Deborah Carlton — Testifies in opposition on behalf of the California Apartment Association and argues the bill is inconsistent if nonprofits can still buy homes.
Deborah Carlton — Testified for the California Apartment Association, saying the group is not in opposition and will continue working on amendments.
Deborah Carlton — Speaks in opposition or with concerns on behalf of the California Apartment Association, while expressing optimism about reaching agreement.
unnamed witness from a home-sharing program — Explained that their program supports reasonable exemptions, that lodger law is not enforceable in the counties where they operate, and that older participants sometimes rely on outdated advice about licensing agreements.
Mr. Ward — Thanked for the conversation and for clarifying the bill's intent regarding removal of unsafe occupants.
AB449 — AB 449 is introduced as a bill authorizing the California Civil Rights Department to run statewide media campaigns discouraging discrimination based on immutable characteristics. Support for the bill is noted, including Equality California, and the committee then moves to a roll call vote with a due pass recommendation to Appropriations.
AB449 — Item three on the agenda; votes were recorded.
AB449 — Consent/add-on vote taken on AB 449.
Craig Pols — Spoke in support of AB 449 on behalf of Equality California.
AB1201 — AB 1201 is introduced in committee and presented as the Reunity Act. The author explains that the bill would give courts discretion to make individualized reunification decisions rather than imposing an automatic bar, with exceptions involving serious violence, weapons, or child victims. Supportive testimony follows from Fidel Chagoya, who says the bill would have given him a fair chance to reunify with his daughter and supports it as a way for parents with unrelated felonies to regain custody. The committee then asks whether there is any opposition and moves the bill favorably.
Vonya Quarles — Introduced as a witness who will speak about lived experience and the issue.
Fidel Chagoya — Fidel Chagoya is introduced as a witness from Starting Over Inc., then identifies himself as an organizer with Riverside All of Us or None at Starting Over Inc., explaining that the nonprofit helps formerly incarcerated people secure housing, employment, and record expungement. He then begins his testimony about his lived experience as a formerly incarcerated parent who lost parental rights, setting up how the bypass provision affected his case.
Vonia Quarles — Introduces herself as co-founder and director of Starting Over Inc. and describes the organization’s reentry services.
John Vasquez — Speaks on behalf of Communities United for Restorative Justice in strong support.
John Vasquez — Speaks on behalf of Community United, Port Story Through Justice, in strong support of AB 464.
John Vasquez — States support for AB 614 on behalf of Communities United for Justice and several allied organizations.
Annie Thomas — Speaks on behalf of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services in support.
Annie Thomas — Testified on behalf of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services in support of the bill.
Zachariah Okenda — Speaks as senior policy attorney with the Alliance for Children's Rights in support.
AB464 — AB 464 is presented as an accountability and anti-retaliation bill that codifies recommendations from research and the Women’s Caucus on prison sexual assault. The bill’s provisions are described as including stronger reporting and monitoring requirements, restrictions on rehiring staff terminated for confirmed sexual abuse, protections against retaliation, tolling of legal claims, and safeguards for survivors. Multiple witnesses testify in support, emphasizing the bill’s importance for preventing abuse, protecting survivors, and addressing failures in the prison system. A member asks about the 90-day supervision period, and the witness explains the rationale and how the bill is intended to function. The discussion concludes with support for the bill, a motion to move it, and the final vote/transition to the next item.
AB464 — Item four on the agenda; voted out.
Keanu Aldridge — Keanu Aldridge testifies in support of AB 464, introducing herself as a survivor and describing a life shaped by abuse and exploitation. She explains that abusive relationships in her family led her onto the streets, where she was trafficked and forced into prostitution, and that she was prosecuted as an adult at 17 for conduct tied to her sexual exploitation. She then describes being targeted and sexually abused by multiple prison staff while incarcerated at CIW, and says that when she reported abuse by work supervisors in 2018, she was immediately fired and barred from working elsewhere. She concludes by urging the committee to support AB 464.
April Grayson — April Grayson is introduced as the person who will read written testimony from survivor Nikki Carroll, and then she identifies herself as the political director for Sister Warriors and a proud co-sponsor of the bill as she begins that testimony.
Nikki Carroll — Nikki Carroll’s testimony is introduced and then delivered, describing her experience as a survivor of sexual assault and retaliation by CDCR staff. She explains that she was sentenced to prison at 17 and served 20 years, and that regardless of whether she cooperated, she expected retaliation and did not trust the system to protect her.
Sadia Khan — Speaks for Family Violence Law Center in strong support of AB 464.
Glenn Backus — Speaks for Prosecutors' Alliance Action and identifies as a proud co-sponsor.
Grace Glazer — Grace Glazer, speaking on behalf of Valor U.S., expresses proud co-sponsorship and support for AB 464 and registers additional organizations in support, including the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, ACLU, California Action, and the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color.
Capri Walker — Speaks in support on behalf of Californians for Safety and Justice and Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.
Capri Walker — Speaks in support on behalf of Californians for Safety and Justice and Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.
Ms. Grayson — Is thanked for bringing another voice into the room through reading testimony.
AB614 — The committee takes up AB 614 by Lee. The author thanks the committee and explains that the bill aligns the Government Claims Act statute of limitations to one year for all cases, noting that current filing deadlines can be shorter, such as six months for personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage claims.
AB614 — AB 614 is discussed as a proposal to extend the tort claims filing deadline from six months to one year. Speakers debate the bill’s impact, with opponents arguing it increases pressure on public entities and supporters describing it as a modest change that helps plaintiffs and reduces barriers to filing claims. The discussion concludes with the note that the bill has passed out of committee.
Ty Clark — Ty Clark was introduced and then identified himself as a civil rights attorney at Pointer and Wellna representing people harmed by government misconduct. He is present in support of the bill and represents people going through the claims process.
Leslie Overfield — Leslie Overfield is identified as Ty Clark's client and as someone the committee had already heard from, then she begins her own testimony by introducing herself and describing her background and her son's medical situation, including his transfer from jail to Barton Hospital and then to Sutter Medical in San Francisco.
Nicholas Overfield — Nicholas Overfield, referred to as Nick, became ill while in jail and was later reported to have died on June 22, 2022, from HIV complications at age 42.
Savina Tacker — States support for AB 614 on behalf of the Consumer Attorneys of California.
Dylan Hoffman — Dylan Hoffman, speaking on behalf of PRISM, testifies in opposition and argues that extending the claim timeline would increase legal risk for public entities, which in turn would raise litigation costs and liability insurance premiums.
Eric Lawyer — Eric Lawyer testified in respectful opposition on behalf of the California State Association of Counties, the Urban Counties of California, and the League of California Cities.
the witness — The witness is discussed as someone who was wronged and deserves justice, followed by an expression of sympathy and condemnation of what happened to her.
the witness — The speaker offers sympathy to the witness for her loss and experiences.
unidentified opposition witness — The witness argued that the current claims and investigation process is already functioning and that there is no data or study showing a need for the proposed extension or that the existing process is failing. They emphasized that claims can involve different types of injuries and that concerns about stale evidence and added costs remain relevant.
our witness Leslie — Referenced as having experienced delays in obtaining records from the government, illustrating why six months is too short.
Leslie — Thanked as a witness and cited as an example supporting the need for more time to file paperwork.
AB1240 — AB 1240 is introduced as the bill under discussion and described as amended to protect the limited stock of homes for working families while excluding builders. It is then referenced as the modest bill prompting testimony, and the discussion concludes with support for the bill and an urging of a yes vote.
AB1240 — Call is lifted and vote is being taken.
AB1333 — Referenced as a similar bill involving real estate investment firms buying homes.
Brian Mayor Montes — Speaks in support on behalf of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.
Halana Alexander — Speaks in support on behalf of the Choose Your Path Foundation.
Halana Alexander — Speaks in support on behalf of the Home Cohort, a coalition of 11 agencies.
Jim Lights — Testifies in opposition on behalf of the National Rental Home Council and argues the bill targets companies that are not engaging in the conduct described.