Transcript Highlights:

• Although the 405 freeway has been fully open to vehicular traffic for almost two years, we've been informed
• Although the 4 or 5 freeway has been fully open to vehicular traffic for almost two years, we've been
• Revitalizing this area requires real tools to attract new businesses, nightlife, and foot traffic.
• New restaurants and nightlife would help transform downtown into a 24/7 destination, driving foot traffic
• San Francisco, and this is again another attempt to provide the kind of tourism, the kind of foot traffic

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Organization heard several bills related to outdoor advertising, open meetings, and San Francisco economic development. SB 364 by Senator Strickland would speed up processing of outdoor advertising permits by allowing Caltrans to act on applications as freeway projects are completed in segments, and clarifies customary maintenance of signs. Supporters said the bill would reduce permit backlogs and help local governments and the billboard industry; there was no opposition. The committee passed SB 364 to Appropriations, with the roll left open for additional votes. SB 470 by Senator Laird would extend until January 1, 2030 the sunset on the alternative Bagley-Keene open meeting rules adopted in SB 544, allowing state boards and commissions to continue using remote participation under specified conditions. Supporters from the Little Hoover Commission and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities said the current law has increased public participation, saved money, and improved access for people with disabilities and caregivers. Opponents, including ACA of California Action, the California News Publishers Association, and media and transparency groups, argued the bill weakens in-person public access and accountability. The committee approved SB 470 to Appropriations, with some no votes and the roll held open. SB 395 by Senator Wiener would let San Francisco create a hospitality zone in Union Square/Yerba Buena with up to 20 additional non-transferable liquor licenses for restaurants to support downtown recovery. City and business representatives said the measure would help fill vacancies, attract restaurants, and boost foot traffic, while remaining temporary and geographically limited. The bill passed to Appropriations with broad support and no opposition. SB 783 by Senator Rubio would extend until January 1, 2029 the special outdoor advertising rules for signs in former redevelopment areas; supporters said it would give affected communities time to find a permanent solution, while billboard industry opponents warned about compliance and federal highway funding risks. The committee passed SB 783 to Appropriations as amended, and then adjourned at 2:45 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:13:40.800><c> Then</c><00:13:41.120><c> for</c><00:13:41.279><c> traffic</c><00:13:41.680><c>
• Then for traffic safety, you line 322.
• Then for traffic safety, you can<00:13:42.800><c> see</c><00:13:43.040><c> operating</c><00:13:43.519
• traffic signals where there's a flashing yellow light.
• around traffic regulations involving um<00:37:25.119><c> traffic</c><00:37:25.520><c> signals</c><00

Bills: HF2438

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:20:12.280><c> oncoming</c> roadway against or into oncoming roadway against or into oncoming traffic
• :15.360><c> with</c><00:20:15.559><c> regard</c><00:20:15.799><c> to</c><00:20:15.960><c> the</c> traffic
• third with regard to the traffic third with regard to the proposed<00:20:16.440><c> language</c><00:
• They find a car that they want to stop on traffic. They light it up, and it takes off.
• stop and a guy fired a rifle at traffic stop and a guy fired a rifle at officers<01:03:59.920><c> um

Transcript Highlights:

• operations are delayed, it falls on public sector workers—our firefighters, law enforcement, and traffic
• are not stepping in and saying, hey, this car needs to move, when it's just not moving and blocking traffic
• We think that having the local incident technician... ...and blocking traffic and disrupting the public
• is critically important given the latency time between the U.S. and other countries. and blocking traffic
• assistance, but then they can't access the vehicle in 30 minutes because of road closures or severe traffic

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee met with several bills on the agenda, beginning with SB 739 (Arreguín) on the Clean Miles Standard and Incentive Program for transportation network companies. The author and supporters from Lyft, Uber, and TechNet said the bill would update EV miles traveled and greenhouse gas targets to reflect current market conditions, add flexibility for CARB and the CPUC, and protect drivers from losing platform access while also creating a path for future electrification. Opponents including the American Lung Association, Sierra Club California, and NRDC argued the bill would weaken a program meant to accelerate EV adoption and should retain stronger targets. Members discussed affordability, charging infrastructure, and the need to balance climate goals with feasibility. The committee approved SB 739 as amended and re-referred it to Appropriations, later recording a 9-0 vote when the roll was completed. The committee then heard SB 1190 (Grove), the “Safe Passage for Youth Act,” which would regulate private youth transport services used for out-of-state residential placements. The author and sponsor testimony described abusive practices such as nighttime pickups, blindfolds, restraints, and emotional trauma, and said the bill would require CPUC permitting, TrustLine background checks, training, parental consent, and bans on certain practices. Support came from youth and disability advocates, with no opposition testimony. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended recommendation and later passed 9-0. SB 1191 (Ochoa Bogh) would extend the sunset for California High Cost Fund A and B universal service programs that help provide affordable telephone service in rural and high-cost areas. Supporters from rural telecom companies and industry groups said the funds are essential for maintaining service, 911 access, and emergency communications in remote communities. There was no opposition, and the committee advanced the bill on a due pass recommendation; it later passed 9-0. The consent item, SB 985 (Strickland) on the 911 emergency system, was also approved. Finally, the committee heard SB 1246 (Cortese) on autonomous vehicles and emergency response. The author and supporters from SEIU California and the California Professional Firefighters said the bill would require AV companies to provide incident response, notify local jurisdictions during system failures, ensure U.S.-based remote drivers, and prevent public safety workers from having to manage AV breakdowns. Industry opponents argued the bill intrudes on federal vehicle standards, gives local governments enforcement authority they should not have, and could create overly broad notification and response requirements. Members raised questions about local control, response times, and whether the bill was premature given existing DMV regulations. Despite those concerns, the committee passed SB 1246 on a due pass as amended recommendation, later recording a 7-1 vote. The committee then recessed and returned to complete roll calls before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's very important for us Our objectives: we want to decrease traffic fatalities.
• That's our highest traffic volume highway that we have in the state.
• Ancillary structures include everything from traffic signals to signs, concrete boxes smaller than bridges
• Certainly, Hoachtown is an area down on Highway 259 in McCurtain County that's seeing a lot of traffic
• as we've got, even though it doesn't have an interstate designation on it, carries a lot of truck traffic

Transcript Highlights:

• urging the Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu to conduct a traffic
• mitigation and calming study to evaluate the effectiveness of certain traffic mitigation and calming
• This is for traffic mitigation and calming studies.
• This is uh for traffic<00:23:25.760><c> mitigation</c><00:23:26.240><c> and</c><00:23:26.400><c> calming
• </c> traffic mitigation and calming studies. traffic mitigation and calming studies.

Summary: The committee heard and then voted on several concurrent resolutions. HCR 71, asking the Coalina Golf Club to work with the Department of Transportation to prevent golf balls from reaching Fington Highway, drew no opposition in testimony; a member thanked the golf club for cooperating after a constituent’s windshield was struck, and the measure was passed unamended. HCR 19 HD1, supporting Taiwan’s international participation and a U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement, received only DBED testimony in support and was passed with technical amendments. HCR 163, urging the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to establish an annual Pacific Island culture and arts festival, was supported by DBEDT and the foundation itself, which said it would welcome such a festival subject to funding and staff resources; it was passed unamended. In the later joint session, HCR 70 on accelerating sustainable aviation fuels received support from the Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition, while DOT said it is already working on clean fuels through its greenhouse-gas reduction efforts and that the resolution would mainly require a more targeted progress report; the measure passed, with one no vote in the joint committee vote. HCR 123, on a restricted parking zone pilot program in West Oahu neighborhoods, had no oral testimony and was passed with technical amendments. HCR 57, on a traffic mitigation and calming study in Waipahu, also had no testimony and was passed unamended. HCR 112, urging Honolulu to adopt a pedestrian-first policy, drew broad support from public health, planning, bicycling, and student witnesses, though one testifier urged coordination with existing county plans; it passed unamended. HCR 177, encouraging a summer streets pilot program, also passed unamended. For HCR 203, urging Maui County to prioritize planning for the Kihei North-South Collector Road, the chairs proposed technical amendments to correct the responsible agency from the Planning Department to the Public Works Department, and the measure passed with those amendments. Across the meetings, the committee repeatedly noted when there were no further questions or testimony, and each resolution was adopted by the committee after the stated recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• that will improve traffic flow and road user safety.
• How is generative AI an additive tool for traffic safety and mobility compared to the existing tools
• This generative AI is taking that mass amount of data, giving our traffic engineers and analysts the
• That will hopefully help reduce traffic in our field offices and allow folks to be identified for who
• That will hopefully help reduce traffic in our field offices and allow folks to be identified for who

Transcript Highlights:

• fund is going a long way to get them started, and then of course, as they look at their fines and citations
• fund is going a long way to get them started, and then, of course, as they look at their fines and citations
• you know as they look at their fines um you know as they look at their fines and<02:05:41.840><c> citations
• hopefully</c><02:05:42.800><c> then</c><02:05:43.119><c> that</c><02:05:43.280><c> will</c> and citations
• hopefully then that will and citations hopefully then that will be<02:05:43.920><c> uh</c><02:05:44.239

Summary: The joint hearing opened with House Bill 1969, which would provide state funding for colorectal cancer screenings for uninsured and underinsured residents. The Department of Human Services said it supports the goal of early screening but would need new administrative capacity, including a program manager and claim pre-screening, to run the program. The Department of Health supported the measure and cited low screening rates in Hawaii, noting an educational campaign to encourage screening. The Insurance Division raised concerns about reliance on federal FAQs, warning that guidance can change and may create state cost exposure. Supporters including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Hawaii Medical Association argued the bill would close a preventive-care gap, reduce late-stage diagnoses, and save long-term costs; the committee also discussed implementation costs, estimated by DHS at roughly $1.4 million to $2 million annually plus administrative expenses, and a 6-month to 1-year timeline to establish the program. The committee then took up House Bill 1965, which would require health carriers to spend at least 6% of total medical expenditures on primary care providers. The Insurance Division said several provisions raise technical and legal concerns, including the premium freeze, the medical loss ratio language, the lack of an existing external review process for downcoding claims, and a new mandate for medically necessary inter-island transportation that could trigger an ACA defrayal. The Department of Human Services supported the intent but suggested broader language to include primary care supports and services, and noted that QUEST integration plans already invested at least 9% of total medical expenditures in primary care in 2024, with additional spending on supports and low-value care reductions. State health planning officials strongly supported the bill as an investment in primary care, saying it could improve outcomes and lower long-term costs, though they acknowledged a possible temporary premium increase during the transition. Testimony in support emphasized Hawaii’s physician shortage, especially on Maui, the Big Island, and other neighbor islands, and warned that clinics are under financial strain and may close without higher primary care reimbursement. The Hawaii Healthcare Task Force, AARP Hawaii, and other supporters said the bill would help retain providers, improve access for Medicare and Medicaid patients, and prevent downstream costs from emergency room use and avoidable hospitalizations. No votes or final committee action were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:14:41.320><c> Safety</c> Line 45 under Office of Traffic Safety Line 45 under Office of Traffic
• </c><00:14:59.680><c> That</c> Office of Traffic Safety. That Office of Traffic Safety.
• quite honestly, it's a growing area, we're going to see an increase in traffic anyway.
• quite honestly, it's a growing area, we're going to see an increase in traffic anyway.
• quite honestly, it's a growing area, we're going to see an increase in traffic anyway.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> in in an area that has almost no traffic in in an area that has almost no traffic volume<00:18:53.760
• </c> less than 30 miles per hour for traffic less than 30 miles per hour for traffic crossing<00:21:02.760
• State Aid streets do more than carry traffic.
• It would have sped up the traffic and caused more traffic to go through there.
• It would have sped up the traffic and caused more traffic to go through there.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• But with this particular bill, pavement deterioration is driven primarily by axle weight, not traffic
• some terror aspects to it, but there's also balancing our responsibility of also reducing overall traffic
• and overall traffic patterns as well.
• events, UTVs are operated in enclosed and defined areas that are not open to pedestrian or vehicle traffic

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard several measures, with most of the agenda taken up by AB 1944, AB 2453, and SJR 16 after a consent calendar of eight items was approved. AB 1944 by Assembly Member Alex Lee would delay the schedule for reducing the allowable axle weight limits for zero-emission buses while keeping the final cap in place, to give transit agencies and manufacturers more time to develop lighter buses with sufficient range. Supporters, including the California Transit Association and several transit districts, said the bill would help agencies comply with zero-emission bus mandates. Opponents, led by the League of California Cities, argued heavier buses would accelerate pavement damage and increase local maintenance costs. Senators raised concerns about infrastructure impacts and environmental tradeoffs, while others supported the bill as a practical adjustment to technology timelines. The bill passed on a 10-3 vote, with the roll left open and later completed. AB 2453 by Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez would clarify authority for first responders and peace officers to use off-highway vehicles in official duties, including limited travel on public roads to reach remote areas. The author and supporters, including the Carlsbad Fire Department and the City of Ontario, said the bill would improve response times for beaches, trails, deserts, and special events and reduce burdensome workarounds. No opposition testimony was offered. The committee approved the bill unanimously and sent it to the Committee on Natural Resources and Water. SJR 16 by Senator Caballero urged Congress to act on federal actions affecting California commercial truck drivers after a fatal crash and subsequent federal scrutiny of California’s commercial licensing practices, including English-language proficiency standards and rescinded credentials. The author and Teamsters California said the federal response had unfairly harmed experienced drivers and the supply chain. No opposition was presented. The resolution passed on a 9-3 vote, with the roll also left open and later completed. The consent calendar items were adopted 13-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• That was the bottleneck on I-10 by the airport, and then the traffic congestion. Thank you.
• I-10 by the airport and then the traffic congestion by the Superdome coming off the cross-city connection
• Just to build a little bit upon this, I-10 by the airport and then the traffic congestion by the Superdome
• You tell them the crossing ID that's on that plaque, and they can stop all rail traffic in the vicinity

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways, and Public Works met on March 9, 2026, with a quorum present and approved the March 3 minutes without objection. The committee welcomed new members and then took up four priority program items: the statewide flood control program, the airport construction and development priority program, the port construction and development priority program, and the state highway priority program. Department of Transportation and Development staff explained that the highway packet reflected about $1.2 billion in total investment, including roughly $913 million scheduled for construction in the coming fiscal year, and included written justifications for projects discussed at road show hearings but not included in the program. Each of the four programs was approved without objection. The committee then heard a presentation from Amtrak on Louisiana service and the Mardi Gras route between New Orleans and Mobile. Amtrak reported that the new state-supported service, launched in August 2025, had exceeded its first-year ridership projection of 76,000 and had already carried more than 78,000 riders by late February, with strong customer satisfaction and high load factors. The presentation also described Louisiana’s broader Amtrak network, station ridership patterns, fares, and planned capital improvements funded through state matches and federal CRISI grants to improve rail fluidity and shorten travel times over time. Members focused heavily on rail crossing safety, asking about recent accidents and what was being done to reduce them. Amtrak said the crossings involved were generally equipped with gates and lights and that it was working with Operation Lifesaver, Norfolk Southern, and CSX on additional public safety messaging. Members also discussed the practical appeal of the service and asked a follow-up question about an emergency notification app used for railroad crossings. The meeting concluded with a motion by Vice Chair Carter to adjourn, adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• near misses or crashes that took place, like in Washington, is that there is a severe lack of air traffic
• There is a severe lack of air traffic controllers, and so the bottom part of this bill, the last few
• Only one entity in the United States that you can finally get your certificate to be an air traffic controller
• conjunction with the Transportation Cabinet, if we could get a second site for final credentialing of air traffic

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the February 12 meeting, and then took up its only agenda item, Senate Bill 87. A committee substitute was adopted before testimony. Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer presented the bill with representatives from CVG, describing it as an efficiency measure for Kentucky’s aviation sector. The bill’s main provisions would streamline procurement rules for Kentucky’s three largest commercial airports by tying the acquisition threshold to the FAA’s simplified acquisition threshold, which adjusts with inflation. Testimony also explained that the bill directs the Council on Postsecondary Education and the Transportation Cabinet to study workforce needs in aviation, especially the shortage of air traffic controllers, and to examine ways Kentucky postsecondary institutions could help create a path to additional training and possibly a second site for final credentialing. Committee members and the Senate President spoke in support of the bill’s workforce and aviation goals. The President said CPE should be doing this kind of planning without needing extra funding, and noted the bill fits CPE’s coordinating role. The chair announced the fiscal note on the underlying bill showed no impact, though it may change with the substitute. The committee then voted to report Senate Bill 87 favorably with the committee substitute attached, and adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's 42 U.S.C. 1983 is the federal citation. I'm sorry. Recognize the Senator from I'm sorry.
• ><01:18:31.280><c> is</c><01:18:31.440><c> the</c><01:18:31.520><c> federal</c><01:18:31.880><c> citation
• </c> USC 1983 is the federal citation.
• USC 1983 is the federal citation. 42 42 42 This<01:18:35.600><c> is</c><01:18:35.840><c> the</c><01:18

Summary: The Senate reconvened with a quorum present and then proceeded through committee reports, largely adopting favorable reports and amendments without objection. Early measures included SB 530, which funds grants for multigenerational social connection programs for older adults; SB 731, clarifying the legal status of the Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council; SB 809, directing a feasibility study on a caregiver infrastructure program; SB 860, creating an Aging Resilience Fund with reporting and budget protections; SB 910, requiring insurance reimbursement for services provided by graduate-level clinical interns under supervision; and SB 972, making several Baltimore City alcoholic beverages licensing changes. Each of these bills was advanced to third reading after committee amendments were adopted. The Finance Committee also advanced SB 555, establishing a Dementia Services and Brain Health Program and a provider resource toolkit for dementia care; SB 757, creating a Maryland Local Sourcing Portal to connect businesses with local sources for tariff-impacted goods; SB 772, creating an employment training and opportunity database to help people qualify for or maintain Medicaid and SNAP; SB 792, requiring hospitals to adopt and train staff on immigration-enforcement policies consistent with Attorney General guidance; SB 869, establishing a workforce training pilot program through Commerce and community colleges; SB 905, creating an advanced manufacturing grant program through TEDCO; and SB 974, changing who may serve as inspector for the Caroline County Board of License Commissioners. Most of these bills were reported favorably with technical or narrowing amendments and then ordered printed for third reading. Budget and Taxation advanced SB 28, which would create binding arbitration for state employee collective bargaining impasses and include a proposed constitutional amendment requiring funding in the Governor’s budget; SB 466, expanding a physician preceptor tax credit and adjusting training-hour requirements; and later SB 704, concerning estate tax treatment for qualified agricultural property transferred to an LLC. SB 557, a gaming-related bill, was laid over until the end of the evening at the majority leader’s request. In the Education, Energy, and the Environment report, the committee advanced SB 35 on a state natural science museum designation, SB 166 on shellfish aquaculture permit sanctions, SB 189 on municipal drainage inlet safety requirements prompted by a child’s death, SB 242 on civil relief for service members and spouses, SB 266 on local regulation of invasive trees and tree-of-heaven, and SB 267 on a corporate rental-property registry and local housing application review process. SB 267 drew a brief question from the minority leader, who asked whether prior opposition remained and how the amended bill differed; the sponsor said the opposition had gone away and described the bill as now focused on a responsible-owner registry and an administrative review process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Updates internal citations to reflect the current numbering of the chapters, such as in the unclaimed
• Updates<01:09:50.720><c> internal</c><01:09:51.279><c> citations</c><01:09:52.440><c> to</c><01:09:52.560
• ><c> reflect</c> Updates internal citations to reflect Updates internal citations to reflect the<01:09

Transcript Highlights:

• Financial fraud is a crime, obviously, and a disgusting one, and it is different from regulatory citations
• one and it is different<01:41:52.840><c> from</c><01:41:53.360><c> regulatory</c><01:41:54.080><c> citations
• </c><01:41:55.080><c> A</c> different from regulatory citations.
• A different from regulatory citations.

Bills: HF3542 , HF3819

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• One such citation is a review of comments made by self-selected women who sought counsel from religious
• One<00:59:23.760><c> such</c><00:59:24.160><c> citation</c><00:59:24.720><c> is</c><00:59:24.960><c>
• a</c><00:59:25.119><c> review</c><00:59:25.359><c> of</c> One such citation is a review of One such citation

Bills: HB0003 , HB0117 , HB0041

Committee: Senate Labor, Health & Social Services

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a citation on the chart that's also in your packet of Guy Carpenter, who's a reinsurance firm
• this.<01:53:24.639><c> Uh</c><01:53:24.960><c> there's</c><01:53:25.119><c> a</c><01:53:25.280><c> citation
• Uh there's a citation on the chart this.
• Uh there's a citation on the chart that's<01:53:26.639><c> also</c><01:53:26.800><c> in</c><01:53:27.040

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• both the carrot of a credentialing program for consultants and the stick, as it were, of a mild citation
• of</c><00:10:00.160><c> a</c><00:10:00.959><c> a</c><00:10:01.200><c> mild</c><00:10:01.760><c> citation
• </c> stick as it were of a a mild citation stick as it were of a a mild citation authority<00:10:03.360

Bills: HF1587 , HF2293 , HF2218 , HF1208 , HF1482

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Issue a citation? Yes.
• what exactly issue a subpoena<01:28:32.639><c> issue</c><01:28:33.199><c> of</c><01:28:33.760><c> citation
• </c><01:28:34.840><c> issue</c><01:28:35.840><c> you</c> subpoena issue of citation issue you subpoena
• issue of citation issue you what<01:28:36.920><c> yes</c><01:28:37.360><c> so</c><01:28:37.800><c> for

Summary: The committee first handled organizational business, electing Representative Mark Pearson as chair for the coming term, appointing Representative Lucy Weber as clerk, and approving the November 22 minutes with abstentions from members who were absent. Members also noted excused absences for Senator Avard and Representative Jessica Lontine. After the vote, the committee moved to the DHHS commissioners’ update. DHHS associate commissioners Patricia Tilly and Chris Santinello described a process-improvement effort to improve transitions for youth moving from DCF care into adult developmental services and Medicaid. They said the old process was fragmented, dependent on personal relationships, and not sustainable, so staff from DCF, the Bureau of Family Assistance, Developmental Services, and public health used a Kaizen/Lean event to map the workflow, identify bottlenecks, clarify roles, and create a more consistent playbook. Members asked about IT support and whether the process would create new bureaucracy; DHHS said current systems are antiquated, especially DCF’s CWIS, but the goal is to streamline coordination, not add bureaucracy, and future systems like Granite Families may help with reminders and age-based ticklers. Several members praised the work, including a CASA volunteer who said the added attention has improved services for vulnerable youth. The committee then received the annual healthcare-associated infections update from Ctin Hansen of the Division of Public Health Services. Hansen reported that New Hampshire’s HAI program, created by statute, tracks infections in hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dialysis centers, and long-term care facilities. For 2023, hospitals reported fewer infections than predicted nationally, with 135 infections statewide and 174 C. diff infections also below national rates; hospital influenza vaccination was 89.9%. Ambulatory surgery centers reported low infection counts and an 80.1% staff flu vaccination rate; dialysis centers reported fewer infections overall than the prior year but higher local access-site infections, with staff vaccination at 52.6%; and long-term care facilities reported a 50.1% flu vaccination rate, up from 37.8%. Hansen also said the program conducted over 100 investigations, handled 84 antibiotic-resistant organism reports, completed 20 infection-prevention assessments, and operated on a budget of about $348,000 plus grant funding, including an Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity Grant that was later reduced.