Transcript Highlights:

• If you are in a hospital and a temporary guardianship is awarded because of your health situation, we
• Stillwater is going to be difficult for the community I represent and its residents, in particular the workers
• Secondly, we're talking about our workers.
• I'm going to move ahead to number two: our workers and the 580 workers that staff the Stillwater Correctional
• Number one, I want to thank our workers.

Transcript Highlights:

• and Technical Education Hawaii, Pamantasan Filmom Cares, the Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Local 5 Worker
• and Technical Education Hawaii, Pamantasan Filmom Cares, the Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Local 5 Worker
• Chamber of Commerce<00:14:40.000><c> local</c> Commerce local Commerce local five<00:14:43.120><c> Worker
• </c> five Worker five Worker Center<00:14:45.680><c> also</c><00:14:46.680><c> individuals</c><00:14:
• safety deserve neither little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty<01:05:55.400><c> nor</c><01:05

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:10:01.760><c> Barbara</c> outstanding case workers, Barbara outstanding case workers, Barbara
• Immigrants are workers they depend on.
• </c> and individuals holding temporary and individuals holding temporary protective<00:31:40.480><c>
• And it is our workers They retaliated.
• workers to keep more allowing American workers to keep more of<01:11:03.760><c> their</c><01:11:04.000

Bills: HB1969 , HB1701 , HR1 , HR435 , SJR31 , HR436

Keywords: veterans, VA, Department of Veterans Affairs, suicide prevention, mental health, emergent suicide care, Columbia Protocol, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, No Wrong Door for Veterans Act, title 38, adaptive prostheses, prosthetic devices, recreational activities, sports prosthetics, pension payments, veterans benefits, Veterans Affairs Committee, suicide screening, crisis care

Transcript Highlights:

• Does this just cut the nursing out of that because it's the practice for temp workers in temporary agencies
• Does this just cut the nursing out of that because it's the practice for temp workers in temporary agencies
• Does this just cut the nursing out of that because it's the practice for temp workers in temporary agencies
• Does this just cut the nursing out of that because it's the practice for temp workers in temporary agencies
• Does this just cut the nursing out of that because it's the practice for temp workers in temporary agencies

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> stabber to act as Speaker Pro temporary stabber to act as Speaker Pro temporary on<00:03:46.599>
• workers workers 8,700<00:28:51.320><c> widows</c> 8,700 widows 8,700 widows 3,700<00:28:54.120><c> spouses
• Our automakers, our supply chain, our auto workers cannot take this hit.
• Listen to the auto worker.
• </c> livelihoods listen to the auto worker livelihoods listen to the auto worker thank<07:14:06.200><

Bills: HR758 , HR856 , HR153 , HR872 , HB1515

Keywords: fencing, youth development, underserved communities, athletics, Peter Westbrook, scholarships, academic achievement, SNAP, nutrition assistance, contingency funds, government shutdown, hunger prevention, vulnerable populations, federal funding, condolences, aviation safety, transportation disaster, victims support, first responders, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Transcript Highlights:

• There are some protections baked in for the social services worker, whereas they can't be charged for
• If the child is in custody of the division and a worker takes a child to the doctor, that could be an
• Would the meeting between the doctor and the child and the social worker have to be recorded? No.
• Would the meeting between the doctor and the child and the social worker have to be recorded? No.
• Doctor and the child and the social worker have to be recorded? No. Thank you.

Committee: House Children and Families

Summary: The Committee on Children and Families met with a quorum and first took up several bills for executive action. House Bill 2418, the Loy Voka Assistance Bill, was amended with a technical substitute correcting a statutory section reference and then voted do pass by a 12-0 roll call. House Bill 1819, the child care facilities bill, received an amendment, was rolled into a substitute, and was also voted do pass unanimously. House Bill 3077, the Schmidt social media curriculum bill, was revised through a committee substitute that shifted oversight from DESE to local school boards, narrowed and clarified language, changed references from “curriculum” to “instructional material,” and lowered the grade level from 6 to 3; it then passed 13-0. The committee then heard House Bill 3451 from Representative Sites, which would require the Department of Social Services to audio- or video-record face-to-face child abuse or neglect assessment interviews, securely store the recordings, and retain them for at least five years. Supporters, including Representative Proudie, said the bill would reduce trauma to children, preserve evidence, and would not create major costs because recording equipment is already available; no one testified in opposition or for informational purposes. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3534 and House Bill 2342, presented by Representatives Proudie and Jones, to require new or updated public playgrounds and playground surfaces built by the state or political subdivisions to meet accessibility standards. Testimony in favor came from children and parents describing barriers posed by wood chips, gravel, and inaccessible equipment, and emphasizing the importance of inclusive play and the availability of grant funding for surfacing improvements. Committee members generally supported the concept, asked about scope and retrofitting, and the sponsors clarified the bills apply prospectively to public projects; there was no opposition testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• :36.480><c> workers,</c><00:04:37.240><c> and</c> trainings for experienced workers, and trainings for
• </c><00:05:04.720><c> burden</c> payment accuracy and ease worker burden payment accuracy and ease worker
• </c><00:08:44.800><c> experience,</c> aimed at easing the worker experience, aimed at easing the worker
• </c><00:09:05.200><c> experience,</c> improve worker experience, improve worker experience, a<00:09:06.760
• </c> social workers. social workers. Thank<01:21:59.520><c> you.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• If we have any temporary technical glitches, we'll try to get them corrected and get you back on, especially
• technical</c><00:01:20.439><c> glitches</c><00:01:20.880><c> we'll</c><00:01:21.079><c> try</c> temporary
• technical glitches we'll try temporary technical glitches we'll try to<00:01:21.320><c> get</c><00:01
• The salaries for all of the maintenance workers are coming out of the general funds.
• </c><00:42:06.319><c> are</c> for all of the maintenance workers are for all of the maintenance workers

Committee: Senate Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The joint hearing focused on Senate Bill 4, which would transfer stewardship of Mauna ʻAla from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Committee chairs opened the meeting with housekeeping and noted the hearing was live-streamed, with a two-minute limit for testimony. Director Don Chang of the Board of Land and Natural Resources said DLNR had been working with OHA and had agreed to transfer certain lands subject to due diligence, including Kahana Valley and a parcel in Waimānalo, but urged the committee to finalize those mutually agreed parcels before taking on something new. He also described the current arrangement at Mauna ʻAla as a collaborative one involving the state and the royal trusts, with the state handling routine maintenance and the trusts contributing to larger repairs and improvements on a project-by-project basis rather than through direct annual appropriations. Testimony was mixed. Supporters argued that OHA is better positioned to steward the site because of its cultural mission, Native Hawaiian governance, and ability to protect sacred places with greater cultural competency and accountability. Several speakers emphasized that Mauna ʻAla is not a state park and should be cared for by those with direct cultural ties and experience, and some cited OHA’s recent financial reforms and partnerships as reasons for confidence. Others, including representatives of the Daughters and Sons of the Hawaiian Warriors Makakoa, opposed the bill, citing concerns about OHA’s past financial management, transparency, and the need for more public information and testimony before any transfer. One testifier also argued the land transfer itself was unlawful and rooted in the history of the overthrow and annexation. Members and testifiers also discussed the historical role of the royal trusts and family caretakers at Mauna ʻAla, with one descendant describing a long family stewardship and supporting OHA only if amended language preserved checks and balances and protected iwi and burial grounds. Another speaker said the family recognized James Mayo as kahu of Mauna ʻAla and supported the bill because prior DLNR efforts had not sufficiently protected traditional and customary rights. The hearing ended after public testimony and committee questions, with no vote or final action taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• H. 3684 will amend the Massachusetts General Laws to require that any temporary non-reducible load, such
• allow the restoration of those plates. amend the Massachusetts General laws to require that any temporary
• One social worker shared her personal story with us of how she was homeless for several months at age
• Social workers have a professional obligation to pursue social justice and protect the dignity and worth
• an elementary school or a fire station or our DPW headquarters, and/or hire more police, fire, DPW workers

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a public hearing on a wide range of bills and topics, including impaired driving, antique and collector vehicles, roadway maintenance, homelessness-related identification cards, a pedestrian tunnel for Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School, a bridge naming in Sandwich, historic route designations, and litter prevention. The chairs outlined the hearing process, including three-minute limits for individuals and seven minutes for panels, and noted that elected officials would be taken out of turn. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony and then adjourned. On impaired driving, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and tow lot operator Chris Nolan supported a bill creating a 12-hour tow-yard hold for vehicles involved in drug-impaired incidents, similar to the existing alcohol-related hold. On transportation infrastructure and road safety, Representative Howitt testified for several bills requiring reflective tape on temporary loads, restoring road markings after utility work, requiring roadway restoration after excavation, and improving reporting on roadway damage after crashes. AAA Northeast supported bills expanding the distracted driving law to cover video recording while driving, while noting it preferred the offense remain a primary offense. Several witnesses testified in support of bills affecting vehicle enthusiasts, including restoring year-of-manufacture plates for antique vehicles, creating a single rear collector plate, and changing antique vehicle inspection rules. Another major topic was H. 3750/S. 2399, which would provide no-fee state IDs and flexible residency documentation for youth and adults experiencing homelessness; supporters included the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, social workers, city officials, and people with lived experience, all emphasizing that lack of ID blocks access to housing, jobs, health care, and other services. The committee also heard strong support for S. 2414, authorizing a tunnel connecting the north and south campuses of Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School, with school leaders and students citing safety, accessibility, and traffic concerns. Finally, the committee heard emotional testimony for H. 4374 to name the Quaker Meeting House Road overpass in Sandwich for Staff Sergeant Raymond G. Torville, and testimony for a resolve creating a roadside litter prevention and cleanup task force.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, if a pregnant worker was being denied accommodations under the pregnancy accommodation law
• , by the time the contested case process were complete, the pregnant worker would have given birth and
• So for example, if a pregnant worker<01:17:21.520><c> was</c><01:17:21.679><c> being</c><01:17:21.920
• ><c> denied</c><01:17:22.280><c> accommodations</c> worker was being denied accommodations worker was
• </c> were complete, uh the pregnant worker were complete, uh the pregnant worker would<01:17:30.000><

Bills: HF2354 , HF1672 , HF2389 , HF2870 , HF2743 , HF1918 , HF2551 , HF1671

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• Basically, what I'm calling temporary disability, they would still be entitled to that.
• Of a standard, and I think that's something we've got in the workers' compensation law.
• But it could be whatever situation that you want to help your co-workers.
• She had no idea that we didn't have workers' compensation in our public school system.
• She's like, "What do you mean we don't have workers' compensation and coverage?"

Bills: SJR 1 , SB 9 , SB 40 , SJR 36 , SJR 1 , SJR 5 , SB 9 , SB 40 , SR 61 , SR 91 , SR 97 , SR 103 , SR 104 , SR 112 , SR 115 , SR 116 , SCR 16 , SB 26 , SB 26

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's just for this temporary deal. Just temporary. What happens to Rep. Newell.
• House Bill 819 by Representative Cruz provides relative to workers' compensation, workers' comp medical
• House Bill 819 provides relative to workers' compensation, workers' comp medical treatment schedule,
• I do appreciate that we have some workers, some state government workers whose income may be challenging
• State civil service workers.

Bills: HR275 , HR276 , HR277 , HR278 , HR279 , HR280 , HR281 , HR282 , HR283 , HR284 , HCR112 , HCR113 , HR265 , HR266 , HR267 , HR268 , HR269 , HR270 , HR271 , HR272 , HR273 , HCR107 , HCR108 , HCR109 , HCR110 , HCR111 , SCR63 , SCR66 , SCR67 , SB414 , SB484 , SB513 , HR168 , HR174 , HR194 , HR216 , HR264 , HCR54 , HCR74 , HCR79 , HCR85 , HCR87 , HCR94 , HCR95 , HCR97 , HCR98 , HCR104 , SCR23 , SCR29 , SCR33 , SCR38 , HB75 , HB705 , SB54 , SB56 , SB72 , SB79 , SB97 , SB105 , SB123 , SB125 , SB129 , SB163 , SB171 , SB252 , SB287 , SB375 , SB386 , SB461 , SB466 , HR84 , HR188 , HR205 , HR3 , HR197 , HR243 , SCR19 , SCR3 , SCR6 , SCR18 , SCR11 , SCR22 , SCR2 , SCR20 , SCR24 , SCR35 , HCR6 , HB301 , HB359 , HB657 , HB675 , HB680 , HB727 , HB39 , HB58 , HB112 , HB134 , HB155 , HB187 , HB287 , HB462 , HB782 , HB825 , HB846 , HB903 , HB904 , HB929 , HB941 , HB962 , HB1200 , HB4 , HB623 , HB944 , HB986 , HB1098 , HB1222 , SB45 , SB58 , SB71 , SB81 , SB92 , SB100 , SB109 , SB141 , SB156 , SB181 , SB203 , SB204 , SB205 , SB207 , SB213 , SB214 , SB216 , SB229 , SB257 , SB274 , SB290 , SB304 , SB374 , SB379 , SB396 , SB410 , SB425 , SB427 , SB429 , SB479 , SB522 , SB34 , SB164 , SB172 , SB198 , SB208 , SB232 , SB281 , SB286 , SB317 , SB322 , SB334 , SB380 , SB385 , SB409 , SB417 , SB421 , SB430 , SB439 , SB447 , SB458 , SB510 , HB842 , HB633 , HB1191 , HB625 , HB1255 , HB251 , HB582 , HB646 , HB819 , HB998 , HB1257 , SB197 , SB436 , SB78 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HCR65 , HCR71 , HB284 , HB302 , HB306 , HB341 , HB366 , HB393 , HB458 , HB577 , HB603 , HB605 , HB614 , HB733 , HB752 , HB773 , HB798 , HB911 , HB955 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1069 , HB1113 , HB1140 , HB1180 , HB1240 , SB82 , SB89 , HB258 , SB149 , SB382 , SB441

Summary: The House met with a quorum and began with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several personal privileges recognizing National Police Week, fallen law enforcement officers, a young Olympic weightlifter, a community sports agent, a deceased coach, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Day, the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association, aviation professionals, and a birthday tribute. The chamber also received Senate messages, committee reports, and a long series of resolutions and bills, many of which were adopted or concurred in without objection. Several measures were returned to the calendar, while others were advanced with technical or clarifying amendments. A major portion of the meeting focused on resolutions honoring or commemorating people and groups, including National Police Week, Barron Baker, Paul T. Derezel II, Coach Emilio Tese, Alpha Phi Alpha, Louisiana Realtors Day, Special Olympics Louisiana, and various memorial highway designations. The House also adopted or concurred in resolutions on topics such as DOTD signage, shrimp procurement, geothermal energy, opioid settlement reporting, hospital design standards, Medicaid redetermination flexibility, chronic wasting disease management, remote online notarization, and a task force on intestate succession. Testimony on these items was generally supportive and brief, with sponsors explaining that most were technical, commemorative, or requests for study. The chamber also took up several substantive bills and Senate amendments. Among the measures concurred in were bills on peace officer citizenship requirements, post-conviction bail limits, portable benefits for independent contractors, workforce development, construction debris burning, license plate coverings, insurance and captive insurers, oil field indemnification, and rural infrastructure financing. One notable bill, HB 39 on peace officer citizenship, drew questions about National Guard members and legal permanent residents before the House concurred in the Senate amendments by a 74-22 vote. HB 134 on harmful material and interactive computer services had its Senate amendments rejected, while HB 359 on nonaffiliated candidates was temporarily returned to the calendar. The most extended debate came on the conference committee report for HB 842, which addressed Louisiana election law in response to the federal Callais decision. Members questioned how the report would affect the current congressional election cycle, absentee ballots, qualifying dates, signature requirements, and whether the closed party primary for U.S. House races had been canceled in favor of an open primary in the fall. The sponsor explained that the report cancels the current closed party primary for congressional races, voids ballots cast in that canceled election, returns qualifying fees, lowers petition-signature requirements, and sets new dates for the open primary and runoff. The House suspended the rules to consider the report the same day it was received, and the discussion highlighted concerns about election administration, district maps, and the scope of the changes before the chamber moved forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Riverside County, they're leveraging community health workers to direct people to services who are
• It would also recommend that any augmentations be temporary until it's better known what the ongoing
• We understand that these are a lot of temporary positions that were provided in August and a revision
• CalWORKs provides temporary cash assistance to eligible low-income families with children.
• The CalFresh eligibility funding is a net cut and will result in hundreds of fewer workers.

Summary: The committee heard opening budget remarks from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office on the May Revision for Health and Human Services. Finance said the proposal significantly reduces projected out-year operating deficits through a mix of revenue increases and program cost reductions, while the LAO warned that even with booming revenues the state still faces a structural deficit and should prioritize reserves and avoid new ongoing commitments. The chair and members echoed concern about cuts to vulnerable populations, but also noted the need to maintain the overall level of budget solutions and add to reserves. The hearing then moved through a series of CalHHS and HCAI proposals, mostly held open after presentation. CalHHS requested additional legal support to respond to federal H.R. 1-related issues and a net-zero transfer of positions for a shared eligibility/data-sharing platform. Other items included ongoing funding for the 988 Behavioral Health Crisis Service Fund and a request for EMSA to fund maintenance of its enterprise data management system. HCAI presented proposals for hospital fair pricing implementation, the data exchange framework, the all-payer claims database, CalRx insulin development, the diaper access initiative, distressed hospital grants, opioid settlement fund reversion, and the Rural Health Transformation Program. Members questioned funding sources, special fund use, contracting exemptions, timelines, and whether some proposals should be more targeted or supported by alternative funding. A major discussion centered on HCAI’s diaper access initiative and the use of a Public Contract Code exemption to continue contracting for free diapers distributed through hospitals. The chair and some members criticized the optics of the selected vendor and questioned the lack of an income threshold, while HCAI said the program was designed to be universal and administratively simple, with future phase-two direct-to-consumer purchasing to be handled by a different vendor. Another extended exchange focused on distressed hospital funding, where HCAI said the May Revision would provide up to $50 million for hospitals at immediate risk of closure, but members argued the repeated annual need shows a structural problem and asked for broader reforms to hospital payment and care transitions. The final major topic was the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission’s budget. The Commission opposed the May Revision’s reduction of the Innovation Partnership Fund from $20 million to $10 million and a $6.7 million cut to community advocacy contracts, arguing both are core Proposition 1 tools for statewide innovation and community engagement. Finance responded that the proposal is within Proposition 1’s allowable maximums and that prior unspent appropriations could be redirected if the Legislature wanted to restore the full amount. No votes were taken; items were generally held open for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've run a food shelf in greater Minnesota, and I've been a county worker.
• We respectfully ask for your support and thank you for your time. workers. workers.
• For them, we are temporary, but we are necessary as they navigate through their crisis.
• For them, we are<01:03:37.400><c> temporary,</c><01:03:38.400><c> but</c><01:03:38.560><c> we</c><01:
• necessary as are temporary, but we are necessary as they<01:03:39.920><c> navigate</c><01:03:40.640>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, there's one... so there's five per—and temporary? Oh, no, five permanent and one temporary.
• </c><03:50:32.520><c> oh</c> one so there's five per and temporary oh one so there's five per and temporary
• </c><03:50:35.640><c> oh</c> no five permanence and one temporary oh no five permanence and one temporary
• 213 temporary and permanent 213 temporary and permanent positions<03:56:08.040><c> does</c><03:56:08.319
• There's some temporary part-time positions that they may be including.

Summary: The committee held a work session on the Department of Business and Economic Affairs’ budget, with testimony from division leadership on staffing, funding sources, and program changes. Early discussion focused on vacant positions in the agency, including a senior planner tied to FEMA requirements, a federally funded program assistant, a program specialist to be reclassified during a planning reorganization, and two Housing Champions positions that were authorized but not funded in the current biennium and are requested for 2026-27. The witnesses also explained that temporary welcome center positions are filled as funds allow, and that the agency’s requested general fund increase is driven largely by the Division of Travel and Tourism Development and its formula-based funding. Members then reviewed rest areas, welcome centers, outdoor recreation, economic development, procurement, and workforce opportunity lines. The department said there are 12 rest areas, with 5.8 million foot counts in FY 24, and that welcome centers are generally open year-round, though Sutton is currently closed and staffing relies on a mix of full-time and temporary employees. The outdoor recreation position is federally funded through USDA and supports business outreach, trade shows, and industry promotion. In economic development, the agency said increased dues reflect participation in the Northern Borders Regional Commission, and that a marketing line item is intended to support recruitment and promotion of growth industries such as advanced manufacturing and life sciences. The Apex Accelerator Program was described as a state-federal partnership requiring a state match and providing government contracting assistance to businesses, while the Office of Workforce Opportunity was explained as a federally funded WIOA-related effort administered through multiple agencies and subrecipients. A major point of discussion was the proposed reduction to the Small Business Development Center, which members said had generated significant public concern. The department described SBDC as a highly effective technical assistance program for new and small businesses, but said the cut was one of the few places it felt it had room to reduce funding. Members asked about federal support and matching requirements for various programs, and the department said less than half of its overall budget is generally funded by the state and that some programs require state match. The committee also discussed travel and tourism marketing and the Joint Promotional Program, with the department saying those funds support broader advertising campaigns and grants to chambers and trade associations for events such as Bike Week, Restaurant Week, and the Seafood Festival. No votes were taken during the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in Hillsborough County, the 13th Circuit, they established a temporary circuit civil division, and
• all surge cases were assigned to the temporary division.
• And the Hillsborough County, the 13th Circuit, they established temporary circuit civil division, and
• all surge cases were assigned to the temporary division.
• There is currently a hearsay exception in statute for comparable reports that social workers do in these

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and heard several Office of the State Courts Administrator presentations. Judge Mark Mahan discussed the impact of 2023’s HB 837 litigation reforms on court operations, explaining that the law’s changes to comparative negligence, filing deadlines, collateral source evidence, premises liability, bad faith claims, attorney’s fees, and offer-of-judgment rules triggered a major March 2023 civil filing surge. He described how filings tripled statewide, with especially large increases in auto negligence and premises liability cases, and outlined how circuits responded through active case management, added resources, and workflow changes. Members asked whether the bill’s immediate effective date contributed to the surge and whether clearance rates would normalize over time; Judge Mahan said the court system viewed its response as a success and expected rates to settle as the backlog is worked through. The committee then received a presentation on problem-solving courts from Jennifer Grandal and Judge Nina Richardson. Grandal reviewed Florida’s drug courts, mental health courts, veterans courts, dependency and early childhood courts, noting statewide best-practice standards, annual reporting requirements, funding sources, and data collection systems. Judge Richardson gave a local perspective on treatment courts, emphasizing that they address underlying mental health and substance use issues, rely on judicial supervision and sanctions as well as incentives, and help participants achieve recovery and avoid reoffending. She said the programs are accountable, transparent, and effective, and thanked the Legislature for continued support. Finally, Judge Rachel Nordby and Eric McClure outlined the judicial branch’s legislative agenda. Nordby summarized the Supreme Court workgroup’s recommendations to expand Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including broader coverage, fewer qualifying adverse cases, a longer lookback period, and a public records exemption for stricken defamatory or sham material. McClure then highlighted additional agenda items: modernizing the duty-judge statute, expanding senior management retirement eligibility, authorizing additional judgeships based on workload studies, removing the statutory cap on court-ordered nonbinding arbitration compensation, protecting appellate clerks’ personal information, allowing alternative authentication for certain judicial notarizations, and creating a hearsay exception for guardian ad litem reports and testimony. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after member introductions and staff introductions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, as we know, um, last year we had a bill before us that put into place a temporary framework for helium
• Uh, as we know, um, last year we had a bill before us that put into place a temporary framework for helium
• So, we got to work quickly last year and passed a bill that put into place a temporary framework for
• So, we got to work quickly last year and passed a bill that put into place a temporary framework for
• :09.279><c> um</c><00:31:10.159><c> being</c> the temporary permit um being the temporary permit um being

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• It protects workers, and it will help all of us plan wisely for California's energy future.
• These are farm workers, our teachers, small business employees, caregivers.
• With us today to testify, I have two witnesses: Samuel Appel of the United Auto Workers and Egan Turple
• I have two witnesses, Samuel Appel of the United Auto Workers and Egan Turple of California Forward.
• Sam Appel, policy director with the United Auto Workers, Region 6, that encompasses the Western states

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy heard several bills focused on utility rates, wildfire safety, carbon capture, methane reduction, large energy users, low-income energy programs, and clean energy supply chains. Early items included SB 613, which would direct state agencies to prioritize reducing methane emissions from imported fossil fuels, and SB 614, which would allow California to move forward with carbon dioxide pipeline safety rules and potentially lift the state’s moratorium on new CO2 pipelines. Both bills drew support from advocates and industry-related witnesses, with no opposition registered at the time they were presented, and the committee indicated it would vote once quorum was established. After quorum was called, the committee took up SB 57, which would require the Public Utilities Commission to establish tariffs for large energy users such as data centers to prevent cost shifts to other ratepayers and address stranded infrastructure costs. Supporters argued the bill would protect affordability and encourage clean energy use, while opponents, including utilities and business groups, warned it could create uncertainty and interfere with existing regulatory processes. The committee also heard SB 256 on wildfire mitigation and emergency response, including undergrounding, PSPS communication, and removal of abandoned lines; supporters emphasized the need for stronger action after recent fires, while utilities raised concerns about duplicative requirements and public disclosure of sensitive infrastructure information. Both SB 57 and SB 256 were approved on roll calls. The committee then heard SB 647, which would expand and standardize oversight of low-income energy savings programs and performance metrics, with strong support from community advocates and some neutral or “tweener” positions from utilities that sought further work on data collection and implementation. SB 787 followed, proposing a state strategy to coordinate supply chains and workforce development for clean energy industries including EVs, building decarbonization, and offshore wind; it received broad support and no opposition. The committee also considered SB 332, a study bill on utility ownership models and affordability reforms, which drew strong support from consumer and climate advocates but opposition from utilities and business groups concerned about bias, investor signals, and executive compensation provisions. The consent calendar was later approved, and several bills were reported out with votes or held open for absent members to add on.

Transcript Highlights:

• uncertainty, which can dampen investment, and shocks to labor markets, which are very difficult for workers
• So we should stand ready to provide temporary assistance to farmers who need to transition. to other
• you know, bandwidth to make additional adjustments, especially not in the favorable direction for workers
• had is, was you also, one of the other recommendations you noted, I think number three, provide temporary
• We have to ensure workers have the skill sets necessary to go into jobs.

Committee: House Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact

Transcript Highlights:

• For her entire lifetime, Rona has dedicated her career to the service of others as a social worker and
• Nazimajan has spent 30 years as a social worker in Alameda County and has one of her many talents: she
• Nazma Nizh Moimand has spent 30 years as a social worker in Alameda County and became a dedicated community
• You know, our time in this chamber is temporary. The impact is what The chamber is temporary.