Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations

All Members with bills before the Committee have waived presentation, but we will take testimony from the public on each item. The Department of Finance has indicated that they do not have a file on any of the measures before this Committee, and their representatives will not be present to testify. So this should make the hearing go fairly expeditiously. Before we begin, I want to remind any witnesses to limit their testimony to the fiscal aspects of the bill.

Please refrain from lengthy policy discussions and repeating prior testimony in your comments. So we're going to establish a quorum at this time. Madam Assistant, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

A quorum has been established, so now we can move on to the business of the day. We're gonna start with file item number one. It is SB 897, Senator Newman, and the subject is pupil attendance, inter-district attendance, and school districts of choice. Is there anybody who would like to testify in support of the bill? I want to invite you to please come forward. Is there anything? Seeing no one approach the mic. Is there anybody who would like to testify in opposition to SB 897?

And again, we're here in room 2200. Seeing no one approached the mic. I want to thank all those witnesses that testified. And this is a suspense file candidate. So without objection, we're going to move SB 897 to the suspense. We're moving on to file item number two, SB 912 by Senator Wiener, chlorimetric field drug tests. Is there anybody here in room 2200 who would like to testify in support? Seeing none. Is there anybody here who would like to testify in opposition? Seeing none.

This bill is a suspense file candidate. So, without objection, we're going to move SB 912 to suspense. Moving on to file item number three, SB 969 by Senator Wiener, alcoholic beverages, entertainment zones, and consumption. Is there anybody who would like to testify in support of this bill in room 2200? Seeing no one, we'll move on to opposition. Seeing none. This, again, is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, we're going to move it to the suspense file. I'm assuming that no one wants to speak on these bills and that everybody really would rather go to see the eclipse.

There's like 10 of them.

I don't see well, and I'm not looking. Okay, sounds good. That sounds good. Move on to file item number four. SB 927 by Senator Dahle, income tax gross income exclusion, state of emergency natural disaster settlement. Anybody in room 2200 that would like to testify in support? Seeing no activity. How about in opposition? Seeing none. This bill is a suspense file candidate. So, without objection, we will move SB 927 to the suspense file. Moving on to file item number five. SB 953 by Senator Menjivar, Medi-Cal menstrual products.

So, anybody who would like to testify in support of the bill? Seeing no movement. Is there anybody who would like to testify in opposition? Seeing no one. The bill is a suspense file candidate. So we're going to move SB 953 to the suspense file. Moving on to file item number six, SB 1079 by Senator Menjivar, Youth Housing Bond Act of 2024. Is there anyone here in room 2200 that would like to testify in support?

Is there anybody here? Seeing no movement. Is there anybody here that would like to testify in opposition? Seeing no one approach the mic. Again, this bill is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, SB 1079 will move to suspense. Moving on to file item number seven, SB 958 by Senator Dodd, surplus state property, County of Napa. Is there anybody here that would like to testify in support of this bill? Is there anybody in room 2200 that would like to testify in opposition? Seeing neither.

This bill is a suspense file candidate. So, without objection, SB 958 will move to suspense. Moving on to file item number eight. SB 971 by Senator Portantino, community college exemption from non resident tuition fee, resident of a region impacted by war or regional conflict. Is there anybody in room 2200 that would like to testify in support? Seeing no one. Is there anybody who would like to testify in opposition? Seeing no movement. Again, this bill is a suspense file candidate.

So, without objection, SB 971 will move to suspense. SB file item number nine, SB 980 by Senator Wahab, Medi-Cal dental crowns and implants. Is there anybody here that would like to testify in support of the bill? Yes, ma'am. Welcome.

Good morning. Thank you. Good morning, Chair Caballero and Committee Members. My name is Cindy Young, and I'm a Vice President for the California Alliance for Retired Americans, one of the state's foremost grassroots, senior and disability organizations representing over 1 million Californians. We're proud sponsors of SB 980, the Smile Act, the most recent publication from the Department of Healthcare Services.

Medi-Cal monthly eligible fast facts, dated January 2023, reports that there are 1.68 million dual eligible seniors and about 711,000 seniors and persons with disability participating in the Medi-Cal program. Single tooth implants are not a covered benefit under the dental Medi-Cal program unless there is an exceptional medical condition like cancer, severe loss of upper jaw bone, skeletal deformities, or the traumatic deconstruction of the jaw. When a tooth is lost, the absence affects more than just the visible gap.

Beneath the surface, the jawbone requires regular stimulation from teeth to maintain its density and health. Without the stimulation, the bone begins atrophied, leading to a condition known as resorption. The weakening of the jaw bone can alter facial structure, potentially leading to further loss and impact speech and hearing.

While this is a difficult budget year, the consequences of the Medi-Cal population not getting these needed services will lead to greater cost to the state and to treatment and to treat declining health as a result of poor oral health treatment and is not covered by Medi-Cal. We ask that the Senate Appropriations Committee consider the dire need for SB 980 and release the bill from the Committee. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support? Again on the fiscal impacts?

Thank you, Chair, Members. Joe Signs with the County Health Executives Association, representing local health departments in support.

Thank you very much. Is there anyone else in support? Very good. We'll move on to opposition. Is there anybody here that wants to testify in opposition to SB 980? Seeing no one. This bill is a suspense file candidate. So, without objection, SB 980 will move to suspense. Moving on to file item number 10, SB 892 by Senator Wahab, crimes, organized theft. Is there anybody in room 2200 that would like to speak in support?

Good morning, Madam Chair. Chris McKayley, on behalf of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce in support. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I'm sorry, this is 982. So. Yes.

Madam Chair and Members, good morning to you. Happy Monday. Andrew Antwih. On behalf of the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, we filed a letter of supports on the record. The scourge of organized retail theft all too often happens in the City of Los Angeles and through greater Los Angeles County and other urbanized areas of the state. We think it's appropriate to remove the sunset date from the statute that established this entity, and we thank the Committee and hope that the bill is released from suspense.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support? Moving on to opposition. Is there anybody in opposition in room 2200 on SB 982? Seeing no opposition. This bill is a suspense file candidate. So, without objection, SB 982 will move to suspense. Moving on to file item number 11, SB 1004 by Senator Wilk, income taxes, exclusions, and wildfires. Is there anybody that would like to testify in support of SB 1004? Is there anybody that would like to file in opposition? Testify in opposition?

Seeing none. This bill is a suspense file candidate. So, without objection, SB 1004 will move to suspense. Moving on to SB file item number 12, SB 1023 by Senator Wilk, California State University, Antelope Valley or Victor Valley campus. Is there any anybody who would like to testify in support of this bill? Seeing no one. Is there anybody that would like to testify in opposition? SB 1023 is a suspense file candidate. So, without objection, we will move this to the suspense file.

Moving on to file item number 13, SB 1028 by Senator Alvarado-Gil, alcoholic beverage licenses on sale, general licenses for bona fide eating places. So, anybody that would like to testify in support of SB 1028? Is there anybody that would like to testify in opposition? Again, this bill is a suspense file candidate. Seeing no testimony. Without objection, we will move this to the suspense file. Moving on to file item number 14, SB 1023 by Senator Padilla, housing finance, portfolio restructuring, loan forgiveness.

Is there anyone in room 2200 that would like to testify in support? Is there anyone in room 2200 that would like to testify in opposition? Seeing neither. This bill is a suspense file candidate. And so, without objection, we will move this to the suspense file. Moving on to file item number 15, SB 1309 by Senator Padilla, Lithium Battery Production Council. Is there anyone in room 2200 that would like to testify in support? Seeing no movement. Is there anybody that would like to testify in opposition?

Seeing no testimony. With the bill is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, SB 1309 will move to suspense. Moving on to SB 1130 by Senator Bradford, electricity family electric rate assistance and reports. Is there anybody that would like to testify in support?

I'll testify on that.

Since you waived presentation, we're very, very happy with that. Seeing no one in support, is there anybody that would like to testify in opposition?

I might. Do I go up to the mic up there?

I'm seeing no one from the audience that wants to speak in opposition. This bill is a suspense file candidate. So, without objection, SB 1130 will move to suspense. And then the final bill today is file item number 17, SB 1341 by Senator Allen, pupil instruction, course of study, visual and performing arts, media arts. Is there anybody in room 2200 that would like to testify in support? Seeing none. Is there anybody that would like to testify in opposition? Seeing neither.

This bill is a suspense file candidate, so without objection, SB 1341 will move to suspense. Well, that was expeditiously done. Thank you to everybody on the Committee.

Much better than the former chair. The problem is we don't have any of those questions. Trivia questions.

Ah, yes, I know, but, you know, I've got some. And, you know, we need to get out and see this solar eclipse, so. We're waiting for one more Member to add on. So this is the end of the agenda. So I want to thank everybody for being here on time and ready to roll, and we'll just wait a few minutes. So I'd like to thank everybody for participating in today's hearing. We have now concluded the agenda, and the meeting of the Senate Committee on Appropriations is adjourned. Thank you very much for being here.