Video & Transcript : 'payment suspension' :

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MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session (Full Formal without Calendar) Jan 7th, 2026

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The question now comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12.
  • Paper from the House: Several petitions come from the House under the suspension of Joint Rule 12 and
  • The question comes on the suspension of Joint Rule 12.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jul 2nd, 2026

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Papers from the House: Several petitions come from the House under suspension of Joint Rule 12 and are
  • Papers from the House: Several petitions come from the House under suspension of Joint Rule 12 and are
  • The question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jun 23rd, 2026

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Several petitions come from the House under the suspension of Joint Rule 12 and are referred to their
  • The question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
  • The question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and recognized guests from the United Kingdom Mission and England Fans Embassy ahead of the England-Ghana World Cup match. The chamber then took up several matters for final passage, including bills on Worcester police officer age requirements and North Adams retired police officers serving as special police for paid details; both were passed to be enacted and sent to the Governor. The Senate also received House action on the Senate’s resilience bill, S. 3064, which the House had amended by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting a new text. Senator Durant moved nonconcurrence and a committee of conference, and the chair appointed Senators Cyr, Rausch, and Durant to the conference committee. The Senate adopted resolutions congratulating Eddie Palladino on his retirement from MassDOT and commending Plymouth on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and it suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several House petitions to committee. On third reading, the Senate adopted an amendment replacing S. 2120 with a new draft removing the term “hearing impaired” from the General Laws, and then passed the bill to be engrossed. It also passed to be engrossed three local bills concerning Haverhill election procedures and a Southbridge alcohol licensing extension. Finally, the Senate adopted an order setting expedited consideration of the House energy and clean power bill, H. 5175, with Ways and Means new text S.D. 3143, and adopted an order to reconvene the following Thursday at 11 a.m. before adjourning.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jun 23rd, 2026

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Several petitions come from the House under the suspension of Joint Rule 12 and are referred to their
  • The question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
  • Question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Informal House Session 30 Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am

Massachusetts House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Wong has now moved suspension of the rules. All those in favor say aye; all those opposed, nay.
  • Badger of Plymouth, no more suspension of Rule 7A. All those in favor say aye.
  • Padger of Plymouth moved suspension of the rules.
Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted a resolution honoring Massachusetts veterinarian associations and advocates by recognizing May 2, 2026, as Veterinarian Youth Day in the Commonwealth. The Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling then reported several local and special bills for House consideration, including measures affecting Boxborough liquor licenses, a replacement plans bill, a Chatham housing trust fund, Auburn property tax abatements, a long-term lease authorization for 305 South Street East, town meeting accessibility, and Newton ordinance penalties. The House suspended the rules, took the bills through second reading, and ordered them to a third reading. The chamber then acted on several engrossed bills for final passage, including three Boston Police Department measures waiving minimum age requirements for specific officers, all of which were passed to be enacted. The House also advanced a bill authorizing North Adams to appoint retired police officers as special police officers for paid detail assignments, suspending the rules to take it up and ordering it to a third reading. In addition, the House passed to be engrossed a Marblehead bill establishing a means-tested senior citizens property tax exemption and a DCF sick leave bank bill for Courtney Cochran. The Rules Committee also reported out the North Adams police bill, and the Steering Committee scheduled it for consideration. The session concluded with adoption of an adjournment order setting the next meeting for Thursday at 11 a.m., followed by adjournment.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Russell, an employee of the Department of Correction, comes from the House on the suspension of Joint
  • The Department of Correction matter comes from the House on the suspension of Joint Rule 12 and is referred
  • The question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence for former Senator Ed Kennedy. Members then adopted an order to recess the joint session until Thursday, October 9, 2025, and approved a congratulatory resolution for People Incorporated’s new early education center. The chamber also took up two local bills, ordering both to a third reading and then passing them to be engrossed: House 2320, establishing an appointed treasurer-collector in Berkeley, and House 4136, further regulating stabilization funds in Leicester. The Senate later held an adjournment in memory of Paul Holloway, with remarks honoring his service as a firefighter and educator in Holland and Palmer, followed by a moment of silence. The chamber also considered several matters on final passage, including bills related to the Gloucester Fisheries Commission and an additional liquor license in Maynard, and it advanced a House bill establishing a sick leave bank for Candy J. Pike of the Department of Developmental Services by ordering it to a third reading. The Senate suspended Joint Rule 12 and referred a House petition to establish a sick leave bank for David A. Russell of the Department of Correction to the Committee on Public Service. Near the close, the Senate recognized National Faith in Blue Week and thanked law enforcement and faith-based communities. Members adopted an order to meet again the following Thursday at 11 a.m., dispense with printing a calendar, and then adjourned in memory of Paul Holloway.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Informal House Session 31 Apr 2nd, 2026

Massachusetts House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Smola of Warren moves suspension of the rules. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
  • benefits for Alec Simonello comes from the Senate with the endorsement that it had been referred under suspension
  • Donato of Medford moves suspension of Rule 7A. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
MO
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

Commerce Mar 2nd, 2026

Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • It adds only suspension after an injunction phase, and the suspension can only be of state licenses and
  • The suspension can only be of state licenses and permits, not local or municipal.
Committee: House Commerce
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jan 12th, 2026

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Question on the suspension of Joint Rule 12. The ayes have it, and the rule is suspended...
  • relative to access to applied behavior analysis services in schools, comes from the House under the suspension
  • The question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. The ayes have it, and the rule is suspended.
HI
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JHA Public Hearing - Tue Feb 3, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • , you suggest that we should add clear penalties for non-compliance, such as fines and contract suspension
  • 01:09:32.719><c> the</c><01:09:32.880><c> matching</c><01:09:33.279><c> fund</c><01:09:33.600><c> payments
  • </c> and increases the matching fund payments and increases the matching fund payments for<01:09:34.319
  • us is language about clear penalties for non-compliance, which could include fines and contract suspension
  • . the contractor might lose suspension. the contractor might lose their<01:48:08.960><c> contract</c>
Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1525, which would appropriate funds to counties to open more voter service centers for in-person voting, provide money to the Office of Elections to print and mail the voter information guide to all registered voters, and support a public outreach campaign to increase voter participation. The Office of Elections supported the bill and estimated costs of a little over $2 million to print and mail the guide and about $178,000 for outreach, noting it spent about $441,000 on election advertising in 2024. Testimony from advocacy groups including Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, Common Cause Hawaii, and Indivisible Hawaii strongly supported the measure, emphasizing access for neighbor island voters, people with disabilities, new voters, and voters who need ballot assistance. County election officials from Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai provided comments or testimony that were more cautious. They said additional funding would be welcome, but staffing and logistics remain major constraints, especially for election-day service centers. Honolulu’s city clerk said funding alone would not necessarily solve long lines, while Maui’s county clerk explained that voter service centers require trained seasonal employees, extensive training, and the ability to handle many ballot styles. Maui also described its current pop-up sites, including Hana, as expensive but necessary for remote communities, and said the county is already running at bare minimum staffing. Members asked questions about who decides how many service centers are opened, how staffing is handled, and whether there is a middle-ground model between the old precinct polling places and the current voter service center system. Honolulu explained that county clerks make those decisions under current law and that the county has tried pop-up sites in addition to its main centers. The discussion also noted that in 2024 most voters used vote by mail, while a smaller number used early in-person voting or final-day service centers. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jul 2nd, 2026

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Papers from the House: Several petitions come from the House under the suspension of Joint Rule 12, referred
  • Papers from the House: Several petitions come from the House under suspension of Joint Rule 12, referred
  • The question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
Summary: The Senate took up several bills and conference matters, including a bill on the dissolution of the Holmes Park Water District, which was amended by substitute draft Senate No. 3160 and then passed to be engrossed. The Senate also handled House Bill 464 on enhancing child welfare protection, where the House had rejected the Senate amendment and appointed a conference committee; the Senate voted to insist on its amendment and appointed Senators Comerford, Kennedy, and O’Connor as conferees. The chamber concurred in House amendments to Senate No. 2967, concerning ownership and maintenance of the Town Line Brook and Linden Brook culverts and dam, and to House Bill 4359, which authorizes the town of Milford to expand an alcohol license from wine and malt beverages to all alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises. The Senate also suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several House petitions to the appropriate committees. The Committee on Rules reported and the Senate adopted orders extending the Education Committee’s reporting deadline on two matters: Senate No. 2934, relating to expanding access to family-friendly and neighborhood child care administered by the Department of Early Education, and Senate No. 2769, relating to education matters more generally. The Senate also adopted an order setting up future consideration of Senate No. 30, a bill protecting children from addictive social media feeds, with a new draft from Ways and Means, Senate No. 3164. The session adjourned in memory of Doe Kwong M. of Dorchester, after a moment of silence.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Question now comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12.
  • manufactured housing community accommodations in the city of Attleboro, comes from the House under the suspension
  • Question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. The ayes have it; Joint Rule 12 is suspended.
Summary: The Senate took up several local bills out of the orders of the day and advanced them through third reading and engrossment. These included a bill for Arlington allowing a town ballot question to increase off-premises liquor licenses, a Brookfield land conveyance bill amended by a substitute draft, a Beckett bill authorizing alternative members for the Conservation Commission, and a Swampscott bill authorizing a fall annual town meeting. The Senate also ordered to a third reading and then engrossed a bill clarifying call firefighter rights, after accepting a third-reading committee report recommending a new draft. The chamber also acted on a House bill concerning teacher preparation and student literacy. After the House disagreed with a Senate amendment, the Senate insisted on its amendment and agreed to a conference committee, naming Senators DiDomenico, Lewis, and O'Connor as conferees. In addition, the Senate suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several concurrent Senate petitions to committees, including a House petition on manufactured housing community accommodations in Attleboro, which was sent to the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. The Senate adopted resolutions congratulating Owen Kirby and Jonathan Rothwell on attaining Eagle Scout rank. Later, the Senate gave final passage to two bills: the Agawam charter amendment striking a reference to the Board of Appeals, and the Arlington liquor-license bill. The session ended with adoption of an order to reconvene the following Thursday at 11 a.m. and to dispense with printing a calendar, followed by adjournment.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Question now comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; those opposed, no.
  • legislation to expand access to the family self-sufficiency program comes from the House under suspension
  • legislation to expand access to the family self-sufficiency program comes from the House under suspension
Summary: The Senate convened with the Pledge of Allegiance and first took up final passage of H. 4426, establishing a sick leave bank for Paul Starvasky of the Department of Correction. A standing vote was required for the emergency preamble, which was adopted, and the bill later passed to be enacted along with H. 4158, expanding the Select Board of the Town of Weston, and H. 4532, exempting certain affordable housing and branch library space in Dorchester from public procurement laws. All three bills were signed by the President and sent to the Governor. The chamber also adopted a Senate resolution commending Hope and Comfort Incorporated for observing Hygiene and Security Awareness Week. In addition, the Senate ordered to a third reading and then passed to be engrossed S. 1859, a retirement bill for Walter L. Gertner, a former Attleboro firefighter, and H. 360, a bill further regulating certain on-premises alcoholic beverage licenses in Holyoke. The Senate also suspended rules to advance a petition concerning purchase of out-of-state service and referred it to the Committee on Public Service, and received a House bill revising the charter of the town of Millis, which was ordered to a third reading. The Senate referred a House petition on expanding access to the family self-sufficiency program to the Committee on Housing. Members then adopted a motion to adjourn in memory of Stephen E. Strum, with a brief remembrance read into the record. Finally, the Senate adopted an order to meet again the following Thursday at 11 a.m. and adjourned.
MA
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Feb 17th, 2026

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Question now comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
  • manufactured housing community accommodations in the city of Attleboro, comes from the House under the suspension
  • Question comes on suspension of Joint Rule 12. All those in favor say aye; opposed, no.
Summary: The Senate took up several local bills and procedural matters out of order. It passed to be engrossed House No. 4815, authorizing Arlington to place a ballot question on increasing off-premises alcohol licenses, and later passed the same bill to be enacted. The chamber also advanced Senate No. 1915 on call firefighter rights, accepting a third-reading report that substituted a new draft (Senate No. 960), and passed the amended bill to be engrossed. Another local land-conveyance bill for Brookfield, Senate No. 2128, was amended by substitution of a new draft (Senate No. 2958) and then passed to be engrossed. Bills concerning Beckett’s Conservation Commission and Swampscott’s annual town meeting were also passed to be engrossed, with title changes noted by the third-reading committee. An Agawam charter amendment striking a reference to the Board of Appeals was later passed to be enacted. The Senate also handled a conference committee dispute on House No. 4683, the teacher preparation and student literacy bill. The House had rejected the Senate’s amendment and appointed conferees; the Senate insisted on its amendment and named Senators DiDomenico, Lewis, and O'Connor to the conference committee. In addition, a House petition concerning manufactured housing community accommodations in Attleboro was referred to the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government after suspension of Joint Rule 12. Several resolutions were adopted congratulating Owen Kirby and Jonathan Rothwell on attaining Eagle Scout rank. The Senate also suspended Joint Rule 12 for several petitions and adopted an order setting the next meeting for Thursday at 11 a.m. and dispensing with the printing of a calendar. The session included a brief recognition of two Situate High School students, William Hine and Izzy May Adams, who had advocated for financial literacy education.
CA
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session Sep 10th, 2025

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Members, this rule suspension is not debatable. It takes 41 votes. Clerk will open the roll.
  • AB 1423 accelerates the date for the CEC to develop regulations on payment methods for EV chargers from
  • AB 1423 accelerates the date for the CEC to develop regulations on payment methods for EV chargers from
  • Members, this rule suspension is not debatable. It takes 54 votes. The clerk will open the roll.
Summary: The Assembly convened, initially lacked a quorum, then returned to session with prayer, pledge, and a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk following news of his shooting. Members then handled a series of procedural motions, including suspending rules, moving several bills to the inactive file, re-referring bills to committees, and authorizing committee meetings. The chamber also observed adjournments in memory for several individuals, including Ermilo Don Rodas, John Burton, Nina Chomsky, and Barbara “Bobby” Samperey. On the floor file, members considered and passed a long list of Senate bills, largely on bipartisan or unanimous votes. Topics included consumer protection and transparency for self-storage contracts (SB 709), adoption jurisdiction (SB 450), privacy and name/image protections (SB 683), an audit of the February 2025 bar exam (SB 47), data broker transparency (SB 361), used-car buyer protections (SB 76), state parks land acquisition streamlining (SB 630), cemetery work group deadlines (SB 777), financial enforcement authority (SB 825), utility outage reporting and reliability planning (SB 292), vital records confidentiality (SB 313), health care coverage and hormone therapy access (SB 418), workplace outreach (SB 578), Holocaust and genocide education (SB 472), county jail treatment for misdemeanor incompetency cases (SB 820), and AI companion chatbot safeguards for minors and self-harm risks (SB 243). Most measures passed with little or no opposition, though SB 578 drew sharp debate over the workplace outreach program and its funding. The Assembly also took up concurrence items and approved numerous Assembly bills with Senate amendments. These included transparency in legislative nondisclosure agreements (AB 1370), affordable faculty/staff housing provisions at community colleges (AB 648), tribal youth foster care reforms (AB 1378), EV charger payment regulations (AB 1423), technical Political Reform Act changes (AB 1511), diacritical marks on vital records (AB 64), reproductive health protections with urgency (AB 260), union and collective bargaining protections (AB 288), bench trial statement-of-decision streamlining (AB 515), agricultural land stewardship (AB 524), geothermal exploratory project rules (AB 527), Medi-Cal field medicine changes (AB 543), tobacco-related provisions (AB 573), social media platform rules (AB 656), state parks transaction reporting (AB 679), professional licensing changes (AB 742), and child care staffing and assistant teacher pathways with urgency (AB 753). Votes were generally strong, with several measures passing unanimously or near-unanimously.
NM
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 27th, 2025

House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • For the payment of the fiscal agent fee, some of these small local entities can have a very large project
  • It is now Laws 2024, Chapter 24, which creates the new distribution from the Tax Suspension Administration
  • One of the key ones that I would mention is the legislation that passed that increased the payment for
  • And so the suspense language there in section. relates to that.
Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance
CA
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Hearing Assembly Education Committee and Senate Education Committee Jan 20th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • As we know, suspension is ineffective, as is explicitly stated on the California Department of Education
  • Restorative justice is the framework that shifts school discipline from punitive measures like suspension
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another... That drive the students to act out.
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another form of punishment, the intervention typically
  • , or expulsion, with another student... ...discipline, suspension, or expulsion, with another student
CA
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Hearing Assembly Education Committee and Senate Education Committee Jan 20th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • As we know, suspension is ineffective, as is explicitly stated on the California Department of Education
  • Restorative justice is the framework that shifts school discipline from punitive measures like suspension
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another... That drive the students to act out.
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another form of punishment, the intervention typically
  • , or expulsion, with another student... ...discipline, suspension, or expulsion, with another student
Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly Education Committee hearing featured opening remarks from legislators welcoming students from the California Association of Student Councils and SABLE, with members emphasizing student voice and noting that several past student proposals had become law. The hearing then moved through multiple student panels presenting policy ideas, with members responding in a mix of support, technical questions, and cautions about cost, implementation, and tradeoffs in instructional time. The first panel proposed an annual civic engagement day for grades 7-12 to increase civic literacy and participation through flexible school-based activities. Members asked about costs, flexibility for sixth grade, voter registration, and how the proposal would fit within existing curriculum and standards. The second panel proposed amending Education Code Section 35012 to require at least one student board member in every unified and high school district, with added motioning rights and training on budgeting and LCAPs; members raised concerns about mandate costs, board size, and the scope of motioning authority. The third panel proposed middle school financial literacy instruction, potentially embedded in existing classes like math, with a 10-year phase-in for teacher training and curriculum updates; members questioned whether the state should wait for the already-approved high school financial literacy course to be implemented first. The fourth panel proposed expanding restorative justice by creating a CDE task force and authorizing PPS-certified staff to use restorative justice materials in discipline processes; members discussed prior legislation, confidentiality in expulsion hearings, and the likely cost of a state task force. The fifth panel proposed short, twice-a-semester mental health and life-skills sessions for grades 7-12, but members expressed skepticism that brief classroom sessions could meaningfully address mental health needs and suggested wellness centers or student-led awareness efforts instead. The hearing then began panel six on AI implementation in classrooms, with students arguing that districts need clearer guidance on AI use and that education must adapt rather than ignore the technology.
CA
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Hearing Senate Education Committee and Assembly Education Committee Jan 20th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • As we know, suspension is ineffective, as is explicitly stated on the California Department of Education
  • Restorative justice is the framework that shifts school discipline from punitive measures like suspension
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another... is authorized to include the SPM in the
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another That drive the students to act out.
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another form of punishment, the intervention typically
Summary: The Senate and Assembly Education Committees held their annual joint hearing with the California Association of Student Councils and SABLE, where student delegates presented policy ideas developed over two days. Committee members repeatedly praised student voice and noted that several past student proposals had become law. The hearing began with opening remarks from legislators and student organizers, who emphasized the importance of civic participation and the value of hearing directly from students. The chair also reviewed hearing rules and explained that the panels would be treated as peers in a formal policy discussion. The first panel proposed an annual civic engagement day for grades 7-12, with flexible activities such as mock elections, civic fairs, Socratic seminars, and public comment practice. Members asked about costs, grade-level flexibility, voter registration, and how the proposal would fit within existing curriculum time. The second panel proposed amending Education Code Section 35012 to require at least one student board member in every unified and high school district, with expanded training and motion rights. Legislators supported the concept but raised technical concerns about fiscal impact, the need for odd-numbered boards, the scope of motioning authority, and whether districts would need reimbursement if the mandate became statewide. A third panel proposed adding middle school financial literacy instruction by embedding it into existing classes, with curriculum and teacher training developed over time by state agencies. Members questioned how it would fit into adopted materials and whether the state should wait until the new high school financial literacy course is fully implemented before designing middle school instruction. The fourth panel proposed expanding restorative justice by creating a CDE task force and authorizing PPS-certified staff to use restorative justice training materials in discipline processes. Senators discussed prior legislation, confidentiality concerns in closed-session hearings, and the fiscal cost of a state task force, while expressing support for stronger restorative practices. The final panel proposed more active mental health education through short, twice-semester classroom sessions for grades 7-12 focused on coping skills, time management, and awareness of resources. Assemblymember Castillo and Senator Cortese questioned whether teachers and counselors could effectively deliver the program, whether it would duplicate or overburden existing efforts, and whether wellness centers or student-led awareness efforts might be more effective. Committee members generally agreed the topic was important but were skeptical that another curriculum mandate was the best solution, and no votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.
CA
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Hearing Senate Education Committee and Assembly Education Committee Jan 20th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • As we know, suspension is ineffective, as is explicitly stated on the California Department of Education
  • Restorative justice is the framework that shifts school discipline from punitive measures like suspension
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another...
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another That drive the students to act out.
  • When a student receives a suspension, expulsion, or another form of punishment, the intervention typically
Summary: The annual joint Senate and Assembly Education Committee hearing featured student proposals from the California Association of Student Councils and SABLE, with opening remarks from legislators emphasizing student voice and the value of hearing youth ideas. Committee members noted the hearing was being streamed and that they would review the testimony even though some members could not attend because of fog-related travel issues. The first panel proposed an annual civic engagement day for grades 7-12, with flexible school-led activities such as discussions, mock elections, and voter registration-related events. Members generally praised the idea but raised concerns about costs, instructional time tradeoffs, how to evaluate effectiveness, and whether the proposal should better connect to existing civics standards and local curriculum. The second panel proposed amending Education Code Section 35012 to require at least one student board member in every unified and high school district, with added training and the right to make motions. Legislators supported student representation in principle but questioned whether the proposal should require one or two student members to avoid board tie issues, why some districts do not already have student trustees, and how the mandate would be funded if it became a state requirement. They also raised technical concerns about the scope of motioning power and the fiscal impact of converting a voluntary local practice into a statewide mandate. Later panels proposed adding middle school financial literacy instruction, expanding restorative justice practices, and creating more structured mental health education time. On financial literacy, students suggested integrating finance into existing middle school classes and teacher training over time; members worried about curriculum overload and suggested aligning the idea with the already-approved high school finance course. On restorative justice, students proposed a CDE task force and training for PPS-certified staff; legislators discussed prior related bills, confidentiality concerns in discipline hearings, and the likely cost of a state task force. On mental health, students proposed short, twice-semester classroom sessions focused on coping skills and awareness of resources, but members questioned whether such brief lessons could be effective and suggested that wellness centers, student-led awareness, and outside referrals might be more practical. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with encouragement for students to refine their proposals and follow up with legislators.