Transcript Highlights:

• Our Constitution requires us to focus on budget, revenue, taxation in the 30-day.
• So any comments from anyone about that for the committee or how it's working. Any questions?

Committee: Senate Senate Committees' Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Revenue and Taxation will now come to order.
• This proposal is grounded in prior state work.
• We look forward to working strongly support.
• We're working out those details. Okay.
• We're working. zone of a sensitive receptor.

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 1277, which would create a California Cost of Living Tax Credit modeled on the 2022 middle-class tax refund to provide refundable relief to low- and middle-income Californians facing high housing, fuel, energy, and general living costs. Senator Grove and supporters, including the California Policy Center and some local government representatives, argued the bill would put direct relief into the hands of working families. Opposition came from the California Tax Reform Association and the California Teachers Association, which said California already has progressive tax credits and that the proposal would be costly to the General Fund and reduce money for schools and other services. After extended debate, the bill was not advanced; a roll call vote on a motion to pass it to Appropriations failed 1-4, and the bill was held/fails on the floor with a request for reconsideration noted. The committee then heard SB 1287, which would create a capped tax credit to encourage private investment in short-line railroad infrastructure. The author and rail industry witnesses said the measure would improve safety, reliability, emissions, and freight movement, especially for rural communities and agriculture, and that it was a public-private partnership rather than a handout. Opposition from CTA and the California Tax Reform Association argued a direct grant program would be preferable to a tax credit. The bill was accepted with committee amendments and placed on call without a final vote in the transcript. Members also considered SB 1407, which would fully exempt military retirement pay and surviving spouse benefits from state income tax, increasing the prior partial exemption. The author, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and veterans’ groups said the change would help retain veterans in California, support local economies, and align California with most other states. CTA and CTRA opposed on General Fund grounds. The committee approved the bill on a due-pass-as-amended motion to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, with the roll call showing support and the bill placed on call. Later, the committee heard SB 1349, directing the Legislative Analyst’s Office to review major tax expenditures and evaluate their goals, beneficiaries, and effects on revenues and Proposition 98 funding. CTA, CTRA, and several local government and labor supporters backed the bill as a way to improve accountability for roughly $94 billion in annual tax expenditures. The bill was accepted with committee amendments and placed on call. The committee also heard SB 1078, authorizing Santa Cruz County to ask voters for a temporary half-cent sales tax to help fund health care and safety-net services amid federal cuts; it was placed on call. SB 1120, extending the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035 and making it refundable for certain strategic industries, received strong support from business and manufacturing groups and was passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations. Finally, SB 1275, which would replace the state sales tax on vehicle purchases with a vehicle license fee structure intended to increase federal deductibility for Californians, was passed 4-0 as amended to the Committee on Transportation.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Revenue and Taxation will now come to order.
• This proposal is grounded in prior state work.
• This proposal is grounded in prior state work.
• They are working. Their kids are going to school.
• We're working out those details. Okay.

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The committee heard several tax and revenue measures. SB 1277, by Senator Grove, proposed a California Cost of Living Tax Credit modeled on the 2022 middle-class tax refund to provide direct relief to low- and middle-income Californians facing high housing, gas, energy, and general living costs. Supporters said it would help working families, farmworkers, teachers, and others; opponents, including the California Tax Reform Association and the California Teachers Association, argued California already has a progressive tax system, that refundable credits are costly and can be difficult to administer, and that the bill would reduce General Fund revenues and Proposition 98 funding. The bill was held on call after extensive debate and no motion was made at that time. The committee then heard SB 1287, which would create a targeted tax credit to encourage private investment in short-line railroad infrastructure. The author and rail industry witnesses said the credit would support safety, bridge and track upgrades, emissions reductions, freight efficiency, and rural and agricultural supply chains, while opponents argued a direct grant program would be preferable to a tax credit. The bill was accepted with committee amendments and placed on call after a motion to move it forward. SB 1407 would exempt military retirement pay and surviving spouse benefits from state income tax, with the author, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and veterans’ groups arguing it would help retain veterans in California, support second careers, and keep federal retirement dollars in the state. The California Teachers Association and California Tax Reform Association opposed it as another tax expenditure that would reduce General Fund revenue. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, with several members voting aye and others not voting, and the bill was placed on call. The committee also heard SB 1349, which directs the Legislative Analyst’s Office to review major tax expenditures and evaluate their costs, beneficiaries, and effectiveness. Supporters, including CTA, AFSCME, cities, counties, and many teachers, said the state needs more accountability for roughly $94 billion in annual tax expenditures and their impact on schools and the budget. The bill was moved with committee amendments and placed on call. Additional measures discussed included SB 1078, authorizing Santa Cruz County to seek voter approval for a temporary local sales tax increase to fund health care and safety-net services; SB 1120, extending the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035 and making it refundable for certain strategic industries; and SB 1275, which would convert the state sales tax on vehicle purchases into a deductible vehicle license fee to reduce Californians’ federal tax burden. SB 1120 and SB 1275 both received support from business and industry witnesses, with no opposition testimony noted, and were moved on call or with a due pass as amended vote as the committee continued through the file.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Revenue and Taxation will now come to order.
• This proposal is grounded in prior state work.
• This proposal is grounded in prior state work.
• We're working out those details. Okay.
• We're working. zone of a sensitive receptor.

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• She has been working on a bill that she will be bringing forward.
• I want to thank my colleague for her work on this important issue.
• The city and county are working on a plan to address the change.
• Colleagues, we must work hard to improve our mental health care systems, and clearly our work is far
• Her work was more than just news coverage.

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and opened with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Members then moved through guest introductions, including students and fellows from California Lutheran University, UC Merced’s CAPE program, the Maddy Institute, and Madera High School’s Madtown Robotics Team 1323, which was recognized for multiple robotics world championships. The chamber also adopted an adjournment in memory and took up the daily file. Several bills and resolutions were considered and passed, including AB 1390 on school board compensation thresholds, AB 1338 on air district cost recovery for fence-line air monitoring, AB 648 on community college housing, AB 1207 on cap-and-trade price ceilings, ACR 66 recognizing Skin Cancer Awareness Month, AB 49 on keeping ICE out of public schools, AB 317 on a CEQA exemption for certain single-family homes, AB 527 on geothermal exploratory wells, AB 665 on the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation ombudsman report, AB 940 creating quantum innovation zones, AB 1021 on workforce housing for education agencies, AB 1112 on property tax apportionment in Rancho Mirage, AB 1318 on nonprofit eligibility for public funding, and AB 1470 on using student housing loan funds for affordable housing in downtowns and commercial districts. Most measures passed with broad support; AB 49 and AB 1318 were urgency bills and passed with the required higher vote threshold. The floor also adopted H.R. 40, declaring May 25 as Rosenda’s Day to honor a teen killed by a drunk driver, and H.R. 42, recognizing May as Behavioral Health Awareness Month. Both drew extensive personal testimony from members about mental health, suicide, substance use, and the need to reduce stigma and expand access to care. Additional health-related bills passed, including AB 408 creating a physician health and wellness program, AB 546 requiring coverage for HEPA purifiers for certain enrollees after wildfire disasters, AB 967 expediting licenses for out-of-state physicians, and AB 968 expanding pharmacist authority to provide non-hormonal contraception. The Assembly also debated AB 1056 on phasing out gill net fishing and AB 1376 on limiting juvenile probation terms, with supporters framing both as conservation or rehabilitation measures and opponents warning about economic harm or public safety concerns. Both bills ultimately passed. Throughout the session, members repeatedly emphasized public safety, education, housing, climate, health care access, and support for immigrant and youth communities, with recorded roll-call votes and voice votes taken on each measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is important because we know that early intervention works.
• They do the work to assure that this is the right place for the...
• They do the work to assure that this is the right place for the vote.
• The free market solution is not working.
• So although I really would like this to work, I'm going to be voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• Through her leadership, she has worked to ensure that Bruce Lee's philosophy, artistry, and cultural
• hard work over the last several months, and also Bridget Nuno from Sacramento State.
• So welcome to the Assembly floor, ladies, and thank you so much for your incredible work.
• The Assembly floor, ladies, and thank you so much for your incredible work.
• I am committed to continue to work with stakeholders with any further concerns in the Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so with that, everything will work.
• And so with that, everything will work basically like we did last year.
• And we will certainly want to work and fix any of those problems.
• So how would this mechanics of this work?
• So how would this mechanics of this work, or how would you propose that this works?

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• A remote driver is one that actually can perform the driving task from a remote location.
• A remote driver is one that actually can perform the driving task from a remote location.
• A remote driver is one that actually can perform the driving task from a remote location.
• Our technical folks are working on it remotely. So we will wait patiently while they do that.
• I will work through it.

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• A remote driver is one that actually can perform the driving task from a remote location.
• A remote driver is one that actually can perform the driving task from a remote location.
• Our technical folks are working on it remotely. And so we will wait patiently while they do that.
• Our employees live and work here.
• I will work through it.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard an informational hearing on California’s newly finalized autonomous vehicle regulations, with DMV and CHP officials describing the updated framework and committee members pressing them on safety, enforcement, and first-responder impacts. DMV said the rules, effective April 28, 2026, expand reporting, create a phased permitting system from testing to deployment, add requirements for safety cases, remote operations, and first-responder coordination, and open a path for heavy-duty AV testing and deployment while still prohibiting oversized loads and hazardous materials. CHP said it worked with DMV on enforcement tools, first-responder interaction plans, and training local agencies on the new notice of noncompliance process. Members asked about crash data, immobilizations, freeway and construction-zone safety, weigh-station enforcement, and whether foreign licenses can qualify for remote assistants or drivers; DMV and CHP said the rules are intended to keep AVs accountable and that heavy-duty AVs will be held to the same roadway standards as human-driven commercial vehicles. A second panel focused on data collection and enforcement. Consumer attorneys argued the prior rules were too limited because DMV stopped collecting meaningful data once AVs moved from testing to deployment, making it difficult for the public and litigants to understand incidents; they supported the new regulations but urged that the collected information be made public. The industry association said California now has the nation’s most robust AV oversight, with monthly or quarterly reporting of collisions, system failures, immobilizations, harsh braking, vehicle miles traveled, and notices of noncompliance, plus broad DMV authority to restrict or suspend operations. In response to questions, the industry said it generally supports the new framework, believes the regulations are clear, and does not favor full federal preemption of state AV rules, though it wants federal standards for design, construction, and performance. A third panel addressed first-responder interaction and remote operations. The San Francisco Fire Department described repeated AV interference with emergency scenes and said AVs have generated hundreds of “sleeper calls,” where passengers fall asleep and trigger 911 responses; the department said these incidents consume significant staff time and it wants better protocols to reduce unnecessary dispatches. Waymo said it has trained thousands of public-safety personnel, maintains a 24/7 emergency line, uses geofencing/avoid-the-area messages, and can allow first responders to manually override or move vehicles when needed. Committee members asked about sleeper-call prevention, remote assistant licensing and drug testing, communication redundancies during outages, and how manual overrides work for vehicles without traditional controls; Waymo said it is collaborating with responders and that its vehicles are designed to reach a safe stop if connectivity is lost. The final panel began with testimony on heavy-duty autonomous vehicles. A transportation researcher said freight is essential to California’s economy and that heavy-duty AVs pose distinct safety risks because of their weight, stopping distance, and the potentially severe consequences of crashes or immobilizations on highways. He said the new regulations are important because they create a regulated pathway for heavy-duty AV deployment, require a safety case, set mileage thresholds, and add reporting categories that can serve as leading safety indicators. The hearing was still in progress when the transcript ended, with additional testimony expected from labor and industry witnesses on heavy-duty AV deployment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not going to work with you.
• We're not going to work with you.
• We're not going to work with you.
• We're not going to work with you.
• if they're working maybe aren't working if they're working well<00:47:34.240><c> if</c><00:47:34.359

Summary: The House State Government Committee met with a quorum and first considered House Bill 491 by Representative Steve Riley. The committee adopted a proposed committee substitute, then heard that the bill would raise the threshold for certain capital project and equipment purchases from $200,000 to $500,000, remove a requirement for a special board meeting when replacing a board of regents member, allow certain employees or contractors to perform capital construction work up to $500,000, remove limits on retired police officers working at postsecondary institutions, and speed release of pension information to employers. Members asked about reporting and oversight of the higher threshold, and the witness said the records are maintained by institutions and available upon request. HB 491 passed on a 19-0 roll call vote. The committee then heard House Bill 738 by Representative Griffey, relating to state personnel and the constitutional officers. The bill would give independently elected constitutional officers more flexibility to hire unclassified employees and set salaries for classified employees up to the midpoint without Personnel Cabinet approval, while leaving pay scales, appropriations, and funding limits unchanged. Representative Griffey and witnesses from the auditor’s office said the measure was intended to reduce red tape, address salary compression, improve pay equity, and help recruit and retain staff; they also said it would allow offices to fill policy roles needed for audits and other work. Members questioned the fiscal note, salary caps, and whether the bill would affect future budget requests. The bill passed 18-1, with one pass, and the chair noted it would move favorably to the House floor. After those bills, the committee briefly welcomed Taiwan’s consul general, Elliot Wang, and Representative Adam Bowling spoke about Kentucky’s relationship with Taiwan, including trade, investment, and prior assistance during disasters. Wang described Taiwan’s economic ties with the United States, ongoing trade and investment developments, defense and education cooperation, and people-to-people exchange programs, noting Kentucky was the first state to sign an education cooperation MOU with Taiwan in 2021.

Transcript Highlights:

• families, who are working people. will run, who are working families, who are working people.
• I've worked small businesses. I've worked for major corporations.
• I've worked in the private sector, and I've worked in the public sector.
• She has two people working for her.
• I think we would also want more working families, working people.

Bills: HB145 , HB164 , HJR6 , HR1 , HB20 , HB65 , HB66 , HB80 , HB166 , HB295 , HB306 , SB29 , SB37 , HB99 , HB206 , HB213 , HB270 , HJR5 , SB104 , SB193 , HJM2 , HJM3 , HJM1 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM32 , HM13 , HM47 , HM20 , HM51 , HM1 , HM31 , HM35 , HM36 , HM46 , HM53 , HM54 , HM39 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50

Summary: The House of Representatives held an African-American Day celebration recognizing the second Friday in February as required by state statute and honoring the contributions of African Americans in New Mexico and nationally. The program included the national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Pledge of Allegiance, an invocation, and remarks from Representative Janelle Anyanoru and others. A central feature was recognition of the “Talented 10,” ten African American women leaders in New Mexico, including officials and community leaders in city government, education, the judiciary, business, and public service. The chamber also recognized numerous guests and community leaders, including Senator Harold Pope, the first African American elected to the New Mexico Senate, and concluded the celebration with a musical performance and closing remarks about diversity and inclusion. After the celebration, the House moved into announcements and then messages and committee reports. Members recognized guests and community efforts, including organ donation awareness, the New Mexico Community Foundation, and a Beclavito Chapter House delegation. The House received a Senate message transmitting Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 241, the Child Care Assistance Program Act, which was referred to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. Several committee reports were adopted, including House Bill 132, House Bill 199 via a committee substitute, Senate Bills 38, 101, and 58 as amended, House Bill 38 via a committee substitute, House Memorial 59, House Bill 256, House Memorial 43, Senate Bill 64 as amended, House Bill 93, House Bill 254 as amended, and House Memorial 29. The chamber then began third reading debate on House Joint Resolution 5, a proposed constitutional amendment to provide legislative compensation tied to New Mexico’s median household income. Supporters argued it would modernize the legislature, broaden access to working people, and improve accountability; opponents questioned the timing, amount, and fairness of paying legislators while many constituents struggle economically. The debate continued with no final vote shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's 10 o'clock in the morning, and House Revenue and Taxation is called to order.
• Thank you for your work today. Yes, Representative Gannon, question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• Seeing no more red lights, and again, thank you for your work today.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• not part of the working group.
• not part of the working group.
• And so, my testimony was that we have concerns with forming a working group, just a legislative working
• </c> not form a working group. not form a working group.
• And so, my testimony was that we have concerns with forming a working group, just a legislative working

Bills: SB2069 , SB2177 , SB2342 , SB2060 , SB2544 , SB3011 , SB2061 , SB2552

Committee: House Housing

Summary: The House Housing Committee opened its Friday morning hearing by noting potentially catastrophic flooding on the island and acknowledging that some members were absent helping their communities, so quorum for voting was uncertain. The committee then heard testimony on several housing-related measures, with most bills drawing support from housing agencies and community organizations and little or no opposition in the room. On SB 2069 SD2, SB 2177 SD2, and SB 2342 SD2, witnesses largely supported the measures. HHFDC supported SB 2069 and SB 2177, and HPHA supported SB 2342. For SB 2342, HHFDC raised concerns that the bill would alter the Qualified Allocation Plan outside the normal open, public process required by federal law and could exclude stakeholders; Kathy Charities echoed those concerns and also objected to changing point allocations in ways that could raise rents and weaken long-term affordability. Members questioned HHFDC about how the QAP is normally updated, the meaning of the point system, and whether a legislative working group could mandate changes; HHFDC said recommendations would still need public hearing and board approval. The committee also heard SB 2060 SD2, which would create a mixed-income subaccount in the rental housing revolving fund. HHFDC said the subaccount would likely use tier-two funds, estimated at about $100 million total, to support mixed-income projects above 60% AMI, citing Front Street Apartments as a possible example. Members asked about project selection and funding needs. On SB 2544 SD2, OHA opposed the bill’s Chapter 6E-related exemptions and mandatory review timelines, arguing that burial review protections should not be weakened and that the SPEED Task Force process was a better venue for streamlining. The sponsor later clarified that the bill was not meant to eliminate the 60-day review process but to make the deadline clearer. For SB 3011 SD1, which concerns public housing and pet ownership, HPHA and several humane organizations supported the measure, saying it would help low-income residents and seniors keep pets and benefit from animal companionship. HPHA explained its existing pet policy, including deposits, monthly fees, and restrictions, and said the requested funding would support ADA-accessible pet areas and related administration. Finally, on SB 2061 SD2, HCDA supported the bill while OHA opposed it unless protections for Hawaiian Crown and Government lands were strengthened. Committee members questioned the project’s 60/40 split between income-restricted and market-rate units, the 10-year owner-occupancy restriction, and the procurement exemption; the sponsor said the exemption was tied to a real estate transaction and that the project would still use 103D-like solicitation procedures. No votes were taken during the hearing, and several items were left for later action because quorum was uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the time that we're set to start our House Revenue and Taxation Committee, and that committee
• We were modifying and working on some issues for projects that were currently under construction.
• So we were working on some timeline issues for some of those things.
• So we were working on some timeline issues for some of those things.
• Yeah, we were working on that.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• But, of course, I love all things taxation and really working with all of our stakeholders to try to
• I very much look forward to working with you.
• , could work.
• We ask that you consider this and that you work with us to find a solution that works.
• That doesn't work in business.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on March 13, 2025, for its first meeting of the session, with member and staff introductions followed by consideration of several tax-related bills. The committee first heard HJR 163 and its implementing bill HB 165, which would extend the homestead property tax exemption for quadriplegics to surviving spouses, similar to the treatment for surviving spouses of certain disabled veterans. Sponsor Rep. Tant and constituent J.R. Harding described the financial and caregiving burdens faced by spouses of quadriplegics. The committee heard supportive testimony from the Florida Association of Property Appraisers and members voted both measures favorably without opposition. The committee then considered HB 785 on heated tobacco products. Rep. Tramont said the bill would create a new tax/regulatory category for the product, and an amendment clarifying the definition was adopted. The James Madison Institute offered a resource on the issue, the Florida Retail Federation waived in support, and Ranking Member Eskamani said she had concerns about the excise tax treatment and would vote no. The bill passed 16-1. Next, HB 321, a property tax exemption clarification for homes for the aged, was presented by Rep. Smith as a technical “glitch bill” to align state law with IRS tax code and ease development of low-income senior housing. It drew supportive testimony and passed unanimously. The final bill, HB 503 by Rep. Botana, would cap local government revenue from local business taxes and require refunds if collections exceed the cap, with carve-outs for fiscally constrained areas. Local government and economic development groups, including the Florida League of Cities, the City of Winter Haven, the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, and the Florida Association of Counties, opposed the bill, arguing it would limit funding for public safety, inspections, economic development, and other services and create administrative refund problems. Several members supported the bill as a tax-cutting measure, while others warned of impacts on local services and revenue flexibility. The committee reported HB 503 favorably on a 14-5 vote, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is working in 38 states. I don't see that... Making the money. This is working in 38 states.
• It's a bill I've been working on for multiple years now.
• I appreciate your work on this bill.
• Is that how this is working?” “Right.
• “Is that how this is working?” “Right.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal by roll call vote, 115-6. Members then used points of personal privilege to honor Redd Foxx for Black History Month and to remember former Mayor Frank Klipsch, followed by the introduction of a first-grade special guest page for the day. The chamber also received first readings of three bills on mental health efforts in public schools, public labor organizations, and state contracts with certain telecommunications companies, along with committee reports recommending passage of several bills. The House then debated and passed several measures. A large vehicle-inspection bill, House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1838, 1692, 1695, 1983, 2036, 2662, and 2743, drew extended debate over whether inspections improve safety or impose unnecessary costs; it passed 104-43. House Bill 1917, a Jefferson County water district bill aimed at removing a local obstacle to a long-planned development, passed 148-2. House Bill 261, as amended, was approved 109-21 to require Missouri schools and universities to adopt nondiscriminatory policies protecting Jewish students from antisemitic harassment, using the IHRA definition as a guide while stating it would not limit First Amendment rights. Members also passed House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2384, 92-61, which would limit local energy-code mandates and reduce housing construction costs, despite objections that it would preempt local control and roll back newer codes. The chamber then moved into perfection and took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2989, a major gaming-regulation bill intended to legalize and regulate video lottery terminals and crack down on illegal machines. Multiple amendments were adopted, including a $250-per-terminal fee dedicated to developmental disability services, local opt-out and operating-hour provisions, a shorter grace period for existing machines, property-tax language, a 21-and-over restricted area requirement, a larger warning label, and a historical funding provision for the steamboat Arabia. Debate continued on the bill and its amendments, with supporters emphasizing regulation, local control, and new revenue, and opponents warning about gambling expansion, enforcement problems, and social harms.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is this working? Okay. Okay.
• or the heating system doesn't work.
• or the heating system doesn't work.
• But much more work must be done.
• They can't work on their campaign.

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Appreciate your work. Thank you.
• You do the work, you get the job. You don't do the work, you don't get the job.
• and to pay them while they're not working?
• To cover the cost of the employees missing work and to pay them while they're not working.
• work.

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1167, which would allow municipalities and counties to satisfy certain public-notice requirements by posting advertisements, publications, and printings on their official websites. The sponsor argued the bill is permissive, intended to modernize notice practices, reduce costs, and help governments meet statutory deadlines, while a Blackmun amendment required a six-month transition period in which notices would still be published in newspapers and the public would be alerted to the change. Newspaper and media representatives, along with tribal and rural community advocates, opposed the bill, arguing that print notices remain important for transparency, historical recordkeeping, and access in areas with limited internet service. Supporters from county and local government said newspaper publication schedules have become unreliable and that websites are a more effective way to reach the public. The committee adopted the Blackmun amendment and then passed SB 1167 as amended on a 4-3 vote. The committee then considered SB 1021, as amended by a strike-everything that would require the Auditor General to refer evidence of possible criminal activity involving health profession regulatory boards to the Attorney General, with procedures for investigation and conflict-of-interest handling. The sponsor and amendment sponsor said the measure would create a mechanism for criminal findings in audit work to be acted on. With no opposition testimony, the committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1021 as amended on a 4-3 vote. Next was SB 1011, which would require county medical examiners or forensic pathologists to review an infant’s immunization and vaccination history, along with any countermeasures administered in the prior 90 days, in sudden unexplained infant death cases. The sponsor said the bill was a data-collection measure meant to improve accuracy, transparency, and prevention efforts. Opponents, including vaccine advocacy and disability representatives, said Arizona already collects this information, that unsafe sleep is the primary issue in most SIDS cases, and that the bill could fuel misinformation about vaccines. The committee passed SB 1011 on a 4-3 vote. The committee also heard SB 1013, a merit-based public employment bill that would prohibit hiring based on conditions other than merit. Supporters said it would ensure public employees are selected by qualifications and objective criteria; opponents argued existing law already bars discrimination and that the bill could create litigation risks and hinder outreach to underrepresented communities. The committee passed SB 1013 on a 4-3 vote. Finally, the committee considered SB 1015 and a strike-everything amendment that would replace the bill’s original detransition-liability language with the Arizona Thriving Families Act, creating a family and medical leave insurance program within Medicaid beginning in 2029. The original bill sponsor defended the underlying detransition-related liability concept as accountability and support for detransitioners, while opponents said it would function as a discriminatory backdoor ban on transition care for minors. The transcript ends during debate and explanation of the strike-everything amendment, before a final vote on SB 1015 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:36.120><c> providing</c> of Taxation providing of Taxation providing comments<00:07:38.479
• First up, Department of Health, in support. pride at work in support Nate Hicks pride at work in support
• She says the pilot would help work out issues like insurance so the work can be done in a sustainable
• Laura Toiki of the Malama Ohana Working Group, in support. Okay, thank you, Laura.
• </c><00:27:17.960><c> group</c> toiki of um malama Ohana working group toiki of um malama Ohana working

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a long calendar of health-related measures, beginning with SB 297, a proposed constitutional amendment to protect reproductive freedom. Supporters included medical, labor, and advocacy groups, while opponents, including Hawaii Family Forum and Hawaii Christian Coalition, argued the term “reproductive freedom” was too vague and could be misunderstood. Testimony on SB 350, a similar constitutional amendment protecting contraception, also drew strong support from medical and advocacy groups and opposition from religious organizations; one witness said the measure was especially important to protect reproductive care and contraception. Several bills focused on health system administration and public health. SB 1438 on home care agencies, SB 1439 on nuisances, SB 1441 on transferring the AAHU regional health care system to the Department of Health, SB 1442 on children’s mental health services, SB 1443 on the Department of Health, SB 1444 on general excise tax, and SB 1445 on youth mental health all received mostly supportive testimony from state agencies and community organizations. On SB 1445, the Hawaii State LGBTQ Commission asked that LGBTQI+ and Native Hawaiian youth be specifically considered in mental health services. SB 1450, creating an intensive mobile team pilot for houseless individuals with serious brain disorders, drew support from state agencies and providers; a street medicine advocate said the pilot could help address sustainability, insurance, and service delivery on the streets. The committee also heard testimony on access and workforce measures, including SB 1596 on nursing, SB 1565 on acupuncture, SB 1564 on Medicaid, SB 1418 for an emergency DHS appropriation, SB 1417 on crimes against protective services workers, SB 1411 on Medicaid third-party liability, SB 1399 on a family resilience pilot program, SB 1398 on trauma-informed care, SB 1281 on telehealth, and SB 1279 on telepharmacy. Most of these measures drew broad support from agencies, provider groups, and advocacy organizations. On SB 1281, HMSA opposed the bill as written, warning about audio-only telehealth and federal rule changes, while other health groups supported it as important for rural, kupuna, and disabled residents. On SB 1417, a Honolulu Police Department captain supported stronger protections for DHS workers but could not provide complaint data and said he would follow up later. The hearing ended with the chair noting quorum and asking whether the committee was ready for decision making; no votes or final actions were recorded in the transcript.