Assembly Floor

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

[Roll Call]

Members, it's now 1015. I'd like you to report to the floor, please, so we can begin our work there. Members, it's now 1025. Our session started at 10:00 a.m. but we cannot begin our business until Members arrive, so please make your way to the chamber. Members, a quorum is present.

We ask our guests and visitors in the rear of the chamber and in the gallery to please stand for the prayer and the flag salute. This morning's prayer will be offered by Assemblymember Reyes.

Father God, we come before you with gratitude and reflection as we gather in this sacred chamber for the final days of our legislative season. Heavenly Father, as we stand here today, we are reminded of the weight of the responsibility placed upon us by those who sent us here. The communities are called to serve.

We acknowledge our imperfections and our weaknesses, yet we are humbled by the trust our communities have placed in us to work for a better future for them and for their families. Lord, you know the needs of our communities and you know the challenges we face as we conclude our work in this session.

May we be guided by the same spirit of service and dedication that brought us here. Help us remember that our purpose is to uplift and to strengthen and serve with compassion and integrity. We are called to extend grace.

Grant us the wisdom to make decisions that will benefit all, the courage to stand firm in our convictions, and the humility to listen and learn from one another. May our actions reflect the greatness of the communities we represent. And may we leave this chamber knowing that we have done our best to fulfill our mission.

As we depart, may we carry with us a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to the people of California bless our communities with peace and prosperity and unity, and may we continue to serve with the same passion and dedication that brought us here. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Thank you. Assembly Member Reyes, please join Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo as she leads us in the pledge.

Put your right hand over your heart. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America...

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

Assembly chamber of Sacramento Monday, August 12, 2024.

... moves and Mister Flores Seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with. Presentations and petitions, there are none. Introductions and reference of 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 for illness, Assemblymember Ortega and Assemblymember Cervantes. Members, thank you. I do have some announcements that I think you will all have interest in. First of all, you all pay attention here, if you don't mind.

So we're going to have, just so people know, we're going to have lunch today at about 123030 minutes. You're on your own, so please arrange with your staff, if you haven't, to have them bring it here. You will not be leaving the green carpet. You will not be leaving the building.

Dinner will be provided by the caucuses. The democratic caucus will meet in the lounge. The Republican caucus will meet in the Willie Brown room. That will happen between 530 and 07:00 p.m. there will be Committee hearings going on during that time as well. We got back this morning about 100 bills from the Senate.

So it's important that if you know your Bill got off the Senate Floor, that you'd be ready at some point today to be able to bring that up on concurrence.

We're in a process now of, there's a process for bringing them back and staff looking at them, but you should be ready to bring those bills up for concurrence today if you want your Bill to be brought up for concurrence. So those are the kind of procedural things that I wanted you to know about.

But it also important that you know that today is national red wine day, and I know some of us probably like to start early, but we shouldn't do that. But it's also national bow tie day, and we usually have a couple Members with bow ties, but we only have one with a bow tie today.

Kudos to our Member with a bowtie for national bowtie today. So, moving now to our procedural motions. Majority Leader Aguiar Curry, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good morning, Mister Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Irwin, Friedman, and Holden to speak on an adjournment in memory today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 118 to allow Assembly Members Jackson and Ramos to have guests in the rear of the chamber today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

At the request of Assemblymember Kalra, please move item 47, SB 830, Smallwood-Cuevas, to the inactive file. Clerk will note, I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 96 and withdraw SB 1400 Stern from the Judiciary Committee and order the Bill back to the third reading file.

Without objection, such shall be the order. Pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2, I'm re-referring item five, AB 852, to Jones Sawyer to the Public Safety Committee and Members. Pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2, I am re referring the following items on the supplemental file.

Item 224, AB 2951 Cervantes to the Election Committee Item 254, AB 1413, Ting to the Housing Committee and Item 287, AB 1359 to the Natural Resources Committee.

Members, on behalf of Assemblymember Ramos, please help me welcome guests at the rear of the chamber, Jordan Joaquin from the Fort Yuma Kwachan Indian tribe, Yach Bamford of the Pitt river tribe, Thomas Tortez and Torres Martinez from Desert Cohuia Indians and in the gallery, please welcome Brandy McDaniels from the Pit River tribe, also from Fort Yumaquachan Indian tribe, Donald Medard, Ernestine Noriega, Gloria Mcgee, Jonathan Cotin, Manford Scott, Sarah Lorenzana, Virgil Smith, and Zion White. Welcome to you all.

Members, while we're waiting for some paperwork issues to be resolved, we're going to. So I said we're going to bounce around a little bit today, so I know it's only 1043, but we are going to do move to adjournments in memory.

So I'd like to ask you to give your respectful attention to those Members who have been granted prior permission for an adjournment in memory. If you need to have a conversation, please take it off the floor. Please give your respectful attention to those who have been granted prior permission for an adjournment in memory. Mister Holden, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you Mister speaker, Members, I rise today to request that we journey in the memory of Theodore Ted Short, who passed away on July 27, 2024. Ted was President of Ted Short and Associates, a management consultant firm that specialized in specific areas of economic analysis, municipal finance, investment banking, as well as public affairs.

He played a significant role to private corporations and government agencies. With over 30,000 hours of consulting services, Ted ensured that everyone felt seen and heard. He provided economic development activities with 11 western states on more than 50 Native American indian reservations and conducted business area revitalization analysis for the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles.

Ted also believed in giving back to his community and served on over 15 boards, including the Foothill Free Clinic for mental health and employment, and the Altadena Pasadena Businessman's Association, the Los Angeles Urban League, the LA Chamber of Commerce Industrial Development Committee, as well as the California Minority Employment Council.

Ted was a husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather, but more importantly, he was a friend. He is survived by his wife Janis, sons Todd, Aaron, Tony, Daron, and daughters Toye and Melissa, as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Colleagues, I request that we adjourn in the memory of Ted Short.

Thank you Mister Holden. Assembly Member Irwin. You are recognized for your adjournment and memory.

It is with profound sadness that I rise today to pay tribute to Harry Selvin, who passed away on August 11, 2024. A wonderful father, husband, grandfather, great grandfather, friend, and community Member, Harry lives behind a legacy of accomplishment in the City of Thousand Oaks and beyond.

As a young man still in his teens, Harry was able to purchase his first home in LA. He continued his journey in life and became involved in the printing business in 1955 and later the import and distribution business in 1980. Harry's real passion was real estate, which led to the founding of Selvin Properties in 1975.

Over the years, Harry purchased properties throughout the Conejo Valley and came to own and manage over 300,000 commercial property. One of Harry's cherished properties was the Palm Garden Hotel in Newbury Park. Following yet another of his passions, music, Harry formed the Harry Selvin Big Band who practice every Monday evening in the ballroom of the hotel.

The Harry Selvin Band was a regular at many community events over the years with Harry standing tall as the band leader and sometime drummer. Harry's contributions outside his business ventures were many.

Harry was a longtime Member of the Civic Arts Plaza Theater Board, a founder and supporter of the five star Theatrical company, the Chairman of the Mayor's Roundtable, a former President of the Thousand Oaks Rotary, and the 2003 Chamber of Commerce man of the year, Harry supported countless local charities through his philanthropy and donation of commercial space.

Just two months ago, Harry's final curtain call was realized with the opening of his namesake restaurant, Selvin's, at the Palm Garden Hotel. Harry Selvin's legacy of commitment to his community has philanthropic spirit and his infectious smile will be deeply missed, but fondly remembered. Harry leaves behind his adoring wife Maureen, two children, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. I ask that we adjourn today in the memory of Harry Selvin.

Thank you Assemblymember Irwin. Assemblymember Friedman, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you Mister speaker and Members. Sometimes when we rise on this floor, it's to honor somebody who made a big difference in our communities. And sometimes, like in this case, we rise to someone who made a huge difference in their community, a huge difference in terms of the life of California and for me personally, a difference in my own life, because Glenn Webb, who I request we adjourn today's session in memory of, was also a close friend of mine.

And so this is a very difficult adjournment for me, but I am going to approach it with the same joy and spirit that Glenn brought to everything that he did with no regrets, but just a moment of reflection to honor a life very well lived. Glenn was born in 1947 in San Diego, one of four brothers raised in a Navy family. His early years were spent in California, Hawaii, Florida, New Mexico, and Virginia.

He became a young ham radio operator in Hawaii in the early 1960s and learned Morse code years later with the advent of cellphones, he programmed his cell phone to spell out certain caller's name in Morse code, and that's how he listened to his cell phone.

Glenn graduated from Norfolk Academy in Virginia and went on to Purdue University where he majored in aeronautical and astronomical astronautical engineering. He later earned a master's degree in computer science from UCLA. For many years, he worked in Burbank for Lockheed Martin at the Skugworks facility on sensor equipments for the s three a.

He also led the team that developed the sophisticated avionics for the f 22 fighter jets. But Glenn was a man of many talents. He became an avid go player, originally playing in person in LA's Koreatown and eventually playing online. And yes, he was a nerd and an engineer and incredibly brilliant.

But he also played guitar and banjo, often joined by musical friends in group Sing along he called hootenannies. He loved playing bridge and golf, especially going on annual summer fishing trips on the Kern river with his brothers and friends, eventually including the next two generations.

And he was an excellent cook and participated in a neighborhood cooking group of six couples known locally as the gourmet group. In retirement, Glenn got to work on home improvements. In 2011. He designed and installed a big system of solar panels, sending away for the components and installing 69 panels on his roof. And a few years later, he expanded his work to the adjoining hillside.

He basically had a solar energy facility on his own property in the hills of Glendale, and he also designed and built this incredible patio cover that was this large thing made out of steel that went across his roof and then would come swinging out around the back of the house. It was really something to behold.

He was very proud of his early adoption of solar energy and became an advocate, very well known in the City of Glendale for green energy, as the city was considering the construction of a large fossil fuel facility, which we are probably building in Glendale as we speak.

Glenn was at City Council every single week, bringing his engineering chops to the table as an engineer, standing up and showing the city in graphs and charts and with all kinds of scientific data, why solar would be a much better and more cost effective solution to the city.

And he didn't just say it because he thought it was a good idea and cared about climate change, which he did. He did it because he spent his entire life in engineering and in science, and knew for a fact that clean energy and solar was a better solution for our city.

And he also had the expertise to show them how they could do it. Glenn was brilliant, kind, funny and wise. He is survived by his wife, the amazing and wonderful Lynn Foster. He is greatly missed by family and friends.

I went to the remembrance of his life last year in Glendale, and the outpouring of joy and just incredible, incredibly funny stories that people had about him was amazing. And I ask tonight that we adjourn in the memory of an incredible man and a very good friend of mine, Glenn Webb. Thank you.

Thank you Assembly Member Friedman. Members, please bring the names to the desk to be printed in the journal. All requests to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal. Moving to business on the daily file. Second reading file item one. The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1451.

All bills will be deemed read and all amendments will be deemed adopted. We're going to move to concurrence in Senate amendments. We do have an item ready. We're going to pass and retain on item number 6. We will move to file item number nine AB 310 by Doctor Arambula. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 310 by Assemblymember Arambula an act relating to the State Department of State Hospitals.

Doctor Arambula, you are recognized.

AB 310 is back on concurrence. Amendments are technical and clarifying. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you Doctor Arambula. You have seen in hearing no further debate, 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. All those vote who desire to vote. Concurrency and Senate amendments Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes.

Ayes 42 Noes 0. Senate amendments are concurred in moving back to file item number six if miss Mister Mccarty are you ready to do your. Mister McCarty are you ready? Moving to file item number 6. AB 2427 by Assemblymember McCarty.

The Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 2427 by Assemblymember McCarty an act relating to land use

Assembly Member McCarty, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker. This is a measure to speed up curbside charging stations for electric vehicles. We know we need to do this if we're going to enhance our fleet throughout California in residential neighborhoods where there's multifamily apartments. Technical amendments in the Senate lowering costs respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you Mister Mccarty. Seeing in hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the vote's Ayes 50 Noes 0 Senate amendments are concurred in. I mentioned Members.

We have paperwork that will be happenings. There will be a supplemental file that will include about 100 bills that will be back on concurrence. So please be cognizant of that. And if you want your Bill brought back on concurrence today, please be working on your statements for that. Thank you Members Zbur, you are recognized Members. Your attention please. To your attention please. Assembly Members Zbur, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker. Members, I am calling a democratic caucus. In the lounge immediately.

Thank you Mister Zbur. Democratic caucus will be in the lounge. We will be recessed under call.

Members, the Assembly is back in session, so have Members report to the floor. We're going to start working on taking up Senate bills, so we will be moving to Senate third reading, Members, so please come back to the floor. We're going to pass temporarily on file item 22. We're going to move to file item 25. SB 1150, Senator Laird by assemblymember Reyes. The Clerk will read

Senate Bill 1150 by Senator Laird an act relating to marriage.

Assembly Member Reyes, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. SB 1150 will update the title of Chapter Seven of Division 6 of the Family Code to ensure people, regardless of gender identity, can restore their former surname following a divorce.

The chapter's language was updated nearly three decades ago to contain gender-neutral language, but the title of the chapter is, quote, 'restoration of wife's former name.' That was left unchanged. SB 1150 is simply a correction to align a chapter's dated, gender-specific title with its gender-neutral code section language of 'spouse' rather than 'wife.' This bill has bipartisan support, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote on SB 1150.

Thank you, Assembly Member Reyes. Seeing and hearing no further debate on the issue, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 41; no: zero. Measure passes.

We're going to go back and back one item in the file. Order to item number 24. SB 1471, Senator Stern by Assembly Member Friedman. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1471 by Senator Stern and others an accolade to people instruction.

So, Member Friedman, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. I'm here to present Senator Stern's SB 1471, which offers teachers the option, it's not a requirement, the option to facilitate a moment of quiet reflection at the start of each school day or at any other time they deem appropriate. This simple yet powerful practice allows students and educators to pause center themselves.

I think we could all pause for a moment here, too, and cultivate a sense of mindfulness and empathy that can be hard to find throughout the day. Research indicates that mindfulness in education contributes to increased focused overall emotional well being, reduced stress and anxiety, and a positive school climate. I would respectfully request an I vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Friedman. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes, 44. No, zero. Measure passes. Moving to file item 26.

SB 1371: Senator Bradford by Assembly Member McKinnor. The clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1371 by Senator Bradford, an act relating to alcoholic beverages.

Assembly Member McKinnor, you are recognized.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present SB 1371, on behalf of Senator Bradford. This bill will improve the convenience and security of alcohol purchases by allowing biometric identity systems as a method to verify a customer's age. Existing law provides alcoholic beverage retail licensees with an affirmative defense in proceeding involving the sale of alcoholic beverages.

This defense is allowed if the licensee can prove that they requested and were shown a government-issued ID. Some licensees, especially large venues like stadiums, have begun to use additional biometric methods such as a fingerprint or facial recognition to affirm a purchaser's age. This technology is accurate, reliable, and convenient for both the retailer and purchaser.

SB 1371 will include the use of biometric system as eligible for affirmative defense. This bill has received bipartisan support. I respectfully ask for your vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member McKinnor. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes.

Ayes, 55. No, 0. Measure passes moving to file item 29, SB 1072, Senator Padilla by Assembly Member Pacheco.

The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1072 by Senator Padilla an accolade to local Government.

Member Pacheco. You are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker and Members. Today I rise to present Senate Bill 1072 on behalf of Senator Padilla. SB 1072 provides that if a court determines that an agency has charged an excess fee for a property related service like water, sewer or refuse collection, the agency will credit the overpayment towards future service costs.

Retail water and wastewater agencies across the state are facing increasing legal challenges to their fee structures due to Proposition 200 and 18's limitations. To clarify, this bill excludes overcharges from billing errors like incorrect billing cycles or faulty meters.

Additionally, this bill does not affect refunds for charges that are already mandated by law, such as groundwater extraction over charges. Under the sustainable groundwater management Act. SB 1072 specifically addresses disputes over the methodology behind service charge rates where challengers seek retroactive refunds for alleged overcharges.

This bill offers a remedy for ratepayers while ensuring that lower water users are not subsidizing higher water users.

Supported by organizations such as the Association of California Water Agencies, the California Special Districts Association, the California Water Association of Counties, the League of California Cities and agencies of all cities of all sizes statewide, SB 1072 addresses challenges faced by agencies and Senator Padilla's district and beyond. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Assembly Member Pacheco, Mister Patterson. Joe Patterson. You are recognized. Great. Thank you.

I rise in opposition to this measure, despite it being managed by my good friend from Downey.

So what this bill does is when a court rules that a government agency has unlawfully collected money from people under Proposition 218, which was voted on by the people of California, that you ought not get your money back, you're just going to get a credit.

I would say that if a government agency is charging people money illegally, they should be able to walk in the front door and get a check on the spot for their money back. And with that, I ask for a no vote.

Thank you, Mister Patterson. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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. All those vote who desire to vote. We have quite a few Members still missing. Please. Members come to the chamber.

All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes Ayes, 44. No's, 12. Measure passes. Members, as we are moving through here, I think you all know whether the bills are support, support or not.

If you have a support support bill, and you have a long floor statement, maybe you could shorten your floor statement a little bit. A lot. So support support bills mean that we're all, probably, a lot of people are going to vote for it.

So please keep that in mind as you move through some of these Senate bills for the poor efficiency. We appreciate that. Moving now to file item 37, SB 918, Senator Umberg by Assembly Member Bauer- Kahan.

The clerk will read.

Senate Bill 918 by Senator Umberg and others, an act relating to social media platforms.

Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise to present SB 918, the Social Media and Law Enforcement Cooperation Act, by Senator Umberg. The bill will require social media platforms to have a telephone hotline available at all times for law enforcement agencies to be able to timely request information.

SB 1918 also compels social media platforms to immediately comply with a search warrant provided by law enforcement agencies. Parents and law enforcement have reported that there are known drug dealers on social media platforms that sell products, but even after law enforcement and users make the platform aware, they are slow to respond in removing the accounts. We must be responsible for the care of our citizens on social media, and so must the sites. With that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote on SB 918.

Thank you, Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the clerk will open the roll. Oh, I'm sorry. Mr. Gallagher, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think this is an important bill. I rise in support of this bill, and of course, you know, we have social media platforms where there can be things that are problematic.

And so I support this, working with having the hotline to help, you know, law enforcement and connect, also help with search warrants that may be needed, you know. So as I know, we have all been working on many of these different issues.

I think it's very important as we work through today, that we put a lot of, you know, thought and discussion into these bills that we're going to be considering today. Maybe especially on support support bills that we get up and we talk about why we're supporting these measures. I think that's important in this, in this Legislature today.

So again, I just want to rise in support of this and thank you all for hearing my thoughts as we all come together on this support support bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Gallagher. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the clerk will open the roll. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desires to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes: 56; no: zero. Measure passes. Moving to File Item 41: SB 1193: Senator Menjivar by Mr. Gabriel.

The clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1193 by Senator Menjivar and others, an act relating to aviation.

Assembly Member Gabriel, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I am pleased today to present SB 1193, on behalf of Senator Menjivar. This bill will end the sale of harmful leaded airplane fuel that will endanger public health, and particularly the long-term health of children beginning January 1st, 2031.

Last October, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency announced its final determination that emissions of lead from aircrafts that use leaded fuel causes or contributes to air pollution that endangers public health under the Clean Air Act. Amendments taken in the Assembly remove opposition from the Pilots Association, the Airports Association, and fuel industries. With that, respectfully ask for an aye vote on SB 1193.

Thank you, Mr. Gabriel. Okay. Mr. Patterson, you are recognized.

Thank you. I rise with a cautionary note with respect to this bill. I've been a private pilot since I was 17, flown all types of aircraft. The damage that this is going to do to general aviation is going to be substantial.

And if you have general aviation airports in your districts, I think we have to be very, very careful about making such a significant change. Let's first of all recognize that there's a large fleet of general aviation aircraft who, their engines are fuel-injected. It is impossible to utilize unleaded fuel in fuel-injected airplanes.

These are the larger capacity aircraft. What you're going to find is the owners of these airplanes are going to fly out of the State of California and they're going to go into like a neighboring state and they're going to fill up. The damage to those engines is absolute.

I mean, you can't fly one of these airplanes with fuel injection. Those airplanes' engines will cease to function. Also, the availability of unleaded is really a serious matter. I think there are going to be supply problems.

The airport associations and these others have raised the concern that the small airports in the rural areas are going to be--not have supply because the larger airports. There's also a cost factor in this.

It's $6.00 a gallon now for the leaded. The unleaded estimates the cost is going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 to $15 an hour. That's going to drive up the cost of general aviation. It's going to drive up the cost of our flight training associations on our smaller airports.

When people are renting aircraft, they pay a wet fee. That means that it's full when they take it out. There's going to be a surcharge on top of that rental fee that is going to drive a lot of these instruction operations out of business. But I want to draw attention to some of the underlying--hang on one quick second. So the--back on--permission to read?

Without objection.

Yeah, back in November of 2023, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors tasked the County of Los Angeles Public Health to assess the potential for leaded fuel at an airport, which was the Whiteman Airport. And they took a look at air quality and they took a look at the issue with respect to the lead nearby, and I'm going to just jump to the conclusion. Permission to read?

Permission granted.

'Based on the analysis completed by LA County's board, it does not appear that there is an increase in the number of children under six years old within a 1.5 miles of Whitman Airport with blood levels equal or greater than the BLRV.' Now the BLRV is the CDC's blood level reference.

30 seconds.

'And further,' the conclusion states, 'based on air sampling completed by the SCAQMD,' the air board, 'ambient lead concentrations near Whiteman were significantly lower than the United States EPA standards.' So we have a very high, expensive--

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Mr. Lowenthal, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just very briefly, I want to commend the advocacy of the member from Fresno. I want to point out that the reason that the unleaded fuels are so high is because the industry has not coalesced around a single fuel.

And once it does and we create incentive for it to do so, there will be price compression associated with it. My community that I represent in Long Beach has some of the worst air in the United States. It's the largest private aviation location that's using leaded fuels.

We had much higher rates of Covid and deaths of Covid than other areas in the State of California because of underlying lung disease. I strongly encourage you to consider voting for this bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kalra--Mr. Lowenthal. Mr. Kalra, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of SB 1193. Similarly to other jurisdictions, there is an airport in East San Jose, Reid-Hillview Airport. The county ultimately decided to close it over the next several years, and the studies done there showed that children who live within a half mile of the airport had blood lead levels 20% higher than children living between half a mile to 1.5 miles.

The evidence is incredibly clear that at these airports, the lead levels in the dirt and the soil, in the neighborhoods and the parks around these airports are dramatically impacted, and this bill allows for essentially almost a seven-year lead-in that'll provide plenty of opportunity, as indicated from a colleague from Long Beach, for the market to adjust and these airports to adjust. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Kalra. Mr. Gabriel, would you like to close?

Yeah. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank our colleagues from Long Beach and Santa Clara for helping to clarify some of that. Just a few other points I want to add here. First of all, leaded aviation fuel is not used in commercial flights.

As was mentioned, the member from Fresno brought up, the EPA, they made a final determination last year that the emissions from these aircraft contribute to air pollution and endanger public health under the Clean Air Act.

So that issue has been determinatively resolved by a federal agency. Separate and on top of that, the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022 announced a program that aims to achieve a lead-free aviation system no later than 2030.

So we are already going this way nationally to try to achieve this to protect the health and safety of our children, and as I mentioned, this bill goes into effect January 1st, 2031. So this is in line with federal policy, in line with what the federal government is trying to do.

I will mention on a personal note, as some of you have probably heard me talk about, I spend a lot of my Saturdays and Sundays in the field in Encino Little League. And while I'm there, I watch planes that take off from Van Nuys Airport where billionaires get in their private jets and they fly over our Little League field one after the other after the other after the other.

And I don't see a reason why we shouldn't ask them in line with the rest of where the industry is going to pay a little bit more money to use a cleaner fuel to protect the health and safety of our children. I think all of the kids in the State of California deserve clean air to breathe. We should be choosing our children over the billionaires. With that, respectfully request an aye vote on File Number 41: SB 1193.

Thank you, Mr. Gabriel, and with that, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 46; noes: eight. Measure passes.

We will move to file item 42, SB 1216, Senator Blakespear by Assemblymember Brian.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1216 by Senator Blakespear and accolade to transportation sending Member Brian, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister Speaker and colleagues. I'm proud to present SB 1216 on behalf of Senator Blakespear. This Bill prohibits new sheroes from being installed on roads over 30 mph, except when you use the intersections to connect bikeways. SB 1270 also provides limits on when active transportation funds can be used for class three bikeways. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Mister Bryan. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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. All those vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the vote's eyes. 41 no's, 13 measure passes.

Members, we will actually now break for lunch. We will have a recess under call. 30 minutes recess. We will convene at 01:03 p.m. to be precise, we are under recess. Recess under call.

Members, please come back to the floor. We'd like to continue our business. For the record, I'm two minutes late. There's only a handful of you out here. So please come back to the floor so we can continue our business. Our recess has ended. Please come back to the floor so we can move on with our work.

Members, please return to the chamber so we can continue our work. Miss Aguiar Curry, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good afternoon, Mister Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 77 to allow authors to take up their bills on the supplemental file today. These are items 201-310.

Without objection such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend joint rule 62 A, the file notice requirement to allow the Elections Committee to hear AB 2951 Cervantes and AB 3184 Berman on Thursday, August 29, upon call of the chair in room 444.

Without objection. Such shall be the order.

Pursuant to Assembly Rule 97, I request unanimous consent to re refer the item 146, SB 1221, Min to the Rules Committee.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

We're going to pass temporarily on item 43. We're going to pass temporarily on item 44. We're going to pass temporarily on item 45. Maybe we won't pass on those. We'll go back and we'll go back. Actually, we'll go back in file order, if it's okay. So, Member to file item 22. You okay with that?

Okay, file item 22. SB 1386, Senator Caballero by assemblymember Petrie-Norris.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1386 by Senator Caballero and others afterlane to.

Evidence some Member Petri north. You are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Members, I am pleased to rise today to present SB 1386 on behalf of Senator Caballero. This Bill will clarify the civil rape shield law. Rape shield laws are longstanding statutes that are designed to protect survivors from intrusive inquiries into their sexual histories and personal lives. During legal proceedings.

SB 1386 would clarify that evidence of a victim's unrelated sexual assault or sexual history is not admissible to impeach their testimony as to consent or absence of injury in a civil proceeding.

This Bill will preserve the integrity of the civil rape shield law and foster a supportive environment for survivors to come forward and seek the justice that they deserve. SB 1386 enjoys broad support from organizations representing survivors, has no registered opposition, and has received zero no votes. I respectfully request your. I vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Pietra Norris. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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. All those vote who desire to vote. Members, please return to the chamber so we can continue our business.

All those vote who desire to vote. Members, please return to the chamber. Our lunch recess ended 20 minutes ago. Move the call. We're going to jump ahead and then we'll come back to you, miss Petronor, and jump ahead to file item 178, SB 450, Senator Atkins, by Assembly Member Wicks.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 450 by Senator Atkins and Atrialina, land use, Selma.

Member Wicks, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Members, I rise to present Senate Bill 450 on behalf of Senator Tony Atkins, also known as one of our body's biggest housing champs here in the Legislature. Many of you will recall a Bill that the Senator previously authored, SB nine, the California Home act, which was signed into law in 2021.

SB nine sought to widen access to housing for California's working families by streamlining a homeowner's ability to build a duplex or split their residential lots, allowing for up to four units.

SB Unfortunately, since it became law, we have seen a number of local jurisdictions take some creative licensing with it, either by ignoring the new law in its entirety or imposing overly burdensome standards that seek to discourage the housing options provided by 9.

This Bill, SB 450, will increase the effectiveness of SB nine by improving access and certainty for homeowners who wish to use the provisions of that law and increase the enforcement of existing law. This Bill enjoys a broad base of support, and with that, I would respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Wicks. Assembly Member Grayson, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Colleagues, I do stand in strong support of SB 450. California, as you know, facing a housing crisis. One of the solutions to that crisis is building more housing.

SB 450 ensures that homeowners can utilize the opportunities offered by SB nine, specifically, that they can build additional housing on their lots without excessive requirements from local governments. This is about building up our housing stock, and this is also about giving homeowners another tool in their toolbox to bring more housing into their community.

SB 450 makes common sense adjustments like ensuring application periods match what we require for adus and clarifying the intent of this legislation. I do urge support of this measure. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly Member Grayson. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the roll. All those votes who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote.

All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. Miss Wicks moves the call. Members, we will now go to file item 44, SB 1418, Senator Archuleta by Assembly Member Petrie-Norris.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1418 by Senator Archuleta and others, and actually in the land use.

Assembly Member Petrie Norris, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. I rise to present Senate Bill 1418 by Senator Archuleta. This Bill will create an expedited permitting process for hydrogen fueling stations. Quite simply, SB 1418 brings parity to the permitting process of zev infrastructure by streamlining the administrative process for hydrogen fueling stations in the same way that we do for EV charging stations.

SB 1418 also addresses a statewide imperative. Consistent permitting standards across all jurisdictions are critical to ensure the prompt and cost effective deployment of these critical zero emission fueling stations. SB 1418 underscores California's commitment to zero emission vehicles and to the decarbonization of our transportation sector. Respectfully ask for your I vote on behalf of Senator Archuleta.

Thank you, Assemblymember Petrie Norris. Assemblymember Murzuchi, you are recognized.

Thank you very much. I rise in respectful opposition to this bill. Permission to read, Mister speaker? Without objection, the League of California cities in their opposition, unless amended letter states, the local permitting process is not the barrier to this industry growing in the state.

Hydrogen is highly flammable and explosive, so systems that use it must comply with strict safety and explosion prevention codes. Expediting and streamlining a process that introduces a highly volatile and difficult to contain gas into local communities is dangerous.

Decisions about flammable and in certain cases, explosive gases such as hydrogen require careful scrutiny and ample time to ensure that public health and safety is safeguarded. On that basis, I oppose this Bill.

Thank you, Mister Muratsuchi. Mister Mathis, you are recognized.

Mister speaker. Members, I'm not sure where our colleague got his information about how hydrogen actually works. It's not the 1950s anymore. Hydrogen is actually cutting edge. We're moving forward. It's quite frankly, like moonshine, you can make it out of just about anything. And this is the future. This is the future fuel.

Frankly, everybody else in the world's leaving us behind. And it's about time California catches up. We know that EV's aren't going to be the only solution for zero carbon. We know that hydrogen actually fits the Bill for anything medium and large scale and for aviation.

So it's about time we get with the program and actually provide ways to get to hydrogen. Stop picking fights over. Well, it's not good enough. Green versus blue versus green hydrogen. Zero carbon. There's 101 ways to produce it. You can even take oil and turn it into CARB. Into hydrogen.

With a zero carbon zero emissions platform, that's possible. But instead of blocking it, we should be praising it and going after it and doing things like this. Bill Members, I ask you for an I vote. I ask you to support hydrogen. Thank you.

Thank you, Mister Mathis. Seeing and hearing no further debate, would you like to close Miss Petrie-Norris?

Thank you, Mister speaker. And thank you to my colleagues for your comments. Once again, respectfully ask for an aye vote on SB 1418.

And with that, 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 and tally the vote's eyes. 43 no's two measure passes. Moving to file item 45, SB 1006, Senator Padilla by Assembly Member Petrie Norris.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1006 by Senator Padilla. And actual aid electricity.

Send Member Petrie Norris, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister Speaker. I rise to present SB 1006 on behalf of Senator Padilla, which would require transmission utilities to prepare a grid enhancing technologies and reconductoring feasibility study to cost effectively increase transmission capacity. CAiso estimates that we need more than 7000 transmission capacity every year for the next decade in order to meet our growing energy demand.

However, California is far from achieving this estimate, which threatens our clean energy goals. Grid enhancing technologies can increase capacity, decrease congestion, and improve reliability in a cost effective way. This Bill requires transmission utilities to study grid enhancing technologies and evaluate which transmission lines can be reconducted to increase transmission capacity and reduce congestion.

It also requires the CAISO to review the results of the studies as part of the annual transmission process. This Bill has no opposition and zero no votes. I respectfully ask for your I vote today.

Thank you, Assembly Member Pettie-Norris. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 will close the roll and tally the votes. Eyes 58 no zero measure passes.

Moving to file item 49, SB 1217, Senator Glazer, by Assembly Member Calderon.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1217 by Senator Glazer and afterlane dependent insurance.

Assembly Member Calderon, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister Speaker. I rise to present SB 1217 on behalf of Senator Glazier. SB 1217 increases consumer protections for pet insurance. Notable provisions include prohibiting waiting periods for policy renewals and distinguishing between wellness programs and traditional pet insurance. This Bill is supported by the California Department of Insurance and the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.

It's received unanimous bipartisan support. Thank you. And I ask, respectfully ask.

Thank you, Assembly Member Calderon. Seen in hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 58 no zero measure passes.

Moving to file item 54, SB 537, Senator Becker by Assemblymember Calderon.

Clerk will read Senate Bill 537 by Senator Becker and others after lane two memorials.

Member Calderon, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister Speaker. I rise to present Senate Bill 537 on behalf of Senator Becker and Majority Leader Gonzalez. This year marks the 95th anniversary of the Executive order that forcibly removed Mexicans and Mexican Americans from the country during the Great Depression.

In total, an estimated 2 million citizens of Mexican heritage were illegally deported as scapegoats for the depression. With the majority of them being American citizens.

SB 537 begins the process of acknowledging this unjust period in California's history by authorizing a memorial to be placed in the City or County of Los Angeles to memorialize those that were illegally deported. This Bill has received bipartisan support and has no opposition. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Calderon. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 58, noes zero. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 57, SB 1528, Committee on Taxation revenue on taxation by assemblymember Irwin.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1528 by the Committee on Revenue and Taxation and after relating to taxation, Assembly Member.

Irwin, you are recognized.

Mister speaker, SB 1528 is the Senate Rev. And Tax Committee's annual technical tax and fee omnibus Bill which contains changes suggested by CDTFA and the State Board of Equalization. The measure has no opposition and no recorded no votes. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, assemblymember Erwin. Seeing in here no further debate. 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 until the votes. Ayes 59, noes zero. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 58, SB 504, Senator Dodd by Assemblymember Friedman. The Clerk will read

Senate Bill 504 by Senator Dodd and actually to fire prevention.

Senator Friedman, you are recognized.

Thank you Members. SB 504 is a cleanup Bill to existing law with law which I wrote pertaining to wildfire protection and defensible space around homes and high wildfire threat severity zones. The changes included in SB 504 will strengthen the effectiveness of our laws pertaining to wildfire protection, help better protect life and property.

There is no opposition to this Bill. And I respect request an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Friedman. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes

57, noes zero. Measure passes Members, we're going to lift the call on file item 22. The Clerk will post all those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote, Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. I is 53 no zero measure passes.

Moving back to file order item 59, SB 575, Senator Wahab by Mister Kalra.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 575 by Senator Wahhab and others. And after relating to unearthed marriage, sending.

Member Kalra you are recognized.

Thank you so much, Mister speaker. Presenting minor and technical changes here to SB 575 and respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Mister Kalra. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 58, noes zero. Measure passes. Let me defile item 60, SB 729

Senator Menjivar by assemblymember Wicks.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 729 by Senator Menjavar and others and afterlane to healthcare coverage summary.

Member Wicks, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Members, this Bill requires both large and small healthcare plans to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services. I tried this Bill for three times in a row. We're hoping with Senator Menjavar's leadership here, we can get it across the finish line.

I know IVF for many couples is really important, and we're hoping our health insurance plans can cover it with that. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, assemblymember Wicks. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 46, noes zero. Measure passes. Moving to file item 62, SB 965.

Senator Min. By Mister Mccarty.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 965 by Senator Min. And attributing to firearms. Senator Mccarty, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. This bill strengthens our gun safety laws in California. Three years ago, I wrote AB 1191, which enhanced inspections for gun shows and gun stores throughout California.

This just clarifies that those inspections shall be gathered and a report delivered to the Legislature and the public to better understand trends and ways to make a our gun safety laws safer and keep, more importantly, guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. Respectfully ask your. I vote. Thank you. Thank you, Mister Mccarty.

Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 53, noes zero. Passes. Moving to file item 63, SB 997, Senator Portantino. By Assemblymember Berner.

Clerk will read Senate Bill 997 by Senator Portantino and others. And afterlane to pupil health.

Member Boerner, you are recognized good afternoon.

Mister speaker and Members. I rise to present SB 997 on behalf of Senator Portantino, which would prohibit schools and other leas from prohibiting a student's right to have fentanyl testing strips and opioid reversal medication in their possession while in school or participating in school activities. The Bill has received bipartisan support and no opposition.

I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Seeing no others wishing to speak, the Clerk will open the roll. All those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, the Clerk will close the roll. Ayes 59, noes zero. Measure, pass.

We're going to pass temporarily on item number 64, taking us to item number 66, SB 1077. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1077 by Senator Blakespear, an act relating to coastal resources.

Assemblymember Wicks, you may open.

Thank you, Madam Speaker and Members. I rise today to present SB 1077 by Senator Catherine Blakespear. This Bill will require the Coastal Commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development to resolve conflicts in how they cite and regulate accessory dwelling units, otherwise known as ADUs, in the coastal area. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Seeing no others wishing to speak, the Clerk will open the roll. All those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, the Clerk will close the roll. Ayes 54, noes zero, measure passes. Taking us to. Okay, we're going to pass temporarily on item number 68.

Taking us to item number 71, SB 1244. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1244 by Senator Newman an, act relating to pupil instruction.

Assemblymember McCarty, you may open.

Thank you. I was looking for our colleague from Pasadena. He's not here, but one of his marquee measures, as he finishes his term in the Legislature, was creating a dual enrollment program for people in high school to dually enroll at our community colleges to further their education and start their higher education.

This would expand that program by allowing school districts to enter into agreements through the career and college pathways with community college districts essentially creating more opportunities for our young people to focus on dual enrollment. Respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Seeing no others wishing to speak, the Clerk will open the roll. All those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, the Clerk will close the roll. Ayes 58, noes zero, measure passes. Taking us to item number 72, SB 1246.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1246 by Senator Limon and others, and actually to state government Administration.

Assembly Member Reyes, you may open. Thank you, Madam Speaker Members. The California Prompt Payment act ensures that government agencies pay grant contracts awarded to a certified small business or nonprofit in a timely manner.

SB 1246 expands the Prompt Payment act to include all nonprofit grants, including grants and contracts under $500,000, and defines the term grant to clearly mean a signed final agreement between any state agency and a nonprofit organization, removing the current eligibility gap cap.

California nonprofits are a bridge to our local communities, ensuring that critical services are accessible to residents while contributing to the social and economic growth of the region. The Bill has no opposition and has received bipartisan support. Thank you, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Seeing no others wishing to speak, the Clerk will open the roll. All those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, the Clerk will close the roll. Ayes 58, noes zero. Measure passes.

Senate Bill 1292 by Senator Bradford an act relating to Electricity

Assemblymember Petrie-Norris. You may open.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, Members, I rise to present SB 1292 on behalf of Senator Bradford. SB 1292 would require the CPUC to report to the Legislature on the implementation of the income based fixed charge and its impacts on customers prior to making any future adjustments.

A fixed charge has the potential to not only incentivize investments in electrification and reduce seasonal Bill volatility, it is statutorily required to reduce utility bills for low income customers. The Legislature has an important role to ensure that the CPUC moves in a reasonable direction. Thank you, and I respectfully ask for your I vote.

Seeing no others wishing to speak, the Clerk will open the box. All those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote, all those vote who desire to vote, the Clerk will close the roll eyes. 56 no, zero measure passes. We're going to pass temporarily on item number 77 and item number 80. And 81.

And 82, taking us to item number 85, SB 1425. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1425 by Senator Gonzalez, an act relating to oil revenue making an appropriation, therefore, and declaring urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

Assemblymember Lowenthal, you may open.

Thank you. Madam Speaker and Members, I rise to present Senate Bill 1425 on behalf of Senator Gonzalez, which will help get the state on track to set aside the necessary funding to allow for a responsible and timely decommissioning of toxic oil wells.

For almost a century, the State of California and the City of Long Beach have engaged in a unique profit-sharing relationship related to the extraction of oil resources from the Long Beach tidelands and offshore areas.

As part of this arrangement, the state is obligated to fund a proportional share of the liability for closing down these wells based on the profit has received. Currently, the state's share of the abandonment liability is estimated over a billion, but the state has set aside only $330 million thus far, leaving an unfunded liability of nearly $700 million.

SB 1425 will increase the share of profits deposited into the state's oil trust fund each month. Saving now will limit future impacts to the General Fund as these wells begin to reach their end of life. This Bill has received bipartisan support, has no opposition. Respectfully, ask for your aye vote.

Seeing no others wishing to speak, the Clerk will open the roll. Members, this is a 54 vote. 54 vote. Members, this is a 54 vote. All those votes who desire to vote all those votes who desire to vote. All those votes who desire to vote. This is a 54 Bill. The Clerk will close the roll.

Ayes 61, noes zero on the urgency. Ayes 61, noes zero on the Bill. Ayes 61, noes zero. Measure passes. We're going to go back to item number 64, SB 1050.

The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1050 by Senator Bradford and others, an act relating to state government.

Assemblymember McKinnor, you may open on the Bill.

Yes, Madam Speaker. I am proud to present SB 1050 on behalf of Senator Bradford. This Bill will create a pathway to return land or provide restitution to Californians who had their land or property taken for racially motivated reasons. Many Californians are now familiar with the history of Bruces' Beach.

The beachfront parcel of land in Manhattan Beach was once a thriving resort owned by Charles and Willa Bruce. It was one of the few places where African Americans were allowed to visit a beach. But the City of Manhattan Beach resented the Bruces' success and wanted to put them out of business.

The city used the power of eminent domain to take the Bruces' land for less than their value. Justice eventually came for the descendants of the Bruce family, and just like the Bruces' Beach, SB 1050 will create a pathway to justice for others harmed by similar racist acts. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember McKinnor. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the poll. 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 56, noes zero, measure passes.

Going back in file order to file item 43. SB 1337, Senator Gonzalez by Mr. Bryan. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1337 by Senator Gonzalez, an act relating to elections.

Mr. Bryan, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. SB 1337 will provide greater transparency to voters when they are signing petitions to overturn a state law through the referendum process. Specifically, it requires that the top three funders be listed on each signature page. It's an addition to the long cleanup work that we began last year.

I respectfully ask your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Bryan. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 42, noes 15, measure passes. Moving to file item 68.

Senator Ashby by Assemblymember Bonta. SB 1180, Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1180 by Senator Ashby and others, an act relating to healthcare coverage.

Assemblymember Bonta, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present SB 1180, the Emergency Medical Service Reimbursement Act, on behalf of Senator Ashby. This Bill requires health plans to establish a process to reimburse essential services such as community paramedicine, triage to alternate destinations, and mobile-integrated health for our EMS providers. It also requires Medi-Cal to cover these programs upon appropriation.

SB 1180 would provide a needed funding framework for our EMS providers to deliver care and improve health outcomes for individuals struggling with addiction and behavioral health issues. This Bill enjoys bipartisan support and has no opposition. I respectfully request an aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Bonta. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 56, noes zero, measure passes.

Moving to file item 73, SB 1266, by Assemblymember Boerner. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1266 by Senator Limone, an act relating to public safety.

Assemblymember Boerner, you are recognized.

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise to present SB 1266 on behalf of Senator Limone, which would prohibit a manufacturer from selling or distributing any feeding, sucking, or teething products that can contain any form of BPAs and requires DTSC to establish standards that prioritize the health and wellness of children.

The Bill has received zero no votes, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Boerner. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 56, noes zero measure passes.

We move to file item 82, SB 1407, Senator Nguyen, by Assemblymember Nguyen. Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1407 by Senator Nguyen, an act relating to the state capitol.

Assemblyember Nguyen, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present SB 1407 on behalf of Senator Janet Nguyen. SB 1407 would authorize a nonprofit organization to plan and construct a privately funded memorial on the capitol grounds dedicated to the survivors and victims of communism. This measure has enjoyed bipartisan support in both houses and has no recorded opposition.

I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Nguyen. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 58, noes one, measure passes.

Moving to file item 86, SB 1443, Senator Jones by Assemblymember Luz Rivas. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1443 by Senator Jones, an act relating to homelessness.

Assemblymember Rivas, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present Senate Bill 1443 from Senator Jones, which adds a representative from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Assemblymember Rivas. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 61 no, zero. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 89, SB 1452, Senator Ashby by assemblymember Berman.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 1452 by Senator Ashby and actually architects and landscape architects and making appropriation.

Therefore, Assemblymember Berman. You are recognized.

Thank you, Mister Speaker. SB 1452 is the sunset extension Bill for the California Architects Board and the Landscape Architects Technical Committee, which are set to expire on January 1. We don't want that to happen. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Don't let the sun go down on this Bill. Members seeing and hearing no further debate on sunsets, crook 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 59, noes zero. Passes.

Moving to file item 90, SB 1453, Senator Ashby by Senate Member Berman. Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1453 by Senator Ashby and others an accolade to healing arts.

Senator Berman, you are recognized.

Similar to the last bill, SB 1453 is the sunset extension bill for the dental board of California, which would expire on January 1st. We don't want that to happen either. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

We don't want that one to happen. Mister Berman. Absolutely. Seeing and hearing no further debate, and in the interest of keeping the dental board alive and well, I respectfully ask for your aye vote. 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 bowl and tally the votes. Ayes 57, No, zero. Rush twice daily and floss, please. Moving to file item 92, SB 1465, Senator Archuleta by Selma Member Quirk-Silva.

Clerk will read Senate Bill 1465 by Senator Archuleta and others. And after lend to housing, sending Member Quirk-Silva.

You are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker and Members, I rise to present Senate Bill 1465 on behalf of Senator Archuleta. SB 1465 updates code enforcement procedures to extend tenant protections to buildings nothing zoned residential but are being used for housing.

While current law offers protections for residents living in substandard dwellings that pose risks to health and safety, there is ambiguity in the law about whether these protections apply to buildings not zoned as residential, even if they are being inhabited by tenants.

Many warehouses, factories and other non residential buildings are being rented housing but have evaded much needing needed safety inspections and code enforcement due to their zonings. This Bill has no opposition and has received unanimous bipartisan support, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Senator Quirk-Silva. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes

57, noes zero. Measure passes. Members, we are lifting the call on file item 178. The Clerk will post all those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 53, noes six. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 93, SB 1500 Senator Durazzo by Assembly Member. We'll pass temporarily there. Moving to file item 94, SB 1509, Senator Stern by Assembly Member Wilson. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1509 by Senator Stern and others an act relating to vehicles.

Assembly Member Wilson, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Members, SB 1509 increases accountability for driving at dangerous speeds by assigning two points for repeat offenses of excessive speeding that occurs within three years and establishes a graduated fine schedule based on the number of violations within a year. This bill is a crucial step towards fighting for safer roads.

Now, over one third of all collisions in the state are attributed to speed. For over 13 years, our state has regrettably ranked second in the nation for the most speed related deaths. Traffic violence disproportionately impacts Low income communities, communities of color, and is the number one cause of death for children ages four through 14 in LA County.

It is definitely time for a change, and this bill, SB 1509, sends a clear message about the seriousness of speeding and the consequences of endangering oneself, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users. With that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Wilson. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the vote's ayes.

58. No, 0. Measure passes moving to file item 97, SB 227, Senator Durazzo by Assembly Member Juan Carrillo. Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 227 by Senator Durazzo and others an accolade to unemployment.

Assembly Member Carrillo, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Members, I rise to present SB 227 on behalf of Senator Durazzo, which would require the Employment Development Department to develop a detailed plan to establish a permanent excluded workers program to provide cash assistance to workers who are excluded from Unemployment Insurance solely due to their immigration status.

Federal law excludes over 1 million Californians from unemployment benefits when they temporarily lose work. Yet employers taxes on labor of undocumented workers contribute an estimated 302 million each year to our Unemployment Insurance system, even though these same workers never see a penny of the benefits. This disparity hurts employers as well as workers.

That money is supposed to help sustain industries and help workers get back to work when jobs become available. And without unemployment benefits, our economy suffers missed paychecks, spiraling to miss rent checks, missed car payments, and the inability to provide food for families. The urgency for this safety net has grown with the dangerous hit this summer.

We've seen how climate disasters are increasing in our state, our state, our local businesses, and our economy. Communities bounce back faster when all Californians are supported to withstand changes in the climate in our economy as extreme heat and wildfires continue to affect the state.

All Californias, regardless of where they were born, deserve access to a safety net when they are displaced and out of work. Immigrant workers continue to bear the brunt of climate change, economic downturns, and the rising cost of living. Without the support that other californian workers receive, they help make California the fifth largest economy in the world.

We must do better by them. I ask for your vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Carrillo. Assembly Member Essayli, you are recognized.

Just to be clear, this bill will allow people in the country here illegally to access our Unemployment Insurance funds. And it reminds me, the debate we had yesterday where we said it was illegal for people here unlawfully to vote. Well, it's also illegal for people here unlawfully to work. So how are they working?

It's illegal, but they're doing it anyway. So we're normalizing it. And we want to give them access to the unemployment Fund, which is, by the way, I think, still multibillion dollars in debt and has to be repaid over $20 billion. So it just doesn't make sense to me.

And I think you're going to open up people to criminal prosecution if they're. If they're applying for unemployment benefits, for working here unlawfully? You know, if I'm the US Attorney, I might subpoena those records. So I think this is very unwise. Thank you Mister speaker.

Thank you Mister Essayli. Mister Carillo, would you like to close?

Yes. Thank you Mister speaker. With all the respect to Mister Essayli, I came.

We refer to our Members by their location.

I'm sorry, I apologize. The Member from Corona. Thank you. I came here at the age of 15. I was not here legally. I was undocumented. And I believe that during my young years working undocumented, I paid income taxes that I was never able to receive back.

And I'm just one of the millions of undocumented workers that are here. And again, I contributed and undocumented individuals can still continue to contribute to the fourth largest economy in the world.

I think that we just have to be able to give them something back so that they can get back on their feet and be able to pay the rents, card payments and continue to contribute to the economy of the fourth largest economy in the world. I respect last three. I vote.

Thank you Assembly Member Carrillo. And with that, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes, 47. No's, 11. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 98, SB 254, Senator Skinner by Assemblymember Wicks.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 254 by Senator Skinner and afterlane to correctional facilities.

Assemblymember Wicks, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Members, today I rise to present SB 25 on behalf of my Senator, Senator Nancy Skinner. SB 254 is a transparency measure that would restore news media access to California prisons. This Bill has bipartisan support, no opposition, and is backed by a large coalition of news media and First Amendment organizations.

At one time, California was a national leader when it comes to transparency in prisons, but in the 1990s, our state shut off most media access. Today, our prisons are among the least transparent in the nation.

SB 254 would increase the ability of news media to tour prisons and interview incarcerated people, and use cameras and video and other recording devices. This Bill will also provide more access to prisons by policymakers, including those of us in the Legislature. Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Wicks. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 53, noes zero. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 100, SB 379, Senator Umberg by Mister Bryan.

Clerk will read Senate Bill 379 by Senator Umberg and afterlane to victim services.

Mister Bryan, you are recognized.

Thank you Mister speaker and colleagues. Today I'm here to present SB 379. Which specifically authorizes CDCR's accountability letter bank. And victim offender dialogue program. This Bill has had support all the way through the process and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Mister Bryan. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 60, noes zero. Measure passes.

We're going to move back in file order, one bill, to SB 299: Senator Limon by Assembly Member Holden. The clerk will read.

Senate Bill 299 by Senator Limon and others, an act relating to voting.

Assembly Member Holden, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of Senator Limon, I rise to present SB 299. California is currently home to 4.6 million eligible unregistered voters, a disproportionate number of whom are youth, people with disabilities, Black, Latino, Asian American, Native, Indigenous, other people of color, individuals with limited English proficiency, and low-income citizens.

SB 299 is an opportunity to upgrade our current voter registration system and help welcome eligible voters into our democracy. The current system is leaving out millions of eligible voters. Each year, one million eligible voters conduct a license transaction at the DMV, but do not register to vote.

At the same time, the current motor voter process ask registration questions even if a person is clearly not a U.S. citizen, exposing noncitizens to severe consequences if they make a mistake. SB 299 was recently amended to become contingent upon funding by the Legislature and delay implementations until 2030.

SB 299 has broad and diverse coalition supporters, many of which have been doing the work to register the population groups this bill aims to support. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Holden. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 48; noes: nine. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 104, SB 571, Senator Allen by Assemblymember Friedman.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 571 by Senator Allen and others and afterlane to fire safety.

Member Friedman, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker and Members, SB 571 charges the Office of Planning and Research to convene a working group of diverse state and local stakeholders to study and prepare a report that recommends potential improvements to state standards for ingress and egress and evacuation routes for new development in the result of a natural disaster.

This Bill instructs the working group to consider the effects that updated standards would have on transportation planning, affordable housing development, and the ability for individuals and communities to rebuild after a disaster.

And for those of us who represent some of our hillside communities or some of our more remote communities, we understand how crucial it is that cities understand and plantain for evacuations in case of emergencies.

The Bill also instructs the working group to consider feasible evacuation timeframes and other performance criteria, the use of temporary refuge areas, and the relationship between new development and the existing community.

By assembling state and local stakeholders across environmental, transportation, housing and emergency response sectors, SB 571 ensures imperiled communities are better designed for the reality of a wildfire and other emergencies without creating undue burdens. On communities and developers. I would respectfully request an aye vote for good planning.

Thank you, Assemblymember Friedman. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the door. 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 and tally the vote. Ayes

60. No's, 0. Measure passes moving to file item 107, SB 707, Senator Newman by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 707 by Senator Newman and others, an accolade to solid waste.

Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker and Members. I rise to present SB 707 on behalf of Senator Newman, which would establish extended producer responsibility program to require and incentivize the reuse and recycling of clothing and textiles in California under the regulatory auspices of Cal Recycle. California textiles are the fastest growing component of our state's waste stream.

Fast fashion is a thing, and we need to be responsible at it. SB 707 is supported by a coalition of 140 organizations and has no opposition. Respectfully, ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan. Seeing and hearing no further debate, the Clerk will open the door. 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 and tally the vote's eyes. 46 nos. Five measure passes. Moving to file item 108, SB 892.

Senator Padilla by Assembly Member Irwin. Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 892 by Senator Padilla and others an accolade to public contracts.

Assembly Member Irwin, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present SB 892, on behalf of Senator Padilla. SB 892 requires the Department of Technology to develop and adopt regulations for a procurement standard for automated decision systems, also called ADS.

By enacting the safeguards proposed in SB 892, California can set a national standard that drives responsible innovation of AI technology for the public sector while protecting the public from risks posed by ADS. This bill has received no no votes. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Irwin. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 58; no: zero. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 109, SB 895, Senator Roth by Assemblymember Reyes. The Clerk will read

Senate Bill 895 by Senator Roth and others, an act relating to post secondary education.

Assemblymember Reyes, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker and Members. I rise to present SB 895 on behalf of Senator Roth. This Bill would authorize the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges to select up to 10 community colleges with an existing nationally accredited associate degree in nursing to offer a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree.

This pilot program would enable California to utilize the existing nursing program infrastructure at community colleges to supplement the work of existing public and private bachelor of science programs and produce degreed nurses with a bachelor's degree who are qualified to become supervisors and managers and eventually get a doctorate or masters.

For over 40 years, the community college program has been the basic credential requirement for employment as a registered nurse in a healthcare facility. The demand for more Bachelor of Science credentialed registered nurses continues to increase without a corresponding increase in the capacity to train them at our public nursing schools.

Like many of your areas, my area in San Bernardino faces a critical shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly nurses. Expanding offerings at our community colleges to include bachelor degrees for nursing would significantly increase the number of qualified nurses across both urban and rural areas.

Finally, given our current and future budget challenges and the high cost of setting up and expanding undergraduate nursing programs, it is common sense to use campuses most accessible to students that already offer associate degrees in nursing. Ready to earn a relatively few humanities and leadership course units that are remaining for a bachelor's degree. It is critical that we use all the tools in our tool chest to address the need, and the time to try is now. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Assembly Member Reyes. Seeing and hearing no further debate. Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Irwin. I'm sorry. You. No. Okay, okay. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 until votes. Ayes 54, noes zero. Measure passes. Members, we are going to pause now to allow assemblymember Jackson. Doctor Jackson, you are recognized for your delivering remarks and tribute to your Chief of Staff, Simeon Gantt, from the speaker's desk.

Thank you very much, Mister Speaker. Certainly this entire month has been one where we are seeing some of the longest serving Members, staffers in the Legislature, retire. Well, I have one, too, and that is my very first Chief of Staff, Simeon Gantt, and he has definitely been here.

He's one of those people where he started off as an intern back in the Willie Brown days. We know them stories. Anyone who stepped foot in Willie Brown's office always says, well, I worked with Willie Brown or for Willie Brown. I don't know if you can ever work with him.

As for him, if running for office was my first and most consequential decision in my time here in Sacramento, we all know that hiring a Chief of Staff is probably your second, and Simeon was definitely my first and only choice as Chief of Staff when I was elected.

However, as we are to recognize the career and contributions of Mister Gantt, it is clear that I was not the first person to think was a good hire and someone whom I needed to work with. Simeon began his journey working for the State Assembly back in 1993. Dang, that's a long time. I know, I know, I know.

I'm going to hear from others from you now. After that, he came to the Assembly as an experienced journalist, actually, and graduated from Sacramento State with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and a proud Member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Simeon found a home working with the professionals of the Assembly television and broadcast Department.

However, Simeon's journey would soon bring him to working for some of the most influential figures in California politics.

As the story goes, we have not yet verified it, but, you know, as the story goes, Simeon would go on to work for legendary Speaker Willie Brown, former assemblywoman Carol Migden, former speaker and now mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, and most recently, our esteemed Member, Assemblywoman Doctor Akilah Weber.

Simeon also spent years walking these halls as a Member of the third House, advocating on many different issues and even championing efforts with perhaps one of the greatest California political legends, Mervyn Daimley.

As Simi has spent his time here leading policy changes in foster care, social justice education, civil rights, health in the black community, and workers rights advocacy.

It is what he has done away from the building that also is impressive, because in 2008, he founded a nonprofit titled Green Technical Education and employment, a community based nonprofit organization teaching youth and young adults ages 16 to 21 about career opportunities and clean energy, energy efficiency and sustainable living strategies.

And since creating this organization, he has mentored hundreds of youth, guided them through high school, into college, and burgeoning meaningful careers. I remember many times after he asked me, what am I going to be doing on my weekend?

I would ask him, and he would say, he's going to be taking a group of young people to tour a various state agency or a different part of the building. This is not just his work. This is his life's calling.

And as many of you can imagine, it's not easy being a Chief of Staff for quite a character, as I, and I would dare to say that God made him specifically for me, because there's not very many people who can, number one, hear my laugh every single day, multiple times a day.

That could be quite traumatizing for some, right? But. Zero, you better stop. All right. But also, also the level. The level of humility this man has. We've seen the best in this work, and the best in this work are the ones who put their head down, do the magic behind the scenes, right?

Boss goes crazy, storms out the office, puts all the pieces back together again. Right? Not that I did that, by the way. Right. I'm just saying that's an example, right?

But the idea is that this man's humility and brilliance has allowed me to hit the ground running, who himself has created his own name and reputation in this capitol and his own relationships, and the countless people who would come into the office and say, they're not here to meet with me, they're here to meet with him.

And pretty soon, I almost changed the name of my office to the Simeon Gan office because no one wanted to meet with me. They were all trying to talk to him, but he's been a mentor to so many staffers, interns, and people who even have used to work in this building as well.

So I just want to say, my brother, that we all know the hard work that it takes to do what you do, and you have done it well, and now it is time for you to rest. And rest doesn't always mean just not having something to do. He has grandchildren to help take care of.

He has his parents, his mother to help with. He has so many other people who are relying on him to make sure that he can continue his own legacy in his own family. And so I look forward to continuing to work with you in your various other capacities.

But most importantly, there is not very many people who can work in this place for so long, and for them to say to you, job well done, Simeon Gantt, y'all.

Thank you, Dr. Jackson, and congratulations to you, Simeon Gant.

Thank you, Members. Moving back to File Item 110: SB 897: Senator Newman by Assembly Member Irwin. Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 897 by Senator Newman and others, an act relating to pupil attendance.

Assembly Member Irwin, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present SB 897, on behalf of Senator Newman, which would strengthen and make permanent the California's District of Choice Program.

For over 30 years, the DOC program has allowed students and families from across California the opportunity to transfer to any participating public school district, regardless of their place of residence, irrespective of their academic performance, athletic ability, race, or any other protected class. Amendments taken in Assembly Education address the opposition's concerns.

They include extensive accountability and oversight requirements to further safeguard districts of residence from excessive transfers out or transfers that might exacerbate a district's financial distress or racial imbalance. SB 897 makes the program permanent by deleting its sunset, expanding a list of priority populations to include foster and homeless youth, and strengthening protections for districts of residence. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Irwin. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 49; no: zero. Measure passes. I'm going to pass temporarily on File Item 112. Move to File Item 113: SB 902: Senator Roth by Mr. Gabriel.

The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 902 by Senator Roth and others, an accolade to firearms.

Mister Gabriel, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Members, today I am pleased to present SB 902 on behalf of Senator Roth. This bill will add an automatic 10 year firearms prohibition to misdemeanor animal abuse convictions.

This bill is focused on serious animal cruelty incidents and convictions for which there is, quote, malicious and intentional maiming, mutilation, torture, wounding, or killing of an animal.

California has history of ensuring that firearms do not fall into the hands of those that have demonstrated violent tendencies, with crimes such as stalking, endangering the health of a child, and endangering the health of an elder or dependent adult.

Research reflects that 41% of intimate partner violence offenders had histories of animal cruelty and that individuals who commit animal abuse are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans.

Given the numerous studies showing that animal abuse is a predictor of violence against humans, California must ensure that dangerous people with a history of animal abuse are prohibited from owning and possessing firearms for at least 10 years. This bill has overwhelming bipartisan support, and I respectfully request an aye vote on SB 902.

Thank you, Assembly Member Gabriel. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 will close the roll. Tally the vote's ayes, 53. No, 0. Measure passes.

Members, as part of our continuation of our departing Members ceremony, we will now recognize Assembly Member Ting. Assembly Member McCarty, you are recognized for delivering remarks in tribute to Assembly Member Ting.

Well, Mister Ting, this is our opportunity to say goodbye to your service here at the state Capitol, not say goodbye to you, hopefully, and thank you for your service. I heard a lot of odds. I think that's for all the reflections of all the good work you did helping improve our districts throughout California.

And, you know, you're leaving a tremendous mark on your City of San Francisco and the State of California as a very distinguished Assembly Member. You've served 12 years, and you were part of the new era that came in with the class of our speaker emeritus, Anthony Rendon, and so others that wanted to do things differently.

And I saw this firsthand because, as we know the other day, I used to be a staff Member to the Budget Committee, which you chaired for eight years, and budget chairs, you know, they circulate every couple years, and as soon as they knew what was going on, they were gone.

And that left a big power vacuum to the Administration, to the Governor, Department of Finance, and to people, you know, in the lobbying corps many times.

And so you stepped up and you wanted to serve in this new era and made sure that you dug in, knew the content, knew the budget left and right, and had the opportunity to exert our power as a co equal branch of government.

And you made that very, very clear to our prior Governor and our current Governor and Department of Finance that, no, we are a co equal branch of government, want to be treated equally, and also partnering with the Senate to making sure that we speak as one voice and work as a Legislature to try to get our priorities focused on with the Governor as well.

So you were really able to dig in and lead this new era of the Legislature. We think back, you know, way back, we had, before term limits, people could serve a while. You had, Senator Vasconcellis, that probably was the longest serving budget Chair. I think you're the second longest.

Then we had the Members who served, served for maybe 15 or so years in their term limits. And you're part of this new era, and you will go down as part of this budget Chair, hopefully with our new budget Chair from Los Angeles, who will be able to really dig into these issues.

And certainly your fingerprints have been all over the state budget, helping change lives in healthcare, environmental policy, education, and certainly issues that we worked on. You've certainly authored well over 100 bills in all kinds of policy areas.

You were certainly well respected among all of your colleagues, and you made sure that you focus on all of our priorities. One thing I'll remember is that you make sure you listen to Republicans and Democrats or even in the speaker's doghouse. You made sure you respected everybody and made sure their voices were heard in the budget process.

You went to our districts and to the best of your ability, brought back the Members request project and funded priorities in our district, made sure that we all had opportunity to focus on what was important to us. Every year we had this budget blueprint. We used to always follow the Governor. Governor introduces his budget on January 10.

We know that it's in the, it's in the constitution. Thank you for reminding me. Majority Leader Emeritus. It's in the constitution. We came up with this process, you know, when you started, we're gonna have the Assembly budget blueprint. We're not gonna wait for the Governor. We're a co equal branch of government.

You know, he's not always our daddy. We need to focus on what's important to us. So in December, we laid out our priorities and governors from the prior Governor and the current Governor took notice of what we wanted to focus on. And it's been very, very helpful to get our priorities across the finish line.

So you, I, and when we started, you were on my Subcommitee and we did important work on higher ed and UC policy. And I remember, Members, if you go home to your district and talk about one thing that you do in the Capitol, I guarantee you'll get a standing ovation.

For one thing, you expanded access to the University of California for kids to go to college. And for several years we were decreasing California access and increasing access for out of state students, wealthy students from New York, international students, and Mister Ting and I said, no more.

We took it to the UC and we got, you know, pushback for several years. But when you go home, Members, and you say that we are for the first time now expanding California access and decreasing non resident access at your town halls, you will get a standing ovation.

And that wasn't easy, but that was because of our work and we make sure that we want to focus on the next generation. So I always appreciated that you always had my back on these issues.

Many times I'd stand up in our Committee and I'd say the budget Chair and I think X, Y and Z, and sometimes our staff, Christian or Mark or Katie or Aaron would say, did Phil really say that? I'm like, no, we're good though. We're good. He's got my back, I have his.

And I never had a doubt because we were always making sure we were focusing in the right direction.

So all of the things we've done in these transformational budgets with universal pre-K, universal after school programs, community schools, universal free lunch, you know, more than doubling per pupil funding in K-12 schools, that's just the stuff we did in our area.

The stuff you did in public safety, health care, the environment, the list goes on and on. And you were always willing to take on the tough issues too.

I know this past year you were really upset with me because I asked you to serve on the Public Safety Committee with me, but you worked with both sides and you realized that we needed to bring a little bit more balance to these issues and you dug into those issues and we were extremely helpful for that one year that I was also in another important assignment, sharing the Public Safety Committee.

I'll appreciate our friendship. I briefly knew you when you were assessor and running for mayor way back in the day. You didn't succeed, but you dusted yourself off and have another opportunity to serve in public service and served our state well for 12 years. I know that you're a girl, dad, just like me.

And I know we went to, we became Swifties five or six years ago, going to a Taylor Swift concert with our young daughters. And I'll never forget those memories and going to the baseball games, basketball games and just being a good colleague and ally to so many of us.

And lastly, I want to say that anybody ever heard about the story about Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, they're football players and Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback for the packers and Brett Favre was for the packers and Aaron Rodgers wanted to be the starting quarterback, but Brett Favre wouldn't retiree.

And so I always wanted to be the Budget Committee Chair and Mister Hrendan became the speaker, appointed Phil Chair of the Budget Committee and then Mister speaker and our former appropriations Chair, Lorena Gonzalez said, don't worry, you know he's going to run for mayor in a couple years.

You know, he's going to run for statewide office just around the corner. You'll get it. I kept saying, you're Brett Favre, I'm Aaron Rodgers. Just move on. So I didn't get this position, but that never quite materialized. But we did just fine. And I was able to leave my mark just as much as without that title.

And I'm glad that you were able to serve this position for eight years and made a huge difference for the people of California. You look at the list of stuff that we accomplished during this era and you led that, and you brought back again the power of the Legislature to go toe to toe with the Administration.

And that's something that you drove and you had all of our backs and listened to your colleagues and so you served with distinction and congratulations on your service to your district and the State of California. So my Member team.

Thank you, Mister McCarty. I guess I would note at least you weren't sent to New York. Assembly Member Low, you are recognized for your tribute. You're delivering your remarks in tribute to Assembly Member Tinge.

Thank you very much. Colleagues I've known as Ting for close to over two decades. Two decades when we were both candidates in a training program. And he was then an Executive Director of a social service advocacy organization by the name of Asian Law alliance. He was a head of a nonprofit advocacy organization.

I was a student in taking classes at Asian American studies. There was a gentle lady by the name of Betty Yee who was a staff Member for the Board of Equalization in that period of time. And we're all thinking about running for office.

And of course Mister Ting put his skill sets to use as very good at math, becoming the assessor for the city and County of San Francisco, of course fitting that stereotype that Asians are good at math. But he did so, of course then as the Chair of the Rev. And tax Committee for the California State Legislature.

Many may not also remember that he was the democratic caucus Chair and of course serving as a longtime active Member of the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and of course the longest serving Chair of the Budget Committee. The longest serving Chair of the Budget Committee.

And of course the Budget Committee has not been around that long because previously it was the ways and means in combination of appropriations as well. So we are very honored to be serving with a colleague who has served in this capacity for this long period of time.

For those of you who may also not remember, he was serving in his 12 years in his tenure and focused on issues like the electrical grid, the environment, public education, gun violence prevention, and also a champion of social justice and allyship of championing bills like gender neutral restrooms for our LGBT community and showing solidarity. Lunar New Year.

As an official holiday in our community colleges, he helped create the first statewide home drug and medical needles take back program, which is funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Great successes. But of course, colleagues, as you know, not all of our bills become successful in the definition that it makes its way to the governor's desk and gets signed.

Not every single one, but permission to use a Prop. Mister speaker. Without objection Adam Prop of. Course, legislative proposals, ideas may not shepherd its way all the way to the governor's desk. And yet, though the legislative intent is realized, let me say that again, the legislative intent is realized.

Things like skipping the slip and as you know, addressing the issues of the environment. Many private corporations now, because of the intent, understanding the importance of making sure that we responsibly address the issues of our environment with the unnecessary, antiquated, and yet many businesses are providing paper receipts. While in practice now there is that option, that option.

When you go out to many retail stores, you have that option. And so again, we recognize the importance of the legislative intent in the State of California, helping to ensure that we're addressing these issues in real time. And so kudos goes to incredible, capable staff, staff of helping to ensure that we are driving the areas.

And that should be a reminder to all of us that so much of our legislative intent can be realized if we continue to move the marker all the way through. But of course, most importantly, you know him as our budget Chair.

And if you know, I just wanted to say too, in his capacity as budget Chair, I know that you all probably reflect this type of experience. So many of our cities provided opportunities of these requests and asking for resources, and sometimes it may not fit within that necessary box.

And I recall that when I asked Mister Ting to avail of the budget staff and Christian Griffith himself to meet with our mayors, the mayors were all impressed, say wow, the budget Chair staff would make themselves available to talk to us about the nuance of whether or not this is a realistic request or not.

And that was very meaningful in that experience, given that there are so many other Members of the Legislature. I know you all feel the same and you've had similar experiences understanding that Mister Ting was a member's Member in that capacity as budget Chair. And so very specifically, I know all of you have been impacted in this way.

And so if you colleagues have been a beneficiary of state funding in your districts with respect to funding for bridges, schools, parks, libraries, roads and everything in between, would you please stand? If you have been a recipient of the positive impact of Assembly Member Phil Ting in a budget process in this period of time, would you please stand?

Phil, after 12 years, after 12 years, Mister Ting, just for 5 seconds, just observe and remember this moment, remember this image of all of the colleagues, bipartisan past, current, future and present, who have been positively impacted by your work, by your very capable staff work, and making sure that all Californians visions are realized.

We are deeply grateful to you as a colleague. Congratulations on your success.

And now, Mister Ting.

Thank you, Mister speaker. Let me thank my amazing colleagues from Sacramento and Campbell. It's kind of hard to, hard to top those two. I have to borrow my tie back. You know, like so many of us, I didn't expect to ever be here. This was never something I aspire to or even heard about growing up in California.

My parents are immigrants, like so many, so many people in this room. I remember my dad telling me when he got off the boat coming from Taiwan, one of his first jobs was doing lighting at CB's studios. And he thought he had just landed on heaven on earth. And it was just the most amazing place.

California was the most amazing place. And that's where they chose to raise their kids. My parents met when they were in grad school of all places, at the University, University of Oklahoma.

But the second that they graduated, they got back in their car and got back to California as soon as possible to make their way and to raise their family here. Because this is the state that people come to.

And I've talked about that when we talk about the budget or all the issues, we have a lot of problems. That's what our job is here, to deal with all those problems. But we are the most amazing state and the most amazing country. And this is where people come to.

And I remember when our class of 2012, there aren't that many of us left now, but when we came here and we came up here, California was going through the great Recession like so many other places. We had gone all the way down to the 8th largest economy in the world. The economist had on its cover.

Is California over? They were questioning. We couldn't pay our bills, we couldn't function as a state. And they were asking us as a state if we were done. And that was how our class came in. And 12 years later, it's unequivocal that this state is not done because of all the work that this body has done.

As my colleague talked about, more kids in California have access to higher education than ever before. Our K through 12 funding is at the highest level in our state's history. We have universal transitional kindergarten. We have more childcare slots. We are closer and closer to getting to universal healthcare. All because of us, our body.

And we come here, all of us. We represent about half a million people every day. And we come here trying to make the lives of 40 million people better. That is literally the only barometer for each and every single one of us.

And when I think back about the work that each and every single one of us do, not as individuals, but as a Legislature, as a body. I am so humbled to have had the opportunity to work with all of you. My colleague from Sacramento talked about what we all miss. Right? I will miss all of you.

The building, the staff, collegiality, the environment, the fact that we are a team. And as a Legislature, we are as a team trying to make our state better.

And it's been this incredible opportunity, whether it is to reassert our legislative authority, whether it's to make sure that we are demonstrating we are the people's house and demonstrating that the people have a voice in our state's and political process. This is not a one person show. In state government, there's a legislative body.

We're the people's house, and we are the ones the people come to for their problems and for us to solve their problems.

And for this entire time, if I think about all the work that we have done as a body, I'm so incredibly proud of what we've been able to, to achieve, bringing California back, putting us on stable footing, really being able to deliver so many more services, thinking about our expansion of our Earned Income Tax Credit, really trying to do everything possible to really lower income inequality and really have opportunities for everybody.

But that cannot be done without each and every single one of you. Each and every single one of us together as a legislative body focused on one thing to make our people's lives better. That is what I'm going to miss every single day. Someone asked me, why do I. Why do I love this job?

It's because every time we hear about something that's a problem, you know, whether it's at home or in our state, whether it's trying to figure out how to feed hungry kids, whether it's about how to move people more smoothly transportation wise, whether it is about solving or trying to figure out the latest technology, whether it comes to AI or autonomous vehicles or anything we hear about it.

We can come up here and try to figure out how to solve that problem, how to make people's lives better, and how to really make California continue to grow. And that is such an honor for each and every single one of us. I know some of us are at the tail end of our career.

Some of you are at the very beginning. It is just absolutely incredible. The opportunities we have each and every single day change people's lives. Let me just start off by thanking my staff. A lot of them are back there, whether it's my personal staff Committee, staff.

None of this would be possible without all of you to each and every day. I think my colleague from Campbell talked about the incredible work of the budget staff. My personal staff oftentimes had to accept my negligence, how the budget was done, and then really my district staff got me when I was back in the fall.

But just all of the incredible work each and every single one of you had to do, to do all the things that we just took credit for. I think the great thing is, as elected officials, we know how to take credit for everybody's work.

Well, it's the staff and all of you in the back that do that work each and every single day. The one thing I forgot to mention, I think about when I started here and I came here, higher education funding was at the same level as the corrections funding.

And really only through our hard work, we actually saw opportunities for higher education go up and we saw the number of prisons go down. And it's only because of all the hard work of all the staff of the people in the back. It's absolutely been incredible.

I want to thank speaker Emeritus Rendon for the opportunity that none of this would happen without his appointment for me as budget Chair, I'm just so thankful for the opportunity to have that time to be able to serve as budget Chair.

I want to thank Speaker Reavis for his friendship during this last year and a half and really appreciate the way that he's treated me as well. Let me just thank also my kids, my family, they couldn't be here. My kids started school last week. They've made the biggest sacrifice in all our lives.

We know this is a very tough job on our families. Our kids absolutely make the biggest sacrifice.

And I thank them for all their patience, their tolerance, their love, and absolutely their guiding light that this is why we do everything up here is trying to figure out how we can give our kids the same kind of opportunity that we gave, that was given to each one of us.

I stand here again as the product of California, born and raised here, went through public schools here, and everything that I have in my life I owe to this state. So it was an honor and an amazing pleasure to be able to give back over these last 12 years. Thank you.

Members, we are moving back to our work. We're moving back to file item 114, SB 910, Senator Umberg by Mr. Kalra. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 910 by Senator Umberg and others, an act relating to courts.

Mr. Kalra, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. speaker. Colleagues, I rise present SB 910, establishing a statewide standard for collaborative courts to improve programming, drug testing, and medication assisted treatment for individuals moving through the criminal justice system. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Kalra. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 42, noes zero. Measure passes.

Moving to file item 115, SB 926, Senator Wahab by Mister Mccarty.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 926. By Senator Wahab and others and actually.

In crimes Mister Picardy, you are recognized. Thank you, Mister speaker. This will help protect kids and Californians from AI and sexually explicit materials being distributed. Creates a new crime for this act. And focuses on the issue we've always. Had in our state and emerging technology. Bipartisan Bill respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Mister Mccarty. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 48, noes zero. Measure passes.

Moving to File Item 116: SB 942: Senator Becker by Mr. Kalra. The clerk will open. The clerk will read.

Senate Bill 942 by Senator Becker, an act relating to consumer protection.

Mr. Kalra will open.

Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise to present SB 942, the California Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act, which helps consumers identify AI-generated content.

Taking inspiration from the EU AI Act, SB 942 requires large, generative artificial intelligence system providers to label AI-generated content with latent disclosures, supply an AI detection tool for users to query whether content was created by AI, and enforce third party licensees to the extent technically feasible to prevent undisclosed content publication.

SB 942 only applies to systems to over one million monthly visitors and therefore holds industry leaders accountable. SB 942 leaves room for prosecutorial discretion, authorizing reasonable fiscal penalties leveled by the state for bad faith actors. AI content has the capability to influence society and the economy at a massive scale.

Before responding in fear to a terrorist attack, video, or falling victim to an Internet scam, consumers should be informed if what they are watching is fake. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Mr. Kalra. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 48; noes: zero. Measure passes.

Moving now to file item 118, SB 957, Senator Wiener by Mister Zbur.

The Clerk will read Senate Bill 957 by Senator Wiener and others and after link to data collection.

Good afternoon, Mister speaker, Members. I'm here today to present Senate Bill 957 on behalf of Senator Wiener, which seeks to address a significant gap in our healthcare system, the collection of sexual orientation and gender identity, otherwise known as sogi data.

Collecting accurate SOGI data is essential to understanding the extent to which lgbtq people in California are experiencing disparities in health and well being and whether government programs are reaching lgbtq people in need of care and assistance. In 2023, the State Auditor conducted an audit of CDPH and its role in collecting, reporting, and using SOGI data.

The audit report found that CDPH collects sogidata on only a small portion of the forms it uses to gather demographic data, and CDPH has been slow to adopt and enforce standardized definitions, guidelines and training.

SB 957 amends existing law to collect SOGI data from third party entities, allow for SOGI data to be voluntarily provided in the immunization registry, and includes an annual report to the Legislature. SOGI data collection is not just about numbers. It's about visibility, understanding and addressing the unique health disparities faced by lgbtq Californians.

This oversight can have significant consequences for LGBTQ people, including stigma, misinformation, ineffective service provision, and delayed response to public health emergencies like we experienced with the Covid-19 pandemic and the MPX outbreak. So with that, I respectfully request your aye vote.

Seeing no others wishing to speak, the Clerk will open the roll. All those votes who desire to vote, all those votes who desire to vote? All those vote who desire to vote, the Clerk will close the roll. Ayes 46, noes zero. Measure passes.

Moving on to item number 119, SB 966. The Clerk will read.

Senate Bill 966 by Senator Wiener and others, an act relating to pharmacy benefits.

Dr. Wood, you may open on the bill.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to present SB 966 on behalf of Senator Wiener, which will require pharmacy benefit managers to be licensed under the Department of Insurance to provide insurance to provide transparency, accountability, and consumer protections. PBMs are intermediaries between health insurers, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies.

The role of PBMs has grown from processing claims to designing formularies and providing networks, giving them outsized influence over which medications are covered and which pharmacies a patient can utilize, directly interfering with the relationship between a patient and their trusted provider.

The big three PBMs control almost 80% of the market, giving them the market power to engage in several anti-consumer, anti-competitive practices that result in higher profits but increased costs for the rest of the healthcare system.

Despite playing an integral role in determining the types of medications and services patients receive and the prices they pay for them, PBMs remain entirely unregulated here in California. I would also like to provide some clarity on what this bill does and does not do. First, any claims that this bill is any willing provider is false.

SB 966 is not any willing provider and has no impact on how plan sponsors design their preferred pharmacy networks. SB 966 makes a distinction between affiliated, those controlled, operated, owned and operated by PBMs like a CVS, and not affiliated, those not under PBM control, pharmacies within plan networks.

SB 966 seeks to preserve patient choice within plan networks by prohibiting PBMs from steering patients to their affiliated pharmacies and patients establishing established pharmacy networks. There is ample evidence to substantiate that PBMs are steering patients to their pharmacies. Patient steering has a negative impact on patients, as it disrupts their care by interfering with a patient provider relationship, particularly for individuals with chronic or serious diseases.

Opponents of the measure claim that this bill will increase premiums for consumers, when recent floor amendments actually further clarify that PBMs will be required to direct 100% of the rebates they receive back to the plan or insurer for the sole purpose of lowering deductibles and out of pocket costs for consumers. There has been misleading information that there is a private right of action included in the bill, which was taken out back in the first policy committee in the Senate. Members, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Dr. Wood. Assembly Member Ward, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise in support of SB 966 for this simple reason. It is important to remember that behind all these discussions are people who need medication. The cost of medication continues to increase, and earlier this year, the Select Committee on Biotechnology, which I chair, held a hearing on PBMs that discussed their origins and how the business practices have evolved.

Increasingly, patients are paying the price for decisions that made by PBMs that are not necessarily in the best interest of patients that they serve and plans with which they contract. Because of certain anti-patient and anti-competitive practices, it has become increasingly difficult for patients to get their life saving medications or afford them.

Patients are being steered away from their in network community pharmacies. Community pharmacies cannot afford to stock certain medications because contract terms force them to dispense drugs at a loss. Even when cheap generics are available, PBMs can force patients to use more expensive brands.

These factors result in less patient choice and more market consolidation, all of which benefit their profitability, but not patients who need prescription drugs. SB 966 is a step in the right direction to regulate some of the documented abuses that affect patients. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Ward. Assembly Member Mathis, you are recognized.

Thank you, colleagues. I rise a proud co-author of SB 966. I saw this bill as it moved through Health, through Judiciary, and like most of you, I've met with both sides and I've learned a lot about this issue. From those conversations, I've learned that California is not new in bringing this type of legislation forward.

Matter of fact, currently 25 other states already require PBMs to be licensed, and 17 states prohibit patient steering. In a report from the National Committee Pharmacists Association, the premiums increased in states with licensing authority over PBMs during the period. When they're licensed, like we're looking at, the cost goes down. States without licensing saw costs go up.

As said earlier, if we want to lower the cost for our people, we need to do these regulations. PBMs have been using deceptive communications to patients in order to steer them to their affiliated pharmacies. This practice directly interferes with the patient and provider relationship, as already mentioned.

The behavior of PBMs is so concerning, enough that the FTC and congressional committees have launched investigations into some of their business practices. Major news outlets like New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Politico, and The Hill have come out with pieces critiquing the anti-competitive and misleading incentives that PBMs have in steering patients towards their affiliated pharmacies and higher cost drugs. California is not immune to this issue.

Just last February, the AG settled a $215 million lawsuit with Centene and its PBM for overcharging our Medi-Cal, for falsely reporting higher prescription drugs cost incurred by two of its managed care plans. This is happening here. Our system is being taken advantage of and our people are being taken advantage of.

In closing, Members, it's time that we have this type of licensure and regulation. It's time that we take care of our people and make sure they're not being taken care of, being victims of those who say they're taking care of them. I ask you for your support.

Thank you, Assembly Member Mathis. Assembly Member Waldron, you are recognized.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, I rise as a co-author of SB 966. We have been trying to address PBM reform for several years. We saw this bill in Health Committee where I've had the honor of serving as Vice Chair for many years. I've seen countless bills seeking to make medication more accessible and affordable to consumers.

In recent years, it's become increasingly clear that pharmacy benefit managers have become a powerful but largely unchecked force that controls if, how, and when patients get the medication they need. As a result, over 25 states, as was said, have taken steps to regulate and rein in PBMs, and California should do the same. The federal government has investigated the increasingly opaque PBM business practices. The Federal Trade Commission just released their interim report on PBMs.

After two years of investigations, the FTC found that prescription drug middlemen profit at the expense of patients by inflating drug costs and squeezing main street pharmacies. The largest PBMs wield significant sway over the marketplace, both by virtue of market share and relationships with other market participants.

Simply put, decades of horizontal integration have made PBMs too big and too powerful to not have state regulation. SB 966 creates that much needed and long overdue regulation by requiring PBMs to be licensed by the state to safeguard patients, providers, and payers. PBMs and their affiliates create coverage networks that direct patients to the pharmacies that they own, creating other revenue streams and pocketing more money rather than passing savings to their clients and patients for whom they are supposedly working.

Negotiating on behalf of health plans, employers, and other payers, PBMs extract billions of dollars from pharmaceutical manufacturers each year. In 2022, rebates, discounts, and other payments made by manufacturers of prescription drugs to PBMs reached 256 billion.

In addition to banning the practice of patient steering, the act of steering patients to pharmacies they own, and requiring PBMs to treat all in network pharmacies the same, SB 966 requires 100% of those rebates to be passed through to plan sponsors and insurers rather than pocketed by PBMs as profit. For these reasons, I hope you will join me in supporting SB 966.

Thank you, Assembly Member Waldron. Assembly Member Bonta, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Members, I rise in support of SB 966 for this simple reason. It is important to remember that behind all of these discussions are patients in need of medication. Increasingly, consumers are paying the price, not just in terms of cost, but for decisions made by PBMs that are not necessarily in the best interests of patients. Because of some PBMs anticompetitive policies, it has become increasingly difficult for patients to get their life saving drugs, medications for many reasons. First, the cost of medication continues to increase.

Patients are being steered away from their in network community pharmacies with whom they have a long standing relationship to pharmacies owned and controlled by PBMs. Remember that independent pharmacist, the one that you would walk to on the corner store, who you'd call Joe and say, hey, can you help me? We've destroyed that relationship with the lack of regulation for PBMs.

These community pharmacies are key to helping individuals with chronic and severe medication conditions managing their health every single day. PBM policies result in less patient choice and more market consolidation, all of which benefit PBMs profitability at the cost to consumers.

Because PBMs operate in the shadows, patients do not know that their prescription drug benefits is controlled by PBMs. All they know is that they need their medications and don't understand why they are having difficulty getting them.

SB 966 is a step in the right direction to license and regulate some of the PBM activities that have a potential to negatively impact consumers, patients who need their critical medication. For these reasons, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Bonta. Dr. Weber, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise in support of SB 966 and would like to thank my colleague for jockeying this. As has been stated, PBMs have grown to be the largest healthcare companies in the United States. In many instances, they control medication access and affordability, from how much the manufacturer realizes in revenue to what medications are available, where medications can be picked up, and what patients pay at the pharmacy counter.

They have enormous influence over pharmacy reimbursement rates and other contract provisions which favor the pharmacies that they own, like CVS, over small businesses in the community. Where there are conflicts between PBMs' financial interests and the interests of patients that they ultimately serve, PBMs currently operate with the lack of accountability and transparency.

SB 966 will ensure that PBMs have a duty to those patients, so that they cannot put their financial interest above the needs of the patient. This is critical to ensuring that someone is looking out for the best interest of the consumer when the patient is in need of medication. And for those reasons, I respectfully ask for an aye vote on SB 966. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Weber. Seeing no others wishing to speak, Dr. Wood, your closing remarks.

Yes, thank you. And I want to thank my colleagues north and south, for speaking in support of this. Back in 2016, I did one of the first bills in the nation regarding PBMs, AB 315. It was around transparency around PBMs. We learned a lot since then about that.

There is a perverse incentive by PBMs to choose for their formulary the drugs that will give them the biggest rebate, the largest rebate, even if there are other drugs that are just as effective and lower cost. That alone should send shivers down your spine.

You know, insulin was invented in 1922, I believe, and the person who made the people who did this actually gave up the patent for a dollar. Insulin today is the most consumed drug in the country and commands the highest level of profits for PBMs.

Indeed, there are tweaks often to the drug that create a more expensive form of insulin that the PBMs are very happy to put on their formulary to get a larger rebate. I'm sorry, that's really not fair to consumers, when there are lots of forms of insulin that would be more than beneficial. Actually, just as beneficial.

We in California are beginning to make, we're going to be making our own drugs here in California through an initiative sponsored by the Governor. And the first drug that's going to be produced is insulin. And why? Because of the high price of drugs. This is a really important step forward to license PBMs. It's a really important bill.

But I will say, as I'm leaving here after this week, it isn't the only thing we need to be doing. There are other parts of the drug chain that need to be looked at closely. Why are the price of drugs so high in general? And what about distributors and the role they play in this whole process too? Nobody's really looked at that.

There are lots of opportunities to look at the drug supply chain, drugs that are so critical to the health and well being of so many people who live in this country. Small groups of people making huge amounts of money at the expense of patients struggling to decide whether they can have insulin or food. For reasons like this, this is a really critical bill. And, Members, I ask for your aye vote on SB 966.

Thank you, Doctor Wood. The Clerk will open the roll. All those votes who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll. Ayes 58, noes zero. Measure passes. Okay, we're going to take up item number 121, SB 983.

The clerk will read.

Senate Bill 983 by Senator Wahab and others, an act relating to energy.

Assembly Member Gabriel, you may open.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I'm pleased today to present SB 983, on behalf of Senator Wahab. This bill would establish the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Task Force to determine how California can add alternative fuel options to gas stations and ensure all Californians can rely on clean energy fueling infrastructure.

The task force will determine the fastest and most cost-effective path forward for zero-emission fuel alternatives. This bill is a crucial step to meet the Governor's mandate to transition vehicles to zero-emission sources by 2035. Thank you, and on behalf of Senator Wahab, respectfully request your aye vote.

Seeing no others wishing to speak, the clerk will open the roll. All those votes who desire to vote. All those votes who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote. The clerk will close the roll. Ayes: 55. Ayes: 56; no: zero. Measure passes, taking us to Item Number 122: SB 984. The clerk will read.

Senate Bill 984 by Senator Wahab and others, an act relating to public contracts.

Assemblymember Haney, you may open on the Bill.

Thank you. Madam Speaker and Members, I rise to present SB 984 on behalf of Senator Wahab, which will require that the California State University and the California Corpse courts identify three major construction projects to be governed by a project labor agreement.

Project labor agreements provide compensation, benefits and opportunities to hardworking Californians, including women, veterans, people of color and justice, involved individuals in the construction workforce.

Beginning in 2029, SB 984 will require these agencies report on the use of project labor agreements on their project, ensuring the state's investments in public infrastructure are protected from costly delays and promote high quality jobs. On behalf of Senator Wahab, I respectfully ask your aye vote.

Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes 53, Nosthree measure passes.

Moving to File Item 123: SB 1002: Senator Blakespear by Assembly Member Zbur. The clerk will read.

Senate Bill 1002 by Senator Blakespear and others, an act relating to firearms.

Assembly Member Zbur, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. I rise today to present SB 1002, on behalf of Senator Blakespear. This is a bipartisan measure addressing one of the most pressing implementation gaps in our gun violence prevention laws. This bill does not create any new firearm prohibitions. It ensures our existing laws work.

According to the California Department of Justice, nearly 4,800 Californians remain armed despite being prohibited from having guns due to their mental health. These are individuals who have been involuntarily hospitalized, deemed not guilty by reason of mental insanity, placed in a conservatorship, or judged to be a danger to others due to their mental illness.

They are at risk of harming themselves and others--or others. This bill provides compliance timelines and establishes a system with overlapping checkpoints to ensure we reduce that risk as much as possible. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Zbur. Seeing and hearing no further debate, 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 and tally the votes. Ayes: 58; no: zero. Measure passes.

Members, we're moving back and file to file. Order. File item number 69, SB 1187, Senator Mcguire by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry.