Transcript Highlights:

• process lead process lead fiser<00:54:21.280> uh<00:54:21.680> thank<00:54:21.839>
• lead is considered no amount of lead lead is considered safe<00:59:56.960> in<00:59:57.119>
• specifically where the issue of lead specifically where the issue of lead shows<01:04:38.440>
• <01:04:39.680> lead<01:04:39.920> solder shows up is lead is in lead solder shows up
• is lead is in lead solder that's<01:04:40.640> used<01:04:40.880> for<01:04:41.000>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There's just a presumption that if it's lead, it's bad, and any level of lead is unacceptable.
• There's just a presumption that if it's lead, it's bad, and any level of lead is unacceptable.
• There's just a presumption that if it's lead, it's bad, and any level of lead is unacceptable.
• There's just a presumption that if it's lead, it's bad, and any level of lead is unacceptable.
• of<01:29:16.800> lead<01:29:17.080> is and any level of lead is and any level of lead

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, just for um lead service lines.
• Um, with the advent of the Lead and Copper Rule improvements, all lead service lines will have to be
• out for lead service line replacements. out for lead service line replacements.
• The lead service line presentation.
• We strongly support funding the lead We strongly support funding the lead service<01:36:44.960><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• importantly the question of banning lead importantly the question of banning lead and<00:24:07.440
• smell melted brass which contains lead smell melted brass which contains lead levels<00:26:30.520
• <00:26:40.159> and ability to be machine cut the lead and ability to be machine cut the lead
• <00:30:18.480> detection relative difference in lead detection relative difference in lead
• initial compliance when we do find lead initial compliance when we do find lead we<00:42:07.400>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• safe level of lead in drinking water. safe level of lead in drinking water.
• federal funding for lead. federal funding for lead.
• be future lead service line funding. be future lead service line funding.
• It is a great idea because lead pipes cause lead in water and that's a bad thing.
• cause lead in idea because lead pipes cause lead in water<01:26:45.240> and<01:26:45.360> that's

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, the lead apron, as you can see, there is X-ray all around us in the room, but the lead apron does
• Lead is heavy.
• The other thing about the lead aprons is there's a lot of maintenance that goes into the lead apron.
• Whenever we buy a lead apron, we have to regularly... ...that goes into the lead apron.
• We hope to lead by example.

Bills: SB1001, SB1011, SB1016, SB1052, SB1072, SB1100, SB1112, SB1113, SB1116, SB1118, SB1120, SB1121, SB1122, SB1123, SB1124, SB1125

Keywords: appropriation, economic security, blind individuals, older adults, state funding, medical examiners, sudden infant death, autopsy protocols, forensic pathology, public health, religious exemption, employment practices, COVID-19 vaccination, accommodation, discrimination, assisted living, health care, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, physician orders, informed consent

Transcript Highlights:

• and lead solder was... remove lead on all faucets used for drinking or cooking or to install filtered
• and lead solder was was Buildings, when the use of lead pipes and lead solder was used, and we're looking
• We know lead is a potent neurotoxin.
• We know lead is a potent neurotoxin.
• to remove lead.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing covered a broad set of environmental and water-related bills, with much of the testimony focused on blue economy and circular economy proposals, drought management, drinking water safety, flood resilience, and water infrastructure funding. Supporters of bills such as H. 987 and H. 988 described grant programs for blue economy workforce development, research, small businesses, and public education about a circular economy. Other speakers backed measures on coastal erosion research, recreational boating dredging, cranberry water-right transfers, sand mining oversight, and a voucher program for home water filtration in PFAS-impacted communities. Several elected officials and advocates also urged passage of bills to require private well testing, improve school drinking water safety, and address sand mining pollution and PFAS contamination. Water supply and drought issues drew extensive testimony. Senator Eldridge and others supported legislation to let the state, through DEP and the drought management task force, impose regional water-use restrictions during droughts and make the task force permanent in statute. Advocates from watershed groups, farms, and environmental organizations said the current town-by-town approach is inconsistent and ineffective, and they described drought impacts on rivers, farms, private wells, and wildfire risk. A related bill on private wells was supported as a way to help homeowners test and remediate contaminated wells, especially in rural areas without public water. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to allow the Lynnfield Water District to join the MWRA, with local officials saying the move would help address PFAS and other contamination and improve supply reliability. Another major panel supported a water infrastructure funding bill, arguing that aging drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems need major new investment, including support for PFAS treatment, sewer rate relief, biosolids research, and regional interconnections. Members asked about costs, funding sources, and the relationship to existing revolving loan funds; witnesses said the bill would need to be paired with future bond funding and new revenue ideas. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chairs repeatedly invited written testimony and noted the large number of speakers.

Transcript Highlights:

• The network will connect literacy leads intentionally.
• It’s the equity leads.
• It's the equity leads.
• These are statewide leads, is that correct? Different leads. These are statewide leads.
• Yes, and they're county office of education leads.

Summary: The committee heard a series of budget proposals focused on education finance, with repeated questions about whether the state’s investments are coordinated, targeted to the highest-need students, and likely to produce measurable results. On the first item, the administration proposed $1 million for a study of California’s curriculum framework, standards, and instructional materials process, plus $250,000 for supplemental ELA/ELD guidance. CDE and Finance said the study would examine how other states organize standards, frameworks, and adoptions, while the chair and members questioned why California has gone so long without updating some standards, what the study would actually accomplish, and whether the proposal was too vague to justify the cost. The issue was held open. The committee then took up a proposed $25 million statewide literacy network within the system of support. CCEE and CDE said the network would coordinate multiple existing literacy leads, create a clearinghouse of evidence-based resources, and improve coherence across the state’s many literacy initiatives. Members pressed on how a one-time, five-year allocation could support a long-term system, how the work would reach distressed and rural districts, and whether the proposal would translate into classroom change rather than just another layer of coordination. The issue was also held open. Next, the committee reviewed a $500 million proposal to expand literacy coaches and reading specialists and to create a math coaches program. CDE described the existing literacy coach cohorts as producing positive reports from participating LEAs, while the LAO recommended modifications, especially for the math coach portion, including limiting eligibility to elementary schools, setting minimum grant amounts, directing funds to eligible school sites, and making eligibility automatic rather than application-based. Members focused on whether coaches were actually being placed at the schools with the greatest need and whether the state has a coherent long-term strategy for literacy and math investments. The committee also heard a $40 million proposal for training and implementation of K-2 reading difficulty screeners, which the LAO said was reasonable but could be reduced because $25 million had already been provided for training; CDE said the new funds were needed for full implementation, procurement, and sustainability. Finally, the committee heard a $10 million proposal for a developmentally appropriate TK multilingual learner screener, with CDE explaining why the preschool language-identification process is different from K-12 EL assessment and the chair asking staff to explore whether a single, more consistent approach could be developed. The meeting concluded with a presentation on universal school meals and kitchen infrastructure, including a $31.5 million backfill, an $84.1 million increase for projected meal growth, a COLA adjustment, and $150 million for kitchen upgrades and training to support freshly prepared meals.

Transcript Highlights:

• to lead-free housing.
• This has boosted compliance with the lead law, driven demand for lead hazard mitigation work, and motivated
• Massachusetts' lead law, which was adopted more than 50 years ago, sought to make our housing stock lead-free
• The original Massachusetts lead law was meant to protect children by requiring landlords to de-lead before
• landlords to de-lead before a child under six moved into a home.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a lengthy hearing to take testimony on a wide range of bills related to environmental health, PFAS, medical device chemicals, food access, lead poisoning, air quality, oral health, and school food additives. Chair Driscoll and Chair Decker emphasized that the hearing was for testimony only, no decisions would be made that day, and that written testimony could still be submitted. They also noted the high volume of speakers and asked witnesses to keep remarks brief. A major portion of the hearing focused on PFAS-related legislation, including bills to restrict PFAS in products and food packaging and to create a PFAS remediation trust fund. Municipal officials and advocates described the high costs of PFAS cleanup, especially for drinking water systems, citing Easton’s multimillion-dollar treatment investments and rate increases. Testimony from legislators and advocates argued that Massachusetts should act despite federal uncertainty, and that the state should stop PFAS at the source rather than leaving municipalities and residents to pay for remediation. The committee also heard strong support for a bill banning DEHP in medical devices, with physicians, nurses, and a bill sponsor saying the chemical can leach from IV bags and tubing and that safer alternatives already exist. The committee also heard testimony on bills to establish statewide food truck permitting, with food truck owners and a senator describing the current system as costly, duplicative, and inconsistent across municipalities. Another set of witnesses supported the “Bean New Deal,” which would expand plant-based food options in public institutions, senior nutrition programs, and WIC, citing health, equity, and cost savings. On lead poisoning, housing advocates and a representative backed bills to expand lead-safe housing requirements to all rental units, arguing the current law contributes to discrimination against families with children and leaves too much pre-1978 housing uncertified. The committee also heard support for an outdoor air pollution bill that would create an advisory committee, identify pollution hotspots, expand monitoring, and set reduction targets, with testimony from environmental justice groups, pediatricians, and legislators describing disproportionate asthma and other health harms in overburdened communities. Later testimony addressed oral health bills to create dental therapists and allow dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide, with supporters saying the measures would expand access, reduce costs, and help underserved patients. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to prohibit harmful food dyes in competitive school foods, with parents describing behavioral and health concerns tied to synthetic dyes. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• service lines replaced by 2037. know with lead service lines is some of know with lead service lines
• consideration when we developed lead consideration when we developed lead service<00:13:48.000><
• lead service lines.
• for for lead service line replacement. for for lead service line replacement.
• When it comes to lead service lines, we know that there’s no safe amount of lead for humans to consume

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we pray your spirit lead us.
• <02:14:31.360> with rules of the road, and leading with rules of the road, and leading with
• agencies when regulating the use of lead agencies when regulating the use of lead ammunition<04:
• form<04:30:13.279> of<04:30:13.520> spent same lead in the form of spent same lead
• <04:54:43.120> I proposes to ban the use of lead. I proposes to ban the use of lead.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Two lead support and two lead opposition witnesses will be allowed two minutes each.
• Any lead witnesses? No lead witnesses. Any add-ons in support?
• Your lead witnesses? Okay. All right.
• Lead opposition witnesses. Thank you. Lead opposition witnesses?
• Seeing no other lead support witnesses, can we move on to lead opposition?

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development met as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum, then later established quorum and took up a series of bills, mostly sunset extensions for licensing boards. SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1304, SB 1363, and SB 1368 all dealt with extending board operations to January 1, 2031 and making related technical or policy changes. SB 1303 for the Board of Naturopathic Medicine added a fictitious name permit program and other administrative changes, while SB 1304 for the Respiratory Care Board drew significant testimony over whether licensed vocational nurses should be allowed to perform basic respiratory tasks in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals. SB 1363 updated barbering and cosmetology apprenticeship and licensing rules, and SB 1368 added a retired license category and strengthened continuing education oversight for speech-language pathology, audiology, and hearing aid dispensers. The committee also heard SB 865, which would create a California Music Festival Preservation Grant Program to support large independent multi-day music festivals. Supporters, including Visit Sacramento and festival promoters, said the bill would protect jobs, tourism, hotel nights, and local tax revenue; opponents raised concerns about using state funds during a deficit year and questioned whether profitable events should receive subsidies. The committee also heard SB 1297, which would create regional public-private partnerships and financing tools for wildfire mitigation projects; the author and supporters said it would help address the state’s large wildfire prevention funding gap by leveraging local and private investment, while members asked how the bonds would be repaid and whether the state would bear costs. SB 993, presented on behalf of Senator Ochoa-Bogue, would restore privacy protections for mental health professionals working in correctional and state hospital settings by limiting routine disclosure of identifying information while preserving a complaint process. Supporters described safety threats, stalking, and staffing concerns, and the bill passed unanimously. SB 1304 also passed after committee discussion, with members and the author noting ongoing negotiations over LVN scope and training in higher-acuity settings. SB 865 passed on a 9-1 vote, SB 1297 passed 10-0, and the sunset bills SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1363, and SB 1368 all advanced unanimously to the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB 1333 was not heard, and SB 1445 was on the consent calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two lead support and two lead opposition witnesses are going to be allowed two minutes.
• Two lead support and two lead opposition witnesses are going to be allowed two minutes each.
• Any lead witnesses? No lead witnesses. Any add-ons for support?
• Lead opposition witnesses? Thank you. Lead opposition witnesses?
• Seeing no other lead support witnesses, can we move on to lead opposition?

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do I have any other lead support witnesses? Seeing none. Lead opposition? Seeing none.
• Do we have any other lead witnesses? Seeing none, do we have lead opposition? Okay.
• Do we have lead opposition? Seeing none, lead opposition? Thank you. Seeing none. Lead opposition?
• Any other lead opposition?
• At the same time, lead time, lead time. spiked by between 45 and 95%.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, we have no single entity coordinating all of these different literacy leads.
• There is no single entity coordinating all of these different literacy leads.
• The basic idea is that we have these one-time funds for different leads.
• These are statewide leads, is that correct? Yes, and they are county office of education leads.
• We have a couple of concerns that lead us to recommending approving...

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have more lead funding in here.
• We have more lead funding in here.
• the division but this this work in lead the division but this this work in lead prevention<01:10
• , so that there's lead chipping, peeling lead dust in that home from lead paint, you know, as we all
• lead work in the community.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division III work session focused on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services budget. Department staff said Public Health has a relatively small budget compared with other DHHS divisions, is supported mostly by federal and other non-General funds, and contains nearly 100 accounting units and more than 50 federal grants. They emphasized that the governor’s budget did not include significant cuts, but that federal funding uncertainty and the winding down of pandemic-era resources were major factors affecting the division. The division also explained that some apparent budget growth reflects reorganizations, including moving the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery and some programs from other DHHS divisions into Public Health. The presentation described Public Health’s mission as serving the entire state through food and water safety, disease surveillance, emergency response, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, WIC, community health center support, and public health data collection. Members asked about bird flu, and staff explained that human-health response would involve Public Health’s lab, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness units, while animal-health issues are handled with the Department of Agriculture; they also noted ongoing milk testing requested by FDA and USDA. The division said its organizational structure includes bureaus for Family Health and Nutrition, Infectious Disease Control, Public Health Protection, Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Wellness, Statistics and Informatics, and Public Health Laboratories, with about a 15% vacancy rate. Committee members questioned whether the division’s budget and staffing had really grown since pre-COVID, and staff responded that full-time authorized staffing is about the same as in 2018, with the increase largely due to federal pandemic funding that has since receded and to program transfers between divisions. They said Public Health’s General Fund share is about $24 million out of roughly $1.1 billion in DHHS General Fund spending, or about 2.2% of the department total. Members also asked about the 3,000-position cap and unfunded positions; staff explained that the cap remains in chapter law through June 30, 2025, that 394 positions were unfunded in the governor’s budget, and that the division expects flexibility to move money from personnel lines and fill unfunded positions to manage changing needs. No votes or formal actions were taken in this portion of the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• That helps kind of lead me to my next question, and this is maybe more for the author of the bill, if
• That helps kind of lead me to my next question, and this is maybe more for the author of the bill, if
• That helps kind of lead me to my next question, and this is maybe more for the author of the bill, if
• That helps kind of lead me to my next question, and this is maybe more for the author of the bill: if
• That helps kind of lead me to my next question, and this is maybe more for the author of the bill: if

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So removing this provision just eliminates an obligation from the lead agencies that they were simply
• This work helped us understand what components consistently lead to positive outcomes.
• This work helped us understand what components consistently lead to positive outcomes, where programs
• The department, the vendor, and the lead agency in each circuit will also be working collaboratively.
• So the department will also be amending the lead agency contracts and the two identified pilot sites

Summary: The subcommittee heard two Department of Children and Families implementation updates on measures passed in prior sessions. First, DCF reviewed House Bill 633, which increased oversight of behavioral health managing entities through biennial independent audits, standardized claims-based reporting, and new monthly outcome dashboards. The department said it had awarded the inaugural audit to Ernst & Young, found no significant waste, fraud, or abuse, but identified process risks involving financial controls, claims validation, data access, and system access controls. DCF also described its transition to standardized behavioral health coding and said the new public dashboard of 11 measures is posted on its website, though members asked for easier access and for hard copies of the audit report. Members asked about how the department distinguishes Medicaid-covered services from department-funded services, how duplicate payment risks are being addressed, and whether the new reporting and audit requirements would improve oversight without disrupting services. DCF said it is the payer of last resort for uninsured or underinsured individuals, that some overlap with Medicaid is expected because Medicaid does not cover all behavioral health services, and that new claims edits and cross-checks are being built into the system. The department also said it had not found significant negative feedback from providers and that the new requirements are intended to improve transparency and accountability. DCF then updated the committee on Senate Bill 7012, covering human trafficking data collection, domestic violence center certification, limited background-screening exemptions, expanded recruitment for child welfare staff, subcontractor liability protections, a four-year treatment foster care pilot, case management efficiency recommendations, and a statewide study of residential bed capacity for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The department said several items are already complete or underway, including limited exemptions in the screening clearinghouse, while others are in procurement or rulemaking. It identified Circuits 4 and 12 as the treatment foster care pilot sites and said the pilot will launch in January 2026. Members questioned recruitment metrics, pilot timing, and report deadlines; the department said final reports are expected by January and that some dates were flexible because of procurement and implementation timelines. The meeting ended after the presentations and questions, and the subcommittee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• and cadmium, and 75% contained more lead than the FDA allows in candy.
• threshold for Prop 65 for lead was not updated.
• . ...and some of them had as high as 900 parts per billion lead.
• Obviously, the State of California leads and is proud of ensuring that we are always leading with anti-discrimination
• I feel like I need to lead with, I'm a lesbian. I kept hearing that.

Summary: The committee heard several health-related bills, with extensive testimony on maternal health, prenatal safety, privacy, valley fever, Medi-Cal contracting, anti-discrimination protections, and health data sharing. SB 32 would require time-and-distance standards for labor and delivery units in health plan networks; the author and supporters said it would address maternity care deserts and improve access, while health plans opposed. SB 646 would require testing and public disclosure for toxic elements in prenatal vitamins; supporters emphasized fetal and maternal safety and transparency, while industry opponents warned it could confuse consumers or lead to reduced nutrient content. Both bills drew broad support from medical and public health groups, and both were advanced on party-line or near-unanimous votes after committee discussion. The committee also approved SB 313, which moves a parent’s birthplace on birth certificates into the confidential section to protect privacy, and SB 297, which directs CDPH to identify high-incidence valley fever regions and publish them for screening and awareness; valley fever experts and supporters stressed rising cases and the need for earlier diagnosis, while local health jurisdictions raised concerns about mandates. SB 324, dealing with Medi-Cal enhanced care management and community supports, would prioritize local community-based organizations and clarify contracting and data practices; it received strong support from nonprofits and community health advocates, with children’s hospitals and health plans seeking amendments, and it was sent forward after amendments were discussed. The committee then considered SB 418, which would codify ACA nondiscrimination protections in state law and allow up to a 12-month prescription supply for hormone therapy when medically necessary. Supporters framed it as protecting continuity of care for transgender patients and others using hormone therapy, including IVF and menopause patients, while opponents argued it would conflict with federal policy and promote harmful treatments. The bill passed to the next committee. Finally, SB 660 would strengthen the California Health and Human Services data exchange framework by creating governance and accountability for data sharing across health and social service entities; supporters said it would reduce duplication and improve care coordination, while some providers and hospital groups raised concerns. It was approved and sent to the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. The consent calendar and the other measures were also voted out, with the committee recording the required roll-call votes and sending the bills onward.

Transcript Highlights:

• lead.”
• The lead-based pipe issue affects somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000, right?
• It’s about lead and copper pipes. That’s it.
• Senate Bill 268 by Senator Duplessis provides for lead service line replacement.
• Is there a process for individuals who want to object and continue drinking lead?

Summary: The committee met on May 13 and first took up House Concurrent Resolution 89, which asks the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to study, with the Louisiana State Museum and the World War II Museum, the feasibility of a Louisiana Maneuvers museum and trail. Representative Owens described the historical significance of the Louisiana Maneuvers and said the proposal would help preserve and teach that history. The committee moved HCR 89 favorably to the floor without objection. The committee then heard House Resolution 179, which would create a study of neighborhood crime prevention and security districts and their effectiveness in reducing crime. Representative Marcel said the resolution was prompted by questions about crime data and district performance, while several members raised concerns about the number of study groups and the breadth of a statewide review. Other members supported the idea as a way to gather data on what works, including cameras and other security measures. The resolution was moved favorably to the floor. Next, the committee considered Senate Bill 228, a constitutional amendment to allow public funds to be used to replace lead and copper drinking water service lines on private property, and Senate Bill 268, the companion implementing bill that sets out the notice and replacement process. Paul Rainwater explained that the program would use EPA and state revolving-fund money, with work focused on the line from the meter to the shutoff valve, and that the city would inventory affected homes, give notice, and then proceed with replacement. Members asked about homeowner rights, emergency entry, contractor accountability, and whether the program could expand beyond New Orleans; Rainwater said he would return with more detail on the objection/emergency process. Both SB 228, as amended, and SB 268 were reported favorably. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 283, which creates the Boulevard at Harding Area Special District in Baton Rouge to encourage development near Southern University, and two resolutions: House Resolution 225, urging agencies and local governments in Ouachita Parish to study solid waste, debris removal, and disaster resilience services, and House Resolution 223, urging Shreveport and partners to advance the Southern Soul City Initiative. All were moved favorably to the floor, and the meeting ended with members and the chair thanking staff and noting it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session.