Assembly Floor

The Assembly is now in session. Assembly Member Ta notices the absence of a quorum. The sergeant in arms will prepare the chambers and bring in the absent Members. The Clerk will call the role.

[Roll Call]

Members, a quorum is present. We ask that our guests in the gallery in the rear of the chambers to please stand for the prayer and the pledge. Today's prayer will be offered by our Assembly chaplain, Imam Yasir Khan. Imam? Yes, sir.

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful, most gracious, and all enabling God, Awaken within our hearts and minds the ability to reason and discuss differences so that we may realize reasonable, fair, and just solutions to the issues that are before us. Allow our Assembly Members to meet the expectations of those who support them and at the same time to do what is best for all in our state.

We know that we all must meet the obligations of the trust that is placed upon us, and we therefore come to you in faith seeking courage and strength to perform our tasks. Dear God, as we stand here today, we are thankful and ask for your continued blessing on this body as they endeavor to perform their duties. We ask your blessing on our state and all the individuals that work tirelessly, that are striving to make this world a better place for everybody else. Amen.

We ask that you remain standing and join us in the flag salute. Please join us Ta as he leads us in the pledge.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So please put your right hand over your heart. Ready, begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag, United States of America, and to republic.

Thank you. You may be seated. Reading of the previous day's journal.

Assembly Chamber of Sacramento Tuesday, March 142023 the Assembly met at 07:00 a.m. The Honorable Diane Dixon, Assembly Member, 70.

Seconds and Mr. Flora seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal will be dispensed with presentations and petitions there are none. Introductions and references to bills will be deferred. Reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the Governor there are none. Messages from the Senate? There are none. Moving to motions and resolutions, the absences for the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal. And Majority Leader Reyes, you're recognized for your procedural motions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Haney and Hoover to speak on an adjournment in memory today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 118 A to allow Assembly Members Weber and Ta to have guests seated at their desks today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

Pursuant to Assembly Rule 96, I request unanimous consent to re refer the following bills to Committee.

AB three Zbur from the Utilities and Energy Committee to the Natural Resources Committee, AB 51 Bonta from the Education Committee to the Human Services Committee, and then back to the Education Committee, AB 376 quirk Silva from the Revenue and Taxation Committee to the Housing Community Development Committee, and then back to the Revenue and Taxation Committee, AB 350 Aguiar curry from the Natural Resources Committee to the Appropriations Committee, AB 513 Rodriguez from the Budget Committee to the Emergency Management Committee, AB 550 Shavo from the Local Government Committee to the Housing and Community Development Committee, AB 770 Kalra from the Housing and Community Development Committee to the Human Services Committee, AB 885 Luce Rivas from the Local Government Committee to the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee, AB 1152 Joe Patterson from the Natural Resources Committee to the Local Government Committee and then back to the Natural Resources Committee. And AB 1454. Joe Patterson from the education Committee to the Revenue and Taxation Committee,

Without objection, Such shall be the order. And Assembly Member Ta, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Yes, actually my pleasure to introduce my wife who've been with me for the last 25 years, Anne Duan.

Thank you. Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly and Assembly Member Ta. An announcement. We want to wish you a happy birthday today. Big day for you. And I think, yes, he's with us. We also have another birthday today. Let's also wish Dr. Assembly Member Wood a happy birthday today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I misspoke earlier. It is AB 346 not AB 376. That's the Quirk-Silva Bill. And AB 1454 rather than 1456. That's the Joe Patterson Bill.

Thank you, majority leader. The Clerk will note, you Members will be moving to business on the daily file. Second reading. The Clerk will read All amendments will be deemed adopted, and Members moving on to third reading. We will go forward to file item 32. This is ACR 45. Clerk will read

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 45 by Assembly Member Ta and others relative to Vietnam Human Rights Day

And Assembly Member Ta. You may open.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, fellow Assembly Member. I'm here today to present ACR 45, recognizing May 11 as Vietnam Human Rights Day. This resolution marked the 33rd anniversary that the manifesto of the nonviolent movement for Human Rights in Vietnam was first officially recognized by Congress in 1994. I'm deeply honored to be able to present this as a California resolution for the very first time. I came to the US from Vietnam at the age of 19 to escape communist oppression and to experience true freedom. Hundreds of thousands of my fellow Vietnamese was also choosed this great State of California as their new homeland.

We are now proud Americans and are deeply grateful for the liberty and dignity that is given to everyone under our democratic ideals, but our heart break for the people still living under tyranny in Vietnam. I know that my college and Assembly from both parties are committed to affirming the right of every person to be able to live in a free society where their lives matter and their votes matter in a moniparty system.

California is now home to almost 700,000 Vietnamese Americans who are able to live free and experience democratic representation. They have created strong communities statewide, including Orange County, San Jose and Sacramento. ACR 45 recognize those in Vietnam who do not share our liberty. The resolution date designate May 11, 2023 as Vietnam Human Rights Day.

In support of efforts to achieve freedom and human rights for the people of Vietnam, I humbly ask all California to reflect on May 11 and think of those who are still unable to experience the true freedom that can be so easily taken for granted, and I ask my colleagues to please share in this endeavor by voting. I I ask that a role to be opened to co author. Thank you.

{Vietnamese]

Thank you, Mr. Ta and Assembly Member Kalra. You're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members... Ash Kalra. I'm very honored to be the state Assembly Member representing the vibrant community in San Jose, which has more Vietnamese of any city outside of Vietnam. And our state has certainly been enriched by the Vietnamese community, having the largest population of Vietnamese anywhere in the nation throughout our state, from Orange County to the Bay Area, the Sacramento Valley and throughout the state.

I want to thank those in my community who, year in, year out, day in, day out, have been active participants in our community, but also have called attention to human rights abuses in Vietnam, and I've been proud to stand with them over many, many years. I want to thank our colleague for bringing this important resolution forward.

I'm proud to be a principal co author and I think it's a great testament to the resilience and strength of the Vietnamese community that for the first time this body has simultaneously serving two Vietnamese Americans. I think that's a great testament to the community not just calling out and speaking up for those that have been denied their rights in Vietnam, but becoming active participants here in this great state, in this great nation, in ensuring that their civic participation benefits those in their community. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Kalra and Assembly Member Nguyen. You're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the first Vietnamese American women to represent here in Sacramento, I felt it was so important, not only because I'm Vietnamese, but because of what my parents had to endure when they came here flooding Vietnam.

You heard from what my colleague said from Westminster on ACR 45, is that right now in Vietnam, our rights are taken away, our freedom is taken away, and ACR 45 will ensure that not only do we here in California believe in the fact that my community, my people, deserve rights and freedom that all of us do here in California as well, too. I humbly ask for your aye vote on this.

Thank you, Ms. Nguyen. And seeing no other Members wishing to discuss this resolution, Mr. Ta would like the first roll to be open for co authors. Clerk will open the roll. All those wishing to be a co author on ACR 45, please register your vote now. Thank Clerk will close the roll. There are 62 co authors, and if there is no objection, we can take a voice vote on this resolution. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say nay. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

Assemblymember Ta, you are recognized for guest introductions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I really want to thank all the Members for supporting my ACR 45. Really appreciate that. And I'd like to introduce my fellow Vietnamese Americans, and they are community activists. They live in San Jose and the Bay Area, so please stand. Thank you. Mr. Ta. Welcome to the California State Assembly. And, Members, we had one more announcement. We have a birthday on April 11.

Please wish Assembly Member Josh Hoover a happy birthday coming up this week. All right, we're back to the top of the file. We are going to pass and retain on file items three through six. This is file item seven. AB 279. Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 279 by Assembly Member Blanca Rubio and others an act relating to water.

And Assembly Member Rubio, you may open.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members, for allowing me to present AB 279 this afternoon. This is a district Bill which specifically affects our regional water quality authority overseeing the cleanup of the San Gabriel Basin. As the sole entity in charge of planning, coordinating and providing funding for the cleanup of the basin pollutants, the work done by the authority is invaluable to my constituents and my region. By adjusting the pumping rights assessment for the authority, AB 279 will ensure cost effective long term planning for the continued remediation of the basin through its sunset date of 2050. This Bill has received bipartisan support and zero opposition. Thank you. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Ms. Rubio. And seeing no Members wishing to discuss this Bill, Clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes 60 no, zero. Bill is passed. We'll pass and retain on file items eight through 10. Bringing us to file item 11.

This is AB 86. Clerk will read Assembly Bill 86 by Assembly Member Maienschein and accolading. The criminal procedure and Assembly remain shine. You may open.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Members. AB 806 would extend the list of domestic violence related crimes that can be joined and tried in one jurisdiction when the alleged crimes are commuted by the same defendant and against the same victim. AB 806 would help limit the number of times victims are forced to relive their trauma. The Bill passed out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee with unanimous support. I respectfully request your aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Maienschein. And seeing no Members wishing to discuss this Bill, the Clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close roll tally the votes. I 64 no zero Bill is passed. Next we will pass and retain on file item 12, bringing us to file item 13. This is AB 72.

Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 72 by Assembly Member Boerner Horvath an act relating to coastal resources.

And Assemblywoman Boerner Horvath. You may open.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. AB 72 would extend the sunset date of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to conduct research on coastal cliffs, landslides, and erosion in the County of San Diego by one year.

My AB 66 from 2021 directed Scripps researchers to collect data on bluff and bluff failure, creating the science behind bluff failure at Beacons beach in Encinitas in Del Mar. The deadline extension is requested due to the significant permitting delays in Encinitas. Who would have ever guessed? Which prevented the timely installation of several key sensors, including a subsurface high sensitivity strain meter used for detecting small scale ground movement.

Without a project extension, full data collection would only cover one full winter when coastal erosion and landslides occur more frequently and limit the overall project outcomes and recommendations. AB 66 is the first step in creating an early warning notification system for bluff failures, much like we have for earthquakes. This information is critical to keep our communities and our beaches safer, especially in the face of sea level rise. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you Ms. Borner Horvath and seeing no Members wishing to discuss this Bill, Clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close the roll. Calendar votes ayes 65 no, zero Bill is passed. Next, this is file item 14, AB 264. Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 264 by Assembly Member Ting and others an act relating to public postsecondary education

And Assembly Member Ting, you may open.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. AB 264 permits and does not mandate community college districts to celebrate the Lunar New Year, if they so choose, by allowing them to replace Lunar New Year with either Lincoln or Washington's birthday. Again, we just had a Lunar new Year celebration. We talked about the importance of Lunar new Year for our API community. It's one of the biggest and most important holidays in our community, and it just allows those community college districts that so choose to celebrate it as a holiday. With that I respect free ask for an aye vote on AB 264.

Thank you, Mr. Ting. And seeing no Members wishing to discuss this Bill, Clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes ayes 65 no zero Bill is passed. Pass and retain on file item 15. Bringing us to Ms. Addis. File item 16. ACR 42.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 42 by Assembly Member Addis relative to Women's Equal payday

And Assemblywoman Addis, you may open.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Members, on behalf of the Women's Caucus, I am proud to present ACR 42, recognizing April 2 as women's equal pay day, a day that symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. Of note is that the actual date for 2023 was March 14.

That's 73 days more for women to earn what their male colleagues earn for the same work. For too long, women, especially BIPOC and LGBTQIA plus women, have been underpaid and undervalued in the workplace. It is time that we acknowledge the invaluable contributions of all Californians through financial parity.

An ACR 42 is our ongoing an ACR 42 is our response to the ongoing legacy of women experiencing the burden of lower salaries, a burden that cuts into resources for daily life expenses, for health care, for childcare, for retirement, and for so much more. The data around the wage gap is astounding. While the gap is closing, growth has taken decades and we are nowhere near parity.

Imagine that in 1962, the year the Equal Pay act was signed, women made just 59 cents to the men's dollar. And in 2012, it was just 77 cents to the men's dollar. Now, in 2023, on average, women just earn. They still earn just $0.82 for every dollar that men are paid for commensurate work. And so over the past 60 years, it's just a poultry 23 cent increase. And the gap is even larger for black, Latina, Native American and LGBTQIA women.

In California, earnings data continues to show that men earn $20,000 more a year for the same jobs. And added to the wage gap, women continue to be underrepresented in high paying fields such as sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics, business and managerial positions. And women tend to be overrepresented in lower paying fields such as teaching and childcare. So this has grave impacts on women, children, families, and our entire society.

Because up to 66% of mothers are the breadwinners for their households, it's far past time to put our money where our values are. Equal pay strengthens the security of individuals and families and adds to a thriving economy and social fabric. And so if we truly believe that gender equity is important, we must start at the very minimum by paying women, especially BIPOC and LGBTQIA plus women, what they deserve. And so with that, I would like to invite Members of other caucuses to speak. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Addis and assemblywoman Friedman, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members, I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Jewish caucus in support of ACR 42 to recognize and proclaim equal payday in California. About a month and a half ago, some of us celebrated PI day. Now, I think that pie day is about the numeric number represented by the pie symbol. But a lot of people also talked about their favorite pies, minus cherry.

But on social media, the kind of pie that I talked about was the pie chart representing the difference between what women are paid and men are paid and the difference between what white women are paid and BIPOC women are paid. That was the kind of pie that I was interested in talking about on pie day, because we know that until we are paid the same amount of compensation for equal work, we do not have equality, and we certainly don't have equal opportunities in this country.

April 2 marked an important and symbolic moment, and that moment is about the challenges that we continue to face as policymakers. This is a stain on the progressive values that we share and on California's values of equality. Now, in this body's history, we have put women at the head of the table across the highest levels of government. And so, too, as Jews, we've brought women into the fold and pioneered the justice movements by the leadership of women.

Jewish women have been in the greatest spaces of justice, from former Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Russian immigrant Golden Maier, who as a child organized the American Young sister society to help pay for her classmates'textbooks and later went on to become, of course, the first female prime minister of Israel. But we clearly have a long way to go. An off repeated Jewish lesson goes Tedsetek. Tedsetk, Ted Sirov. Justice. Justice, you shall pursue the Jewish caucus along with the Women's Caucus.

Thank you, Ms. Friedman and Assemblywoman Weber, you are recognized.

And I know many of our other caucuses will continue to pursue justice and equality for those across all walks of life. This is not just a women's issue. It's a Jewish issue. It's an issue for all of our ethnicities. It's an issue for all of us. As Californians who care about equality and opportunity for everyone, I urge an aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on behalf of the California Legislative Black Caucus in support of ACR 42. Women employed full time, year round in the United States are paid just $0.82 for every dollar paid to men. This amounts to yearly income gap of $10,470. If African American women earn the same salary as white, non Hispanic men, they could earn enough money for two and a half more years of childcare, three years of food for her family, or 22 more months of rent.

More than 80% of African American mothers bring in 40% or more of their family's income, which means that their household relies heavily on their wages. I'm glad that the State Assembly is recognizing equal payday, but we have a lot of work to do to ensure equality wages here in California for African American women. It will take until July 27 of the following year to ensure their pay equals that of a white man.

I hope this equal payday that we are able to take to heart and pass policies that value the work of women, especially women of color. And for these reasons, I respectfully ask for an aye vote on ACR 42. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Weber and Assemblywoman Cervantes, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And Members, today I rise as chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus, and I also rise on behalf of the LGBTQ caucus in support of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 42 and want to thank our colleague from Morrow Bay for introducing and authoring this important resolution. This said, colleagues, it is unfortunate that in 2023, we have to be here today to commemorate women's equal pay day.

As you know, this day commemorates how much further in the year that women have to work in order to make the same amount as their male counterparts. The gender wage gap is a pervasive problem in our country, and it is particularly glaring for women of color who continue to be underserved, underpaid, and undervalued. This disparity has only increased during the pandemic, especially given our community's lack of affordable childcare. Overall, women in the United States gained $0.82 for every dollar a male makes.

For Latinas, that amount is even lower. According to NPR, Latinas in the United States make only 60 cents of what men make in this country. I'm here to acknowledge that the pay disparity problem we face is not just an issue of sexism. It is also inherently a manifestation of systemic racism. All women are paid less than men. Women of color make less even less. LGBTQ identifying individuals bear an even greater economic burden.

According to the William Institute, women in same sex couples have a medium personal income of 38,000, compared to 47,000 for men and same sex couples. Transgender individuals and nonbinary individuals earn even less. But the simple truth is that pay disparity hurts not only individual women, Latinas, our LGBTQ community, but our entire economy.

So, colleagues, while I believe it is important that we commemorate this day, it is my sincere hope that the day soon arrives when the wage gap is closed and we no longer have to call for equal pay for equal work. For these reasons, I ask for your aye vote on ACR 42.

Thank you, Ms. Cervantes and Assemblywoman Waldron. You're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. Studies show that pay inequity affects women across all industries and at all levels of education. Eliminating the gender pay gap is not only a matter of fairness, but also a matter of economic growth. When women are paid fairly, they can invest more in their families and communities, driving economic growth and creating a more prosperous and thriving society.

Women's equal payday is a reminder for all of us to work together to eliminate gender and racial disparities in pay and to create a fair and equitable society for all. As California takes steps in the right direction, including Equal Pay act, we should continue to strive to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Waldron and Assembly Member Villapudua, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As chair of the Assembly Job Committee and proud father of wonderful Daughters, I rise to support ACR 42. Women's equality pay day in California. Far too long, half the state workforce has been getting paid less than their male counterparts, losing over $33 billion each year. The gender wage gap in California contributes to its high rate of poverty and negatively impacts women in nearly every field, no matter their income or education status.

The gap is even greater for women of color, and it takes an estimated additional six months of workforce to compensate that. California has been and continues to be the forefront for writing this inequality to ensure that equal pay for equal work continues to be the fundamental principle for our economy. And I ask you for an aye vote today.

Thank you, Mr. Villapudua. And seeing no other Members, Dr. Bains you are recognized. There we go.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I'm proud to rise on behalf of the California Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus to support ACR 42. As we continue to fight for equal pay for all women, I want to take the time to reflect on underrepresented parts of this caucus. The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum presents staggering data. A native Hawaiian woman makes $0.57 for every dollar a white man makes.

A bangladeshi woman makes $0.50 for every dollar a white man makes. A nepalese woman makes $0.44 for every dollar a white man makes. This list goes on. But my point is very clear. Disaggregation of data is absolutely critical as we work to address the wage gap.

As we celebrate the work we've done and reflect on the work ahead, I call upon this body to raise awareness of profound impacted the wage gap has on these women and how their stories are often left invisible in mainstream pay gap conversations. For these reasons, on behalf of the Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I asked for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblywoman Bains and seeing no other Members wishing to discuss this resolution, Assembly Member Addis, do you have anything further to close?

Thank you, Ms. Addis. Clerk will open the roll. Members, this is for co authors on ACR 42. If you wish to be a co author, please signify by casting your vote. Clerk will close the roll. There are 68 co authors and if there is no objection, we will take a voice vote on this resolution. All those in favor say aye. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say nay. The eyes have it. Resolution is adopted. Next, this is file item 17, AB 502 by Mr. Lee. The Clerk will read

I'd love to open the roll for co authors and ask for your aye vote on this resolution.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members, this proposal will protect our small businesses from unscrupulous charges. This Bill has no opposition and receives zero no votes. When I introduced AB 1444 at the last session to prohibit platforms like Yelp from listing third party platforms under businesses to charge referral commissions on forwarded calls, Yelp actually changed their practice and ended it. AB 502 will codify this practice in statute to ensure that listing services do not post phone numbers that do not go directly to the restaurant. Respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Lee. And seeing no Members wishing to discuss this Bill, the Clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes 67. No, zero. The Bill is passed.

Next up, we have file item number 21. AB 275. The Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 275 by Assembly Member Ward an act relating to school governance.

Mr. Ward, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Student board Members play a critical role in representing the student voice and sharing student perspectives with school, district and county boards of education. Yet, despite their important responsibility, the current law actually prohibits them from receiving any compensation for their time or this work. AB 275 will fairly support and empower more students to participate by giving school district boards and county boards of education the option to compensate school board Members for their work. This Bill respects student Board Member's time and work and is a step towards ensuring that all students have the opportunity to participate and receive compensation for their work. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Mr. Ward. Seeing and hearing no others who'd like to comment on this item. Would you like to close and the Clerk will open the roll. All those who desire to vote, vote. All those who desire to vote, vote. All those who desire to vote, vote. The Clerk will close it. The Clerk will close the roll. The ayes have it at 65.

Next, we have item number 23 AB 665 The Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 665 by Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo and others. An act related to minors.

Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Speaker and Members, I'm proud to present Assembly Bill 665, which would expand access to mental health care for young people under Medikel. Across the countries, our communities are facing a youth mental health crisis, and the numbers are shocking. From mass shootings in public spaces and in particular school shootings, as well as fentanyl overdoses and social media bullying, young people are experiencing a new reality different than we had growing up.

A new report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that two in five teenagers felt persistent sadness or loneliness. Among teenage girls, it's three in five. That's 60%. 13 years ago, there was a bipartisan agreement that we needed to empower our young people to address their mental health needs as early, as quickly as possible. This bipartisan agreement had no opposition and was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger. But young people that are medical recipients were left out due to a recession.

Today, only 20% of young people receiving medical get screened for depression. But we know the need is much higher. We all deserve a life full of pride and dignity, and young people specifically, we are now making it okay to demystify and destigmatize the need for mental health access. It starts with ourselves, our parents, and our families to acknowledge the trauma that families have lived through and continue to live through and recognize there is a big difference between surviving and living, especially for young people across California. I respectfully request an aye vote on AB 665.

Thank you, Ms. Carrillo. And Leader Gallagher, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise in opposition to this legislation, and I know that the intent of my colleague here is to expand access to mental health for our youth, and that's certainly a goal that I support. But this policy and this Bill does so at the expense of parents, and I think that's wrong.

There is currently in law requirement of parental consent for children 12 and older, but it has in the law right now, existing law, an exception if there's an emergency with the child or if there's evidence of abuse. I think that's a good policy. This completely removes that and says there'll be no parental consent for a child 12 years or older to get mental health treatment. I think parents are a critical, fundamental part of helping ensure our youth mental health.

If my child is at school, if my child is dealing with a mental health crisis, I want to know about it. And this misguided and I think wrongful trend in our policy now that is continuing to exclude parents from that equation and say they don't need to be informed that other people can make the decision for them when it comes to their kid is wrong, and we should stop this now. If we want to talk about ways to expand access to mental health, let's do that.

If we want to talk about different funding and approaches to do that, let's do that. Let's come together. But repealing this requirement, which is good policy, is not the way to do that. So I encourage you to vote no. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Gallagher and Assembly Member Joe Patterson, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members first, I want to commend the author for working on something near and dear to my heart, and that's mental health of our kids. But I rise respectfully to oppose this measure. As we know with COVID and things like that, kids are going through an especially tough time right now. And I will give you, there are plenty of parents in society or guardians that are not great and can use some help. But as many of you know, I have four kids, and you've had the privilege of hearing them scream occasionally when they were here, excluding on swearing in. And at times they do go through difficult periods.

And when they do, I think that I play a critical role, and my wife too, in helping them get through that. And I couldn't imagine one of my children when they're going through a difficult time, going to a residential treatment facility without my permission or consent. I believe that most parents are important to the development of their children, and especially against getting through mental health crises.

So while I appreciate the author working on this measure, and I think it's so important, and I hope we have more focus on mental health for children, I must ask for a no vote on this measure. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson and Assemblywoman Bonta, you're recognized. Thank you.

I rise in support of AB 665. In no way does this legislation eliminate the parent's ability to be able to know and understand what their child needs. It actually just creates an equity, an equitable situation where our children who are medical eligible have the same ability to access mental health services as those who don't. What parent I of three wouldn't want their child to be able to access mental health services? With that, I respectfully request your aye vote.

Thank you, Ms. Bonta and Assemblymember Jackson, you're recognized.

Thank you very speaker. You know, as a social worker I can't tell you how important this Bill is. I can't tell you how important and how complicated the families of this state are. Many of us come from communities in which has a large stigma when it comes to mental health and when a professional deems that it would be necessary.

And certainly if a young person knows that they need additional support than what their family can give them, it is critical that they get the help that they need. We can also not forget about various families within our state and throughout this nation who in many cases, are not living in very safe environments. And in many cases, these mental health issues originate from the family situations. So this is not just something that we can continue with this talking points and this narrative about parents rights.

Let's just talk about saving lives, because this is what this Bill is intended to do to save lives. The definition, in my case, of humanity and of being human means just messy. There's a lot of messy situations that do not fit in a cookie cutter approach in which we keep trying to put people in. We need as many opportunities to access mental health, not limit them, because without this Bill, that's what can happen. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Jackson and assemblywoman Rubio, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was considering not standing and speaking, but I want to just clarify that this is already happening with private insurance. This is only an equity issue. This is for Medi-Cal.

As a mother of a 16 and 14 year old and a former teacher, well, as a teacher, I can tell you that as a parent, I am not equipped, as a teacher, I am not equipped to give mental health or to provide mental health services for my children, even though I am a trained teacher, I understand the reluctance of the children making their own decisions. But I, as a mother, have raised my children, and I think I'm raising them to make their own decisions.

And if they're having a crisis, I trust them to be able to go to talk to somebody. Again, most children don't talk to their parents. So if there's somebody that they can talk to, I prefer that rather than not having any services at all. And so, again, this is already happening with private insurance. This is only for Medi Cal. And so that is an equity issue, because if I that have insurance for my children, my children can access it.

Folks that don't have or the kids that don't have private insurance are not able to access these services. So I respectfully acknowledge the concerns from our colleagues. However, again, as a mother and a teacher, most of us are not equipped to provide mental health services for our children. So if they have somewhere to go, by all means, they need to seek those services. So I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Ms. Rubio and Assembly Member Mathis, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members, let's talk reality. I think some of our colleagues are right. There are children that frankly, grow up in some pretty jacked up situations that don't have parents, that don't have loving, caring parents like all of us try to be to our own children. That's a reality. But there's already systems in place that address that reality.

They already have access in that reality, what this Bill does is say, hey, we're not going to notify the parent, the Guardian, whoever, that this is happening with this child. They have access. And there are systems, as mentioned earlier, that are there, where if there's an emergency or if it's a bad relationship, where there's abuse or something else going on, that they can make sure access is granted.

Just think for a minute what that would do to you as a parent, one of your friends, somebody you know, to find out that their kid was going and doing something and they weren't able to help. That's my concern with this, because the parents do have a right to know what's going on with their children. It doesn't mean we're all perfect parents. We know that's not the case. But the parents deserve to know. And because of that, I have to ask for a no vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mathis and Assembly Member Gipson, you're recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Members. I was not prepared to speak, but I just want to address a few things from my colleague from Porterville that what if the parent is the issue? What if the parent is the one who's causing the trauma that the child need to seek the kind of services and the kind of rights that this Bill provides? What if that is, in fact, is the case? There are so many young people that suffer in silence and they need our voices.

And I want to thank the woman from Los Angeles for bringing this Bill forward, because I believe that this one strikes at a core what we did 20 and 30 years ago, may have worked 20 and 30 years ago, but that's not today's reality. And I don't live in a bubble. I don't believe in people in glass houses should throw stones.

I think that we should use every opportunity to making sure that our young people have resources and they need in order to thrive and grow, especially when it comes down to trauma. And this policy that we have before us today gives us an opportunity to give one more tool in the toolbox for our young people to not suffer in silence.

And I want to thank the kind gentleman from Marino Valley, because you went to school for this work as a social worker, and you see it day in and day out, or at least you used to. And thank you very much for your leadership in this space and elevating your voice, because you're the one who I'm going to turn to in this space. Because you see it. You're not practicing. You are what you say you are.

And by elevating this conversation to this house, it is appropriate. And I think that we should do everything that we can to making sure there is one more toolbox for people who need mental services. I respectfully ask for a strong aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Gipson. And Assembly Member Weber, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, was not planning on rising to speak on this Bill. I think it's a pretty common sense Bill, and I'm surprised that we're having such debate about it. But debate is good. First, I want to echo what a lot of my other colleagues have said, that this is an equity thing, because people who have private insurance already have access to this.

And we talk on this floor all the time about leveling the playing field, making sure that everyone has access to quality health care, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. And so that is what this Bill is doing.

Second, we know that our children are in crisis right now, and I am a little disturbed to hear some of my colleagues on the floor talk about what we have provisions that are already in this Bill or already in law that talks about kids that are in an emergent state. They're talking about children who are ready to harm themselves or others. I don't know about you, but as a physician, I like to prevent those things from happening.

So if a child is 12, 13, 14 years old and they understand that they need some mental health treatment, I actually applaud them for that. Because 2030 years ago in my generation, we would not have had that knowledge. And the stigma attached to it would have prevented a lot of people from seeking that care. So I don't want to wait until an emergency, until someone tries to take their life.

If I can see one less patient with cuts on their arms because they went and got mental health treatment when they started feeling a little depressed, a little anxious, if I can hear about one less patient that went and took a bottle of pills to alleviate their pain because they got preventative treatment. That is what we need to be focused on.

And third, I'm not sure if any of you have either been in therapy or your children have been in therapy, but in any situation where you talk to a patient or a child by themselves, you always encourage talking to the parent unless the parent is a problem or the home environment is unsafe. Always. I don't know of any physician or any therapist that tells someone, don't tell your parent. Don't talk to your parent. So what? This Bill does not remove parental rights.

It opens access, and it actually helps families talk to one another when it is the right time. So I really think that we need to sit back and think about what we claim we want to do and actually start doing it. And because of that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote on AB 665.

Thank you, Dr. Weber and Assembly Members of Zbur. You're recognized.

I also wasn't going to talk about this Bill today, but my seatmate from Carson, I think, made a good point. And, in fact, it is the reality that often the parents are a problem when it comes to LGBTQ plus kids. We know that LGBTQ plus kids are more than four times more likely to drop out of school.

They're more likely to be living to be unhoused, they're more likely to have engagement with the criminal justice system, and they're much more likely to have suicide ideation, like, to the extent of four times what a non LGBTQ plus person is, kid is. And if you're a Member of another community that's also subject to discrimination and lack of acceptance, those numbers are even higher. It is just crucial that we allow mental health professionals to serve our kids when they're asking for it.

And often the best thing for the kid is to allow that relationship to be with the mental health professional. And so this is a really important Bill. There's no substitute for loving parents. And obviously, this isn't something that is intended to ever intrude on that. But the reality is that we need to put our kids first. And often the parents are the problem.

I mean, not every kid has a home where they can come home to and be accepted for who they are, especially when they're addressing a lot of their issues related to their identity. So for those reasons, I ask for an aye vote as well.

Thank you, Mr. Zbur and Assemblymember Muratsuchi. You're recognized.

Thank you. I just wanted to add to this important conversation that I want to acknowledge our colleague from Nicholas, in an ideal world, parents and their children, we should know what is happening in the lives of our children.

But I want to point out one thing that I haven't heard anyone else point out yet, which is that especially in many cultures, in many Asian cultures, getting mental health treatment, getting mental health support, there's a strong stigma against it. There's a cultural stigma against it. And one of my concerns is that there would be kids, there would be students out there that would want to seek mental health treatment, but they're afraid of bringing shame to their family.

They're afraid of making their parents ashamed of them, that somehow there's something wrong with them, that they need mental health treatment. And so, again, in an ideal world, we should have parents to be notified or to be aware. Hopefully, the ideal world. Right. We had this conversation on a different Bill over the weekend. But ideally, parents and children should be talking to each other so that they know what's happening in their lives.

But in our diverse state, I just want everyone on this floor to know that there are many communities where there's such a strong stigma to get mental health help that I believe that this Bill will help kids get the help that they need without potentially their parents being an obstacle to getting that help.

Thank you, Mr. Muratucci and Assembly Member Lackey. You're recognized.

Thank you, Members. This is a very delicate discussion, and I just want to add to this very spirited discussion that we live in a time of extremes, and we talk a lot about equity, and we really don't consider parental equity and the responsibility that parents have in developing partnerships with their children. Now, clearly, there are dysfunctions, and clearly there are breakdowns, but why such an extreme response and cutting all parents out? Because that's what this Bill does.

And there are other justifications that I've heard in this discussion, but it still does not excuse cutting parents out of this decision. It's an extreme measure that I think is hurtful to the majority of families. And so for that reason, I cannot support it. And I hope you'll at least consider that point. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Lackey. And seeing no other Members wishing to discuss this measure. Ms. Carrillo, you may close.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Members really appreciate the robust conversation and debate. Clearly, when we're speaking about mental health access and mental health equity, as well as our ability to create access for health care to all people, there are disparities, and we have to address those respectfully. I would like to clear the record. The Bill does not alter the state policy favoring parental consent.

The Bill leaves in place the presumption in favor of parental involvement unless the therapist determines that parental involvement would be inappropriate to which has been addressed by the Members of this floor. Moreover, existing law already allows young people, 12 years and older to consent to mental health treatment if they are mature enough to intellectually participate and if parental involvement would be inappropriate. But this is only allowed if that young person has private insurance.

When this Bill passed a few years ago, decade or so ago, it was a bipartisan effort. Republicans and Democrats realized that young people needed access to mental health, and it was signed into law by a Republican Governor. It had no opposition. Since then, the extremes on both sides have gotten so extreme that we have a hard time actually talking about the need for mental health.

We talk about it a lot, but when it comes to it, what are we doing to actually make it a reality for young people? We had a young man, 13 years of age in the district, right next door to us in our borderline of the district, commit suicide by standing in front of a passing train just about a week or so ago. This is happening every day. That young person could have received additional support if they needed it.

Additionally, the California Coalition for Youth estimates that there are about 1200,000 young people under the age of 18 that live in California streets every day. These young people don't have parents, they can't get parental consent, and if they were able to get medical, they would not qualify because they're excluded. The biggest challenge that we're talking about right now is housing and homelessness.

Let's talk about those young people who are under 18, who are victims of human trafficking, because they live on the streets and have no other options. Right? Are we talking about them? We're not, because we're not including them. This is a very practical Bill about inclusion, about a law that is already in existence. We are not changing anything about the law, only saying include everyone.

And the only reason that Medikel recipients were not allowed to be a part of this law was because we were under a recession when this was signed into law, and it was costly. We are not in that position now, and we have an opportunity to ensure that a young person, 12 years and older, who is mature enough, has the opportunity to speak to a therapist. And oftentimes what a young person needs is support on how to talk about their mental health issues with their parent. This is not about exclusion. This is about access and equity. And with that, I respectfully request an aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Ms. Carrillo, Clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes, 55. noes, nine. The Bill is passed. We will pass and retain on file items 24 through 31, bringing us to file item 32. This is ACR 40. Excuse me. 32 has been dispensed with file item 33. ACR 49.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 49 by Assembly Member Berman and others relative to California Native Plant Month

And Assembly Member Berman You may open.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. ACR 49 would proclaim the month of April every year as native plant month. California is home to over 6000 native plant species, subspecies and varieties of which over 2000 exist only in this state. California's native plants provide unparalleled and unique iconic, economic, artistic, historical and environmental value to California. This resolution will encourage community groups, schools and citizens to undertake activities to promote the conservation, restoration and appreciation of California's native plants. I respectfully ask for an aye vote and ask that the first role be open for co authors.

Thank you, Mr. Berman. And seeing no Members wishing to discuss this resolution, the first role will be open for co authors. Clerk will open the role. All those wishing to be a co author on ACR 49, please signify by casting your vote. Clerk will close the roll. There are 66 co authors and without any objection, we can take a voice vote on the resolution. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Resolution is adopted. Next, our last item on file. Members, this is file item 34, AJR 2. Clerk will read

Assembly Joint Resolution 2 by Assembly Member Bains relative to Sikh Genocide

And Assembly Member Bains. You may open.

Thank thank you, speaker and Members. Today I rise to present AJR 2 to bring recognition to a very dark chapter in history. In 1984, over just three days, over 30,000 Sikhs in India were persecuted, murdered, raped and imprisoned without cause. Countless Sikh gurdwaras in Punjab were destroyed or damaged and people were killed simply for being Sikh. Government officials permitted and even encouraged the murder and bloodshed and issued orders to prevent law enforcement from intervening.

For these three days, there was mass persecution, murder, rapes of my sisters and brothers and nobody did anything to stop it. Recognizing the state sponsored genocide that targeted Sikhs across India is an important and historic step towards justice, accountability and reconciliation. I am proud to be Sikh and while our community has had many allies in the Legislature, I am proud to be the first Sikh to be able to speak for my community on this floor.

This week is a very holy week for the world's major religions with Easter, Passover, Ramadan and Visaki all falling within the same week. Billions of people throughout the world are celebrating and remembering the stories that define their beliefs. But you cannot wish me a happy Visaki without first acknowledging what happened to my community in 1984. I was born one year after the Delhi riots and my entire childhood was filled with the memories of what transpired in 1984. And today, I stand up and say, enough.

Let us acknowledge and bring justice to a dark time in history when there was no justice. Sikhs were assaulted, tortured, burned alive and murdered. Sikh women, many of whom lost their families during the genocide, were sexually assaulted and raped by groups of attackers. Sikh's homes, businesses, gurdwaras were looted, damaged and destroyed during the genocide, causing the intentional destruction of many sikh families, communities and businesses.

The widow colony in New Delhi still houses sikh women who were assaulted, raped, tortured and forced to witness the murder of their families. They are still calling for justice against the perpetrators. To this day, the Indian government, through officials and Members of parliament and with the support of the police, all participated in the genocide and failed to intervene and prevent it. And as I stand here today, another persecution is happening against Sikhs in India right now.

As I speak, the government has shut down the Internet all across Punjab, and mass arrests are happening of innocent people today. The events of 1984 cannot repeat themselves, but they will if we do not learn the lessons history has taught us. I stand in solidarity with my community to demand acknowledgment of a genocide that happened of the sikh faith almost 40 years ago in India. For these reasons, I ask you to join me in support of AJr two.

Thank you, Dr. Bains and Assembly Member Villapudua. You're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in support of AJR 2 that calls out the atrocities committed against Sikhs in India less than 40 years ago. California is a home to roughly half of the nation's Sikh population. The nation's first Sikh temple was established in my hometown of Stockton. Despite decades of the culture being woven into the fabric of our society, we still face high levels of harassment, employment discrimination and hate crimes.

We know that emotional trauma can be passed from generation to generation, especially trauma from genocide and mass assault on a population. While these scars may take years to heal, we need to stand and support our sikh community. We need to call out these injustices that occur and condemn them to the strongest ability. That starts with the recognition that a genocide occurred when 30,000 Sikhs were murdered in a matter of just three days. I respectfully ask for an aye vote today.

Thank you, Mr. Villapudua and seeing no other Members wishing to discuss the resolution. Some Member beans did you have anything further to close and would you like the first roll open for co authors? Very well. Clerk will open the roll for co authors on AJR 2. All those wishing to be a co author, please signify by casting your vote. Clerk will close the roll. There are 66 co authors and we do need to take a roll call vote on this measure.

The Clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes 65 no zero. Resolution is adopted. We will pass and retain on file item 35 bringing us to our consent calendar. There are no resolutions on the consent calendar so we will be moving to a vote. Does any Member wish to pull an item for the consent calendar?

Seeing none, the Clerk will read the secondary consent calendar.

Assembly Bill 87 by Assembly Member Quirk-Silva and acquisition of pupils.

Clerk will open the roll on the consent calendar. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes 65 no zero. Consent calendar is adopted. The Clerk will read the remaining items on the consent calendar.

[Consent Calendar]

Members, we will have a few announcements. Our Committee hearings today, banking and finance will meet upon adjournment of session at Capitol room 444. The revenue taxation Committee will meet at 230 upon adjournment session, Capital Room 126 and the Natural Resources Committee will meet upon adjournment session at Capital Room 447. We will be moving to adjournments in memory right now, and we are at this moment lifting the call. So, Members, we are moving to adjournments in memory.

If you have any conversations, please take them off the floor. And we need to give respectful attention to those given prior permission to speak on an adjournment in memory. All right, Members, we are on our adjournments in memory and we will begin with Assembly Member Haney. You're recognized at your desk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Members, I rise today to adjourn in the memory and commemorate the life of a drag legend, a brilliant, dynamic, trailblazing performer, a small business owner and a community leader, Heklina. In a city that is known in many ways across the world as the home and the community of drag, Heklina was the premier drag queen of our city.

Her brash, audacious, larger than lifestyle of drag brought decades of joy to the countless audience Members, community Members and chosen family who came to any one of her numerous shows. As her co owner of Oasis, Darcy Drollinger said, she created a drag movement that changed what we see as drag performance not only in San Francisco, in the US, but around the world. Heklina is probably best known as co founder and hostess of Tranny Shack at the Stud, a party that started in the early 1990s.

It was irreverent, playful, shocking at times, and you never knew what you were going to get at the T Shack. It helped to shape and define San Francisco's drag scene and influence the drag scene all across the world. Over the years, Heklina has been a part of numerous events, including Mother at Oasis, daytime realness at El Rio, and live theater shows such as incredible versions of Sex in the City, Golden Girls, and Roseanne shows which toured around the world.

The cultural contributions of Heklina to the city and County of San Francisco and the global drag community are undeniable, and she will forever be remembered as an icon of our city, our state, and the global drag community. I also want to say at this time, it is especially important that we honor Heklina and drag queens in San Francisco and around the world that have continued to create this incredible, creative, joyful art form and community.

Right now, we're seeing all across our country, drag shows, drag performers being attacked, being criminalized, being violently assaulted. And Heklina is somebody who I think, represented this community at its best. It brought people together, it gave people joy. It gives people a home. And so as we remember Heklina and her memory, we also commit to continue to support the drag community and drag queens and their ability to perform freely and to provide so much joy to their community. And with that, I adjourn in her memory.

Thank you, Mr. Haney and Assembly Member Wicks, for this adjournment in memory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I too rise to ask that this body adjourn in the memory of Heklina , and I want to thank my colleague from San Francisco for leading this effort today. In my 20 s, I spent many Tuesday nights at midnight at a show called Tranny Shack, which was then renamed to Mother. It was at the stud bar, as referenced by my colleague, and this was really a refuge for the queer misfits and their allies. And it was really a safe space.

It was a safe space that embodied inclusion and joy and self expression and compassion and fun and vibrance and love, and in this moment where those spaces now are being threatened around this country, are being shut down, are being victimized by violence because of backwards political ideology. It's important now more than ever that we recognize the great work of Heklina in her ability to create these spaces. She gave many people a gift, young and old people struggling to figure out their own identity.

She gave them the gift of the space to find that identity. And Heklina was a larger than life personality. And I know that her legacy will be justifiably outsized. I, too, ask that this body adjourn in the memory of Heklina.

Thank you. Ms. Wicks and Assembly Member Hoover, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. It is with great sadness that I ask the Assembly to adjourn in the memory today of Steve Miller. For 17 years, Steve Miller served on the Citrus Heights City Council where he worked tirelessly to improve his community. He was also recently elected to the San Juan Unified School District Board of Education, further demonstrating his commitment to improving the lives of students and the future of Sacramento.

Steve was a true champion of public service, serving on numerous boards and commissions, including the Sacramento Regional Transit Board and the Capitol Joint Powers Board. He also gave generously of his time and resources to service club boards and local sports leagues. Steve will always be remembered for his quick wit and humor that instantly lightened the mood of any room. He was a joy to work with, and his enthusiasm for life and community was truly inspiring.

Steve is survived by his loving wife Nanette, his two children, six grandchildren, and his legacy of public service and commitment. This weekend, our community will celebrate the life of Steve Miller. And I respectfully ask that we adjourn this session in his memory today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hoover. Members, please bring the names to the desk to be printed in the journal. All requests to adjourn in the memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal. All other items today will be passed and retained, and the session schedule is as follows. Tuesday, April 11, check in session. Wednesday, April twelveth, check in session. Thursday, April 13. Our floor session is at 09:00 a.m. Seeing and hearing no further business. I'm ready to enter. Motion to adjourn. Mr. Garcia moves, and Mr. Hoover seconds this house. Stand adjourned until Thursday, April 13, at 09:00 a.m. We are adjourned.