Transcript Highlights:

• I actually tried to cancel a cell phone contract, and they just would not let me cancel it because I
• We do have click to cancel 1.0, which we passed last year, which, if it's a recurring contract, goes
• technology to locate that vehicle.
• On that particular website, once you put in the dates and the pickup time and the pickup location, it
• , as soon as dates, location, and vehicle type...

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that a contracting service? Mr. Chairman, no.
• With respect to your contracts, I'm looking at the time frame you have presented.
• And all the EV chargers, where they're at, and where they're located.
• Chairman, there's no contracts requested for approval this month.
• Chair, I think that there are employment contracts that apply to...

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2385, school district superintendent employment contract, Education.
• HB 2385, school district superintendent employment contract, Education.
• HB 2482, building renewal grant job order contracting. Education.
• HB 2457, public utilities plant construction co-location.
• Voters were turned away from locations they had gone to for years.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and a series of personal privilege introductions recognizing guests including the Doctor of the Day, realtors visiting for Realtor Day, and the family of former Senator Barbara Leff. The chamber also adopted House Concurrent Resolution 264 honoring Barbara Leff, followed by a moment of silence in her memory. The Senate then moved through a large number of bill introductions and first readings, as well as Committee of the Whole consideration of several measures. In Committee of the Whole, senators considered and advanced multiple bills, often with technical or negotiated floor amendments. Among those reported out as do pass or do pass as amended were SB 1494, SB 1497, SB 1503, SB 1535, SB 1544, SB 1580, SB 1582, SB 1584, SB 1585, SB 1602, SB 1632, SB 1723, and SB 1798. The amendments addressed topics such as technical corrections to mining and pension language, classical learning tests, sex trafficking record sealing, probation reporting, school safety funding, kinship foster care stipends, DES credentialing, domestic violence release conditions, and a school safety/threat identification pilot program that was revised into a FAFSA awareness recognition program. The Committee of the Whole report was adopted. The Senate then took up third-reading votes on several bills. HB 4115, SB 1012, SB 1213, SB 1416, SB 1474, SB 1511, SB 1549, SB 1573, SB 1634, SB 1647, SB 1649, SB 1664, and SB 1725 were considered, with most passing on party-line or near-party-line votes; SB 1416 and SB 1664 passed unanimously, while SB 1549 passed with broader support. Several members explained votes on immigration enforcement, concealed carry in establishments serving alcohol, commercial driver licensing, campaign finance, and a digital asset reserve fund. HB 2993, dealing with DPS legal representation funding, passed 16-13 after debate over constitutional concerns, funding sources, and the use of the Attorney General’s consumer fraud fund. The session ended with the Senate adopting the Committee of the Whole report and transmitting the passed bills to the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair and members, HB 2385 limits superintendent contracts to one year until the superintendent
• Madam Chair, HB 2290, TPT sourcing business location receipt, changes the TPT sourcing location for retail
• transactions to a physical location of the seller... ...changes the TPT sourcing location for retail
• transactions to a physical location of the seller instead of the location to which an order is delivered
• A standalone business, as opposed to one with multiple locations and things, is totally different.

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of bills and resolutions, with staff giving brief descriptions and members flagging which items were on consent, had unanimous committee votes, or should be pulled for further discussion. Topics included education, health care, public safety, labor, water, taxation, housing, and elections. Several measures were noted as party-line or mixed votes, while many others were reported as unanimous and placed on third-read or consent calendars. Among the more discussed items were bills on school and labor policy, including a proposal to prohibit teacher strikes, a measure restricting school district bond actions, a bill requiring school safety protocols and assigning felony penalties for noncompliance, and a resolution limiting public money for labor organization activities. Members also raised concerns or requested further review on bills involving pharmacist testing authority, expired opioid antagonists, a county sheriff-related measure, a housing affordability district proposal, and a tobacco/vape regulation bill. Some measures were explicitly pulled from consent, including a Medicaid audit resolution, a budget-related pay-withholding resolution, and several education and public safety bills. The caucus also heard multiple health and human services measures, such as genetic counselor licensing, nursing board and pharmacy board continuations, foster care rights, psychiatry access funding, and free school meals. In addition, there were water and energy bills on Colorado River management, groundwater, transmission-line review, and renewable energy valuation, plus election and campaign-related proposals. The meeting ended with announcements, including an upcoming Colorado River breakfast briefing and an internal award recognizing Representative Brian Garcia, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• and prohibit sole-source contracting.
• It's scarcities driving up prices of these energy capacity contracts.
• It increases the number of ballot drop-off locations in all counties, requiring these locations to open
• excuse me, contract law supersedes labor law.
• And so their contract really should cover it, and they should be protected. ...their contract really

Transcript Highlights:

• You must register on the kiosk located outside the chamber in that direction.
• Can you contract COVID repeatedly if you're not vaccinated?
• It's true, yes, you can contract it repeatedly, but with the robust natural immunity.
• This bill, by the way, would make it easier to co-locate urgent care, A&ER, and all hybrids.
• Give up contract labor costs and lead to more employee absences.

Bills: SB227 , SB269 , SB407 , SB463 , SB527 , SB547 , SB1283 , SB1380 , SB1383 , SB1511 , SB1640 , SB1784 , SB2069

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• So they do that through contracting with the managed care plans.
• So they do that through contracting with the managed care plans.
• And all are located in urban areas.
• I already mentioned in-lieu-of services through managed care contracts.
• There are so many applications and so many contracts we had signed.

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> impatient stay and we have locations impatient stay and we have locations right<00:23:46.960><c>
• </c><00:44:42.240><c> with</c> provider who was contracted with provider who was contracted with Medicaid
• <01:34:21.840><c> um</c><01:34:22.840><c> and</c><01:34:23.119><c> I</c> locations um and I locations
• <02:34:15.040><c> indicator</c><02:34:15.600><c> be</c> location indicator be location indicator be sufficient
• Unfortunately, the defunding of our Title X family planning contract and contracts for all New Hampshire

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• 01:29.079><c> which</c><00:01:29.240><c> was</c><00:01:29.400><c> originally</c><00:01:30.040><c> located
• </c><00:01:30.479><c> at</c> team which was originally located at team which was originally located at
• </c><00:12:40.240><c> at</c><00:12:40.440><c> that</c> new location at that new location at that point
• </c> appropriated um in that that location appropriated um in that that location and<00:29:22.240><c>
• And the funding is located there.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• ILA serves students in kindergarten through high school located around the state.
• In the 2024-25 school year, there were... ...located around the state in the 2024-25 school year.
• ILA contracts with three education service providers: Braintree, HomeEd 360, and Harmony.
• The service providers retained the remaining $8.1 million of their contracted payments.
• So are there any ILA students that play sports back at their brick-and-mortar locations?

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• if the contract is made by, through, or under the supervision of the municipal officer.
• party is considered to only have a remote interest in the contract.
• engaging in that contract under the Code of Municipal Conduct.
• You could apply that same example over and over and over again to contracts, to leases, legislation.
• This is a small fix for a small group of workers joining an existing contract.

Bills: HB2352 , HB2237 , HB2249 , HB2475 , HB2408 , HB2435 , HB2309 , HB2244 , HB2281

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: conflict of interest, transparency, state employees, municipal officers, ethics, fire safety, state fire marshals, regulation, public safety, emergency services, HB 2249, Washington Technology Solutions, WaTech, civil service, classified service, exempt employees, state employment, state personnel, network security, cybersecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you have any contracts with them?
• The need is specific to this location.
• They are through the contract.
• Is the contract, I'm sorry, is the contracting more cost effective?
• Is the contracting, I'm sorry, is the contracting more cost effective, or is it more cost effective to

Transcript Highlights:

• bill also requires collateral from these companies so that if they go out of business before their contract
• Existing data centers with existing contracts are not interfering with because they've already have contracts
• And so I just hope that whatever companies that may have existing ones have good contracts in place that
• put a battery shortage, let's say they lease 500 acres from a private landowner, and they signed a contract
• do you know had the local fire departments have adequate resources and funding to protect these locations

Bills: HB4246 , HB4230 , HB3617 , HB3657 , HB2976 , HB3391 , HB4459 , HB4128 , HB3989 , HB2989 , HB4060 , HB3145 , HB2992 , HB3464 , HB4246 , HB4230 , HB3617 , HB3657 , HB2976 , HB3391 , HB4459 , HB4128 , HB3989 , HB2989 , HB4060 , HB3145 , HB2992 , HB3464

Committees: House Energy , House Energy and Natural Resources Oversight

Keywords: HB4246, water rights, rural water, wastewater, drinking water, environmental quality, DEQ, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Rural Water Association, technical assistance, water infrastructure, small systems, utility operators, emergency water response, nonprofit contractors, vendor qualification, competitive bidding, best value procurement, central purchasing act, rural utilities

Transcript Highlights:

• These rules do not apply to facilities that are operating pursuant to a valid contract that was in effect
• prior to January 1, 2003, for the duration of that contract.
• Prior to January 1st, 2023, for the duration of that contract, but they do apply to any extensions or
• modifications made to or authorized by contract.
• CYS provides CRC Hope Center services through two 12-bed programs which are located in Pierce County

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee held a brief Monday meeting to hear two bills and a gubernatorial appointment. House Bill 2464, sponsored by Rep. Ortiz-Self, would require private detention facilities to report serious incidents such as abuse allegations, deaths, suicides, injuries requiring hospitalization, and service disruptions to the Department of Health and local law enforcement by the next business day, and would require annual law-enforcement reporting to DOH. Rep. Ortiz-Self said the bill is needed because private facilities have been inconsistent and delayed in sharing information, while state facilities already provide data more readily. Testimony from Columbia Legal Services, the League of Women Voters, La Resistencia, and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project strongly supported the bill, citing barriers to reporting crimes and concerns about abuse in private detention. The committee did not vote on the bill during the hearing, but the chair said it would be considered in executive session. The committee also heard Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2253, a DCYF request bill making several licensing-related changes for foster care, crisis residential centers, and child care. The bill would require immediate termination of certain child-specific foster licenses if high-potency synthetic opioids or illicit substances are found, exempt kinship caregivers from blood-borne pathogen training, allow DCYF to close inactive foster homes, remove sex designation from foster licenses, adjust CRC staffing ratios to one staff for four youth during waking hours and one for six during sleeping hours, and strengthen child care subsidy fraud enforcement through electronic attendance verification and possible license revocation. DCYF and Community Youth Services testified in support, describing the changes as technical fixes that align statute with current practice and reduce burden on providers. Committee members raised concerns that some child care provisions may belong in a different committee and noted the need to ensure the bill does not duplicate or conflict with existing licensing and fraud rules. The committee then held a confirmation hearing for Corey McNally, reappointed to the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board. McNally described the board’s role in release decisions, supervision conditions, violation management, and release plans, and discussed his background in community mental health, the Special Commitment Center, DOC sex offense treatment, and ISRB leadership. Members asked about advances in sex offense assessment and treatment, the distinction between ISRB cases and sexually violent predator civil commitment, board consistency and recidivism work, and victim participation in hearings. McNally said the board uses structured decision-making and actuarial risk assessments, remains neutral on legislation, and provides victim liaisons to offer participation options. The chair closed the hearings, noted the committee would meet the next day on a large packet of bills and one appointment, and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:36:38.079><c> I</c> some definition regarding contracts I some definition regarding contracts
• </c> they are um uh entering into contracts they are um uh entering into contracts um<01:05:30.039><c
• We talk to them about contracts.
• contracts, but only for the biggest banks that are behind those contracts.
• </c> that they didn't offer you a contract that they didn't offer you a contract they<03:51:13.479><c

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 167, a PFAS-related measure to add ski, snowboard, and boat wax to the state’s list of banned consumer products containing PFAS. The sponsor said the product is already banned in many other places, alternatives exist, and the concern is that these products go directly into water rather than landfills. She cited high PFAS levels in several New Hampshire lakes and argued the bill would help stop further contamination. A member of the public also described personal experience with ski wax products disappearing from the market, suggesting PFAS may have been the reason. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 167. The committee next opened a hearing on House Bill 312, dealing with college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Representative Moffett explained the bill was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s NCAA v. Alston decision and was modeled on New Jersey law. He said the bill would prevent colleges from restricting NIL compensation, require athletes to use licensed attorneys or registered sports agents, and limit certain endorsements involving addictive drugs, adult entertainment, firearms, and weapons. He framed the measure as a proactive response to a changing college sports landscape and noted possible future conflicts involving schools, agents, and endorsements. Committee members raised several concerns and suggested changes. One member questioned the bill’s exclusion of two-year institutions, another objected to the weapons restriction, and others asked how the bill would affect scholarships. The sponsor said the intent was to protect scholarships, especially athletic scholarships, and clarified that need-based scholarships were not meant to be affected. He also acknowledged discomfort with the endorsement restrictions and said the committee might want to broaden or revise the language. The hearing remained open for further consideration, with no vote taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:01:44.240><c> mineral</c> any leasable or locatable mineral any leasable or locatable mineral
• And then identify that location.
• </c> see from one location to the other. see from one location to the other. Right?
• The the the issue we were location.
• </c> course of the contract. course of the contract.

Committee: Joint Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Institute of the Pacific is also located Institute of the Pacific is also located there<00:20:15.039
• It was critical that the locations that we chose were publicly managed locations and, to the greatest
• It was critical that the locations that we chose were publicly managed locations and, to the greatest
• that we chose were publicly locations that we chose were publicly managed<01:28:48.600><c> locations
• </c><06:02:10.958><c> they</c> uh Terminex got the LFA contract they uh Terminex got the LFA contract

Summary: The House Finance Committee held an informational briefing with the University of Hawaiʻi, led by new President Wendy Hensel and Vice President for Budget and Finance Calbert Young. Hensel outlined the university system’s scope, student demographics, research activity, and campus missions, emphasizing four strategic priorities: serving Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi, student success, workforce development, and economic diversification through innovation and research. She highlighted the system’s enrollment, research funding, and the roles of Mānoa, Hilo, West Oʻahu, the community colleges, and specialized institutions such as JABSOM and the Cancer Center. Young then reviewed the budget request, focusing largely on making prior one-time appropriations permanent and supporting recurring needs. Items included funding for Mānoa athletics, the Hawaiʻi Institute for Marine Biology, K-12 teacher education, Pamantasan Council support, Hilo programs, Windward’s mental health technician certificate, Maui’s practical nursing bridge program, and student support positions such as financial aid and admissions counselors. He also described workforce-related requests tied to nursing expansion at Mānoa and West Oʻahu, as well as facilities support at West Oʻahu. A major portion of the testimony addressed the university’s two Kakaʻako medical facilities. Young explained that declining tobacco settlement and cigarette tax revenues are no longer sufficient to cover debt service for JABSOM and the Cancer Center, so the governor’s budget includes general fund support to supplement those obligations. He also described a regents-approved request not included in the governor’s proposal: expanding the Hawaiʻi Promise financial aid program to the four-year campuses, estimated at about $11–12 million. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the second area is reviewing... ...contracts for.
• or altering the contract.
• In terms of terminating the contract, if we, being the Department of Finance, were to end the contract
• In terms of this specific contract...
• I don't understand the intricacies of the contract.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget, with a focus on prison population trends, spending, facility closures, and efforts to find savings. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) presented data showing the prison and parole populations have fallen sharply over the past 20 years while CDCR spending has remained high, driven largely by security, health care, litigation-related requirements, and aging infrastructure. The LAO also said the state is likely to have several thousand empty beds by 2030 and recommended closing another prison, identifying the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad as the strongest candidate, while also urging more transparency around facility deactivations and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) efficiency contract. CDCR Secretary Jeff McCumber said the department faces structural budget pressures from retirement payouts, workers’ compensation, overtime, medical transport, aging facilities, and violence in prisons, but emphasized declining recidivism, expanding reentry beds, and the need for more single-celling and rehabilitation. Department of Finance representative Anthony Franzoa said the administration is not proposing another prison closure at this time, opposed new reporting requirements on deactivations, and said the BCG contract is intended to produce long-term savings even if near-term estimates are being revised downward. Amber Rose Howard of California United for Responsible Budget argued the state should close more prisons, redirect funds to community services, and stop spending on excess prison capacity. Members questioned why CDCR still relies on vacancy savings, why rehabilitation is only a small share of the budget, and whether the department should be more transparent about capacity reductions and legal liabilities. Several members criticized the $20 million BCG contract and the lack of competitive bidding, while others pressed CDCR on staffing levels, single-celling, suicide prevention, and health care costs for older incarcerated people. The hearing did not take a formal vote, but it ended with clear committee concern about CDCR’s budget transparency, the pace of prison closures, and the need to align spending more closely with the declining prison population and the department’s stated rehabilitation mission.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were welcomed into this new location by our community.
• Santa Maria's Jaclyn location is currently located within 1,000 feet of a school.
• Santa Maria's Jaclyn location has been... in operation since 1965 at this location, and there have not
• Santa Maria from the location restrictions outlined in the bill.
• Where is that hospital located? We have two.

Bills: HB551 , HB 1281 , HB1378 , HB1617 , HB2868 , HB2881 , HB3374 , HB4439 , HB4726 , HB4732 , HB4878 , HB4914 , HB4921 , HB4958 , HB5200 , HB5318 , HB5360 , HB5402 , HB5568 , HB5573 , HB5623 , HJR218

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: political contributions, address privacy, Texas Ethics Commission, election transparency, campaign finance, international organizations, World Health Organization, jurisdiction, state law, enforcement, United Nations, World Economic Forum, attorney general, Texas attorney general, state sovereignty, legal enforcement, Texas Attorney General, electric energy storage, municipal regulation, county regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, it's available to use, so we got to locate in Queen Creek.
• Now, some will claim this bill only regulates contracts, but it only regulates contracts with certain
• We're not meant to review contracts and to respond on those.
• relating to contract cancellations.
• I'm 100% for non-interference in contracts, but as a lawyer, you know that the law frowns upon contracts

Bills: HB2128 , HB2255 , HB2397 , HB2429 , HB2591 , HB2680 , HB2834 , HB2868 , HB2911 , HB2951 , HB2979 , HB2991 , HB2996 , HB2999 , HB4001 , HB4011 , HB4017 , HB4020 , HB4026 , HB4086 , HB4088 , HB2244 , HB2342

Committees: House Commerce , House House Commerce Committee of Reference

Keywords: homeowners associations, condominiums, open meetings, governance, transparency, Arizona Teachers Academy, teacher preparation, education funding, public schools, scholarships, teacher certification, community colleges, vacation rentals, short-term rentals, state preemption, local government regulation, occupancy limits, civil penalties, apprenticeships, job training