Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, I would like to call to order this meeting of the committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
• Call to order this meeting of the committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law, and a quorum is present
• </c> the country, how the federal judiciary the country, how the federal judiciary has<00:08:49.200><
• </c> back from the federal judiciary. back from the federal judiciary.
• :34.640><c> of,</c><00:53:35.280><c> you</c> judiciary doesn't keep track of, you judiciary doesn't keep

Bills: HF3477 , HF3414 , HF103 , HF3661 , HF3146

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:

• I first heard about this bill last week in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• policy where campus presidents received up to 20% base compensation increases.
• They also adopted a new compensation policy that removed... ...base compensation increases.
• They also adopted a new compensation policy that removed the existing 10% compensation increase cap.
• I understand that the CSU, I think, has an executive compensation policy in place.

Summary: The committee began without a quorum and first heard AB 302, which would prohibit schools from requiring students to use addictive social media feeds as a condition of participating in extracurricular activities and would require schools to offer a non-social-media way to communicate with students and families. The author and a student witness argued the bill protects minors from being forced onto addictive platforms, while senators asked how coaches and clubs would communicate; the author said email, built-in messaging, and other direct methods would still be allowed. The bill was held on call for absent members. The committee then took up AB 2504, creating a pilot program to train creative-industry workers for AI-related changes through partnerships among community colleges, employers, unions, and tech companies. Supporters from WME and the Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office said the program would help workers adapt to rapid industry change, while senators discussed the pilot’s size, geographic diversity, and sunset date. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 1534 followed, adding state guardrails for federal Workforce Pell short-term training programs, including limits on tuition, restrictions on certain financing products, and transparency rules for partnerships with unaccredited entities. Support came from TICAS, EdTrust-West, and the Campaign for College Opportunity; senators questioned the scope of state authority and why private institutions were not clearly included, and the author said the broader approval framework was being handled in trailer bill language. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. The committee also heard AB 1381, a gut-and-amend proposal to strengthen screening for school teachers with histories of egregious misconduct while balancing due process and privacy concerns. Supporters and opponents both emphasized student safety and the need for reliable information-sharing, and members noted the bill was similar to a previously held measure; the author said amendments were still being worked out. The bill passed to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 2202, which would create a Closing the Achievement Gap Commission to coordinate statewide efforts, drew broad support from school board and education groups but also concern that it could duplicate existing work and add bureaucracy; after extended debate about whether the commission would identify causes or solutions, it passed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Finally, AB 1547, requiring a UC feasibility study for a branch medical school in Kern County, drew local support but opposition from a senator who argued the Legislature cannot direct UC’s internal operations under the state Constitution; the chair said the Legislature can make recommendations and the bill remained under discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yesterday in Judiciary Committee, we had maybe five or six Girl Scouts, who are 12, 13, 14 years old,
• I want to echo my comments from Judiciary yesterday.
• I was also present at the Judiciary Committee hearing, and we had some amazing Girl Scouts come and speak
• File item 444 is the Committee on Judiciary, presented by Assembly Member Calra. That's AB 2783.
• AB 2783 by the Assembly Committee on Judiciary is back on concurrence.

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and pledge, then moved through a lengthy consent and concurrence calendar. Early actions included adopting the consent calendar, approving a rule waiver to allow floor amendments on several Senate bills, and re-referring a few bills to committees. The chamber also observed adjournments in memory for the father of Assembly Member Stephanie and for Thomas Dennis Moore, with family present for both tributes. On the floor file, members approved or concurred in a wide range of measures. Notable bills included SB 1247 on minors’ online exploitation and removal of material when they reach adulthood; SB 1223 requiring competitive bidding at state and county fairs; SB 1238 adding disclosures and duties for HOA managers; SB 983 creating a Port of San Diego job-order contracting pilot; SB 959 addressing school funding during wildfire smoke days; SB 1443, an education omnibus cleanup bill; and SB 802 creating a Sacramento County homelessness joint powers authority, which drew extensive debate over Housing First, treatment, accountability, and local coordination. SB 923 strengthened privacy deletion rights, and AB 1267 set 18 as the minimum age for marriage, drawing broad bipartisan support and emotional testimony from survivors and advocates. The concurrence file then moved through many Assembly bills, most of them technical, support, or cleanup measures, with votes largely in favor. These included bills on Medi-Cal, youth athletics, digital financial assets, jail administration, health care prior authorization, fish and wildlife, elections, emergency services, pupil safety, employment, victim rights, attorney discipline, emergency medical response, seed program funding, naloxone training, child care facilities, cannabis, and dual language immersion coordination. Several bills were passed with unanimous or near-unanimous votes, while a few drew some opposition, including AB 801 on fair lending examinations, AB 1661 on oil-field community assistance, AB 2161 on Medi-Cal work requirement implementation, and AB 2230 on child care facilities. The chamber also adopted multiple Senate amendments and continued a number of items to later consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: Welcome to the Judiciary Committee. Please call the roll. Clerk: Chair Brannan. Rep.
• But, you know, I'm not losing sight of the fact that we are here on the Judiciary Committee and as a
• The top two reasons that they provide are family Laura Yeoman: at 34 percent and compensation at 19 percent

Transcript Highlights:

• Unintelligible transcription: "e"] e e e e e e e e e e e Welcome, everyone, to the House Committee on Judiciary
• Bo was one of the plaintiffs in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, called the Autism Omnibus, in
• and the right the right to compensation and the right to<01:47:57.480><c> have</c><01:47:57.639><c>
• </c><02:44:22.040><c> Hawaiian</c><02:44:22.359><c> Affairs</c> to the Judiciary Hawaiian Affairs to
• the Judiciary Hawaiian Affairs committee<02:44:22.960><c> for</c><02:44:23.080><c> the</c><02:44:23.200

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard several measures, beginning with HB 194, which would designate May 22 as Maritime Day. Testimony from labor, health, and community groups was in support, and the committee later recommended passage of the bill as is, with several members voting yes and some reserving or being excused. HB 458 would designate April 27 as Brother Joseph Dutton Day; the Department of Accounting and General Services, the Joseph Dutton Guild, and a descendant all supported it, and the committee recommended passage with technical amendments. HB 957 would designate the first Friday in May as Lā‘au Day; support came from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and many individuals, and the committee recommended passage as is. HB 345 would establish the ʻōpae ula as the state shrimp to promote awareness and protection of anchialine ecosystems; DLNR, Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAu, and other supporters testified, and the committee recommended passage with technical amendments. The committee also heard HB 901, which would allow public charter schools to appeal directly to the Board of Education on certain operational, governance, or funding matters. The Attorney General and the Public Charter School Commission offered technical comments and suggested amendments, while the commission described its current monitoring and renewal process and said it works closely with schools over the life of a charter contract. Members raised concerns about whether the bill would shift too much work to the Board of Education, and one member voted no when the committee later moved the bill with the Attorney General’s amendments. HB 1066 would add Head Start-related ex officio members to the Early Learning Board; the Early Learning Board and the Executive Office on Early Learning supported it, explaining the changes were needed to align with the federal Head Start Act, and the committee moved it forward without opposition. HB 1069 would add voting members from the Department of Education and Board of Education to the School Facilities Authority Board. DOE and the School Facilities Authority supported the change as a way to strengthen collaboration, though questions from members focused on the current communication process between the agencies. HB 1343 would require the Board of Education to adopt a policy banning student phone and related device use during school hours; the committee noted written testimony in support and then moved to decision-making. At the end of the meeting, the committee adopted recommendations to pass HB 194, HB 458 with technical amendments, HB 957, HB 345 with technical amendments, HB 901 with amendments, HB 1066, HB 1069, and HB 1343.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the letters from the superintendent of public instruction, the judiciary, the state treasurer's
• Everything's the same; it's just that their compensation package is less.
• And so that's why that's split that way. their compensation package is less.
• Um their compensation package is less.
• </c> compensate for it? compensate for it?

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• As the third branch of government, the judiciary represents 1.3% of the state's General Fund budget.
• We are grateful for your investments in the judiciary.
• the trauma recovery center funding is all state funding delivered through the California Victim Compensation
• attorneys, and we're here to express our appreciation for the money that's in the budget to provide a compensation
• attorneys, and we're here to express our appreciation for the money that's in the budget to provide a compensation

Transcript Highlights:

• As the third branch of government, the judiciary represents 1.3% of the state's General Fund budget.
• We are grateful for your investments in the judiciary.
• our treatment programs, it's all state funding that gets delivered through the California Victim Compensation
• Funding that gets delivered through the California Victim Compensation Board through the TRC grant.
• attorneys, and we're here to express our appreciation for the money that's in the budget to provide a compensation

Summary: The subcommittee met to hear budget-related updates from the Judicial Branch and the Office of Emergency Services, with no votes taken. The Judicial Council supported the Governor’s proposed budget, highlighting $70 million for increased trial court operating costs, additional funding for court-appointed counsel, Court of Appeal case processing, and courthouse construction and facilities. Trial court representatives emphasized staffing retention problems, especially in counties like San Bernardino, and said stable funding is needed to avoid delays and maintain access to justice. Members also discussed the branch’s remote proceedings program, which has been used in more than 6 million hearings statewide since 2022 and was described as especially important in rural areas and for vulnerable litigants; several members urged making the authority permanent rather than extending it temporarily. A major portion of the hearing focused on Proposition 36 implementation. Finance said the Governor’s budget maintains the $130 million provided in the 2025 Budget Act for court workload and pretrial services, but adds no new Prop. 36 court funding. Judicial Council staff reported nearly 35,000 felony Prop. 36 filings in 2025, with most cases still pending and only a small share of treatment-mandated cases already dismissed after treatment. Witnesses said courts are using the funds for staffing, coordinators, clerks, and treatment-court operations, but that workload varies widely by county and that data collection is limited because courts report aggregate information rather than case-level outcomes. The LAO raised a technical concern about the Department of Finance’s Prop. 47 savings estimate and recommended revising the methodology at May Revision. The committee also reviewed the Orange Central Justice Center facility modification project, where the Judicial Council explained that hidden construction deficiencies and fire-life-safety issues caused costs to rise substantially after demolition began. The LAO said the project itself was supportable but recommended that the Legislature set an ongoing funding level for court facilities, require a long-term facilities plan, and consider more oversight of facility modification projects. Finance said it continues to fund courthouse projects individually and through the State Public Works Board, while acknowledging project delays and cost increases. Finally, Cal OES and advocates discussed victim services funding. Cal OES said it administers about $315 million annually for victim service programs, including VOCA-funded services, but federal VOCA allocations have fluctuated sharply and the state has used one-time General Fund backfills to maintain services. Trauma recovery center advocates warned that an 85% reduction in funding would sharply reduce services for survivors of violent crime, while human trafficking advocates urged reauthorization of the Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program before funding reverts to pre-pandemic levels in July 2026. Members asked about federal and state funding stability, referral pathways, and the long-term value of these programs in preventing worse outcomes and reducing public costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Makes their executives richer because of their compensation plans. All at the expense of patients.
• I've had a chance to serve with her on the Judiciary Committee and I know I know the Judiciary Committee
• at this point, and my Republican colleagues, I was on and my Republican colleagues, I was on the Judiciary
• I remember having a debate with my Republican colleagues in the Judiciary Committee one time about whether
• it was I remember having a debate with my Republican colleagues in the Judiciary Committee one time

Transcript Highlights:

• safety professionals include a representative from the Department of Labor and Industry, workers' compensation
• safety professionals include a representative from the Department of Labor and Industry, workers' compensation
• safety professionals include a representative from the Department of Labor and Industry, workers' compensation
• safety professionals include a representative from the Department of Labor and Industry, workers' compensation
• Committee I did also of the Judiciary Committee I did also want<01:24:05.719><c> to</c><01:24:06.480

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• House bill, number one, judiciary.
• </c><00:05:57.280><c> Judiciary.
• Judiciary. House Bill 70. number one. Judiciary. House Bill 70.
• House Bill 178, first reading judiciary.
• </c> number one judiciary. number one judiciary.

Transcript Highlights:

• Moving on down to line nine for elk crop damage compensation, also from Senate File 469 from Senator
• ,</c><00:17:42.400><c> also</c><00:17:42.720><c> from</c><00:17:42.880><c> Senate</c> damage compensation
• , also from Senate damage compensation, also from Senate file<00:17:43.440><c> 469</c><00:17:44.080><
• </c> system to compensate the producers. system to compensate the producers.
• Uh, there is a remedy, and it's called the judiciary system and a court system.

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• I worked with the co-chair of the elections committee and co-chair Scott of the judiciary committee,
• I worked with the co-chair of the elections committee and co-chair Scott of the judiciary committee,
• recommendations of the workers compensation<00:16:18.560><c> advisory</c><00:16:19.199><c> council.
• </c> caucuses and the workers uh compensation caucuses and the workers uh compensation stakeholders.<
• </c><00:18:42.799><c> reinsurance</c> workers compensation reinsurance workers compensation reinsurance

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to thank the Judiciary Committee and the labor stakeholders for conversations to work and come
• Colleagues, I'm presenting AB 2129, which approves compensation for Cal Fire firefighters.
• Speaker, for the opportunity to present AB 2700, a bill that helps ensure fair and timely compensation
• ... ...services in that area, and this is an acknowledgement that the previous way that we have compensated
• And we're trying to make sure that our victims are compensated.

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, and opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before moving through the daily file. Several measures were taken up and passed, including bills on county jail accountability (AB 2257), claims against public agencies (AB 2529), affordable housing management metrics (AB 2689), digital wellness instruction in schools (AB 2071), pedestrian and bicycle safety project streamlining (AB 1976), manufactured home transport permits (AB 2012), a Surplus Land Act amendment tied to an Inland Empire soccer project (AB 2139), a Monterey Bay stewardship authority (AB 1548), online electrician licensing (AB 1707), a Caltrans study of navigation apps’ traffic impacts (AB 2105), coastal resiliency permitting reforms (AB 2051), downtown housing streamlining and financing (AB 2074), Cal Fire compensation (AB 2129), emergency care authority for Del Puerto Health Care District (AB 2282), charter school facilities hardship relief (AB 2316), theft by a peace officer under color of authority as serious misconduct (AB 2337), an Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander-serving institution designation (AB 2374), energy and cannabis support bills (AB 2464, AB 2537), and a suicide prevention plan requirement for treatment facilities (AB 2562). Most of these measures passed with broad bipartisan margins, and several were described as support bills with no opposition. The floor also debated a major criminal justice measure, AB 2727, which would raise the threshold for elderly parole eligibility for people serving sentences for violent sex offenses and add screening safeguards. Supporters from both parties emphasized child protection, survivor trauma, and specific local cases involving offenders who had become eligible for release; the bill passed 66-0. Another significant debate centered on AB 1958, which would clarify procedures under the California Racial Justice Act by refining how disparity claims are established and rebutted; the author said he would take Senate amendments to address concerns from district attorneys. The Assembly also considered AB 2313, a gas-to-electric transition bill allowing customers with planned service line replacements to opt out of gas service and use funds to electrify their homes. Members raised concerns about cost shifts and equity, and the author responded that the bill includes no-cost-shift language, larger credits for disadvantaged communities, and would not proceed if the math does not work; it passed 41-21. The final major item was AB 1709, a high-profile social media safety bill creating a minimum age of 16 for accounts on platforms using addictive features and establishing an e-safety commission. The author and many supporters from both parties framed the bill as a response to youth mental health harms, addictive design, and the need for age-based safeguards, while some members raised concerns about impacts on LGBTQ youth and other isolated young people who rely on online spaces. Supporters said the bill targets addictive design rather than speech and is intended to preserve safe online connection while limiting harmful features. The measure drew extensive bipartisan support and was still under debate at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a policy bill that is moving through the Judiciary Committee, and these two provisions are part
• So, I really don't have anything else to add, and maybe Senator Wiklund can come to Judiciary with me
• </c><01:33:59.480><c> Committee</c> moving through the Judiciary Committee moving through the Judiciary
• </c><01:36:21.640><c> All</c><01:36:21.800><c> those</c> Judiciary and Public Safety.
• All those Judiciary and Public Safety.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Crime Victim Compensation Commission in support.
• Judiciary in opposition." "Good afternoon, chair, vice chair.
• Trust me, I'm thrilled to see the AG in the judiciary opposed to it.
• Judiciary in opposition." "Good afternoon, chair, vice chair.
• Uh, but uh No, judiciary opposed to it.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a large number of health-related measures, with the most extensive discussion on SB 2283, which would expand mail-order pharmacy access for prescription drugs. Supporters including HMSA, the Board of Pharmacy, and health plan groups said mail order could lower costs, improve adherence, and reduce hospitalizations, while independent pharmacies and rural neighbor-island providers warned it could harm local pharmacies, reduce access for patients who rely on face-to-face service, and create delivery and storage problems for medications. No vote was taken on SB 2283 during the excerpt, and the chair moved on after hearing testimony. The committee also heard SB 2855 on opioid antagonists, with the Insurance Division and HMSA noting that medically necessary opioid antagonists are already covered and suggesting the issue may be addressed through education or administrative fixes. Fentanyl and substance abuse groups supported the measure. SB 3045 on health insurance coverage for continuous glucose monitors drew broad support from diabetes and health organizations; HMSA said it had already expanded coverage for members on injectable insulin but raised concerns about supply constraints and said it had not yet seen an auditor study referenced in discussion. Members asked whether the bill would extend coverage beyond current policy. SB 2843 on domestic violence received support from the Public Defender’s Office, prosecutors, and victim-related organizations, who said the pilot program for misdemeanor domestic violence cases had reduced backlogs and improved court efficiency. A prosecutor also supported retaining coercive control as a petty misdemeanor tool in larger domestic violence cases. SB 2845 on healthcare facility access drew strong support from many health, legal, and advocacy groups, who said it would protect patients and staff from disruptive interference at healthcare facilities; one opponent argued it would chill lawful speech and protest and unfairly exempt labor demonstrations. The committee then heard SB 2854 and SB 3202, both healthcare-related measures, with testimony largely in support. SB 2854 drew comments from health and dental groups, and SB 3202 focused on workforce and licensing issues, including support for retired physicians volunteering, preceptor tax credits, and adding advanced midwifery and physician assistant-related provisions. The chair repeatedly enforced a one-minute testimony limit and moved through the agenda without recorded votes in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was referred to the committee on public safety, then to judiciary, and establishes factors under which
• relating to sentencing, is another bill that we heard previously that will be going on to the Senate Judiciary
• It's another bill that we heard previously that will be going on to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• Next we have Pamela Ferguson Bray testifying for the Crime Victim Compensation Commission. >> Okay.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 3040, which would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Supporters, including Moms Demand Action and a crime-victim advocate, argued the office would improve data collection, research, and coordination to help reduce gun violence. Opponents, including several gun-rights advocates, said the proposal was duplicative, lacked oversight, and would exclude the firearms community. The chair noted 41 testimonies in support and 77 in opposition, but no vote was taken on the bill in the portion provided. The committee then moved through a series of decision-making items and adopted the chair’s recommendations on several measures. SB 17 on wildfire mitigation passed with amendments from multiple agencies and a report date shifted to the 2028 session. SB 2730 on criminal justice reform passed with a defective effective date amendment, SB 2749 on sentencing passed with a defective effective date, SB 2688 on compassionate release passed with amendments narrowing eligibility and adding notification and funding language, and SB 2798 on law enforcement passed with a defective effective date to make the agricultural enforcement pilot program permanent. SB 2645, a short-form bill, was amended to insert substantive provisions and recommitted to the committee. SB 2383, which would have provided a $15,000 retention bonus for sworn law enforcement officers, was reconsidered and held in committee because it was identified as a duplicate. The committee also passed SB 2575, relating to firearms, with amendments adopting a proposed SD1 that would establish minimum mandatory prison terms for certain class A firearm felonies and add clarifying language. SB 2720, which would create a Hawaii firearm injury restitution fund funded by firearm manufacturer licenses, also passed with amendments clarifying the fund’s scope and eligible injuries. Later, the committee began hearing SB 3107 on parole eligibility. The Office of the Public Defender and the Hawaii Paroling Authority supported language allowing the parole board to waive certain program requirements, while the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission opposed the bill, warning it could keep people incarcerated longer if program access remains limited. The Department of Corrections said it is working on classification changes and a pilot project to move inmates through the system faster.

Transcript Highlights:

• And number two, just as an editorial comment, our judiciary tends to always kind of get a little bit
• Our judiciary gets beat up a lot, but they don't have the bully pulpit that we do.
• By a vote of 10 to 0, you have a do pass recommendation on judiciary. Thank you.
• Victims of Crime Act, the bill enhances DPS's ability to connect survivors with vital services, compensation

Bills: SB41 , SB33 , SB32 , SB30

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Keywords: sexual crimes, statute of limitations, criminal justice, victim rights, child abuse, individualized treatment, investigational treatment, health care, life-threatening illness, patient rights, physician recommendation, informed consent, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child protection, prosecution, crime amendments, SB30, induced abortion, abortion reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendments add provisions to set the compensation for the chair of the Workers' Compensation Commission
• House Bill 899, Chair, Judiciary Committee, home detention monitoring agencies, promotion and solicitation
• , Delegate Pruski, Anne Arundel County Board of License Commissioners and part-time inspectors compensation
• Senate Bill 1003, Howard County Senators, Howard County Sheriff and State's Attorney compensation.
• Senate Bill 1003, Howard County Senators, Howard County Sheriff and State's Attorney compensation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would move that H.772 be recommitted to the Committee on Economic Development with the Senate Judiciary
• </c> judiciary. Senator from Essics. judiciary. Senator from Essics.
• </c> >> Question is: Shall the bill be amended as recommended by the Committee on Judiciary?
• >> The question is, shall the bill be amended as recommended by the Committee on Judiciary?
• The ayes have it, and you have amended the bill as recommended by the Committee on Judiciary.