Transcript Highlights:

• error in the child abuse homicide statute.
• Child abuse homicide statute.
• And so the issue was in murder, basically we added child torture wherever we had aggravated child abuse
• Aggravated child abuse done recklessly is in the child abuse homicide statute, because I hear it goes
• The child abuse homicide statute, because, here we'll go to the next slide, because child torture involves

Committee: Joint Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• their abuser.
• Five, specify that the assignment of child support and child support cooperation agreements are suspended
• When youth disclose abuse or unsafe home environments, the resulting reports often do not trigger immediate
• Dawn Kepke, on behalf of the Child Abuse Prevention Center and California Family Resource Association
• Chair, members, Dawn Kepke, on behalf of the Child Abuse Prevention Center and California Family Resource

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Human Services heard testimony on a series of bills affecting disability services, child welfare, foster youth, domestic violence survivors, guaranteed income pilots, crisis response, and child care providers. AB 1575 would update the Lanterman Act to use person-first language and broaden respite services to allow safe community access; supporters said it would improve dignity and consistency in services, and there was no opposition. AB 2470 would create a statewide one-stop reentry program for survivors of intimate partner violence to replace documents, repair credit, and access housing supports, while also giving CalWORKs emergency housing funds more flexibility; the Little Hoover Commission backed the bill based on its prior recommendations. AB 2510 would clarify and expand CalWORKs family reunification aid so parents can keep receiving support during reunification even if not all children are removed, and supporters said it would reduce barriers and better align with reunification goals. AB 2585 would expand guaranteed income pilot funding to rural and underserved counties, with testimony emphasizing the need for geographic diversity and data from places like the Central Valley. AB 1932, the Crisis Act 2.0, would continue and strengthen community-based mental health crisis response programs; testimony from family members and advocates strongly favored non-law-enforcement responses, and the bill drew broad support. AB 1925 would direct a feasibility study on a statewide permanent disability certification process to reduce repeated verification burdens; the committee approved it 4-0 and sent it to Appropriations. AB 2189 would fund a statewide special education parent action network to train and connect parents for systemic advocacy; after some opposition over the use of state funds for advocacy, it passed as amended and was referred to Education. AB 2684 would allow out-of-state nonminor dependents to do monthly social worker visits virtually, with in-person visits still required quarterly; it passed to Judiciary. AB 1967 would improve pathways for older youth experiencing homelessness or failed adoptions to enter or reenter foster care, and it passed to Appropriations. AB 2126 would create a targeted background-check exemption for certain former foster youth hired as peer partners, and it passed as amended to Public Safety. AB 2379 would require DSS to notify family child care providers of Fourth Amendment rights and provide multilingual know-your-rights training regarding immigration enforcement; it passed to Judiciary after some members questioned whether DSS was the right agency to administer the training.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:46.399><c> is</c> plan to Target fraud waste and abuse is plan to Target fraud waste and abuse
• </c> the waste and the fraud and the abuse the waste and the fraud and the abuse has<00:15:59.720><c>
• The child care, or CCAP, issue here with the child care, and hopefully we will see some progress this
• but most fraud waste and waste and abuse but most fraud waste and abuse<00:24:31.760><c> is</c><00:24
• we have reporting forms our website we have reporting forms where<00:25:59.840><c> you</c><00:25:59.919

Transcript Highlights:

• , or another child.
• , or another child.
• If there's no child care, then how can women get to, you know, a job when their child is sick?
• Child care providers have reported increased anxiety as a result, behavior of changes in the children
• Our child care centers and our child care workers are essentially the backbone, not only of our child

Summary: The hearing opened the Select Committee on Latina Inequities, hosted in Assembly District 43 at Los Angeles Mission College. Chair Celeste Rodriguez and Assembly Member Mia Bonta framed the committee’s purpose as examining Latina economic status and policy barriers, with this hearing focused on the federal administration’s effects on Latinas, the economy, immigration enforcement, and the social safety net. The chair also highlighted California’s equal pay efforts, including SB 642, and described the hearing as a forum to identify legislative solutions. The first panel, led by HOPE, presented findings from its National Economic Status of Latinas report. Speakers said Latinas are a major economic force in California but face persistent inequities, including the state’s largest wage gap, higher unemployment, high uninsured rates, student debt, and affordability pressures around child care, housing, and education. Testimony emphasized that many Latinas are weighing whether degrees or certificates are worth the cost, that entrepreneurship can be a path to mobility but is limited by lack of capital and technical support, and that policy changes such as SB 642, dual enrollment, financial literacy, mentorship, and access to retirement tools could help. The second panel focused on immigration enforcement and Latina safety in the workforce. Advocates and researchers described ICE raids, racial profiling, detention conditions, and the chilling effect on work, school attendance, health care access, and daily life. Speakers from the ACLU, UCLA LPPI, SEIU Local 99, worker centers, Inclusive Action, and CHIRLA said Latinas and immigrant workers are concentrated in essential sectors such as child care, agriculture, construction, domestic work, and street vending, and that enforcement is causing lost wages, family separation, and trauma. They urged stronger state oversight of detention, more legal services, protections for worker centers and street vendors, cash assistance and rental relief, and continued support for rapid response networks and community-based organizing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it physical abuse? Is it emotional abuse? Is it family neglect? Is it financial?
• Is it physical abuse? Is it emotional abuse? Is it family neglect? Is it financial?
• And our last item on the agenda will be discussion on the annual report of the external child fatality
• </c> think we're reporting it as suicide. think we're reporting it as suicide.
• </c> different reports to DCBS. different reports to DCBS.

Summary: The committee’s first interim meeting opened with roll call and a reminder that Kentucky had 8,641 children in out-of-home care with active placements as of June 1, 2025. The first presentation was from the Center for Courageous Kids (CCK), a donor-funded camp in Scottsville that serves children with lifelong illnesses and disabilities at no charge. Representatives described the camp’s history, its year-round family retreats and summer sessions, its medical and accessibility supports, and its impact on campers’ confidence and independence. They said CCK has served more than 43,000 campers from 46 states and 13 countries, including 22,000 from Kentucky, and noted plans to reach all 120 Kentucky counties. CCK also outlined future capital needs: a new art barn and a medical lodge. The organization said the art barn project would cost $2.5 million, with a legislative request of $1.5 million, and the medical lodge would cost $2.875 million, with a legislative request of $1.75 million. Members responded very positively, with several praising the camp’s work and one member asking about operational challenges. CCK said its main challenges are awareness, staff and volunteer recruitment, and expanding medical and housing capacity; it also said it is accredited by the American Camp Association and receives health and safety visits and audits. The committee then moved to a presentation on adult protective services and state guardianship programs from Jessica Wayne and Cliff Bryant of DCBS. They explained the legal framework for guardianship, the difference between full and limited guardianship/conservatorship, emergency appointments, and the state’s role as a last-resort guardian when no family member or private entity is available. They reported 4,464 individuals under state guardianship as of June 1, with most cases involving dementia, developmental disability, intellectual disability, nursing home or long-term care placement, severe mental illness, or brain injury. They also said the division has 89 field workers across 14 regional offices, with an average caseload of 52 and a goal of reducing that into the mid-40s through additional hiring.

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows courts to consider abuse when the abuse directly shaped the offense.
• Of sexual abuse? Yeah. Do you think that you served were survivors of sexual abuse? Yeah.
• , while also being unable to escape the abuse.
• It was worlds different than what I endured as a child.
• We take the abusers out of the labor ecosystem.

Bills: HB1591 , HB2209 , HB2403 , HB2526

Committee: House Community Safety

Keywords: domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, survivor protections, legal remedies, defendants, theft, robbery, sentencing enhancements, criminal justice, property crimes, failure to register, registration requirements, public safety, law enforcement, prostitution, public health, criminal justice reform, community safety

Transcript Highlights:

• You see from the list things like murder, things like manslaughter, rape, sexual abuse of a child, those
• child.
• This bill requires schools, health care providers, and child care staff to report any child's request
• abuse?
• If both parents are convicted of child abuse, they should not be having authority over that child any

Committee: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• abuse to require vaccines?
• How that impacts areas such as substance abuse and mental health and areas such as child welfare.
• abuse case and drug abuse case, those types of cases.
• We have six medical experts that have opined that this is not child abuse, including the statewide CPT
• That a parent who is abusing physically their child, these are very complex cases where there can be

Committee: Senate Ethics and Elections

Summary: The committee first considered the confirmation of Dr. John Lattell to the Florida Board of Medicine. In questioning, senators focused heavily on his views on abortion, vaccines, ivermectin, hormonal birth control, and the role of CDC/FDA guidance in board discipline cases. Dr. Lattell said the board should apply Florida statutes, described himself as strongly pro-life and skeptical of some federal health guidance, and said he would be sympathetic when judging fellow physicians because of his own experience in practice. Supporters praised his medical background, military service, and family medicine experience, while opponents argued his stated views could affect his ability to fairly discipline other doctors. The committee voted 5-2 to recommend confirmation, with Senators Polsky and Rouson voting no. The committee then took up the confirmation of Taylor Hatch as Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families. Hatch outlined her background at DCF and APD and described department priorities including streamlining services, improving child welfare and behavioral health systems, expanding peer support, and reducing SNAP error rates. Members asked detailed questions about Hope Florida, the number and role of Hope Navigators, agency responsiveness on bill analyses, and accountability for community-based care contractors. Hatch said Hope Florida is a partnership-based navigation effort aimed at self-sufficiency, that 143 Hope Navigators are in place, and that the department is working to improve transparency and oversight through contracts, audits, and a proposed funding model. Senators also pressed Hatch on the Hope Florida Foundation’s compliance history and on forensic audits of community-based care agencies, especially Northwest Florida Health Network. Hatch said the foundation is now in compliance and under audit, and that the contractor had completed corrective actions and was operating within current accountability limits. She said DCF had not yet conducted new forensic audits under her tenure but was preparing another round and was considering using contracted-services dollars to support that work. The discussion ended with continued questioning on oversight, staffing, and whether the agency could provide more formal bill analyses going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> a favorable report. a favorable report.
• Some of the state's most serious offenses involving child sexual abuse material and human trafficking
• </c><00:48:02.720><c> sexual</c><00:48:03.119><c> abuse</c> offensive involving child sexual abuse offensive
• involving child sexual abuse material<00:48:04.079><c> and</c><00:48:04.319><c> human</c><00:48:04.640
• suspected child abuse or neglect. >> I do offer that amendment.

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• child abuse report or neglect report, they're unable to gain access to that or grant access with a third
• child abuse report or neglect report, they're unable to gain access to that or grant access with a third
• child abuse report or neglect report, they're unable to gain access to that or grant access with a third
• child abuse report or neglect report, they're unable to gain access to that or grant access with a third
• ><c> or</c><00:59:50.080><c> neglect</c> their say child abuse report or neglect their say child abuse

Transcript Highlights:

• wage data, and as a result... ...contributions to DUA or to report wage data.
• Even the credit reporting industry representatives have admitted this.
• Abuse of behavior doesn't discriminate.
• be victims of child abuse, sexual assault, stalking, teen dating violence, domestic violence, and sexual
• This bill has been reported out favorably. Should be reported out favorably again.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on a large group of bills carried over from the previous session, with Chair Jake Oliveira and House Co-Chair Paul McMurtry outlining the process and limiting testimony to three minutes. The committee heard testimony on several labor and workplace proposals, including bills to harmonize employee definitions to address misclassification (SB 1338/HB 2141), expand bereavement leave (including H. 2189/S. 1354 and related bills), protect collective bargaining rights for certain administrative employees (HB 268/SB 1306), expand commuter transit benefits (HB 2153/SB 1345), regulate employer use of credit reports (S. 1286), and require apprenticeship participation or OSHA-related workplace safety measures on public projects. At the end of the hearing, the chairs read into the record additional bills that did not receive testimony that day. Supporters of the misclassification bill, including Greater Boston Legal Services and the AFL-CIO, said aligning the employee-status tests across wage, unemployment, and PFML laws would reduce confusion, improve enforcement, and help workers wrongly treated as independent contractors or managers recover benefits and bargaining rights. NAGE and its representative argued that public-sector employees have been improperly reclassified into management titles to weaken unions, and that the bill would force the Division of Labor Relations to review those titles. On bereavement leave, advocates including the Louis E. Brown Peace Institute, a state representative, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, and individual survivors described the impact of sudden loss and homicide on families, saying guaranteed leave would help workers grieve, make arrangements, and avoid losing jobs or custody-related stability. The committee also heard support for commuter benefits as a low-cost way to reduce emissions and increase transit use, and for restricting employer credit checks because of inaccuracies and discriminatory effects. There was opposition to some construction-related bills. The Associated Builders and Contractors and the Building Trades Employers Association supported apprenticeship training in principle but said current apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios are outdated or misunderstood, and that the bills should be amended or clarified before advancing. The Massachusetts landscape and snow-removal industry strongly supported a snow-liability limitation bill, arguing that hold-harmless clauses and broad indemnification requirements force contractors to assume liability for conditions they cannot control, drive up insurance costs, and threaten business viability. The committee did not take any votes during the hearing, and the session ended with the chairs thanking members, staff, and the public before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Claim of abuse or neglect with that child.
• It doesn't necessarily involve abuse of the child in the home.
• The abuse isn't against the child, but they are going to be out of the child's life for a significant
• law should apply when a child is already in state custody and severe abuse has been substantiated.
• Removing a child from an abuser is not necessarily enough.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• And yet educators, as mandatory reporters, are only responsible for 10% of child abuse cases that are
• And yet educators, as mandatory reporters, are only responsible for 10% of child abuse cases that are
• </c> the harm of child abuse. Thank you. the harm of child abuse. Thank you.
• to identify abuse be mandatory reporters to identify abuse or<02:11:59.440><c> neglect</c><02:12:00.560
• </c> have died of child abuse, but it could have died of child abuse, but it could potentially potentially

Summary: The committee on Education met on February 17 and announced it would limit public testimony to one minute because more than a thousand testimonies were expected on one measure. The first bill heard was HB 1934, relating to the Imagination Library of Hawaii. The state librarian and Friends of the Library supported the bill, saying the program is a proven, cost-effective way to improve early literacy and should be expanded statewide for children ages 0 to 5. Friends of the Library said the current 50/50 match requirement would be too difficult to meet immediately and asked for state funding for the first few years to help launch the expansion. Testimony included eight supporters and one opponent, and members asked whether the proposal was an expansion of an existing program; the state librarian said it would expand service beyond currently targeted communities. The committee then heard HB 20004, which would extend the floating librarian pilot program. The state librarian, Department of Education, HSTA, and several individuals testified in support. Supporters said the program helps address staffing needs and improves student readiness, especially for college and information literacy. One retired community college librarian said school librarians help students prepare for college and are increasingly important in teaching critical evaluation of misinformation and AI-generated content. Members asked about implementation of the existing pilot, including recruitment of certified librarians for neighbor island and Oahu complex areas; DOE said those positions had been identified and recruitment was underway, and existing funds remained intact. The final major discussion was HB 2398, which clarifies the library system’s role in RNMSP-related projects and public library construction on or near school land. The state librarian and public library system supported the bill, while the Department of Education and Attorney General’s office raised concerns about vague language, especially the phrase “land controlled by the board,” and suggested amendments. In questioning, the state librarian explained that the bill was prompted by conflicts on shared or adjacent school/public library sites, including traffic, pickup and drop-off access, and other operational issues. DOE described significant disruption from one project’s traffic changes and said planning for such projects should involve early coordination and formal agreements. The state librarian responded that the new bill would clarify oversight and help avoid delays and disputes over property control and future renovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, victims of child sexual abuse can seek damages against perpetrators for injury or illness
• According to Child USA, a think tank that aims to prevent child abuse and neglect, the average age that
• victims report abuse is age 51.
• Missouri's civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse has not changed since 2004.
• Seventeen states have eliminated civil statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse entirely.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment

Summary: The Commerce Committee met in executive session and unanimously voted do pass on House Bill 1707, House Bill 2927, and House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2057. The committee then moved into public hearing on House Bill 1664, which would extend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims from age 26 to age 41. Representative Brian Sites presented the bill as a needed step for survivors, and multiple witnesses and organizations testified in support, including survivors and advocacy, tort reform, chamber, and insurance groups. No opposition was heard, and the hearing concluded without a vote. The committee also heard House Bill 1845, a startup and angel investor tax credit proposal sponsored by Representative Gallick. The bill would create incentives for Missouri-based startups under $5 million in revenue, with higher credits for rural investment, annual caps, oversight by the Missouri Technology Corporation, and a sunset in 2033. Members questioned what taxes the credit would apply to, how it would work if Missouri changes its income tax structure, and what safeguards would prevent businesses from leaving after receiving credits. Business and economic development groups testified in support, saying the bill would help fill an early-stage capital gap and keep investment in Missouri. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3231, a broad economic development and “Missouri Innovation Zone” proposal sponsored by Representative Brad Christ. The bill would let cities opt in to create innovation zones with local permitting and governance changes, tax incentives, office-to-residential conversion tools, and reinvestment of net new revenues into public safety, infrastructure, and a rural development fund. Members and witnesses discussed local control, prevailing wage, revenue diversion, and implementation concerns, especially from the City of St. Louis and labor groups, while chambers, developers, municipal groups, and historic revitalization advocates generally supported the concept. The hearing ended with no opposition testimony and no committee vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and if DCS receives at least four reports of abuse or neglect in a 12-month period regarding the same
• a single report showing the entire history of a child and child siblings who have been the subject of
• and if DCS receives at least four reports of abuser neglect in a 12-month period regarding the same
• if the child is a subject of an investigation for an allegation of abuse or neglect additionally it
• Madam Whip and members, Senate Bill 1631 requires protocols for child abuse and neglect investigations

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long agenda of Senate bills across elections, commerce, education, government, health and human services, judiciary, public safety, transportation, rural development, and ways and means. Many measures were described as consent or third-read consent items, including bills on campaign finance termination statements and late-report penalties, AI provenance data for media, adjuster/contractor conduct during emergencies, Industrial Commission changes, association meeting closures, banking and remittance rules, central bank digital currency, public safety parity funding, barbering and cosmetology board continuation, digital asset reserve management, contractor licensing, gaming and racing commission continuation, school AED instruction, classroom removal procedures, school safety reporting, special education complaint transparency, foreign influence and land ownership restrictions, DCS and DES process changes, health care licensing and reimbursement rules, EMS compact adoption, and multiple tax, housing, and transportation measures. Staff repeatedly summarized each bill and answered questions, with several bills noted as mirror or identical to House measures or as strike-everything amendments from committees. A few bills drew discussion. On SB 2874, staff explained that the Senate amendment would limit penalties for untimely campaign finance reports when a committee certifies it received no contributions and made no expenditures, but the sponsor did not concur. SB 1074 prompted questions about whether parental notification changed; staff said it did not and that the bill was aimed at improving communication between teachers and principals about discipline. SB 1175, requiring DCS caseworkers to photograph children at each interaction in abuse or neglect cases, drew concern about the scope of the photos, while supporters said it would improve continuity and documentation. SB 1180 also drew comment because the sponsor and committee chair disagreed over an amendment, though the bill was advanced for further work. The most extended debate came on SB 1751, which would allow death-row inmates to choose firing squad, lethal injection, or lethal gas if voters approve the related constitutional measure. One member strongly opposed the bill on moral and personal grounds, another argued it could be a more humane option if the state is going to carry out executions, and a third raised concern that it could be used against Second Amendment rights. The bill remained on the third-read consent calendar despite the objections. The caucus concluded after moving through the remaining agenda items, with no formal votes recorded in the transcript beyond committee status and consent-calendar placement.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> greatest child abuse medical scandal. greatest child abuse medical scandal.
• It is considered a form of severe medical child abuse.
• The court found that the parent coached the child concerning false allegations of abuse, which bears
• </c> knowledge is falsely attributed to child knowledge is falsely attributed to child abuse<03:59:51.680
• Civilized people abhor and condemn sexual child abuse.

Committee: House Children and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:

• it was abuse.
• it was abuse.
• it was abuse.
• </c><00:12:20.079><c> abuse</c> would agree with the child abuse would agree with the child abuse specialists
• </c> going to be writing a minority report? going to be writing a minority report?

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 538, a Liquor Commission cleanup bill. Chair Joseph Mica and CFO Tina Deir explained that the bill updates outdated statutory titles and positions after the commission’s 2014 restructuring, deleting references to the former commissioner and COO roles, adding a director of administration and a director of finance and audit, and keeping the new positions at the same labor grade pending review by the Joint Committee on Employee Classification (JCEC). Members discussed the proper sequence for JCEC review, but generally treated the bill as housekeeping. The committee then voted ought to pass, and the roll call was unanimous, 16-0. The committee next took up House Bill 493, which would require continuing education related to child abuse/ACE recognition for physicians and other providers. Testimony and committee discussion focused on whether the bill was too vague, whether it improperly intruded on the Board of Medicine’s authority to set professional education requirements, and whether it would effectively mandate a narrow training course that is currently voluntary and free. Supporters argued the bill addressed a real problem and cited testimony about missed abuse cases, while opponents said the board should handle the issue through its own rules and that the bill was poorly drafted. A motion of inexpedient to legislate passed 9-7, and the committee noted a minority report would be needed. The meeting ended with procedural and scheduling announcements, including that the committee would be dealing with budget hearings the following week and had a large number of Senate bills scheduled for later in the month.

Transcript Highlights:

• We report them periodically. We report them periodically to the feds.
• You'll see things like child sexual abuse material reports surging.
• You'll see things like child sexual abuse material reports surging.
• So mom and dad want that for the child, the child wants it.
• We're talking about those that are either possessing or, worse yet, manufacturing that child sexual abuse

Summary: The committee met as the Commerce and Legal Services Division and first approved the minutes, then received a Legislative Council overview of the Attorney General’s current budget status and a blue-sheet summary of the AG’s base budget for the next biennium. Staff highlighted compliance with legislative intent items, including FTE changes, one-time funding updates, litigation pool spending, opioid settlement receipts, and continuing appropriations. Members asked about specific funds such as the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund and the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and staff explained the statutory basis and status of those items. The Attorney General’s office then presented an extensive overview of its divisions and budget pressures. Chief Deputy Attorney General Clare Ness described the office’s 14 divisions, the role of the office in defending the state and recouping funds, and concerns about attorney pay, recruitment, and retention. Members discussed whether attorney salaries should be benchmarked across state government and whether more legal work could be centralized in the AG’s office. The office also described challenges with the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, leased office space, and the criminal justice information systems used to connect law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts. The Crime Laboratory director gave a detailed update on space and infrastructure problems, saying the current lab is overcrowded and outdated, with safety, workflow, air-handling, glycol leak, alarm, and maintenance issues that can delay casework and risk evidence integrity. She said a 2024 study projected a need for a much larger facility and that the preferred option would be a new building on the current health department site, at an estimated cost of roughly $40 million to $45 million. She also reported that backlogs have improved significantly in DNA, firearms, fingerprint, and drug cases, though toxicology had recently developed a small backlog after an air compressor failure. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, gaming division, and BCI also provided updates. MFCU’s new director said the unit is federally funded 75/25, focuses on fraud, abuse, and neglect, and is seeking two attorney hires while continuing to work with federal partners on cases and recertification. Gaming staff reported continued growth in charitable gaming and electronic pull-tab activity, with concerns about site competition, large trust balances, possible ineligible expenditures, and the need for more scrutiny as revenues have grown. BCI outlined its staffing, drug task forces, ICAC work, and the Missing Indigenous Person Task Force, which is using its $250,000 appropriation to help tribal nations develop emergency response plans and purchase alerting tools such as IPAWS. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We can't let complacency claim the life of another child.
• It should not require another child to end up dead. Please do not wait for another child to die.
• I went to Camp Cedar Crest, a Baptist camp as a child.
• They’re the ones that are in the reports.
• No one wants their child questioned about their body.

Committees: House Emerging Issues , House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Transcript Highlights:

• Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, clarifying that it is a crime to watch a live stream and AI-generated
• A child being sexually abused on live stream is no less a victim because the abuse is viewed in real
• Also important is to harmonize 311.3 with the Child Abuse Reporting Act.
• Hi there, Dawn Kepke, on behalf of the Child Abuse Prevention Center, in support. Thank you.
• Hi there, Don Kepke on behalf of the Child Abuse Prevention Center in support. Thank you.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on artificial intelligence, child safety, mental health, and privacy. SB 574 by Senator Umberg would require transparency and human oversight when attorneys, judges, and court neutrals use AI; it drew support from privacy advocates and committee members, with no opposition. SB 1276, the End Child Exploitation Act, would update child sexual exploitation laws to cover live-streamed and AI-generated abuse material and clarify that viewing such content can be criminally punishable; prosecutors, child advocacy groups, and others supported it, while no one appeared in opposition despite opposition on file. SB 813 would create a California AI standards and safety commission and a voluntary two-tier certification framework for AI safety standards; supporters said it would create scalable, independent oversight, while TechNet and CalChamber opposed it as duplicative, under-defined, and likely to create a de facto mandate. The committee discussed market pressure, federal preemption concerns, and the role of voluntary standards, but no final vote was taken in the excerpt. Senator Padilla also presented SB 300, which would strengthen protections for minors from sexually explicit chatbot content by moving from a reasonableness standard to an affirmative duty to prevent such exposure and to prohibit facilitation. Supporters said new evidence showed greater risks and that companies can and should build stronger safeguards; opponents, including TechNet and CCIA, argued the bill was premature because SB 243 had only recently taken effect and warned it could create strict-liability-like exposure. Padilla then presented SB 903, which would bar AI chatbots from being advertised as therapists, require licensed clinician oversight and informed consent for AI use in psychotherapy, and protect patient confidentiality; it received broad support from mental health professionals and labor groups, while industry and health associations were opposed unless amended over triage and crisis-detection language. The committee members emphasized the need for human judgment in mental health care and noted ongoing negotiations on amendments. The committee also heard SB 1119, a companion to AB 2020, which would require annual risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, default child settings, parental controls, limits on data use, public incident reporting, and third-party audits for chatbots used by children. Supporters argued the bill would address documented harms and improve transparency, while industry groups objected to ambiguous standards, liability exposure, and the private right of action. A roll call vote was taken on SB 1119 after quorum was established; the motion to pass to Appropriations succeeded on a 5-1 vote, with one no vote and the measure left on call for absent members. Finally, SB 354, a privacy bill for insurance consumers, would modernize outdated insurance privacy rules, bar sale of personal information, and expand consumer rights to know, correct, and delete data. Supporters said it would implement Proposition 24’s privacy mandate, while a large coalition of insurers, agents, brokers, and related businesses opposed unless amended, mainly seeking a small-business exemption and narrower treatment of publicly available information; members and the author said negotiations were ongoing and the bill had already been substantially revised.