Transcript Highlights:

• Our first agenda item at 10:05 is related to the state employee compensation study that this committee
• If there ever was a time to study total reward, Are concerned just in general.
• If there ever was a time to study total rewards or the total compensation package, I do feel like this
• And I would characterize most of the information I'm providing as pretty high level.
• There was also a study done just this last year for the Department of Human Services.

Summary: The Employee Benefits Committee met to hear presentations on state employee health insurance, compensation, leave policies, labor market conditions, and prevailing wage issues, then later took up committee rules and bill-draft jurisdiction. PERS reviewed the history and structure of the state health plan, noting the state has paid the full family premium since 1979, described cost-control and benefit-enhancement changes over time, and explained current plan options, wellness incentives, employer wellness discounts, and the upcoming bid process for the 2027-29 contract. HRMS then presented compensation comparisons showing state classified pay generally trails private and regional markets, with larger gaps at higher-level jobs, and reviewed benefits and leave policies, including the new enhanced annual leave and new-hire leave, the state’s unpaid family leave structure, and varying tuition reimbursement practices. Job Service reported on labor force trends, low unemployment, high labor force participation, job openings, and wage growth, and OMB said there are no state prevailing-wage requirements beyond federal Davis-Bacon rules for federally funded projects. The committee then considered a proposed amendment to Joint Rule 211 to better align the health insurance mandate review process with recent statutory changes. Members discussed how the rule should reference both the committee’s required actuarial reports and the Legislative Council cost-benefit analysis, and the amendment was adopted on a roll call vote. The committee also discussed how its jurisdiction decisions affect whether a bill draft receives actuarial analysis, with staff explaining that a decision not to take jurisdiction means the bill is not treated as impacting the relevant retirement or health plans for purposes of that analysis. After that, the committee began reviewing bill drafts for jurisdiction. The first draft, bill draft 33, would automatically renew pre-tax elections for dental and vision coverage during open enrollment instead of requiring annual re-election. Members debated whether it had any actuarial impact, noting the state does not pay those premiums directly, and the discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• The new trade policy regime is characterized by increased tariffs across many goods.
• And I think that study needs to be done because we can continue to do the same thing over and over again
• And I think that study needs to be done because we can continue to do the same thing over and over again
• Just to follow up on that, is there a way that we can implement such a study to really understand why
• Who could effectuate that study? Yeah, I think the Legislature certainly could request that.

Summary: The committee held an information hearing on California’s economy and household affordability, with the first panel focusing on inflation, housing, energy, wages, and the likely effects of new federal tariff policy. PPIC’s Sarah Bone said Californians remain deeply pessimistic about the economy, with inflation the main driver of concern; she noted prices are still about 23% higher than in January 2020, with especially large increases in food, energy, and housing costs. LAO’s Brian Euler emphasized that housing is the largest household expense and pointed to insurance, electricity, gasoline, and health care as other major cost pressures, urging the Legislature to review whether existing policies are actually reducing costs and to consider studies of why recent housing laws have not produced more units. UC Davis economist Catherine Russ warned that tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico, and potentially broader imports could raise consumer prices, disrupt supply chains, and hurt California exporters, farmers, and small businesses; she suggested monitoring prices, strengthening food assistance, and preparing transition support for affected workers and producers. Members pressed the panelists for concrete, near-term policy ideas, especially on housing and tariffs. Questions centered on whether accessory dwelling units are making a meaningful dent in affordability, how to improve implementation of pro-housing laws at the local level, and how to measure the impact of tariffs on consumers, health care, and agriculture. Panelists said ADUs help but are limited, that state laws can be undermined by local implementation and litigation, and that tariff effects may show up quickly in prices and later in hiring and investment. Several members stressed that the tariff issue is not a minor disruption for constituents and asked for more data on consumer impacts, food aid needs, and crop-specific farm losses. The second panel shifted to regional economic development and small business support. Go-Biz’s Derek Kirk described California Jobs First and the state economic blueprint as a first-in-decades, regionally informed strategy to create good-paying jobs, support key sectors, and align workforce and business development across 13 regions. The California Association for Local Economic Development’s Gerbach Sahota argued that local governments need practical tools, stable policy, and stronger partnerships with the state, while warning that prosperity is not always perceived as shared and that rural communities can be left behind. He urged the Legislature to use hearings, local input, and existing funding streams more effectively, including for recovery and infrastructure. David Fitzgerald of the Small Business Development Centers said California’s SBDC network serves hundreds of thousands of clients, many of them women and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs, and has generated billions in economic impact, capital access, revenue, and jobs. He said the biggest gaps are outreach to the state’s many self-employed businesses with no employees, better labor data on those workers, and more flexible support for direct services. Committee members then asked what small businesses need most in the face of inflation and tariff shocks, including lower licensing costs and other relief, and the discussion continued on how to better target state support to businesses and households under pressure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Rayner, I totally agree with your characterization of her.
• The Florida Chamber of Commerce, in its 2021 workforce needs study, said that 73% of job creators surveyed
• It does talk about work study, and when we put years and when we put a time frame on it, that helps as
• It does talk about work study, and when we put years and when we put a time frame on it, that helps as

Summary: The committee first took up HB 703 on utility relocation, as amended by a strike-all. The sponsor said the bill would require government authorities that order communication service providers to move infrastructure to pay the relocation costs, clarify expedited timelines, and align the House bill with the Senate version. Supporters argued the communication services tax should help cover these costs, while cities and counties warned the bill would shift major unfunded costs to local governments and taxpayers, especially in fiscally constrained counties. After public testimony from local government and industry representatives and debate over fairness, coordination, and the tax’s intended use, the committee adopted the strike-all and then passed the bill favorably on a roll call vote. The committee then heard and passed CS/HB 379, a securities package updating Chapter 517. The bill and conforming amendment made several technical and policy changes, including expanding certain exemptions, updating foreign jurisdiction and exchange considerations, revising merger-and-acquisition broker rules, aligning fingerprinting requirements with FBI standards, and adding protections related to financial exploitation of specified adults. Industry and Office of Financial Regulation witnesses supported the measure, and the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably without opposition. Next, the committee passed CS/HB 867 establishing the Coastal Link Commuter Rail Service Act to create a legal framework for commuter rail operations along Florida’s coastal corridor and to help Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties secure insurance and indemnification for service on the Florida East Coast Railway right-of-way. The Florida Chamber supported the bill, and it was reported favorably without debate. The committee also passed CS/HB 1161, which revises Florida’s deepfake law to require covered platforms to remove altered sexual depictions and copies upon request by the victim; the bill drew emotional testimony from a student victim and broad support from members, and a severability amendment was adopted before the bill passed unanimously. The committee then passed CS/HB 453 on pool and spa contractors, which updates Chapter 489 terminology and scope-of-practice rules and, through amendment, limits certain equipment to commercially available products. Finally, the committee passed HB 955 requiring all private employers to use E-Verify for new hires, removing the small-employer exemption. Supporters framed it as workforce integrity and rule-of-law legislation, while opponents warned about labor shortages, burdens on small businesses, and impacts on immigrant workers. After debate, the bill passed 19-3. The committee then began hearing CS/HB 541 on minimum wage requirements, which would allow voluntary waivers of minimum wage for certain internships, pre-apprenticeships, and on-the-job training; the sponsor presented an amendment limiting the duration and clarifying minor waivers, and the committee heard both support from small business groups and opposition from labor, immigrant, and worker advocates before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• No, it was $55,000, and that study just completed.
• We're still pursuing some kind of a wage and salary study, comp and class study, because the SPO study
• And seeing if we should pay for the study. I mean, we've already done a study across the board.
• Then the other question on this study, Mr.
• We have implemented all the Deloitte study positions.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:13.839> So, fraud, waste, and abuse. So, fraud, waste, and abuse.
• <00:19:33.720> um study um study um new<00:19:35.280> um<00:19:35.480> and<00:19
• ,<00:20:26.920> and issues with regard to fraud, waste, and issues with regard to fraud, waste
• , studies, studies, uh<00:44:03.000> service<00:44:03.840> locations<00:44:04.920> and
• And regard to the fraud waste and abuse.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Given the current lack of cost, production, safety, and nuclear waste management information on SMRs,
• Installation and operational costs are available and waste management systems and...
• Given the current lack of cost, production, safety, and nuclear waste management information on SMRs,
• and nuclear waste management information on<00:33:40.360> SMRs,<00:33:41.360> the<00:33
• available and waste management systems and ...and processes have been deployed and proven to be safe

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Chief Clerk will report the House File number 4017, an act relating to solid waste, requiring study
• This bill, House File 4017, is a study of unlawful shipment of infectious or pathological waste.
• This bill, House File 4017, is a study This bill, House File 4017, is a study of<00:11:16.240>
• The medical waste is a red bin.
• And basically what this conduct a study.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House received several Senate messages returning House File 3426 on natural resources and House File 4252 on higher education with Senate amendments, and in both cases the House refused to concur and moved to conference committee. The House also acceded to the Senate’s request for a conference committee on Senate File 4612, which concerns state government and Department of Health and Human Services provisions. Speaker appointments to the conference committees were announced for all three bills. The House then concurred in Senate amendments to House File 3522, a veterans bill allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to temporarily close state veterans homes under a CMS order. Representative Duran said the Senate had bundled several veterans-related bills into HF 3522, including measures on SGU veterans, National Guard pay, grant requirements in the MDBA process, burial eligibility in veterans and National Guard cemeteries, honor guard eligibility, and codifying a commandos task force. The bill passed 134-0 and was read to pass. On the floor calendar, Senate File 3210, a human rights bill on disability accommodations, was laid on the table by agreement for later consideration. House File 4017, a study bill on unlawful shipments of infectious or pathological waste, was presented as a worker-safety measure; an A6 technical amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 126-8. House File 4138, dealing with social media platforms and minors, was amended with A10 and A11 changes emphasizing transparency, privacy defaults, limits on data use, and a shift from “child” to “minor” in the age provisions; Representative Bonner argued for extending protections to age 18, while Representative Scott said the bill was a first step and opposed the amendment. The A11 amendment was adopted, and debate on the bill continued as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think back to almost 10 years ago when we had the solid waste study committee chaired by Chairman Eel
• I think back to almost 10 years ago when we had the solid waste study committee chaired by Chairman Eel
• I think back to almost 10 years ago when we had the solid waste study committee chaired by Chairman Eel
• Study committee chaired by Chairman Eel, and I was on that, and that gave us the, uh, 10-year solid waste
• waste days.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 49 by Darby Ela to the fluid asphalt, oil and gas waste and products and the byproducts of the waste
• schools or for the Committee on Public Education HB 2452 by cole relating to the provision of solid waste
• HB 2474 by Simmons relating to the study regarding the education or intention of the gynecologists in
• items or for the Committee on Ways and Means, HB 2482 by CRI relates to the prohibition and chronic waste
• HB 2542 by Kitzman relating to the establishment of a work group to study the recommendations on certain

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 49 by Darby, reeling to the fluid asphalt oil and gas waste and products and byproducts of the waste
• HB 2482 by Kerry Rueling to the Prohibition on Chronic Waste, Disease Contaminant Zones, and Surveillance
• culture, recreation and tourism, HB 2542 by Kitzman relating to the establishment of a work group to study
• of an enforcement action against the regional water supply. sewer, wastewater treatment, or solid waste
• Social Studies Curriculum for a Public School.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not say unless we can't find more waste, fraud, and abuse.
• It says find more waste, fraud, and abuse.
• <00:32:38.960> broaden going to want look for Waste broaden going to want look for Waste broaden
• system where there could potentially be waste that didn't happen.
• public facilities Authority for waste public facilities Authority for waste water<00:53:20.799><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know we'll talk a little bit about nuclear waste and the risks and rewards, but it is carbon free,
• Do we have any modern solutions for that waste?
• idea basically got shut down, and we now don't have a federal solution for the storage of nuclear waste
• well we thought we had a for that waste well we thought we had a solution<00:04:03.560> in<00
• There's innovations in the way we recycle nuclear waste.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe that I've distributed an amendment for the ISO New England study. Yeah. 690.
• um the uh ISO New England study. Yeah. um the uh ISO New England study.
• <00:44:05.280> management budget as far as solid waste management budget as far as solid waste
• Great." "416 with yard waste. Did we have anything we need to do that?"
• Great. 416<00:57:44.000> with<00:57:44.240> yard<00:57:44.559> waste.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is within the context of fire safety, but one study out of Minneapolis or Minnesota showed that
• And this bill says, keep safety, cut out the waste, allow us to use more of these buildings.
• And this bill says, keep safety, cut out the waste, allow us to use more of these buildings.
• The waste allows us to use more of these buildings, and the impact is immediate.
• And we can shift this so we can get more homes, better homes, lower costs, and less waste.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services met with a quorum, adopted the June 16, 2026 minutes, and then unanimously adopted S-1 substitutes for House Bills 5570 and 5571. The chair said the committee would take testimony and likely not move to final passage that day, in order to allow more discussion and questions. The bills, as substituted, would allow local governments to permit certain multifamily buildings up to four stories to be built or converted with a single staircase, subject to conditions such as limits on units per floor, floor size, and existing fire safety requirements. A sunset provision was described as ending the statute once LARA adopts corresponding building code rules. Representatives Fairbairn and Wooden testified in support, saying the bills are intended to address Michigan’s housing shortage by making smaller infill and “missing middle” projects more feasible and less costly. They argued the current two-stair requirement drives up costs, makes land assembly harder, and limits development on narrow or irregular lots. Senators asked about stair width, emergency safety, the choice of four stories instead of six, and why the American Institute of Architects opposed the approach; the sponsors said the 48-inch stair width was intended to allow two-way movement, four stories was a compromise aligned with expected code changes, and the architects preferred rulemaking over statutory change. Supportive testimony came from Pew Charitable Trusts, which said research from New York City, Seattle, and other places found fire death rates in modern single-stair buildings to be indistinguishable from other multifamily buildings, and that modern safety features such as sprinklers, alarms, and fire-rated construction make these buildings safe. A developer from Ann Arbor and the Michigan Home Builders Association said the reform would improve floor-plan efficiency, reduce wasted circulation space, lower construction costs, and help smaller projects pencil out. Abundant Housing Michigan also supported the bills, estimating they could reduce apartment construction costs by nearly 13%. The clerk read in numerous written cards in support from business, housing, municipal, and advocacy groups, while the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs and the Michigan Professional Firefighters Union were listed as neutral. The committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• 1, have led to tens of millions of dollars being siphoned away from our kids in classrooms through waste
• Every dollar wasted on luxury perks is a dollar stolen from a kid's classroom.
• It's about stopping waste and abuse, such as getting paying millions of dollars for Super Bowl ads for
• You know, we've talked a lot in Texas, we want to study the low-performing schools.
• Well, we should be studying the high-performing schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Madam Chair. ...you know what unfolds with BWS before embarking on this desalination study
• Pursuant to Act 238, passed in 2022, they did a decarbonization study that was a significant body of
• Pursuant to Act 238, passed in 2022, they did a decarbonization study that was a significant body of
• from other parts stuff there are studies from other parts of<00:19:35.440> the<00:19:35.600><
• of that sort in there's been a study of that sort in Hawaii<00:19:52.440> to<00:19:52.679>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water and Land met on March 21, 2025, and considered several resolutions related to water resources, coastal management, and energy planning. On SCR 42/SR 27, which urged DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife to prioritize restoration and protection of additional wetlands and anchialine ponds, DLNR supported the measure and suggested a technical correction changing a reference from the Division of Agriculture to the Division of Aquatic Resources. Testimony from Hā‘ena Reef and Ocean Coalition, Maui Ocean Center, and individuals was in support. The committee recommended passage with technical and non-substantive amendments. The committee also heard SCR 54/SR 36, which would create a desalination planning task force to study whether large-scale desalination for potable water is feasible. DLNR and CWRM said the proposal was a large undertaking and raised capacity concerns, noting the Board of Water Supply was already moving forward with its own desalination planning. BWS testified in support, saying its project was still in planning and design, with construction not expected until late 2027 or 2028, and that the project would produce about 1.7 million gallons per day to supplement Ewa’s water supply. Members discussed whether the task force might duplicate existing work and noted the measure focused on consumption rather than other desalination uses. The committee ultimately recommended passage with technical and non-substantive amendments. For SCR 59/SR 43, which asked DLNR, the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, and the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission to work together on maintaining the Kihei ramp, DLNR reported ongoing collaboration and listed prior improvements including paving, washdown work, dredging, and a retaining wall. The committee recommended passage with technical and non-substantive amendments. On SCR 106/SR 87, which requested a study of which energy sector could be most quickly and cost-effectively decarbonized through public investment in combustion-free alternatives, OPSD said the State Energy Office had already completed a decarbonization study under Act 238 (2022) and a follow-up alternative fuels analysis, and suggested the resolution duplicated existing work. Energy Justice Network testified in support, arguing the proposal would build on prior studies by focusing on non-combustion options such as wind, solar, and storage. Despite support from several organizations and individuals, the committee deferred the measure indefinitely. The committee also passed SR 18 as is, passed SC 51/SR 33 as is, deferred SC 47, and passed SC 76/SR 59 with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have others that need traffic studies or environmental studies.
• One is Highway 73, Jefferson Highway, and Baton Rouge—that, you know, I think you would characterize

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or formal actions. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black outlined the department’s transformation efforts, emphasizing faster project delivery, improved transparency, and use of technology. They reported major reductions in contractor payment processing time, from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, and change-order approvals from about 40–45 days to around five days. They also described new tools such as inspection tablets, a project delivery dashboard, e-ticketing, a customer service portal, and a pilot using sensor technology on department vehicles to identify potholes and damaged assets. The department said it is reorganizing district staffing, replacing the old area engineer model with district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, without increasing total staff. Members focused heavily on local maintenance concerns, including potholes, drainage, culverts, mowing, overgrown ditches, and utility-related delays. Several legislators asked how to get quicker responses on routine maintenance and how to distinguish state responsibility from local jurisdiction. DOTD said it would meet with district administrators to address specific problems and clarify jurisdiction, and that the new customer service portal should help track complaints electronically. Members also asked about contractor accountability, utility relocations, and public communication on long-running projects; DOTD said it is improving internal KPIs, coordinating more closely with district staff and public information officers, and considering broader public updates beyond the website. The department also reviewed highway planning and funding. Officials said the Highway Priority Program is being reworked into a more fiscally constrained, staged process that starts earlier in concept development and gives legislators and constituents more feedback before the annual road show. They said the department is using new IDIQ contracting authority to bring in outside help for bridge maintenance and other work, and that bridge maintenance backlogs remain significant. DOTD reported that LTIF 1.0 and 2.0 together cover 91 projects statewide totaling more than $534 million, with over 40 complete, and that LTIF 3.0 adds 39 projects and about $165 million. Combined with other funding sources, the department said its upcoming construction program will include 385 projects worth about $1.73 billion. Legislators generally praised the department’s progress but raised concerns about lingering local problems and the need for clearer communication. Questions were also asked about a barge strike on the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge, with DOTD saying divers and staff were inspecting the damage and that emergency repairs would likely be needed. After the DOTD update, the new Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, led by Archie Chesson, gave its own update on its first year, describing a small staff, heavy use of consultant and contractor pools, emergency procurement authority, and rapid delivery of rural bridge and roadway projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I still encourage everyone to study that little green book or it might be a yellow book next Year
• Now, the Charlotte Lozier Institute actually published in 2025 a study on how many abortion pills were
• about the language on the bill, I wanted to ask that question because I'm hearing some of these characterizations

Bills: HB1168

Keywords: abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, methotrexate, pro-life, pro-choice, reproductive health, unborn child, trafficking, felony, contraception, pharmacist, pharmacy, Title 63, Oklahoma statutes, abortion pill, drug distribution, criminal penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• National studies find that nearly all students use... ...National studies find that nearly all students
• I don't know that I would characterize it as large, but yes, there is an emergency transportation fund

Bills: SB23, SB73, SB210, SB234, SB243, SB244, SM16

Keywords: student use, wireless devices, public schools, policy implementation, education technology funding, driver education, driver's ed, driving school, motorcycle safety, traffic safety, vulnerable road users, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, cyclist, bike lane, micromobility, scooter, moped, motorcycle training, DWI prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• because it allows same-sex couples to secure legal recognition of parentage without requiring home studies
• I think that that issue has been characterized as fairly esoteric.
• Researchers wouldn't be able to study policy impacts.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on civil rights, family law, privacy, housing, and artificial intelligence. SB 477 would clarify FEHA procedures for the Civil Rights Department, including tolling deadlines by agreement and updating complaint definitions; it drew some concern about venue and convenience but was moved forward. SB 450 would confirm California jurisdiction over adoption proceedings for children born in the state even if families have moved away, and would require all legal parents to be listed on adoption orders; it received strong support, especially from LGBTQ family advocates, and passed to Appropriations. SB 683 would clarify that people whose name, image, or likeness is misused may seek TROs or injunctions under existing publicity-rights law; opposition from media and First Amendment groups focused on the 48-hour compliance default and speech concerns, but the bill advanced as amended to Privacy and Consumer Protection. The committee also considered SB 11, the AI Abuse Protection Act, which would regulate voice, image, and video cloning technology, require warnings, and direct the Judicial Council to develop evidence standards for AI; it passed to Public Safety. SCR 66, a resolution designating May 1 as Law Day and emphasizing the rule of law, was adopted unanimously after supportive comments from members. SB 808 would create expedited judicial review for housing permit denials that violate state law; supporters said it would reduce costly delay and help housing production, while the Judicial Council opposed it as imposing unreasonable timelines and staffing burdens. The bill passed to Appropriations despite concerns about court resources and broader housing-law issues. The committee then took up two privacy bills from Senator Wiener. SB 59 would automatically keep confidential court records for adult and retroactive gender/name change petitions, expanding protections previously enacted for minors; supporters described real-world doxxing and harassment, while opponents raised First Amendment and public-records objections, and the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 497 would require warrants for out-of-state law enforcement access to California prescription monitoring data, expand transgender shield protections for gender-affirming care records, and bar certain disclosures without legal process; the author framed it as a response to out-of-state anti-trans enforcement, and the bill was presented with support from trans advocacy groups.