Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations

We 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 recording or reprinted. The hearing room is open for attendance. All are encouraged to watch the hearing from its live stream on the Assembly's website. Assembly.ca.Gov todaysevents. We encourage the public to monitor the Committee's website for updates.

We will accept public comment on any Bill placed on the suspense file by the Committee today and for which the author waived presentation before the closet of the regular order 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. I don't think we have enough for quorum still, right? No. Okay, so we'll establish a quorum when we can.

Got it? Okay, let's see. We'll wait on the consent calendar. I'd like to dispense with the suspense calendar. Madam Secretary, would you please read the suspense calendar?

[Suspense Calendar]

The suspense calendar is deemed approved. So now we will hear from our colleagues on their bills. The first Bill today, I think we have. Mister Berman is not here. He was first at sign in order. He is not here. So. Okay, we will go to Miss Reyes. You will be presenting AB 1842. And I see you have a witness. Your witness will have two minutes to present.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Committee Members, thank you for the opportunity to present. AB 1842. This Bill prohibits commercial health insurers from imposing prior authorization rules that create barriers to accessing medication assisted treatment. Medications such as buprenorphine, buprenorphine or long acting naltrexone can significantly improve treatment for many substance use disorders by treating craving and withdrawal symptoms. However, medication assisted treatment is underutilized due to prior authorization requirements, which create unnecessary barriers that delay or interrupt access to treatment.

While there are minor costs associated with this Bill, AB 1842 is an important step that will reduce overdose rates and save lives. Here to speak in support of the Bill is Doctor Amy Moolin, Professor of emergency medicine and Division Chief of addiction medicine at UC Davis and Director of the California Bridge program.

Thank you. Miss Reyes, just before you begin, I'd love to establish quorum. I think we have enough folks here, Madam Secretary, for the roll.

[Roll Call]

We have a quorum. Thank you. You may proceed.

Thank you very much. I'm Amy Mullen. I'm an emergency physician. I'm also working with over 270 of our acute care hospitals across California. We are starting patients on medication assisted treatment in the emergency Department. When we do that, we are able to help treat cravings and withdrawal symptoms for patients, and this has been shown in studies to increase patients likelihood of engaging in treatment as well as long term recovery and reduced deaths.

However, when patients then after being stabilized in the emergency Department are unable to access that medication due to delays and denials from the pharmacy, they go back into withdrawal symptoms, they return to having cravings and often return to use. So that treatable moments that we had access to in the emergency Department is lost. I highly encourage you to pass this Bill because it will save lives of Californians. Thank you.

Thank you. And would anyone in the room like to speak in favor of the Bill? Please name, organization and position.

Madam Chair Members. Tim Madden, representing the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, in support. Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair Members. Mari Lopez with the California Nurses Association, in support.

Thank you. Do we have any primary witnesses in opposition? Any additional witnesses like to express opposition? Great. We'll bring it back to the Committee. Any questions? Okay, would you like to close? Thank you.

It's clear that this measure is urgently needed to address the current overdose crisis in our state. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you very much. Miss Reyes, do we have a motion? A motion by Mister Hart, a second by Mister Arambula. The motion is due. Pass is with an a. That's okay. Okay. That's okay. An a roll call. Thank you. That measure is out. Great. Next we have. Mister Berman's still not here, so Miss Bonta, you are presenting 2401. You may begin.

Thank you. Chair and Committee Members. AB 2041 aims to protect candidates, elected officials, their families and staff by authorizing personal security as a campaign expense and expanding eligibility for security. Candidate security is a nonpartisan issue and hence previously received bipartisan support. AB 2041 is an impactful Bill that would be a minor and observable cost. I respectfully ask for your.

I vote. Thank you, Miss Bonta. And you have no primary witnesses. Are there anyone in the room wish to express support? Any folks in the room wish to express opposition? We will bring it back to the Committee. Any questions? Would you like to close?

Thank you so much. This is a very important Bill for many candidates and elected officials to ensure that they can ensure that they have privacy and security for their families, staff and loved ones.

Thank you. I appreciate you running this Bill again. I was a big supporter of last time. Personally, I think it's important, had some of the experiences that would warrant such security myself. So thank you for bringing this up again. Do we have a motion? A motion by Mister Arambula, second by Miss Calderon. And it is an a roll call. oh, sorry, motions. Sorry motions do pass with an a roll call with Mister Patterson. Not voting. Thank you. We have Miss Papen next. Miss Papen, you are presenting AB 2037?

That's right. Good morning, Madam Chair and Committee Members. Nice to be with you. This morning. AB 2037 will give county sealers the authority to test and verify owned EV chargers. Municipally owned EV Chargers. Excuse me? County sealers are tasked with testing and verifying commercial measurement devices, such as your grocery store scales, your gas pumps. Well, guess what? With new technology comes the need to make sure that you get what you pay for when you saddle on up to an EV charger, a municipally owned EV charger.

But there is no entity in charge of them at this moment. So to ensure confidence and partiality and consumer protection, it's imperative that county sealers have clear authority to test and verify publicly owned EV chargers. With inflation and growing income disparity, people are experiencing hard times. Whenever dollar counts, it's critical that you get what you pay for. In that same vein, the words you've all been waiting for. This Bill comes at no significant cost to the state. So here to testify with me today, I'm honored to have Matt Siverling on behalf of the County Sealers.

Thank you, Madam Chair Members Matthew Siverling, on behalf of the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association. As the Member stated, this program is funded entirely by user fees for registration fees for anybody that's using a commercial weighing and measuring device in the marketplace. We're applying this to EV chargers that are owned or partially owned by cities, counties, or the state.

But the principal reason that we're pushing this Bill is essentially the universe of these types of devices that were owned by, by public agencies was very small for decades, largely limited to scales at county refuse sites. But now, with the new world of EV chargers and the business model that are being offered by cities, we needed clear authority to go in and make sure, again that the customer is getting what they pay for. And urgent. I vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any other additional witnesses wish to express support? Anyone in the room wish to express opposition? Okay, we will bring it back to Committee. Any questions? Okay, would you like to close?

Respectful request an aye vote. Thank you for your time.

Great. Do we have a motion? We've got a motion. And do we have a second? Okay, great. Let's see. Miss Papen, AB 2037 recommends that do pass a roll call. Thank you. And we have. Miss McKinnor, you are presenting AB 3127. Can you turn on the mic, please? Thank you.

Every time. Good morning, Madam Chair and Members. I am here to present AB 3127, a Bill that will remove mandated reporting from domestic violence situations, except for firearm and life threatening injuries. As the Bill analyst states, this Bill would likely have no state cost and possibly minor cost saving to the court and counties, something that is much needed in the time of a budget deficit. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. And any folks in the room wish to express support? Any witnesses in opposition? We will bring it back to Committee. Any questions from colleagues? Okay. Do we have. Well, would you like to close?

I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Do we have a motion? Motion and a second. Great. The motion is do pass and it's out with a B roll call. Thank you. So we need authors. So if you are watching this, Mister Bryan, Mister Berman, or Mister Manschein, please come to Appropriations Committee where you can present your Bill. We do have a motion on the consent calendar. Do we have a second? zero, sorry. You know what? We have a change. We're moving. AB 1955 Mister Ward is pulled from the consent calendar.

So apart from that, the revised consent calendar. We have a motion. Mister Arambula, do we have a second? Second. Mister Fong Madam Secretary, please call roll.

[Roll Call]

The measured out will let folks add on and we are looking for authors. Mister Bryan, Mister Berman, Mister Manshine, you are welcome to come to Appropriations Committee and present your bills. It it Mister Bryan is joining us and he will be presenting AB 1986 which was a good year in music by the way. The eighties. I'm a proud gen xer so just letting you know on the cusp. But anyways,

I do not remember that year in music but good morning Madam Chair and colleagues. I'm here to present maybe 1986 a Bill that will bring accountability and transparency to prison book bans. Given the permissive nature of this Bill, the OIG has stated that this Bill would have minor and completely absorbable costs. I respectfully asked for an aye vote.

Thank you. And do we have any folks in the room wish to express support? Any folks wish to express opposition, we will bring it back to the Committee. Any questions from colleagues? Okay, would you like to close?

This Bill is part of the Black Caucus reparations package this year. It has received bipartisan support in the Public Safety Committee, has minor and exorable costs. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. And do we have a motion? A motion, Mister Fong? 2nd second, Mister Bryan. Great. That Bill is. The motion is do pass and that is out on an a roll call. Thank you. And if Mister Berman or Mister Meinshein would like to come to Appropriations Committee, they are welcome to come and present their bills. I'm checking him. Let's see. We're going to add take roll call on the consent calendar.

[Roll Call]

Mister Bryan will be presenting on behalf of Mister Berman. AB 2127.

Good morning again, Madam Chair and colleagues. California's new motor voter law has been a success with more than 25 million new or updated voter registration since it launched in 2018. But there have been challenges modernizing the voter registration process at the DMV. Assemblymember Berman's Bill, AB 2127 would extend the operation of the new motor vehicle task force in order to provide continued oversight and ensure proper implementation of the law. As the Committee analysis notes, the cost of the extension is minority. On behalf of the outstanding Assemblymember Mark Berman, I respectfully request an aye vote.

Thank you. We have a motion and a second. 2nd. Okay, great, great. Any, well, sorry. Any folks in the room would like to express support? Anyone like to express opposition? We'll bring it back to the Committee. Any questions? Would you like to close on behalf of Mark Berman?

I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Great. Thank you very much. We have a motion for a second and it is out on AB roll call. And I know Mister Manschein is just walking in from the swing space. He's getting his steps in today. Was testifying in housing Committee. You are perfect timing. Yep. Please join us. And you are presenting 2435.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair and Members. AB 2435 would extend cover California's authority to promulgate emergency rulemaking packages until January 12030 in order to add adequately and promptly react to both annual and ongoing changes in federal and state rules. AB 2435 has no fiscal impact. Thank you. And I respectfully request an I vote.

Thank you Mister Maienschein. Any folks wish to express support? Anyone want to express opposition?

Sorry, yes, sorry. Christine Smith, Health Access in support.

Great, thank you. Anyone wish to express opposition? We will bring it back to the Committee. Any questions for Mister Maienschein? Would you like to close?

Thank you very much Madam Chair Members, for respectful request an aye vote.

Thank you. Do we have a motion? Motion by Mister Grayson. A second. Second. Mister Hart. Great. And the motions do pass. It's out on a B roll call. Thank you. And let's open up the consent for Mister Grayson.

[Roll Call]

If anyone in the room would like to state their position on a Bill that was not presented today, now is your opportunity. Please. Name, organization and position.

Thank you very much. Vanessa Cajina, on behalf of the California News Publishers Association, sponsors of AB 2095 here in support. Thank you.

Mike Robson, on behalf of Quest Diagnostics. On a suspense Bill. AB 2132 low in support. Thank you.

Good morning ma'am. Chair and Members, Jason Murphy, on behalf of the University of California here in strong opposition to ACA 14 Ortega.

Thank you.

Good morning once again everyone. Mari Lopez with the California Nurses Association in support of AB 1866.

Well, thank you. Any other folks in the room wish to express support opposition? Okay, we're waiting on a couple more Members to vote and we'll be adjourned shortly. It.

[Roll Call]

Great send calendar is very much out and we didn't hear back from Miss Carrillo. So we will adjourn our meeting. Thank you.