVs. Industry representatives from Waymo, Zoox, and the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association argued that AVs can improve safety, accessibility, and mobility while creating jobs. They described extensive sensor systems, community outreach, first-responder engagement, and current operations in multiple cities. Waymo cited more than 127 million rider-only miles and said its data show large reductions in injury-causing and pedestrian crashes; Zoox said it operates in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle and stressed its purpose-built electric robotaxi and local jobs; AVIA said its members have driven more than 145 million autonomous miles and that 26 states now expressly authorize driverless operations. Members asked about public education, crash and fatality tracking, enforcement, weather, school zones, first-responder interactions, and labor impacts. Labor and public-safety witnesses from the Teamsters, firefighters, and driver unions opposed commercial AV deployment without stronger safeguards. They argued Washington should not be an unregulated testing ground, especially for heavy trucks and hazardous materials, and warned of job losses for drivers, taxi and rideshare workers, and related occupations. Firefighters and driver representatives raised concerns about AVs interfering with emergency scenes, blocking responders, and creating risks in dynamic roadway incidents. Committee members also asked for comparisons to human-driven vehicles, data on citations and crashes, and more information on how AVs interact with pedestrians, first responders, and workers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Illegal data collection, unlawful sale of private data, and invasive surveillance—there have been documented
• Location with data centers, and a big piece of the mix will be going into the grid.
• Power their data centers to the tune of 30 or 40 gigawatts.
• We heard about data centers and AI.
• It's the strictest form of occupational regulation.

Bills: HB 11 , HB14 , HB132 , HB1584 , HB1606 , HB5061 , HB 1041 , HB2286 , HB132

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Summary: The committee first took up pending business and quickly reported several measures favorably, including HB 12, SB 1361, SB 1705, SB 1749, SB 1897, SB 2344, SB 2566, HB 3809, and HB 4215, with most sent to the Local and Uncontested Calendar. HB 12’s substitute clarified a limited midterm review of regulatory agencies tied to Sunset Commission recommendations. SB 2696’s substitute changed med spa regulation from a license to a certificate, with training instead of an exam, plus background checks, continuing education, and two-year renewals. HB 3809 dealt with battery energy storage decommissioning and recycling, and HB 4215 was reported without a substitute. SB 1978, concerning interconnection of electric facilities in ERCOT and federal jurisdiction concerns, was reported out on a 5-3 vote after debate, but then the chair later announced the bill was withdrawn and left pending subject to the call of the chair. HB 1899 was also reported favorably, with one nay. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 14, the advanced nuclear energy bill. Senator Schwertner described it as creating a Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, a nuclear permitting coordinator, a development fund, a completion grant program, and a workforce development program. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters, including representatives from Fermi America, Dow/X-energy, CPS Energy, Paragon Energy Solutions, Bridge to Nuclear, Aalo Atomics, and the Texas Association of Business, argued that Texas should lead in advanced nuclear, citing future baseload demand, data centers, industrial power needs, supply-chain development, and long-term energy diversification. Opponents, including Public Citizen, Texas Nuclear Watchdogs, Sierra Club, and individual citizens, argued the bill would subsidize unproven, expensive technology, create grants rather than loans, and expose taxpayers to major risk while doing little to meet near-term energy needs. Several members questioned whether the state should fund projects that may not produce grid power for years, and whether the bill’s grant structure and new office were justified. The committee also heard HB 5061, which Senator Schwertner said would prohibit unethical surveillance and misuse of confidential information by state contractors, create a confidential reporting system through the State Auditor’s Office, authorize Texas Rangers investigations, protect whistleblowers, and impose penalties including contract termination, fines, and contracting bans. No public testimony was offered, and the bill was left pending. HB 132, sponsored by Senator Hughes, would extend confidentiality protections for sensitive information to hostile acts by foreign adversaries; it was also left pending after no testimony. HB 1584 was then laid out, with Senator Schwertner explaining it would require utilities to maintain and update priority restoration lists for critical facilities after Hurricane Beryl exposed communication failures, but the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The big thing there is data governance.
• But none of this happens without better data and tools.
• We have no problem with data centers, but we need to be very smart about where we put data centers, and
• It's already here, and that's the single-use packaging regulation.
• It's already here, and that's the single-use packaging regulation.