Transcript Highlights:

• Hagler's students have demonstrated strong gains in academics and in learning agricultural skills, with
• Municipal School District's Portrait of a Wildcat, a strategic plan to help students develop the skills
• and aspirations that will guide them from freshman year to graduation. ...students develop the skills
• 4, Section 5(B)(1) of the New Mexico Constitution, ordered not printed, and referred to the House Labor
• First, House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs will be meeting at 1:30 p.m. or 15 minutes after we

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial

Transcript Highlights:

• Labor shortages and climate-related disruptions add additional pressure.
• It paired streamlining with strong labor standards and meaningful affordability requirements.
• dense project with union labor all the way—it has to be truly ministerial.
• believe, what we call for skilled and trained.
• None of those provisions would be touched, or at least on the labor side.

Summary: The hearing was an outcome review of AB 2011, the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022, focused on whether the law is being used as intended to speed housing production on commercially zoned land while maintaining labor and affordability standards. Chair Haney and Assembly Member Wicks emphasized that the point of the review was not to relitigate the bill, but to assess implementation and results. The first panel of researchers and policy experts said AB 2011 has had real but still limited uptake so far, with roughly 5,800 homes proposed, entitled, or permitted under the law through 2024, concentrated mainly in San Francisco and Los Angeles counties. They also noted that the broader housing market remains constrained by high construction costs, interest rates, and flat rents, making it hard to isolate the bill’s effects from overall market conditions. Witnesses generally agreed that AB 2011 has been most effective for 100% affordable projects and for projects already using public subsidies or prevailing wage, where the ministerial process and CEQA streamlining help move developments forward. Several speakers described the law as a useful bargaining tool that can push jurisdictions to rezone or approve projects more quickly even when AB 2011 is not formally invoked. At the same time, developers and advocates said the mixed-income pathway is much less usable in most of the state because prevailing wage and the 15% affordability requirement add significant cost, especially in lower-rent markets. They also pointed to implementation issues such as narrow site eligibility rules, the “substantially surrounded by urban uses” test, industrial-use exclusions, and confusion about whether the law applies to homeownership projects. The second panel, made up of practitioners using the law, described specific projects that moved forward under AB 2011, including affordable housing developments in the San Joaquin Valley and large mixed-use projects in San Francisco. They said the law’s biggest benefit is certainty: projects that once took years to entitle can now move in months. However, they repeated calls for changes such as clarifying homeownership eligibility, loosening density and site restrictions, narrowing the industrial-use exclusion, and making the law easier to understand for developers and local staff. Members also raised concerns about uneven use across regions, especially the relative lack of AB 2011 activity in Los Angeles and Santa Clara County, and about the accuracy and lag in annual progress report data. The final panel, including the original sponsors, said they remain supportive of the law but are open to adjustments to reduce costs and improve usability while preserving labor protections and affordability goals.

Transcript Highlights:

• Certification gives them the knowledge and skills that they need to safely handle the equipment in situations
• We'll have the skills of diving as well.
• I do know that the Department of Labor is ready to get this thing moving even quicker than that because
• want to acknowledge the agencies: the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• That said, it was never intended to be about labor standards.
• and as precious as the workers that those labor standards are there for.
• ...away something as precious as labor standards and as precious as the workers that those labor standards
• It's not imposing labor standards statewide.
• It's not requiring jurisdictions to impose labor standards.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As part of a University Now initiative, a comprehensive labor market study, 147 high-priority occupations
• the field, learning what we used to do and how we used to do things as far as job knowledge and the skills
• So bringing those people back that have those skills helps our new generation become better.
• So bringing those people back that have those skills helps our new generation become better.
• They require skilled labor and custom materials, which can discourage development and leave buildings

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly met after a quorum call and proceeded with a largely ceremonial opening, including a prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, guest introductions, and several recognitions of visitors, students, community college delegations, and retiring staff. Members also offered adjournment-in-memory tributes, including remembrances of Kathy Wooten and Rowena Ramos, before adjourning to a later date. The chamber then took up a long third-reading file of bills covering energy, climate, agriculture, behavioral health, housing, education, privacy, transportation, public safety, and retirement. Among the measures discussed were AB 34 on renewable portfolio standard exemptions for publicly owned utilities; AB 35 to speed implementation of Proposition 4 climate-resilience funds; AB 52 on agricultural advisory committees; AB 277 on background checks for behavioral health employees; AB 664 authorizing targeted bachelor’s programs at Southwestern Community College; AB 673 creating a grant program for unaccompanied homeless youth; AB 710 on dynamic electricity pricing; AB 748 on pre-approved housing plans; AB 767 expanding school and daycare protections in sexually violent predator placement decisions; AB 883 protecting officials’ personal information from data brokers; AB 1054 on a deferred retirement option program for CHP and Cal Fire; AB 1159 on student data privacy; AB 1204 revising school funding formulas; AB 1265 extending historic building tax relief; AB 1349 banning speculative ticketing; and AB 1359 allowing seniors 80 and older to opt out of jury service without a doctor’s note. Most bills received broad support and passed, often unanimously or with only a few no votes. Notable opposition came on AB 1054, where one member argued the retirement option would worsen pension costs, and on AB 1349, where members emphasized consumer protection and artist support. Several bills were described as cleanup, technical, or implementation measures, and members repeatedly cited local needs, workforce shortages, public safety, education access, and consumer protection as reasons for support. After completing the file, the Assembly adopted adjournment motions and set the next session for Thursday, January 29 at 9 a.m. A few vote changes were entered from the dais after adjournment, including changes on AB 710, AB 673, AB 52, and AB 643.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Colorado, for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state's Department of Labor and Employment
• Rather than having skilled staff answer repetitive questions, such as which form do I need for a business
• Such redirection of labor would yield a government workforce characterized by heightened engagement and
• government operations, we need a workforce and upskilling, we need a workforce upskilling and re-skilling
• Oftentimes, how we develop our skills is having to go and dig deep into figuring out solutions, and somehow

Summary: The subcommittee met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and automation in Florida government. Panelists from Worldwide Technology, OpenAI, the James Madison Institute, and the Florida Digital Service described AI as a tool to improve efficiency, constituent services, fraud detection, translation, HR workflows, public safety, and regulatory review, while emphasizing that AI should supplement rather than replace workers. They also stressed the importance of data readiness, workforce training, governance, and having existing technology systems and policies in place before broader deployment. Members asked about public records concerns, vendor vetting, model integrity, and how to balance innovation with privacy and security. Chief Schoonover said agencies are already using or exploring AI in areas such as Medicaid analysis, environmental data, emergency management, tax forms, and child support, and noted that the Digital Service publishes prohibited vendor and application lists. OpenAI discussed its red teaming, safety evaluations, privacy controls, and government products such as ChatGPT Gov, and said it does not train on personal data or target users with ads. The committee also discussed concrete examples of efficiency gains, including reduced call times, faster translation turnaround, and streamlined HR classification work, as well as concerns about job disruption and constituent access. In closing, members raised data center infrastructure and energy needs, with panelists noting that AI depends on substantial compute, power, cooling, and utility capacity. The chair concluded by encouraging continued dialogue and noting that future AI legislation should be targeted to specific problems rather than overly broad.

Transcript Highlights:

• That said, it was never intended to be about labor standards.
• And that's how it should be with labor standards, you know.
• as labor standards and as precious as the workers that those labor standards are there for.
• It's not imposing labor standards statewide.
• It's not requiring jurisdictions to impose labor standards.

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related measures. SB 866 by Senator Blakespear would require jurisdictions that do not receive HAP homelessness grants to include homelessness data strategies and regional coordination in their housing elements. Supporters said the bill would close a planning gap and improve transparency and accountability; opponents, including the League of California Cities and several cities, argued it would impose costly, duplicative reporting requirements and ask cities to collect data outside their control. Members raised concerns about burden on small cities and possible amendments for lower-population or low-homelessness jurisdictions, but no final vote was taken because the committee initially lacked a quorum. SB 967, also by Senator Blakespear, would allow qualifying interim housing units to count toward a portion of a jurisdiction’s RHNA obligation for acutely low-income housing, with safeguards against double counting and reporting requirements. Supporters said the bill would incentivize rapid, dignified interim housing and help move people out of encampments; opponents warned it would blur the line between temporary shelter and permanent housing and could reduce pressure to build deeply affordable permanent units. After extensive debate, the committee reached quorum and voted the bill out on a due pass basis to the Senate Appropriations Committee, with members noting continued work on amendments. The committee also considered SCR 131, a resolution calling for a coordinated state effort to end unsheltered homelessness and prioritize a broad range of interventions, including interim housing, permanent supportive housing, and prevention. Supporters emphasized the scale and urgency of unsheltered homelessness and the need for clearer state goals and funding. One member said the resolution’s language was too broad and abstained, but the author agreed to consider wording changes. The resolution was adopted on a roll call vote and held on call for absent members. Finally, SB 1238 by Senator Wahab would increase oversight and transparency for homeowners associations and HOA managers, including disclosures, reserve-fund rules, and a proposed fiduciary-duty standard. Realtors and homeowner supporters backed the bill as a way to improve accountability, while community-manager groups opposed the fiduciary-duty provision and raised concerns about litigation and insurance costs. Members discussed the reserve-fund language and fiduciary-duty issue, noting that further changes would be considered in the Judiciary Committee; the bill was not yet voted on in this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ultimately, an expanded import strategy is both an environmental and labor values issue.
• An expanded import strategy is both an environmental and labor values issue.
• how do we protect the labor and the broader impact?
• What do we do with the labor transition, and how do we protect the labor and the broader impacts of an
• We can have labor protections and environmental standards.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the impact of the Iran conflict and global oil supply disruption on California fuel markets. Committee members and administration witnesses from the California Energy Commission and the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight described California’s heavy reliance on imported crude and refined products, the state’s shrinking refining base, current inventory levels, and how global supply tightness is affecting gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel prices. CEC officials said near-term supply looked adequate for roughly the next six weeks, but warned that continued disruption would likely raise prices further and increase competition for imports. DPMO said the conflict is a real supply shock, but also emphasized a separate, longstanding problem of unusually high California retail gasoline prices, especially among major branded stations. Witnesses and members debated the causes of high prices and the state’s longer-term fuel strategy. Professor Severin Borenstein argued that much of the price gap beyond taxes and environmental costs comes from a “mystery gasoline surcharge” downstream of refineries, while also noting that California’s shrinking number of refineries creates market-power and supply-resilience concerns. Western States Petroleum Association CEO Jody Mueller argued that state policies have weakened California’s refining system and made it more vulnerable to global shocks, urging the state to protect remaining refining capacity and improve infrastructure for imports. United Steelworkers Local 675 Vice President Norman Rogers stressed the need for safe, reliable refinery operations and adequate staffing. Several members pressed witnesses on whether California should rely more on imports, how to manage inventories and port/storage capacity, and whether the state needs clearer authority and better data collection to coordinate fuel policy. Discussion also covered branded versus unbranded gasoline pricing, the role of California fuel specifications, and whether a floating gas tax or other policy tools could buffer consumers from global price spikes. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Leslie, do the other ones too, like skilled nursing?
• How many people are living in skilled nursing facilities? Do you know offhand?
• How many people are living in skilled nursing facilities? Do you know offhand?
• How many people are living in skilled nursing facilities? Do you know offhand?
• All of the LTSS programs are represented, including skilled nursing facilities.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The subcommittee met with MassHealth LTSS Chief Leslie Darcy to review the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program and the legislative work group focused on its long-term sustainability and cost containment. Darcy and Charlie described the work group’s five meetings and three consensus recommendations: enforce the 66-hour overtime cap, address fraudulent activity in the PCA program, and eliminate MassHealth handling of PCA paperwork/administrative work for members without a live-in exemption because those members are subject to EVV. They explained EVV as an electronic visit verification system replacing paper timesheets, and noted the rollout is expected to be completed this fall. The group estimated about $7 million in savings from the consensus recommendations and agreed to continue meeting through June to consider additional ideas. Darcy presented data showing the PCA program served about 56,000 members in state fiscal year 2024 and has grown from $1.2 billion in FY20 to $1.6 billion in FY24, with projections near $2 billion by 2027. She said much of the growth is driven by wage increases and older adults using more services, and compared PCA costs with other LTSS programs. The discussion also covered overtime spending, the role of federal financial participation, and how Massachusetts’ PCA program differs from other states because it has no hard caps on hours or activities. Several members emphasized the program’s value for independent living and community participation, while also acknowledging the need to control growth without undermining services. Members asked about undocumented immigrants and MassHealth funding, and Darcy explained that some eligibility categories are state-funded only and do not receive federal matching funds. Another member asked about workforce recruitment and wage pressures; Darcy said recent collective bargaining agreements raised PCA wages, with some workers eventually reaching $25 per hour and the entry wage reaching $20. The group also discussed whether IADL hours are disproportionately high compared with ADL needs, and reviewed data suggesting potential savings if IADL hours were limited relative to ADL hours, though no consensus recommendation was made on that point. The meeting ended with approval of the prior minutes by roll call vote, an update that the next health equity informational hearing is scheduled for May 19, and a motion to adjourn carried unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the grocery store having skill-based the grocery store having skill-based games<02:11:51.840><c>
• And this affects all skill games.
• </c><02:22:29.760><c> gain</c> everyone that has a skill gain everyone that has a skill gain everywhere
• I'm just looking at a a skills game?
• 02:35:06.399><c> Social</c><02:35:06.479><c> Social</c> Labor, Health, and Social Social Social Labor

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1112, a bill to be entitled an act relating to the Florida Labor Pool Act.
• SB 1112, relating to the Florida Labor Pool Act, strengthens protections to ensure labor pools treat
• SB 1112, relating to the Florida Labor Pool Act, strengthens protections to ensure labor pools treat
• of Commerce, encouraging their compliance with the provisions of the Labor Pool Act.
• And when that trust erodes, when labor relations become more contentious, and When labor relations become

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several introductions and memorials, including a resolution designating August 9, 2026, as Bob Graham Day and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar, with several bills substituted with House companions and adopted by voice vote or recorded vote. Early measures included a tax conformity bill tied to federal Internal Revenue Code changes, which passed 34-0, and a Medicaid/public assistance bill that drew extensive debate over work requirements, fraud reduction, behavioral health services, and SNAP/EBT reforms. Amendments offered by Senators Berman and Osgood to condition or soften the work and photo-ID provisions were rejected, and the underlying bill was placed on the third-reading calendar after lengthy questioning about implementation, exemptions, and eligibility effects. The Senate also passed bills on computer science education and AI instruction, a Parkinson’s disease registry public-records exemption and registry update, designation of the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the legal-tender sunset for gold and silver, public-records protections for gold/silver custodians and stablecoin-related entities, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, and local government budget transparency/spending measures. Most of these measures were adopted after minor amendments or technical substitutions, with votes generally ranging from 31-3 to 34-0. The chamber also recognized the Florida Channel’s 30 years of legislative coverage. Later, the Senate approved a digital voyeurism bill expanding the reasonable-expectation-of-privacy definition to include private fenced yards, and an insurance customer representative licensing bill allowing high school students to complete insurance/personal finance coursework and later qualify for licensure. The final major item was a medical freedom bill that would expand parental vaccine information requirements, add a conscience-based exemption to immunization mandates, allow behind-the-counter ivermectin for adults, and repeal the sunset on the mRNA mandate prohibition; two amendments clarifying anti-kickback rules and requiring vaccine information to include risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy were adopted, while questions from Senators Smith and Massullo focused on public-health impacts and the content of the required materials. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• That said, it was never intended to be about labor standards.
• the workers that those labor standards are there for.
• precious as the workers that those labor standards are there for.
• It's not imposing labor standards statewide.
• It's not requiring jurisdictions to impose labor standards.

Summary: The committee heard SB 866, which would require jurisdictions that do not receive HAP grants to include homelessness data, strategies, and regional coordination in their housing elements. The author and supporters said the bill would close a gap in planning and create more consistent, data-driven local responses to homelessness. Opponents, including the League of California Cities and several cities, argued the bill would impose costly and duplicative reporting requirements on small jurisdictions, require data cities cannot control, and should instead be aligned with existing regional planning processes. Members raised concerns about burden on small cities, but also emphasized the need for statewide, standardized homelessness planning. The committee then heard SB 967, which would allow jurisdictions to count qualifying interim housing toward a portion of their acutely low-income RHNA obligations, with safeguards against double counting and reporting requirements for moved units. Supporters said interim housing is a faster, less expensive way to get people indoors and should be incentivized as a bridge from encampments to permanent housing. Opponents, including housing law experts and advocacy groups, argued the bill would blur the line between temporary shelter and permanent housing, weaken obligations to build deeply affordable housing, and create a two-tier system for the lowest-income Californians. After discussion, the committee passed SB 967 on a due pass motion to Appropriations, with several members voting aye and the bill held on call for absent members. The committee also considered SCR 131, a resolution calling for a coordinated state effort to end unsheltered homelessness and prioritize a broader set of interventions, including interim housing, prevention, and permanent supportive housing. Supporters described unsheltered homelessness as a moral and public health crisis and urged stronger state alignment and funding. One member explained an abstention based on concerns that the resolution’s language could be read as endorsing more funding without clear metrics or evidence of effectiveness. The author said amendments had already narrowed the language and was open to further changes. The resolution was adopted on a motion, with the roll held open for absent members. Finally, the committee heard SB 1238, which would strengthen oversight and transparency for homeowners associations and HOA management companies, including disclosures, reserve-fund protections, and a fiduciary-duty provision. The author and supporters said the bill would protect homeowners from mismanagement and improve financial clarity in common interest developments. Opponents from community manager and HOA groups said managers are administrative agents, not decision-makers, and objected especially to imposing a fiduciary duty to individual homeowners. Members generally supported the bill but flagged the fiduciary-duty issue and reserve-fund language as areas for further review, noting that some amendments had been agreed to and others would be addressed later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I I really I I I'm I'm labor.
• So the trainers have a skill level that provides them an a skill level that provides them an a skill
• Because when I talked to the labor department when they did their the labor department when they did
• and by Senator Orur relating to labor and by Senator Orur relating to labor and employment.
• Um so you competitive with their labor. Um so you competitive with their labor.

Bills: HJR 4, HJR 6, HB 195, HB 13, HB 143, HB 135

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

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:43.079><c> the</c><00:14:43.160><c> Education</c><00:14:43.600><c> and</c><00:14:43.680><c> Labor
• </c><00:14:43.920><c> Cabinet,</c> In the Education and Labor Cabinet, In the Education and Labor Cabinet
• I'm truly proud to cast a yes vote and want to take just a moment and acknowledge the talent and skills
• Among the nonpartisan staff and the skills and the knowledge in that space and the dedicated work that
• Among the nonpartisan staff and the skills and the knowledge in that space and the dedicated work that

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:23 HB 503 Discussion 00:01:00 HB 503 Vote 00:02:17 HB 504 Discussion 00:02:53 HB 504 Vote 00:04:48 HB 500 Discussion 00:05:19 HB 500 Vote 00:29:18 HB 900 Discussion 00:32:02 HB 900 Vote 00:33:00, 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 503, the legislative branch budget, adopting a committee substitute and reporting it favorably. The chair said the Senate version fully funds defined calculations, provides 2% raises in each fiscal year for legislative employees, removes a paragraph on operating expense reductions, and includes $1 million in the first year for a judicial branch salary study. House Bill 504, the judicial branch budget, was then amended and reported favorably; changes included 2% annual raises for judicial employees, revised operating expense language, $1 million each year for county current services, retention of Boyle County fit-up language, reporting requirements for smaller capital projects, full funding for nine judges added in 2022, and removal of furlough prohibitions and certain budget implementation language. Both bills passed the committee unanimously with favorable expressions to the floor. The committee then considered House Bill 500, the executive branch budget, adopting a committee substitute before hearing a lengthy summary of major spending and policy changes. The chair described statewide 2% annual employee raises, agency base reductions with many exemptions, increased school safety and 911 funding, veterans and military funding, local government and severance-related changes, attorney general and auditor funding, pension and retirement system support, education funding changes including SEEK, postsecondary and scholarship provisions, public safety and corrections funding, and multiple capital projects. The chair also highlighted Medicaid-related provisions, including added waiver slots, increased state-directed payments, a 2.5% reduction in managed care vendor payments for plan years 2027 and 2028 with savings redirected to fee-for-service rates, and additional funding for behavioral health and public health programs. The bill was reported favorably after members explained their votes, with several noting they had only recently received the full 228-page bill and wanted more time for detailed review. Finally, the committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 900, an appropriation measure for government agencies, and reported it favorably. The chair said the bill remains a work in progress and that one-time funding requests from across the Commonwealth and across party lines would continue to be addressed as the process moves forward. All measures considered during the meeting passed the committee with unanimous or near-unanimous favorable votes, and the meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've seen the skill and the care and the dedication that she has for her patients.
• We operate an emergency department, EMS program, primary urgent care, acute care, and labor and delivery
• Savings from the 340B program is how we are able to provide these types of services, such as labor and
• This is needed policy, establishing network adequacy standards for skilled nursing facilities and rehab
• This is needed policy, establishing network adequate standards for skilled nursing facilities and rehab

Bills: SB5877, SB5904, SB5988

Keywords: anesthesiology, medical personnel, surcharges, licensing, healthcare regulations, nursing titles, licensure, healthcare professionals, patient safety, professional standards, opioid treatment, accreditation, health department, fee authority, substance abuse, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She's building early math, science, and problem-solving skills.
• Students are enrolled in agriculture education today, and they are learning a variety of skills, including
• FFA is no longer about cows, sows, and plows, but instead is teaching vital skills that will be used
• Sorry, I'd like to just announce that House Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs will meet 15 minutes
• Sorry, I'd like to just announce that House, Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs will meet 15 minutes

Bills: HM19

Keywords: New Mexico Aviation and Aerospace Day, aviation, aerospace, space industry, missile programs, Spaceport America, White Sands Missile Range, White Sands Test Facility, Kirtland Air Force Base, drone, unmanned aircraft systems, commercial space transportation, NASA, aircraft, STEM education, research laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, flight testing, medical evacuation

Transcript Highlights:

• But, Senator, your point about the contractors and the labor just yesterday met with the contractual.
• force to do it and the skilled contractors to want to bid on...
• There is the labor force to do it and the skilled contractors to want to bid on these projects.
• There is the labor force to do it and the skilled contractors to want to bid on these projects.
• Mitigation and skilled fire suppression can work.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has emphasized that wireless has weathered inflation that we all know
• Digital readiness, digital skills, devices, confidence ...puzzle.
• Digital readiness, digital skills, devices, confidence is increasingly a barrier.
• That is why building skills and trust matter, and why the work underway of the industry, partners like
• And so for all these reasons, too, we need access and adoption for our digital skills and our future

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee held an informational hearing on the state of broadband affordability in California. Chair Tasha Berner said the committee was examining how broadband prices, access, and affordability are affecting households, especially after the end of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program and amid concerns about federal resistance to state broadband regulation. She noted the committee’s continued interest in policy options for 2026 and referenced prior legislation, including AB 353, that would have required affordable home internet as a condition of doing business in California. Industry witnesses from U.S. Telecom and CTIA argued that broadband and wireless prices have generally fallen in real terms even as inflation and other household costs have risen, citing competition, infrastructure investment, and faster speeds as the main drivers. They said California’s higher costs are tied to permitting delays, taxes, copper theft, and legacy obligations such as COLR requirements, and they urged the Legislature to preserve market incentives, reduce fees and regulatory burdens, and support infrastructure deployment. They also discussed fixed wireless access, federal BEAD funding, and Universal Service Fund reform, arguing that more entities benefiting from networks, including tech platforms, should contribute to support programs. Consumer and public-interest witnesses presented a different view, saying California still has a serious affordability and adoption problem, especially for low-income households. Sunny McPhee of the California Emerging Technology Fund said broadband adoption has improved dramatically over time, but about 500,000 households remain offline or underconnected and many low-income households still pay above the FCC affordability benchmark. Ernesto Falcon of the CPUC Public Advocates Office said California’s market is losing its competitive edge, with prices higher than in other states and meaningful price pressure coming mainly from fiber competition at the gigabit tier. He said roughly 4.8 million Californians are limited to one gigabit option and estimated that more competition could save consumers more than $1 billion annually. Both witnesses emphasized the need for stronger transparency, targeted subsidies, and a permanent affordability solution, including extending and refining the CPUC broadband Lifeline pilot and advancing SB 716. Public commenters, including representatives from cable providers, nonprofits, and digital equity organizations, largely supported SB 716 and a permanent broadband affordability program. Several urged the committee to remove a cap on the Lifeline program, expand the CPUC pilot, and invest in digital navigators, outreach, and enrollment assistance. The hearing ended without a vote or formal action, after the chair thanked the witnesses and public commenters for their testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> contribution and this shows the labor contribution and this shows the labor market<01:11:52.719>
• </c><01:29:26.480><c> Force</c> to reduce the US Labor Force to reduce the US Labor Force significantly
• , this is labor force on Maui.
• So, importantly, Eugene was talking about labor force and about the loss of labor force, right?
• So, importantly, Eugene was talking about Maui, labor force, and about the loss of labor force, right

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• requires skilled hands as much as trained minds.
• requires skilled hands as much as trained minds.
• , and that a strong society labor, and that a strong society requires<00:34:25.879><c> skilled</c><00
• hands as much as requires skilled hands as much as trained<00:34:27.960><c> minds.
• </c><01:43:18.640><c> of</c> practice our uh skill of practice our uh skill of of<01:43:20.960><c> um

Keywords: 1136, house, all