Transcript Highlights:

• </c> trail that would be a critical safety trail that would be a critical safety connection<00:09:46.399
• There are huge safety issues.
• </c><00:45:48.720><c> for</c><00:45:49.040><c> our</c> importance of safety for our importance of safety
• Uh, public safety.
• </c> outcomes for our public safety outcomes for our public safety professionals<01:22:19.199><c> and

Bills: HF1972 , HF229 , HF1090 , HF1084 , HF1307 , HF1274 , HF1609 , HF2110 , HF211 , HF216 , HF222 , HF224 , HF225 , HF203 , HF206 , HF207 , HF208 , HF227 , HF246 , HF427 , HF466 , HF502 , HF680 , HF971

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> budget the Department of Public Safety budget the Department of Public Safety has<00:01:43.479><
• </c> critical along the public safety critical along the public safety Continuum<00:13:52.680><c> they
• </c> violence situation uh create a safety violence situation uh create a safety plan<00:14:12.680><c
• </c> street so there's really a public safety street so there's really a public safety complex<00:26:
• </c> as part of Minnesota Public Safety as part of Minnesota Public Safety infrastructure<00:58:39.440

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 5915 does not lower the bar for safety or science.
• SB 5915 does not lower the bar for safety or science.
• So really working to continue to stabilize our safety net.
• Simply put, this bill protects the safety net for the safety net. Thank you. Thank you.
• Safety net clinics make up only a small minority of the 340B program.

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held a hearing on several bills. SB 5904 would prohibit non-human entities from using nursing titles; the sponsor and nursing groups said it is meant to increase transparency around AI and ensure patients know when they are interacting with a real nurse. SB 5915 would change Health Technology Assessment Program review criteria and timelines, with supporters arguing it would better account for Medicare coverage and national guidelines, especially for rare and life-threatening conditions. SB 6025 would update the definition of fetal death to allow gestational age to be determined by the best clinically accurate method rather than last menstrual period, and medical professionals and the sponsor said this would reduce emotional, financial, and legal burdens on grieving families. SB 5933 would require near real-time sharing of overdose data into ODMAP; public health, local government, and recovery advocates said it would improve overdose response, while one witness asked that poison center data be included and clarified separately. SB 5990 would allow APRNs and physician assistants to serve as local health officers in counties under 100,000 population; rural county officials supported the added flexibility, while public health groups and naturopathic physicians raised concerns about qualifications and asked that naturopathic doctors be included as well. SB 5981 would restrict drug manufacturers from limiting 340B drug access through contract pharmacies or requiring data as a condition of discounts; safety-net hospitals, community health centers, pharmacies, and patients said it protects access and reinvestment in care, while manufacturers, employer groups, and industry representatives argued it increases costs, lacks transparency, and may not ensure savings reach patients. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the transcript; each bill was heard and testimony was closed. Sign-in counts were reported for several bills, including strong pro support for SB 5904, SB 5915, SB 5933, and SB 5981, and mixed or substantial opposition on SB 6025 and SB 5990.

Transcript Highlights:

• Colleagues, as you'll recall, last year, I authored Senate Bill 1047 around AI safety, large language
• Safety disclosures have been streamlined and simplified.
• Developers will be required to review and, if appropriate, update their safety framework every year.
• Required to review and, if appropriate, update their safety framework every year.
• And what we're asking is that they've all committed to take safety steps.

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee heard SB 53 by Senator Wiener after the bill was substantially amended on the floor and referred back under Assembly Rule 77.2. The author explained that the bill, focused on AI safety and frontier models, now applies its main requirements to models trained above 10^26 FLOPs, includes broader whistleblower protections, sets different disclosure obligations based on company revenue, removes Attorney General rulemaking authority in favor of an annual Department of Technology report, and keeps a $1 million-per-violation penalty. He also highlighted CalCompute, a proposed public cloud intended to expand access to compute and support innovation. Supporters, including Encode AI and Economic Security California Action, argued the bill would hold AI developers accountable to their public safety commitments, improve transparency, protect whistleblowers, and help democratize access to AI infrastructure. They said the measure reflects extensive negotiation with the administration and stakeholders and aligns with recommendations from the governor’s frontier-model working group. Opponents, including CalChamber, TechNet, CCIA, and Chamber of Progress, remained opposed unless amended, saying they appreciated the author’s work but still had concerns outlined in their letters. Committee members questioned whether the bill could stifle innovation, how it would address worst-case AI harms, and whether it could reach actors outside California. The author responded that the bill is intended as a light-touch transparency measure, that it applies to entities doing business in California, and that California can still lead in the absence of federal action. Members also emphasized the importance of whistleblower protections and CalCompute. The committee voted 12-1 to pass the bill, with DeMaio voting no and Patterson not voting, and the bill was sent back to the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• I used to work in Google's Child Safety Public Policy.
• And it's Child safety, public policy.
• The Safety Commission is the less sexy part of the bill.
• It puts the safety and privacy of everyday Californians first.
• Worker safety has been impacted, both physically and mentally.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Now I'm the chairman of the public safety across the way.
• Now I'm the chairman of the public safety across the way.
• Safety Equipment Training Fund.
• Public safety is expensive.
• That got switched to the public safety equipment training fund, which can do all public safety, and Mr

Committee: House House Public Safety & Law Enforcement Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several public safety and corrections measures. SB 1161 would prevent $750,000 appropriated to DPS for Yuma County’s Amberly’s Place Family Advocacy Center from lapsing; testimony emphasized that the bill preserves existing funding for crisis response and victim services. The committee also advanced SB 1215, which clarifies the cancer list tied to the occupational disease presumption for firefighters and peace officers and adds retroactivity to June 30, 2021. SB 1270, aimed at retention for Tier 3 corrections employees, would allow optional employer supplemental contributions to defined contribution accounts at specified service intervals, with an amendment capping annual contributions at $5,000 and requiring employer policies; members discussed retention, vesting, and whether the incentive could simply be taken and left after the waiting period. Both SB 1161 and SB 1215 received due pass recommendations, as did SB 1270 after one no vote and several members noting the need for better retention tools. The committee then considered SB 1400, which authorizes law enforcement wellness and crisis response programs and sets confidentiality rules for information shared in those programs. Supporters said the bill would expand access to peer and professional support while preserving public records and misconduct investigation access, but members raised concerns that the privilege language could be too broad for licensed therapists; the sponsor indicated openness to an amendment, and the bill was advanced with members reserving the right to change their votes if the language is not tightened. SB 1538, as a strike-everything amendment, would require workers’ compensation coverage for PTSD treatment for firefighters and peace officers and could include one course of MDMA treatment if federal approval and DEA rescheduling occur by the stated deadline. Supporters described promising clinical trial results and argued the bill is a conditional authorization, while counties opposed the mandate and raised cost concerns; after debate over whether the bill is permissive or mandatory, the committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and gave the bill a due pass recommendation. The committee also passed SB 1537, which renames the Peace Officer Training Equipment Fund as the Public Safety De-escalation and Life Safety Fund and repeals the advisory commission. Supporters said the new name better reflects the fund’s use for de-escalation and less-lethal equipment, while some members opposed the change and preferred the money be used for raises. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1580, which would appropriate funds for fire incident management support hardware and software and, under a chairman’s amendment, redirect money from the Peace Officer Training Equipment Fund to additional public safety technology and retention/recruitment purposes; testimony focused on regional data-sharing systems and the need for accountability and clarity on how the funds would be spent.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation
• We are hearing several issues today that are critical to the safety and well-being of all Californians
• We hope that we'll still have the same level of life safety response that we've had.
• 440-plus public safety answering points.
• This funding provides a key safety net for victims of crime, and I thank you for your time.

Summary: The committee heard an overview from Cal OES on disaster response, LA wildfire recovery, federal FEMA reimbursements, security monitoring, and the state’s 911 transition. Cal OES said its budget supports disaster preparedness and recovery, including ongoing work in Los Angeles, where it reported about 700 FEMA public assistance applications totaling roughly $1.2 billion and about $545 million in state wildfire response and recovery funding already allocated under AB 100. Members pressed for more detail on FEMA delays, hazard mitigation grants, federal event planning, and the status of Operation Stonegarden, while also raising concerns about small-disaster recovery, federal shutdown impacts, and the need for more timely reporting. A major portion of the hearing focused on Next Generation 911. Cal OES described problems with the current regional deployment, especially call-routing and transfer failures, and said it now plans to shift to a statewide provider as an interim step, then run an open procurement for a long-term vendor. The agency said it expects to execute a bridging contract in the coming weeks, release an RFP in the second quarter of 2026, award a long-term contract in the fall, begin transitioning Los Angeles-area PSAPs ahead of the 2028 Olympics, and complete statewide migration by summer 2030. The LAO urged the Legislature to pause further implementation until it has more information on the problems, alternatives, costs, privacy/security issues, and oversight needs, and recommended quarterly and monthly reporting if the project proceeds. Several senators echoed concerns about cost, redundancy, cybersecurity, and whether the statewide model could create new risks, and the chair said she would pursue a joint oversight hearing with the Emergency Management Committee and seek input from the State Auditor. The Department of Justice then presented its overall workload and budget pressures. DOJ highlighted its work on fentanyl enforcement, human trafficking, firearms recovery, housing enforcement, consumer protection, environmental and civil rights litigation, and a large federal litigation workload, saying it has filed 59 lawsuits against the Trump administration and won most of them. DOJ said the added federal cases and other mandates have strained existing staff, though 44 additional hires have been made. Members praised DOJ’s work on immigration, housing, and federal accountability, and asked for more information on detention facilities and staffing. The committee also reviewed DOJ’s firearms-related budget proposals. DOJ requested funding for continued firearms IT modernization, implementation of SB 704 on firearm barrels, and a temporary shift of Bureau of Firearms costs to the General Fund. The LAO supported the IT modernization request but recommended funding SB 704 from the Dealer’s Record of Sale Special Account, with startup costs covered by a loan from the Firearm Safety and Enforcement Special Fund, and suggested limiting the General Fund shift to one year and treating it as a loan. The LAO also asked DOJ to develop a framework by January 10, 2027, for deciding which firearm and ammunition workload should be supported by fee revenue rather than the General Fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• Executive session on the House Committee on Crime and Public Safety.
• The amendment is the result of the Department of Public Safety having told us that, instead of using
• the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, insert Director of Public Safety. ...and insert
• Public Safety oversees the police officer standards.
• That will conclude this executive session and the hearing for crime and public safety.

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Our job is public safety, and it is our job to prepare these guys... ...is public safety.
• And the security of 101 is for our staff safety and also the incarcerated safety.
• It’s not reducing safety.
• It's not reducing safety.
• assault, and the safety of your staff.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules first handled several routine items, including governor’s appointments not required to appear, references to bills, and floor acknowledgments. The committee approved the appointments of Heather Lynn Gonzalez and Allison Salton-Sall to the Court Reporters Board, and then moved on to appointments required to appear from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Kathleen Ratliff and Joseph Tuggle, both proposed associate directors in CDCR’s Division of Adult Institutions, testified about their backgrounds and emphasized staff safety, rehabilitation, trauma-informed practices, and the California model. Senators focused heavily on the rollout of the California model, the August 2024 use-of-force incident at Central California Women’s Facility, sexual abuse prevention, retaliation concerns, and prison visitation. Both nominees said the department had improved communication and training, had disciplined or removed staff in response to misconduct, and was working to strengthen PREA reporting, investigations, and family visiting consistency. Public testimony was strongly supportive, and the committee voted 4-0 to send both nominations to the Senate floor. The committee then heard from Jason Johnson, nominated as CDCR Undersecretary of Operations. Johnson framed his work around rehabilitation, public safety, and culture change, and addressed concerns raised in late opposition letters and a lawsuit alleging retaliation, hostile work environment, discrimination, and whistleblower issues. He said he could not discuss pending litigation in detail, but described his leadership as focused on accountability, professional standards, and improving relationships with staff and community partners. Senators questioned him about parole supervision, risk assessment, contraband interdiction, and the Prison Rape Elimination Act response; Johnson said adult parole uses risk-based supervision and GPS for registered sex offenders, operations is working with correctional safety and law enforcement on contraband and drone interdiction, and CDCR continues to expand reporting channels and training. The committee also discussed the importance of rehabilitation and reentry programs, with Johnson saying most people return to the community and that CDCR must prepare them for successful reintegration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our job is public safety, and it is our job to prepare these guys...
• The security of all is for our staff safety and also the incarcerated safety, and that is paramount.
• And it really was a push on staff safety, staff wellness.
• It's not reducing safety.
• assault, safety of your staff.

Summary: The committee first handled routine actions, including quorum, governor’s appointments not required to appear, references to bills, and floor acknowledgments, with those items approved on 3-1 or 4-0 votes and left open for add-ons where noted. It then heard testimony on several CDCR appointments: Kathleen Ratliff and Joseph Tuggle as associate directors for adult institutions, and later Jason Johnson as Undersecretary of Operations. All three nominees emphasized long careers in corrections, support from family and colleagues, and a commitment to public safety, rehabilitation, and improving staff and institutional culture. Much of the questioning focused on the California model, staff safety, sexual abuse prevention, use-of-force incidents, visitation, and rehabilitation. Ratliff and Tuggle said the California model was poorly communicated at rollout but is intended to improve both staff wellness and rehabilitation, not weaken security. They described training, root-cause reviews, statewide calls, and direct engagement with staff and incarcerated people. On a widely criticized pepper-spray incident at Central California Women’s Facility, Ratliff said staff were disciplined, some terminated, and the facility received additional training on de-escalation, communication, use of force, and report writing. On sexual abuse and retaliation concerns, both nominees pointed to PREA training, multiple reporting channels, anti-retaliation monitoring, and a zero-tolerance policy. Members also pressed the nominees on visitation consistency, family reunification, contraband, and the San Quentin transition program. CDCR leaders said visitation is essential to rehabilitation and that the department is working toward more consistent statewide rules and a more family-friendly visiting environment. They also said contraband interdiction is being strengthened through K-9 searches, drone interdiction, and information sharing. Johnson, whose confirmation drew late opposition letters and a lawsuit alleging retaliation and workplace culture problems, said he was driving culture change, had improved reentry and community partnerships, and viewed rehabilitation as central to CDCR’s mission. After public support from former incarcerated people, advocates, and nonprofit leaders, the committee voted 4-0 to advance the appointments to the Senate floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I would just encourage this body to consider the safety of our children, the safety of our communities
• So, I would just encourage this body to consider the safety of our children, the safety of our communities
• I'm voting no on HB 312 because of safety.
• . safety. safety.
• When you safety studies with the CDC.

Transcript Highlights:

• Judiciary and Public Safety all in favor Judiciary and Public Safety all in favor say<00:37:53.720><c
• </c><00:41:53.000><c> for</c> deep concern over both the safety for deep concern over both the safety
• </c><00:43:13.200><c> into</c> incorporating works on safety into incorporating works on safety into
• </c> would also fund a Works own safety would also fund a Works own safety billboard<00:43:44.720><c>
• </c> highway safety highway safety center<00:45:08.040><c> uh</c><00:45:08.440><c> Deja</c><00:45:09.400

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Another big issue that the school safety center can take a lead on...
• monies from the school safety grant and how that might impact the school safety center funding.
• prevention, all... ...school safety prevention, all of these other elements of robust school safety,
• I also don't think photo radar works for safety.
• I also don't think photo radar works for safety.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will say that the bill was first heard in Public Safety.
• And if I may, on the topic of safety, I will note that, you know, in terms of safety, we took that amendment
• Employee safety, I think that that's a big issue.
• Mark Berman, CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety.
• We want that safety. We value that safety.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 56, which would require social media platforms to display a warning label about potential mental health harms from prolonged use, with amendments shortening the initial warning and allowing immediate access to the platform. The author and supporters, including a parent who lost a daughter to suicide and a therapist, argued that social media contributes to teen anxiety, self-harm, and other harms and that families need clearer public health information. Opponents from tech and civil liberties groups argued the bill would be ineffective, burdensome, and likely unconstitutional, saying it would create warning fatigue and should be replaced by more targeted tools and digital literacy measures. Several members discussed emergency access concerns, language access, and whether the warning should be more actionable; the bill was moved on a 9-0 vote to the Judiciary Committee. The committee then took up AB 358, which would amend CalECPA to allow law enforcement, with the victim’s consent, to inspect certain abandoned tracking or surveillance devices found in a victim’s home, vehicle, or personal property without first obtaining a warrant. The author and a San Diego prosecutor said the bill is narrowly tailored to devices used solely for spying and is intended to help stalking and domestic violence survivors act quickly before evidence is lost. Opponents from EFF and the ACLU warned the bill would weaken warrant protections, create a loophole around CalECPA, and reduce transparency and accountability. Members debated Fourth Amendment issues, abandonment, and the practical need for rapid access; the bill passed the committee on a 9-0 vote to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 1137, which builds on last year’s CSAM reporting law by allowing any user to report child sexual abuse material, requiring clearer reporting mechanisms, adding human review in some cases, and mandating third-party audits and public reporting. Supporters, including survivor advocates and a parent of a child victim, said the bill would reduce the burden on survivors and improve removal of abusive content. Tech industry opponents said they support the goal but objected to the human-review mandate, public audit disclosures, and enforcement provisions, arguing they could create security risks and compliance burdens. Members generally supported the bill’s intent but raised questions about audit frequency and human review; the bill was moved on call with seven votes at the time of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Safety<00:03:06.480><c> and</c><00:03:06.640><c> coordination</c><00:03:07.599><c> around</c> Safety
• </c><00:05:02.080><c> With</c> improving safety. So, thank you. With improving safety.
• ,</c> authority would improve access, safety, authority would improve access, safety, and<00:12:51.600
• Blocked bus stops are safety program.
• </c><00:36:54.800><c> should</c> piece is more use, less safety should piece is more use, less safety

Bills: HF3919 , HF3791 , HF1781 , HF3908 , HF4233 , HF3966 , HF3430

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill is about preparation, coordination, and public safety.
• We represent about 87,000 public safety members in the state of California.
• The motion is do pass, sorry, do pass as amended to Public Safety.
• The motion is due pass, sorry, due pass as amended to public safety.
• Senator Kinner, the motion is do pass as amended to Senate Public Safety.

Committee: Senate Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> thoughtfully while ensuring the safety thoughtfully while ensuring the safety and<00:56:52.839><
• Um, in the law, the ongoing serious safety threat to the child or serious safety threat to the child
• Um, in the law, the ongoing serious safety threat to the child or serious safety threat to the child
• Um, in the law, the ongoing serious safety threat to the child or serious safety threat to the child
• Um, in the law, the ongoing serious safety threat to the child or serious safety threat to the child

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• This offer could indiscriminately delay all pipeline safety work, including time-sensitive safety work
• Most often, it's safety. This doesn't remove the meter, probably the pipe.
• A reason, most often, it's safety. This doesn't avoid all of that work.
• , improved safety from those.
• Where we are now in terms of safety, improved safety from those plants from many decades ago and the

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> DVSOA for the office of traffic safety. DVSOA for the office of traffic safety.
• </c> impacts safety and quality of life. impacts safety and quality of life.
• ,</c> areas with respect to work zone safety, areas with respect to work zone safety, uh<00:42:31.359
• </c><01:21:28.719><c> In</c> and are vital to aviation safety. In and are vital to aviation safety.
• Work zone safety. I know in this bill. Work zone safety.

Bills: HF2438

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill simply names the Antelmo Ramirez Safety Act in honor of Mr.
• Bringing together heat safety experts, labor representatives, and employers to establish comprehensive
• Exposure to heat and hot environments published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
• CSHB 446 ensures that a baseline of safety exists so that every worker in Texas, no matter where they
• Merchants workers know that they will have to begin taking heat safety precautions.

Bills: HB446 , HB1609 , HB4443 , HB4464 , HB4735 , HB5476

Committee: House S/C on Workforce