Transcript Highlights:

• without a Social Security number are fearful of government agencies using their personal information to harm
• Tinnon, the Director of Race Equity and Legislative Policy at TURN. their personal information to harm
• So I would love to see some sort of reduction in some of these roles in other parts of our government

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee met to adopt its 2025-2026 rules and hear three bills. The committee first adopted the rules on a roll call vote, then heard AB 1303 by Assemblymember Valencia, which would clarify that a Social Security number is not required to apply for California Lifeline and would restrict sharing subscriber information with immigration enforcement absent a court warrant or subpoena. Supporters said the bill would help vulnerable Californians, including undocumented residents, domestic violence survivors, unhoused people, and identity theft victims, access essential communications services; there was no opposition. The bill passed on a due pass motion and was re-referred to Judiciary. The committee next heard AB 1271 by Assemblymember Bonta, which would require broadband providers to report pricing and speed-performance data to the Department of Consumer Affairs and make the information publicly available, with privacy protections and a standardized reporting template. Supporters argued the bill would improve transparency and help consumers, local governments, and the state understand what broadband service Californians are actually receiving; testimony highlighted disparities in speed and pricing in low-income communities. The bill was amended in committee and passed on a due pass as amended motion to the Committee on Business and Professions. Finally, the committee heard AB 693 by the chair, Assemblymember Boerner, which would consolidate broadband and digital equity functions into a new Department of Broadband and Digital Equity and create an 11-member commission with decision-making authority. Supporters said the current split between agencies creates delays and coordination problems, while members discussed governance, geographic representation, and whether the proposal would require follow-up constitutional or statutory changes. The bill passed 9-0 and was re-referred to Appropriations. Afterward, the committee added AB 1303 and AB 1271 as later add-ons, both of which were also reported out, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• public safety, and make it clear to repeat DWI offenders that they will not be given a second chance to harm
• So again, first, I want to acknowledge the pain and harm and unimaginable loss experienced by survivors
• evidence-based strategies like accessible treatment, like community intervention programs, and other harm
• reduction efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• public safety, and make it clear to repeat DWI offenders that they will not be given a second chance to harm
• So again, first, I want to acknowledge the pain, harm, and unimaginable loss experienced by survivors
• in evidence-based strategies like accessible treatment, community intervention programs, and other harm
• reduction efforts.

Bills: HB1482, HB2017, HB2103, HB2341, HB2756

Keywords: community supervision, repeat offenders, intoxication, Texas Penal Code, criminal justice reform, intoxication manslaughter, criminal penalties, mandatory supervision, parole eligibility, Grayson's Law, mental health, trauma, jailers, law enforcement, occupational health, diligent participation, state jail felony, time credits, rehabilitation programs, de-escalation

Transcript Highlights:

• What is the administration of lethal drugs, if not harm?
• harm of death.
• Assisted suicide harms the doctor-patient relationship.
• People already being harmed in other states.
• People already being harmed in other states.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health opened its first hearing of the session and heard testimony on bills in three areas: emergency medical services/AED access, athletic training and student safety, and end-of-life options. Committee chairs outlined testimony rules and noted that written testimony would also be accepted. Some bills had no live witnesses, while others drew extensive testimony from advocates, professionals, and legislators. On AED-related bills, the American Heart Association supported requiring automated external defibrillators at sporting events and athletic fields, citing sudden cardiac arrest survival rates and urging cardiac emergency response plans as an added safeguard. A parks and recreation professional supported AED access but raised concerns about the cost, staffing, maintenance, and feasibility for municipalities with limited resources. Athletic trainers supported expanding their scope of practice and removing workplace restrictions, arguing it would improve injury prevention, reduce costs, and help retain professionals in Massachusetts. The committee also took extensive testimony on end-of-life options legislation. Supporters included legislators, physicians, hospice volunteers, clergy, patients’ family members, and advocacy groups, who described the bills as allowing terminally ill, mentally capable adults to choose a peaceful death with strict safeguards and self-administration requirements. They emphasized personal stories of suffering, public support, and the claim that other states have not seen abuse. Opponents, including faith-based, disability-rights, and family policy representatives, argued the bills amount to physician-assisted suicide, could pressure vulnerable people, and may be influenced by prognosis errors, coercion, or financial incentives. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Property Insurance and Energy Reduction Property Insurance and Energy Reduction Act.
• harm to that person, right? harm to that person, right?
• <01:19:46.800> harm.
• because I caused bodily harm harm. because I caused bodily harm harm.
• harm. That's the key though. harm. That's the key though.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or insurable loss reduction.
• Was it a 16% sort of projected risk reduction?
• Just a question: if Cal Fire is doing risk reduction modeling, why do you think SB 326...
• You have to tighten the link between risk reduction and insurance so it's very, very clear.
• We do strongly support a wildfire risk reduction legislative package this year.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate hearing of the Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Emergency Management Committee focused on wildfire resilience, with members discussing the SB 254 report on enhancing California’s response to natural catastrophes. Opening remarks emphasized the scale of wildfire damage, the need for prevention and preparedness, and concerns about the affordability and insurability crisis. Senators repeatedly contrasted the relatively small share of funding going to community hardening with the much larger amounts spent on utility wildfire mitigation and landscape-scale projects, and several members raised concerns about CEQA delays, one-time funding, and the need for more sustainable, ongoing financing. The Legislative Analyst’s Office presented an overview showing about $4.7 billion in state wildfire resilience appropriations from 2018-19 through 2025-26, with funding shifting from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the General Fund and then to Proposition 4. LAO noted that only about $65 million had been specifically targeted to community hardening, while most funding went to forest health, fuels, research, and related programs. LAO also said one-time funding will decline in coming years and that future GGRF support is uncertain, though General Fund use is not legally precluded. Members asked about maintenance costs, polluter-pays ideas, and whether performance metrics should focus more on property and community risk reduction than acres treated. Cal Fire’s State Fire Marshal described the state’s community wildfire preparedness strategy, centered on home hardening, defensible space, and neighborhood-scale mitigation. He said roughly 4 million homes are in the wildland-urban interface, most built before modern fire-resistant standards, and argued that the state must move from response to prevention. He said Cal Fire is incorporating the SB 254 recommendations into its updated action plan, has streamlined some fuel-reduction projects under a recent executive proclamation, and is shifting some grant funding toward maintenance of existing treatments. Cal OES described the AB 38 pilot and FEMA hazard mitigation work, saying the pilot helped build tools and standards for home hardening but that federal approval delays remain a major barrier; the agency reported 155 hardened properties, 19 under construction, and 370 assessed and waiting. The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force said it has coordinated more than $6 billion in state and federal investments, is moving toward regional block grants and better data-driven prioritization, and is developing separate community and landscape strategies. The hearing ended with discussion of modeling, data gaps, utility coordination, contractor capacity, and possible legislative or budget changes to better align funding and metrics with community safety outcomes.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1338 seeks to protect the communities in my district from harmful air pollution while preserving the
• You can greatly reduce your risk for skin cancer by just wearing clothing that covers you from harmful
• All of which cause long term respiratory harm.
• This is particularly harmful for youth who are in a vulnerable developmental period.
• Are they criminals that cause great harm? Are they people who need to be protected and saved?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation threatens not just to harm individuals, but the moral fabric of New Hampshire.
• This legislation threatens not just to harm individuals, but the moral fabric of New Hampshire.
• because it harms the unions Industries<02:23:30.000> leading<02:23:30.399> training<02
• We also believe that passing right to work will harm our communities because studies have shown... ..
• 4% reduction in median<03:39:20.479> wages<03:39:21.479> for<03:39:21.760> those

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The premium is low, and it gives you that 94% cost share reduction.
• It stands for cost share<00:46:07.520> reduction.
• So, it's a very rich share reduction.
• Reduction, Food Basket, Malama Kauai, and various other nonprofits.
• > Malama and Harm Reduction, Food Basket, Malama and Harm Reduction, Food Basket, Malama Kauaii

Bills: HB2488, HB2456

Keywords: disability, communication access, deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, healthcare, sign language interpreters, auxiliary aids, weight loss, GLP-1 drugs, obesity, Medicaid, healthcare costs, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HP 1972, which would create a nonrefundable family caregiver tax credit, and on a related tax measure to increase the existing dependent care tax credit. Supporters of HP 1972, including AARP, the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, and others, said unpaid caregivers are essential to keeping kūpuna and other loved ones at home and described significant out-of-pocket costs. The Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation raised technical concerns, including the need to avoid overlap with existing credits and to prevent double-dipping. The department said taxpayers can claim credits to the extent allowed, but recommended explicit language barring the same costs from being claimed under more than one credit. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair moved the bill along after questions. The committee then heard HP 1975, which would repeal the sunset on the state rent supplement program for kūpuna. AARP, Catholic Charities Hawaii, the Executive Office on Aging, and others supported making the program permanent, saying it helps low-income older adults avoid eviction and homelessness and allows them to remain in affordable housing. Catholic Charities described clients who were paying unsustainable shares of income for rent before receiving the supplement. Members also shared a constituent example of an elderly retiree who needed the subsidy to stay housed. Written support was noted from additional organizations and individuals. Next, the committee took up HB 1706, which would expand Medicaid prospective payment reimbursement to include mental health services furnished in federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics by mental health professionals under supervision. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the bill, and DHS said it appreciated the intent to address workforce shortages and expand training, but cautioned that unlicensed professionals cannot currently bill Medicaid and that a state plan amendment would be needed, with limited precedent for approval. Members asked about the likelihood and timing of federal approval and whether the bill could help rural areas; DHS said approval is uncertain and the process can take time, though it saw possible alignment with the state’s rural health transformation efforts. The committee also discussed HB 546, a three-year health coverage continuity pilot program for people losing Medicaid coverage. DHS, the Attorney General’s office, DCCA, Catholic Charities, the University of Hawaii, and others testified, with DHS warning that federal changes could increase uninsured rates and that the state may need to act quickly. Catholic Charities and others emphasized the risk to Medicaid recipients, including homeless and near-elderly residents, while DHS explained the state’s existing premium assistance program for certain immigrants and compared it to the proposed pilot. The excerpt ends during discussion of that comparison, with no vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:44:58.720> uh<00:44:58.920> of of of 25 there was a a reduction uh of of of 25
• there was a a reduction uh of cost<00:44:59.440> of<00:44:59.599> the<00:44:59.720>
• look at the the reduction in costs that<00:45:29.240> were<00:45:29.520> passed<00:45:
• It's an appropriate punishment, and it comes with reductions in civil liberties.
• You may have heard recently about the reduction in North Minneapolis in gun violence, particularly in

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but they'll pay for it in a reduction of service. Um.
• It does target the weaponization of anti-Zionism to harm and attack Jewish students.
• And so, so for example they said calling for Aiding or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the
• bad, I mean that's a bad example of anti-Semitism calling for Aiding or justifying the killing or harming
• An example from IHRA, which calls for aiding or justifying the killing or harming of Jews is or is not

Bills: HB 346, HB 1360, HB 1510, HB 1606, HB 1804, HB 1805, HB 2156, HB 2391, HB 2767, HB 3022, HB 3044, HB 3272, HB 3293, HB 3493, HB 3809, HB 3824, HJR 110, HB 2463

Keywords: expedited service, business records, veteran-owned businesses, franchise tax, fee schedule, Texas Ethics Commission, election reporting, campaign finance, violation categorization, penalties, public disclosure, Texas Utilities Code, electric utility, retail electric provider, municipally owned utility, electric cooperative, vegetation management, tree trimming, line clearance, transmission line

Transcript Highlights:

• TPWD only has standing to seek an injunction for such harm.
• This bill also creates a high burden of proof for those who are harmed and unnecessarily gives produced
• If there is so much confidence that the water has been cleaned up and will cause no harm, then there
• High levels of PFAS causing significant harm in Johnson County are perfectly legal to the applicant.
• for harm that occurs during abandoned well plugging efforts, which can lead to broken fences, property

Bills: SB3074, HB49, HB2440, HB3556, HB3619, HB3866, HB4042, HB4112, HB4271, HB4413, HB4426, HB5033, HB49

Keywords: SB 3074, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water Code, permit applications, environmental permitting, administrative record, ex parte communications, legislative communications, governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, district projects, public records, recusal, conflict of interest, substantial interest, agency transparency, environmental regulation, permit renewal

Transcript Highlights:

• You can see the reductions, the vast majority of them under the, the um Energy and Commerce Committee
• One is, uh, a sort of potentially an overall reduction at the federal royalty rate.
• And then the other is a potential overall reduction in the federal royalty rate, which would be sort
• And program managers sit and so if there's a reduction there, then that reduces how much we can push
• I know that Reduction, federal reduction is not available at this point in time, but We, we get a significant

Transcript Highlights:

• includes strong safeguards: no new construction, no displacement provisions for layoffs, hours reductions
• So, one, the first one is that while it does allow for that reduction, it's really kind of site-specific
• One, while it does allow for that reduction, it's really kind of site-specific as it relates to properties
• We want to protect our locals from harm. We're, this is local government, right?
• We want to protect our locals from harm, right?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard eight bills, with testimony largely focused on local government authority, housing, and public service operations. AB 1658 would make permanent higher change-order thresholds for Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties on large construction projects; county representatives said the existing temporary authority has saved time and money, and the bill passed 6-0. AB 2263 would authorize the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to develop employee-preference affordable housing on its properties; supporters said it would help retain workers facing extreme housing costs, and it also passed 6-0 as amended. AB 2134, the Family Friendly City Councils Act, would protect city council members taking parental leave from losing their seats or having absences counted against them. Assembly Member Addis’s designee and Sunnyvale Council Member Alyssa Cisneros described the bill as a response to public pressure and privacy concerns faced by elected parents; members spoke in strong support, and the bill passed 6-0 as amended. AB 2188 would raise Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s contracting authority to $250,000 per contract; supporters said it would reduce delays and administrative costs, while questions centered on oversight and bidding safeguards. After committee amendments, it passed 6-0. AB 1768 would authorize Los Angeles and Contra Costa counties to ask voters to approve a temporary transactions-and-use tax for health care and related services in response to federal funding cuts. Supporters, including community clinics, Planned Parenthood, labor groups, and county representatives, said it would let voters decide whether to backfill major health care losses; opponents argued it would worsen affordability and tax burdens. The committee discussion highlighted concerns about equity and local control, and the bill was placed on call after a 5-2 roll call. AB 2033 would let general law cities use job order contracting for repair and maintenance projects; supporters said it would speed routine work, while AFSCME and some members raised workforce displacement and staffing concerns. It passed 8-0 as amended. AB 2415 would let the City of Folsom shift some housing obligations away from its historic district to other transit-oriented sites, with supporters saying it preserves historic character while still meeting housing goals. It passed 10-0. AB 2741, heard at the end of the meeting, would give cities a grace period to cure housing element issues involving overlay zones after a court ruling found some HCD-certified overlays noncompliant. Cities and local government groups supported the bill as a fairness measure for jurisdictions that relied on state guidance, while housing advocates and legal aid groups opposed it, arguing it would weaken enforcement and allow noncompliant housing plans to persist.

Transcript Highlights:

• Outcomes of FFT demonstrate a reduction in recidivism.
• Now, while that is a reduction in costs, I don't. I would not say that I'm happy about that.
• I just don't know if that number is meaningful right now because we're seeing such a reduction.
• of Oklahoma to help children and to make sure that we went after these kids to where they weren't harmed
• That's because I've seen issues within DHS that have harmed, in my opinion, foster children and their

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:38:39.839> um the Senate position, the reduction um the Senate position, the reduction
• , 30% reduction.
• , 30% reduction.
• , 30% reduction.
• Number nine, Minnesota State Universities, the governor's plan, 41% reduction, 30% reduction.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Higher Education Conference Committee reviewed differences among the Governor’s, House, and Senate proposals for state grant parameter changes and their effects on state grant spending, North Star Promise spending, and average student awards. Nonpartisan staff explained that the proposals use different combinations of parameter changes, with the Governor’s and Senate plans modeled to avoid or minimize rationing, while the House plan would require rationing to balance the program. Staff reported projected biennium balances of a positive $29.836 million for the Governor’s proposal, a negative $60.758 million for the House proposal without rationing, a positive $994,000 for the House proposal with rationing, and a positive $3.623 million for the Senate proposal; North Star Promise balances also varied, with the Senate showing a positive balance and the Governor and House with rationing showing negative balances. Staff also said the Senate proposal would extend availability of the state grant appropriation and suspend surplus procedures through fiscal year 2029, allowing the balance to carry forward. The committee then focused on the House-only tuition and fee cap provision, which would limit the tuition recognized for state grant purposes for four-year programs to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities level, with 1% annual increases in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. House members said the cap was intended to address rising tuition, especially at the University of Minnesota, and to produce savings in the state grant program. The governor’s office confirmed the provision was not included in the Governor’s bill. Representatives from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Private College Council opposed the cap, arguing it would reduce awards for low-income students and shift costs to students rather than address underlying tuition pressures; they also said it could discourage enrollment at higher-cost institutions. Supporters from Minnesota State argued the cap would improve fairness because students at lower-tuition institutions are effectively capped lower, while students at more expensive institutions receive larger awards, and they said the legislature should intervene in a variable that has grown substantially over time. Committee members questioned how the cap would work and whether it was tied to the Twin Cities campus rate. Testifiers clarified that the state grant formula is tied to the University of Minnesota level, but because Minnesota State institutions are below that level, the cap effectively limits their students to their own lower tuition while allowing higher awards at the University of Minnesota and private colleges. No formal vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the chair indicated the committee would continue with item-by-item review of the remaining parameter changes and hear additional testimony from agencies and institutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public funds should be directed toward reducing harm, not subsidizing disposal methods that perpetuate
• 17.680> directed<01:07:18.000> toward<01:07:18.400> reducing<01:07:18.960> harm
• , should be directed toward reducing harm, should be directed toward reducing harm, not<01:07:19.839
• ,<01:07:34.000> reuse, communities for reduction, reuse, communities for reduction, reuse,
• act which is expected to cost reduction act which is expected to expand<01:12:38.880> recycling

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A reduction in funding does not simply mean layoffs or reductions in staff; it means shutting down our
• A reduction in funding would mean that doors are closing and communities would become even less safe
• possible because we are here a reduction possible because we are here a reduction in<00:08:09.400
• Women and girls in Minnesota are harmed by gender-based violence throughout their lifetime, in their
• and 94% say that they stress reduction and 94% say that they will<00:58:23.799> continue<00:58

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We will continue to see the reduction of critical taxes that will allow our state to grow and continue
• to see the reduction of critical taxes that will allow our state to grow and prosper and continue to
• no tax increases here, but also, more importantly, remind everyone that there continue to be tax reductions
• These communities that have experienced the harmful impacts of FPRs, the threat to the groundwater is
• the harms of data center development.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, communications, committee reports, and leaves of absence. The journal was approved 50-0. The chamber then took up House Bill 1505, which drew extended debate over school funding and adequacy/tax equity. Senators Coleman and Keefer argued the bill continued to pour money into districts like Allentown without accountability or improved results, while Senators Costa, Miller, Haywood, and Anthony Williams defended the funding as a response to historic underfunding and the Commonwealth Court decision. A motion allowing Senator Coleman a third speaking turn was adopted 27-23, and the bill ultimately passed 45-5. The Senate then considered House Bill 2400, the General Appropriation Act. Supporters, including Senators Martin, Dush, Phillips-Hill, Costa, Ward, Street, Hughes, and Pittman, emphasized that the budget was balanced without using the rainy day fund or raising taxes, reduced the governor’s proposal, increased education and child care funding, supported nursing homes, rape crisis centers, infrastructure, and workforce programs, and shifted money from lapsed or unused accounts to current priorities. Opponents, including Senators Saval and Muth, said the budget failed to address structural deficits and omitted new revenue options, emergency services funding, and other major issues. The bill passed 44-6 with amendments and was returned to the House for concurrence. The Senate also passed a series of other bills, including House Bills 2412, 2413, 96, 858, 1042, 1286, 1646, 1851, 1862, 2017, 2024, 2401, and 2559, with varying margins, and sent them to the House, some with amendments. House Bill 1042 drew a negative recommendation from Senator Costa over a late amendment involving second-degree murder/felony language, but after reconsideration and vote changes it passed 30-20 with amendments. House Bill 1862, creating an Ignition Interlock Driver’s License, passed 45-5 after support from Senator Judy Ward. House Bill 1248 passed 43-7 and designates Pennsylvania rye whiskey as the official state spirit, with Senators Bartolotta and Robinson speaking in support. The chamber also adopted Senate Resolution 216, after defeating Senator Haywood’s amendment to narrow the scope of a proposed Legislative Budget and Finance Committee study of managed care organizations; the resolution passed 31-19. Several other bills were held over in their order, and the Senate later moved toward a condolence resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• But it also had some stunning information about how it can be harmful.
• And they're going to have to be navigating a lot... ...work requirements, reduction in SNAP benefits,
• or a reduction in their ACA subsidies.
• Where are those economic shifts and reductions that we're seeing in our economy?
• But this can cause harm to children. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Representative.

Keywords: 996, all