Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education

Good evening. The Assembly Higher Education Committee is called to order. We're awaiting a quorum. Thank you so much for everyone's patience. Welcome to the Committee's, the Committee on Higher Education's 77.2 Bill Hearing. I will now go over some key elements of the structure of today's hearing. Please note, while this hearing will not have phone testimony, we're accepting written testimony through the position portal on the Committee's website at www.ahed.assembly.ca.gov.

Additionally, please note that the guideline for bill is heard in this Committee is to allow for testimony for two minutes from two lead witnesses in support and two lead witnesses in opposition to speak for no more than two minutes each. Stakeholder groups and entities that are neither in support nor in opposition will be allowed to give testimony for no more than two minutes when a call for tweeners.

If a measure has more than two entities in the tweener category, only two will be allowed to speak for two minutes each. Members, if you'd like to respond to a roll call, ask a question, or provide a comment, please raise your hand and activate your volume button on the dais microphone. And for the bill's author, for the Assemblymember presenting today, thank you so much for joining us.

You'll have an opportunity to provide an opening statement and a closing statement and your lead witnesses will each have two minutes to provide testimony. Then we need one more for quorum. I think we have quorum now. Actually, Madam Secretary, do we have quorum? Roll call, please.

Fong?

Here.

Ta?

Here.

Addis? Here. Arambula? Here. Gabriel? Irwin? Low? Ortega? Sanchez? Here. Santiago? Wallis? Here. Weber? Here.

Thank you so much, colleagues. We have established quorum. Alright, we have a motion and second. Thank you so much. Assemblymember Ramos, welcome, and more welcome to start. The floor is yours.

Thank you. Mr. Chair and Committee Members. Today I'm presenting AB 389 a bill that would hold the California State Universities accountable for their failures to repatriate Native American remains in excess of over 700,000 Native American remains. I ask for your aye vote.

Thank you so much. Are there any members of the public in support of the bill?

Thank you, Chairman. Frank Molina on behalf of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumach Indians, and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians is in strong support. Thank you.

Thank you so much for joining us here today. Any other witnesses in support? Are there witnesses in opposition in the hearing room? Are there tweeners in the hearing room? Colleagues, any questions or comments? Mr. Assemblymember, would you like to close? As for your aye vote, thank you so much, Assemblymember Ramos, for bringing this important measure forward. We just had a robust hearing on this very issue with yourself and the JLAC Committee to work with the CSU System and we know that the CSU must continue to prioritize the repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural items.

I'm concurred, especially with everything that's happened recently, that we need to continue to amplify these issues. And thank you for working with the legislative committees and Department of Finance on these issues and to ensure that funding is appropriate with the CSU, and we look forward to working on the recommendations to implement these measures.

So thank you so much for bringing this very important measure forward. With that, roll call please.

File Item One, AB 389. The motion is to concur in Senate amendments and pass to the floor. Fong? Aye. Fong, aye. Ta? Aye. Ta, aye. Addis? Aye. Addis, aye. Arambula? Aye. Arambula, aye. Gabriel?

Irwin? Low? Ortega? Sanchez? Aye. Sanchez, aye. Santiago? Wallis? Aye. Wallis, aye. Weber? Aye. Weber, aye.

Thank you so much. The measure has seven votes and we'll keep the roll open for any additional Members that would like to add on for a few minutes. Thank you so much Assemblymember Ramos. Thank you, colleagues.

Madam Secretary, please call the role for any Members that would like to add on.

File Item One, AB 389. The motion is to concur in Senate amendments and pass to the floor. Santiago? Aye. Santiago, aye.

Thank you. That measure now has eight votes, and we'll keep the row open for three more minutes for any Members that would like to add on. Thank you. Thank you so much. Madam Secretary, please call the roll for any Members that would like to add on.

File Item One, AB 389. The motion is to concur in Senate amendments and pass to the floor. Gabriel? Aye. Gabriel, aye.

That measure has nine votes and we'll keep the roll open for two more minutes. Thank you. Thank you so much. Madam Secretary, please call the role for any Members I would like to add on.

File Item One, AB 389. The motion is to concur in Senate amendments and pass to the floor. Ortega? Aye. Ortega, aye.

Thank you so much. The item now has 10 ayes, no no votes, and we'll keep the roll open for a few more seconds. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Colleagues, for a robust meeting. I really appreciate everyone's patience. And thank you to all the Higher Education Committee staff for joining us here tonight, for all the hardworking efforts and everyone in the audience for all your hardworking efforts here and everyone listening. With that, the Higher Education Committee is adjourned. Thank you so much.