Transcript Highlights:

• Families has to come and take a minor into custody from DJJ if their parents or legal guardian have abandoned
• come and take a minor into custody from the DJJ if their parents or their legal guardian are have abandoned
• I have. if their parents or their legal guardian are have abandoned them effectively and are and are
• relationships and come up with solutions for these kids when the parents lock them out, or lock out kids, or abandon

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee met with a quorum present and temporarily postponed SB 156. The committee first considered the confirmation of Matthew Walsh as Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Walsh described his background in law enforcement, social work, and juvenile justice, and outlined DJJ priorities including recruitment and retention, staff wellness, collaboration with DCF and other agencies, aging facilities, and expanding educational and vocational opportunities for youth. Members asked about his social work training, lockout youth, bed space, recidivism, and the Florida Scholars Academy. The committee voted unanimously to favorably report his confirmation. The committee then took up SPB 704, a committee bill extending the public records exemption for conviction integrity unit reinvestigation information. Senator Martin explained that the exemption was originally created to protect active innocence reviews and should continue past its current sunset date. With no opposition or debate, the committee voted unanimously to report the bill favorably as a committee bill. Next, the committee considered CS for SB 32, as amended, which creates an injunction for protection against serious violence by a known person and adds it to the statewide injunction verification system and related enforcement provisions. Senator Sharif said the bill is intended to give judges a faster tool to protect victims who have reported serious violence to law enforcement, while supporters said it addresses cases where victims are harmed before a repeat-violence injunction can be granted. Eric Friday of Florida Carry opposed the bill, warning it could be misused against self-defense situations and create problems in cases already covered by existing injunction laws. After debate, the committee voted unanimously to report the bill favorably. The committee then considered SB 210, which extends public records protections to petitions for injunctions for protection against serious violence by a known person, including dismissed petitions and identifying information before service. There was no opposition, and the committee voted unanimously to report SB 210 favorably before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Short lines are grateful for the opportunity to revitalize these otherwise abandoned railroads and provide
• In 2008, Union Pacific applied to abandon the 14-mile rail spur that was constructed in Rusk County in
• One carrier is seeking its abandonment. But this wasn't the only problem we had.
• Thankfully, the legislature addressed the short-line abandonment efforts with a tool we could use to

Bills: HB1589 , HB2208 , HB2297 , HB2560 , HB2725 , HB3080 , HB4417 , HB4473 , HB4520 , HB4662 , HB4888 , HB4905 , HB4906

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Keywords: HB 1589, toll road, toll project, toll project entity, voter approval, local control, county election, commissioners court, Transportation Code, Chapter 372, road construction, highway funding, infrastructure, public referendum, ballot measure, transportation policy, Texas toll roads, regional mobility, toll collection, vehicle registration

Transcript Highlights:

• The other thing is that the requests that are abandoned right now also strain the school system, anonymous
• Out of those 12, 9 of those requests became abandoned. We took time to gather the data.
• Although at $40,000, $30,000 was in relation to the 9 that were abandoned.
• So $30,000 of our taxpayer dollars were not used because of the abandonment. of that request.

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• On a day that we would normally wear green, I've elected to abandon tradition and wear blue and white
• green<00:24:06.960><c> I've</c><00:24:07.320><c> elected</c><00:24:08.159><c> to</c><00:24:08.559><c> abandon
• </c><00:24:09.720><c> tradition</c> green I've elected to abandon tradition green I've elected to abandon

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's require some really intense site-specific testing. Let's do some serious modeling.
• They'll plug it with cement back to surface and abandon it.
• They'll plug it with cement back to surface and abandon it.
• So it's hard to speculate on the magnitude and the capacity that would be required to serve this site
• We can serve up to one megawatt of electricity capacity to the Redtown Ranch site.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Summary: The committee held a hearing on high-capacity groundwater wells proposed in Anderson, Henderson, and Houston counties, with members framing the issue as one of local water supply, fairness, and the need to modernize groundwater law while protecting private property rights. Opening remarks focused on the scale of the proposed Redtown Ranch and Pine Bliss projects, the potential export of tens of thousands of acre-feet of groundwater annually, and concerns that the applications lacked sufficient technical detail and could harm nearby landowners, cities, agriculture, and manufacturing. Members also noted the broader context of the recent flooding tragedy in central Texas and the Legislature’s intent to address water-related loss of life in the upcoming special session. Witnesses from the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts and the Texas Water Development Board explained the current groundwater management framework. They described groundwater conservation districts as the state’s preferred management method, the role of groundwater management areas and desired future conditions, and how the Water Development Board uses those conditions to calculate modeled available groundwater. They emphasized that districts rely on local data, monitoring wells, and planning processes, but that information is often more limited in areas without a district, where the rule of capture applies. Members pressed witnesses on recharge rates, export permits, subsidence, the effect of pumping on nearby wells, the age and real-time availability of model data, and whether the proposed project would exceed modeled available groundwater in some counties. TCEQ explained its limited oversight role over groundwater conservation districts, including inquiries, compliance actions, and, in extreme cases, dissolution authority. Water Development Board staff also outlined funding programs, saying the New Water Supply for Texas Fund is limited to projects such as brackish desalination, reuse, ASR, and other new-supply projects, and does not fund fresh groundwater exports alone. They said the project at issue had not applied for board funding. A water lawyer then testified on the rule of capture, ownership in place, and district regulation, arguing that districts must use permitting and other tools to manage production within modeled available groundwater and that the Legislature could consider additional authority over groundwater exports under current law.

Transcript Highlights:

• If A through F grading were the clear answer, states wouldn't be abandoning it.
• If it's particular to an area, I think it should be defined that way when you identify a school siting
• School siting is a very complex process in any city. Talk to your school leaders.
• The school siting process is a complex process, but ideally it means...
• The school siting process is a complex process, but ideally it meets the needs of the community.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I’ve directed several people to go look at Mississippi’s landing site.
• If A through F grading were the clear answer, states wouldn't be abandoning it.
• When you identify a school siting decision, people here. you identify a school siting decision.
• School siting is a very complex process in any city. Talk to your school leaders.
• The school siting process is a complex process, but ideally it meets the needs of the community.

Summary: The House first approved the previous day’s journal by roll call vote, 116-0, and then spent a long portion of the morning recognizing visiting students, homeschool groups, professional associations, veterans, and other guests in the gallery. A moment of silence was held in honor of Conrad Ashcraft after a member introduced his grandmother, who was present to testify on a bill related to his death. The chamber also recognized a birthday page, a 90th birthday for a House staff member, and Chiropractic Physicians Day. The main floor debate centered on House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2710, which would create an A-through-F school grading system for public schools and charter schools. Supporters said the bill would give parents a simple, transparent way to understand school performance, while also preserving more detailed underlying data and adding a climate scorecard amendment covering suspension, restraint, and satisfaction measures. The bill sponsor and supporters emphasized that the measure was revised from earlier versions, that the A grade would be based on the top decile rather than a moving target, that literacy and growth measures were important, and that any teacher incentive funding would be handled through appropriations and the teacher retention and recruitment fund rather than direct bonuses. Opponents argued that letter grades would stigmatize schools, destabilize staffing, and oversimplify complex school conditions, especially in districts with high poverty, mobility, or special education populations. Several members questioned the fairness of comparing schools with different funding levels, demographics, and student turnover, and others argued that the bill would not solve concerns about the MAP test or broader school funding. One member objected that the bill applied only to public and charter schools while state dollars are also now going to private-school tuition support. Despite those concerns, the House adopted the amendment offered by the St. Louis member, then adopted the committee substitute and ordered House Bill 2710 perfected and printed. Afterward, the House took up House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2404 and 2172, a measure to remove deed restrictions on unused public school property and create a right of first refusal for public entities, including charter schools. Supporters said the bill would allow vacant school buildings to be reused for education rather than sit unused or be demolished, and could generate revenue for school districts. The bill was advanced after discussion, with members citing examples from St. Louis and other areas where unused buildings could have been repurposed for charter or other educational use.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have cultural sites in many of those areas that have established our continuous presence and connection
• And we've developed a master site plan featuring Taos Pueblo heritage buildings, a hotel, event center
• The Pueblo is working to secure funding for construction, utility, and site infrastructure.
• It's not only a UNESCO world site, but it's also a visual reminder of what's most sacred to us in our
• Uh, East is an abandoned mine that is full of water and they pump, pump it out every day.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, thank you for selecting this site. Just to go around, thank you.
• Madam Chair and Senator Trujillo, that will be provided on site on our campus.
• But for New Mexico, we're really lacking more research to make it more site-specific for us.
• so we can clean up contaminated sites too?
• And there next to us is a Superfund site. And currently, it's Chevron that owns it.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have a lot of agencies on site.
• We have the Sacramento Child Advocacy Program on site where we have four forensic Site.
• We have the Sacramento Child Advocacy Program on site where we have four forensic interview rooms where
• sexual abuse; domestic violence in the home; parental substance abuse or incarceration; neglect; and abandonment

Summary: The committee met to discuss domestic violence with a focus on teen dating violence, healthy relationships, and the impact of technology on abuse. Chair Blanca Rubio opened by describing the urgency of the issue, including a recent teen murder in her district tied to domestic violence, and emphasized that restraining orders alone do not prevent abuse. The first panel featured Janica Morin Pasquale and Taylor Stone Mill, who described warning signs in teens such as constant monitoring through phones and social media, isolation from friends, jealousy normalized by online content, and control through gifts, food delivery, and access to passwords or tracking apps. They stressed that many teens do not tell parents, that parents often miss the signs, and that prevention should begin early and be reinforced in schools, homes, and youth activities. They also cited resources such as Love Is Respect, One Love, and Take It Down, and urged consistent funding and implementation of the California Healthy Youth Act rather than one-time lessons. The second panel shifted to the effects of domestic violence on children and the systems that respond to them. Joyce Blue of the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center described the center’s wraparound services, including forensic interviews, legal help, housing support, child therapy, and high-risk response, and highlighted the prevalence and danger of strangulation, including cases with no visible injury. She explained that domestic violence is about power and control, that children often normalize abuse, and that safety planning must accompany restraining orders. Susie Flores of Inner Circle Children’s Advocacy Center explained the multidisciplinary forensic interview model used for child abuse cases, gave examples of severe abuse involving children exposed to domestic violence, and noted that many centers are overwhelmed by caseloads. She stressed the need for immediate trauma-informed services and more front-end intervention rather than waiting until long-term harm develops. Dr. Pamela Tate of Black Women Revolt Against Domestic Violence and other members discussed the need to support not only victims but also the systems and educators who are expected to respond. Several members shared personal experiences with domestic violence, sexual assault, and family trauma, and raised concerns about school implementation, immigrant families’ fear of reporting, and the need to address abusers’ behavior and trauma as well. The discussion also touched on statute of limitations issues, with panelists saying memory and trauma can delay disclosure for years and that rigid deadlines can prevent justice. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational and ended with members expressing support for continued collaboration, prevention funding, and stronger implementation of existing law.

Transcript Highlights:

• government was saying we're good, and then new folks come in and they change their approach on the siting
• So we had to shift to another site and start our environmental due diligence and our CEQA process on
• And there were three sites... ...that were there, and two of them really had challenges regarding the
• And the third site that we landed on, it's a private property that has the U.S.
• Nonprofits can apply for $250,000 per site, for up to two sites, for security enhancements.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 held an informational hearing on the Governor’s May Revision proposals for labor, public safety/judiciary, and transportation, and no votes were taken. In Part A on labor, the Employment Development Department described funding for EDD Next document management work, updated UI loan interest costs, disability insurance and paid family leave benefit increases, WIOA adjustments, UI and school employee benefit changes, an EMT training reappropriation, and a technical correction tied to an EDD Next reversion. PERB discussed reduced funding requests for AB 288 due to litigation and a proposal to implement AB 1 covering legislative employees. DIR presented proposals for legal unit reclassifications, two major IT modernization projects, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COIA reappropriation, and trailer bill language requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and removing a salary cap for the DWC administrative director. CalHR proposed consolidating employee assistance services into a statewide contract with enhanced support for first responders, and CalPERS and CalSTRS presented budget adjustments tied to investment costs, state contributions, and benefit overpayments. Members focused heavily on the unemployment insurance debt and interest payments, asking why the administration had no concrete plan to pay down principal. Finance and LAO explained that the state’s UI tax structure has long been insufficient and that any long-term solution would need to address both the outstanding federal loan and the structural imbalance in employer taxes. Questions also centered on EDD Next costs and timelines, with the chair asking for clearer long-term project cost estimates and Finance noting that future maintenance and operations costs will continue after implementation. On DIR’s emerging technologies unit, members asked whether it would address AI-driven workplace harms; DIR said the unit would focus on physical workplace safety issues involving AI, robotics, autonomous equipment, and related guardrails, while LAO noted broader labor-practice questions would likely fall outside Cal/OSHA’s scope. In the CalPERS discussion, members raised concerns about transparency in private equity and external management fees, while CalPERS said higher fees reflect a strategy of greater private-market and active-management exposure and are offset by higher net returns. Members urged more information on specific investments and future reporting. For CalSTRS, Finance presented routine contribution and overpayment adjustments, but members also raised broader transparency concerns that CalSTRS staff said they would follow up on separately. Public comment in Part A was dominated by strong support for an immigrant worker emergency relief fund, along with support for apprenticeship and workforce proposals and PERB staffing. The chair and members said they would follow up on where the immigrant relief proposal should be considered, noting it may belong in another policy area. The hearing then moved into Part B with an overview of Judicial Branch-related May Revision items, including court interpreter funding, appellate court security, workload cap changes, lactation room implementation delays, and a reduction to the state court facility construction backfill.

Transcript Highlights:

• But rarity has never been a justification for abandoning principle.
• We would never walk past an abandoned newborn on a doorstep and say, "This is complicated."
• We would never walk past an abandoned newborn on a doorstep and say, "This is complicated."
• If there's a baby dying and the medical professionals turn around and they abandon that baby in the medical
• health care professional and there is a baby, that is the correct term, dying, and you turn away and abandon

Transcript Highlights:

• But rarity has never been a justification for abandoning principle.
• We would never walk past an abandoned newborn on a doorstep and say, “This is complicated.”
• We would never walk past an abandoned newborn on a doorstep and say, “This is complicated.”
• If there's a baby dying and the medical professionals turn around and they abandon that baby in the medical
• health care professional and there is a baby, that is the correct term, dying, and you turn away and abandon

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior day’s journal, and a long series of special guest introductions recognizing interns, community leaders, FFA officers, library advocates, park and recreation professionals, and others. Members also used points of personal privilege to honor Black History Month and the legacy of William Clay Sr. The chamber then moved into first reading of several bills, including measures on University of Missouri curators, personal property assessment lists, and state department spending. The main floor action centered on House Bill 1757, which would require universal screening of third-graders for gifted education using flexible screening methods and would help ensure students who qualify are identified regardless of zip code or family resources. Supporters argued the bill would close gaps in gifted identification and expand access, while questions focused on funding, screening methods, and whether the bill would create an unfunded mandate. The House adopted the committee substitute and ordered the bill perfected and printed. Members then debated the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, presented as House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1667 and 2294. Supporters said the bill would require medical care for infants who survive an abortion attempt and impose civil and criminal penalties for knowingly harming such a child. Opponents argued the bill was duplicative of existing law, could criminalize medical providers, and would worsen Missouri’s maternal care shortages. The debate included extended questioning about the bill’s standards, scope, and enforcement, but no final vote on the born-alive measure was taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• sense bill sponsored by United Local 11 that simply directs hotels to disclose via public notice on site
• However, if they want to leave a platform, they often have to abandon that history and start over.
• the new user moved their To host a user's former InfoWars content on their site because the new user
• And that site would have the responsibility.
• Or a portion of it, and that site would have the responsibility.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislative find it on dedicated sites.
• This bill is a accessing those sites.
• process to all the other sites.
• You can just carry on the other sites.
• You just have to videos on their site.

Bills: HF357 , HF3389 , HF1434 , HF2500 , HF1606

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• I will not be voting for a bill that abandons families like Stephanie's and lets kids go hungry, that
• </c><00:30:08.000><c> families</c><00:30:08.399><c> like</c> for a bill that abandons families like for
• a bill that abandons families like Stephanies<00:30:09.200><c> and</c><00:30:09.440><c> lets</c><00:
• But when we abandon our in Rhode Island.
• </c> recently indicated they will abandon recently indicated they will abandon this<04:25:31.680><c>

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the site has changed. DHS's site has changed.
• Um, the site has changed. there's many. Um, the site has changed.
• They had DHS's site has changed.
• </c> good vaccine policy. and to abandon it good vaccine policy. and to abandon it would<02:48:05.359
• </c> be a rash, a little redness at the site. be a rash, a little redness at the site.

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• It continues to be disregarded and abandoned by multiple layers of the system.
• Be disregarded and abandoned by multiple layers of the system, and this would be a moment in time to
• And oftentimes I hear this on the criminal justice side, that the families have been abandoned by their
• California's initial law, established in 1959, created a 15-year abandonment period.
• For many Californians, unclaimed property is not abandoned money, but a safety net.

Summary: The committee heard several bills. SB 911, by Senator Becker, would require notification and verification of defensible-space compliance when homes in high wildfire severity zones are transferred, using the preliminary change of ownership report; supporters said it would improve wildfire resilience and insurance availability, while county assessors opposed the use of the PCOR and urged a different recorded document. Members generally supported the bill but raised concerns about the 12-month compliance window and the need to keep working with assessors; the bill was held pending a quorum and later placed on call. SB 1016, by Senator Blakespear, would create a pathway for a higher-level mental health evaluation when a Care Court petition is dismissed because the person is too ill to participate or otherwise needs more intensive care. Supporters, including psychiatrists, family members, and local officials, said Care Court is leaving many severely ill people untreated and that the bill would connect them to existing LPS processes. Opponents, including Disability Rights California, county behavioral health directors, counties, and other advocacy groups, argued it would expand involuntary detention, bypass existing pre-petition screening safeguards, and undermine Care Court’s voluntary nature. The bill passed the committee on a roll call vote and was placed on call. SB 1112, by Senator Archuleta, would create a faster court process for victims of illegal or excessive “bandit towing” to recover their vehicles by posting a bond and obtaining a release certificate. Support came from Enterprise Mobility and the author, who said the bill targets bad actors and helps equalize leverage for vehicle owners; the California Auto Body Association sought an amendment to exclude auto repair shops. The committee passed the bill as amended to Appropriations and placed it on call. SB 1119, by Senator Padilla, would impose child-safety requirements on AI chatbots, including risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, parental controls, limits on time and data use, reporting, audits, and a private right of action. The bill was driven by testimony from the mother of a teenager who died by suicide after prolonged chatbot interactions; industry and business groups opposed or sought amendments, citing overlap with recent law, vague standards, and prescriptive design mandates. Members expressed strong support for the bill’s goals while urging tighter definitions, and the bill was moved on a roll call vote and placed on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, if a rental car has left the country without authorization, or if the car is abandoned
• Madam Chair and members, as the author just stated, the theft, fraud, abandonment, and misuse of rental
• For example, when an abandoned or cited vehicle is towed to a tow yard, it often remains there for days
• rental vehicle outside the country if it is not authorized by that rental agreement or if deemed abandoned

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee heard several bills on AI, social media, rental cars, and account deletion. AB 316 by Assemblymember Krell would bar defendants from avoiding liability by claiming an AI system autonomously caused harm. Supporters argued it would preserve accountability as AI grows more powerful, especially in cases involving children, while opponents said existing tort law already covers these issues and warned the bill could create uncertainty and overbroad liability. The bill passed the committee 8-1. AB 656 by Assemblymember Schiavo, sponsored by Consumer Federation of California, would make it easier for users to delete social media accounts and personal information, with amendments shifting the deletion prompt into settings rather than on every screen. Supporters said platforms use dark patterns and make deletion unnecessarily difficult; opponents raised concerns about unintended deletions and possible conflicts with existing privacy law, though the author said the bill was being aligned with CCPA. The bill passed 9-0. The committee also approved the consent calendar. AB 1197 by Assemblymember Calderon would address rental car theft and misuse by allowing limited geofencing in specific situations and revising rules around renter liability when keys are returned and a police report is filed. Rental car companies and other supporters said the bill would help recover stolen or abandoned vehicles, while an opponent warned about privacy and possible consumer harms in edge cases. The bill passed 11-0. AB 1374 by Assemblymember Berman would require more upfront disclosure of the total price of rental cars, including mandatory fees, to curb hidden charges; supporters said consumers still face surprise costs, while opponents argued current law already requires disclosure and that the bill’s new wording could invite litigation. It passed 13-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, if a rental car has left the country without authorization, or if the car is abandoned
• Madam Chair and members, as the author just stated, the theft, fraud, abandonment, and misuse of rental
• For example, when an abandoned or cited vehicle is towed to a tow yard, it often remains there for days
• rental vehicle outside the country if it's not authorized by that rental agreement or if deemed abandoned

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee heard and advanced four bills focused on AI liability, social media account deletion, rental car theft prevention, and rental car price transparency. AB 316 by Assembly Member Krell would bar defendants from avoiding liability by claiming an AI system autonomously caused harm; supporters said it preserves existing tort standards while preventing AI from becoming a scapegoat, while opponents argued current law already covers these issues and the bill could create uncertainty. The committee ultimately passed AB 316, 8-1, with one no vote and the roll left open for absent members. AB 656 by Assembly Member Chiu would make it easier for consumers to delete social media accounts and personal information, with amendments shifting the deletion option into settings rather than requiring a message on every screen. Supporters, including Consumer Federation of California, said platforms make deletion unnecessarily difficult and that the bill helps users escape addictive platforms; opposition from TechNet was limited and described as a work-in-progress. The bill passed unanimously, 9-0, and the roll was left open. AB 1197 by Assembly Member Calderon would modernize rental car laws to address theft and misuse, including allowing limited geofencing in specific circumstances and revising the “keys” presumption for stolen vehicles. Supporters from rental car companies said the bill would help recover stolen or abandoned vehicles and reduce fraud, while consumer advocates raised concerns about privacy and possible unintended consequences. The committee passed AB 1197 unanimously, 11-0, with the roll left open. AB 1374 by Assembly Member Berman would require rental car companies to disclose the real price of a rental earlier in the booking process, including mandatory fees and taxes, to curb hidden-fee pricing. Consumer advocates supported the measure and cited examples of price increases late in the transaction, while rental car industry representatives argued existing law already works and that the bill could create confusion or litigation. The committee passed AB 1374 unanimously, 13-0. The committee also approved the consent calendar, and later reconfirmed the votes for the bills after quorum issues were resolved.