Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations

Good morning. We'd like to call to order the Appropriations Committee hearing for March 22. We have 13 bills to consider this morning as a part of our regular order of business. Before we begin, I have a few housekeeping notes to cover. First, I'd like to recognize Assemblymember Baines, who will be here shortly.

She will be sitting in for Assemblymember Lowenthal today. We also look to encourage the public to provide written testimony before the hearing by visiting the Committee website at apro.assembly.ca.gov. Please note that any written testimony submitted to the committee is considered public comment and may be read into the record or reprinted. The hearing room is open for attendance.

All are encouraged to watch the hearing from its live stream on the Assembly website at assembly.ca.gov/todays-events. We encourage the public to monitor the committee's website for updates. We will accept public comment on any bill placed on suspense filed by the committee today and for which the author waived presentation before the close of the regular ordered hearing. Testimony on any such bill will be limited to a statement of name, organization if any, and position on the bill.

The committee will allow no more than 40 minutes of testimony in total. As you came into the hearing room today, the sergeants directed your attention to the rules for public attendance and participation which were posted outside the door. I encourage members of the public who are in attendance to be aware of and observe those rules. Please be aware that violations of these rules or other violations of general courtesy or decorum may subject you to removal or other enforcement processes. Now we will look to our clerk. I believe we have the requisite number of members to establish a quorum. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

We have a quorum. We'll move to adoption of the committee rules. Do we have a motion to adopt the committee rules? There's been a motion. Is there a second? It's been moved and seconded. We have a motion by Assemblymember Pellerin. Yes, well, it's early and second by Calderon. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Rules are now adopted. We'll move to the consent calendar. I'd like to dispense with the consent calendar. Madam Secretary, would you please read the consent calendar? We can begin first with a motion. Is there a motion to adopt the consent calendar? Moved and seconded. We'll now hear a reading.

[Reading]

Okay, we have a motion, and it's been seconded. We'll now call the roll on the consent calendar.

[Roll Call]

Ten, zero. We'll keep the roll open for our absent members to add on. I will now dispense with the suspense file. Madam Secretary, would you please read the suspense calendar?

[Second Reading]

Okay, the suspense calendar is deemed approved. I will now take up our first Bill of the day. Mr. Lackey, you're here to present on. Oh, I'm sorry, you were here first. You're here to present on AB 72. That enjoys a do pass.

Date for the Scripps Institution of oceanography to conduct research on coastal cliff landslides and erosions in the County of San Diego by one year. For those of you who are new, I had AB 66. Last year, I directed Scripps institution of oceanography to collect data on bluff collapse at Beacons beach and Del Mar bluffs. We have train tracks and the second busiest rail quarter in the entire country about to fall into the ocean.

And so 8066 is the first phase of creating the science around bluff failures. We know we have bluff failures all along our coast due to sea level rise and erosion. And we had a horrible accident in Encinitas, where one of our pediatric dentists lost his wife, his daughter and his sister in law, all in a collapse. And if the collapse had happened 10 seconds earlier, it would have also cost him 10 of his grandchildren.

And so our solution was to come up with a science around bluff failures. So, ultimately, we will get an early warning notification system for bluff failures, like you do with earthquakes. And so AB 72 extends it by one year due to permitting delays in the City of Encinitas. And we need to make sure we have full data to make sure that we're getting a prototype that actually reflects the science around bluff failures.

And without this project extension, full data would only cover one full winter when coastal erosion landslides occur more frequently and limit the overall project outcomes and recommendations. And I respectfully ask for aye vote.

Thank you. You have no witnesses for today.

I wrote the bill. It's a TBH special.

All right. There you go. There's a motion. Is there a second? Okay, we'll turn to the public. Is there anyone in the committee hearing room that would like to testify or speak in favor, name organization, if any. And position on the bill? Seeing none. Are there any witnesses that would like to testify in opposition? Seeing none. Any members of the public who would like to state their position on this bill? Seeing none. Then we'll turn back to the committee. Are there any questions?

Thank you, Chair. I fully support this for obvious reasons. I'd like to work together to extend this, I guess, a separate project, and maybe Scripps could be involved to look at other coastal failures in San Clemente as well as Newport Beach. So we could talk about that. But I support what you're doing and it's necessary and let's expedite it.

Yes, if the City of Encinitas had permitted it, we wouldn't have to have a one year extension. So we will get that. And the idea is you create the science around bluff failures. In the first phase, you get a prototype. And initially we were just going to expand it for a couple of sites, but most coastal members, when we came up with AB 66 have expressed a lot of interest in it.

And so it looks like the second phase would probably be throughout the State of California. And hopefully in the third phase, we'd have the entire west coast of the United States. And on your know, if you're a coastal member you're an inland member, maybe you get, like, extreme heat warnings or you get hail warnings, like yesterday in coastal communities, we get flood warnings and king tide warnings.

And the idea would be you get it on your phone that you get a bluff collapse warning so people can keep themselves safe. So it's really an essential thing of how do you combine science and public safety to keep people safe at the beach.

Very good. Thank you.

Appreciate your bill, and we appreciate you coming back with great gusto this year. The bill has a motion. It's been seconded. It's out on a roll call.

Thank you. Mr. Lackey, you're here to present AB 56.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair and members, for allowing me to present AB 56. This legislation would provide victims of violent crime with compensation to make therapies and other forms of care more accessible while they navigate the trauma recovery process. This bill was assessed to have negligible costs. I believe that this policy will change and have a tremendous benefit for victims without imposing unreasonable costs to the state. There is an immediate need to address trauma. And as prolonged exposure to this kind of trauma can lead to serious health issues, a lack of access to care could be influential in the development of substance use disorders and behavioral health issues. And I ask for your support.

And you have no witness today?

I just have my staff member in case there's questions.

He looks eager to testify. Anyone in the public that would like to testify in support? Seeing and hearing none. Opposition? Seeing and hearing none. We bring it back to the committee. It's been moved and seconded. Would you like to close?

Ask for your support and appreciate your time.

Okay. This bill is out on an A roll call.

Thank you.

Thank you. All right. It won't always be this fast, ladies and gentlemen. We'll now move to public comment. I would like to open the hearing up to public comment from members of the public on any bill that was presented to the committee today. Is there anyone here in the committee room that would like to testify in support or opposition to any bill that was presented or was on suspense or consent? Okay, seeing none.

Okay, then we will now allow members who have not had an opportunity to cast their vote on any of the items before us. We'll do our add-ons. And so what we will do is the committee rules first. Roll call on the committee rules.

[Roll Call]

Okay, now we'll take up the consent calendar. Everyone else can. You're good. If you're on the votes, you're free to go.

[Roll Call]

So this is adding on to the committee rules.

[Roll Call]

Consent calendar.

[Roll Call]

Okay, we'll call the roll on committee rules.

[Roll Call]

Consent.

[Roll Call]

You're done.

No worries. So we will call the roll on committee rules.

[Roll Call]

Consent.

[Roll Call]

Okay, we have all members recorded. This meeting is adjourned.