Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations

The Senate Committee on appropriations will now come to order. We are meeting Today in room 2200 of the O Street building, and it looks as if we have a quorum. So Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

We have a quorum. So. Welcome to the final regular order hearing of the Appropriations Committee. I know you're. You're thrilled it's the final Committee today. We have 26 bills on the agenda.

One measure that is listed in the daily file will not be heard today, and that is AB 1142 by Assemblymember Hoover, which will move directly to the floor pursuant to Senate Rule 8.28.8. All of the remaining measures are suspense candidates, and the authors of all bills have waived presentation.

As usual, however, we will be taking testimony from the public on every item. Before we begin, I want to remind any witnesses to limit their testimony to the fiscal aspects of the bill. Please refrain from lengthy policy discussions and repeat and repeating prior testimony in your comments.

So we're going to start right off at the top of the agenda with AB62 by Assembly Member McKinner, who has waived presentation. Any testimony in support, testimony in opposition. Department of Finance.

No problem.

Seeing no questions or comments from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 62 will move to suspense. AB 246 by Assemblymember Bryan, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

And apologies, Madam Chair. Christian Beltran with the Department of Finance. No file.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it. We just kind of jumped in, so my apologies as well. Seeing no questions or comments. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 246 will move to suspense. AB 289 by Assemblymember Haney, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

No file.

Seeing no questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. So without objection, AB 289 will move to suspense. AB 480 by Assemblymember Quirk Silva, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance.

No file.

No questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 480 will move to suspense. AB 561 by Assemblymember Quirk Silva, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

No file.

No questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 560 will move to suspense AB 518 by Assemblymember Ward, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance.

No file.

See no questions or comments from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 518 will move to suspense. AB 524 by Assemblymember Wilson, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support?

Yes. Good morning, Madam Chair and members. Jennifer Fearing. On behalf of Community Alliance with Family Farmers, the bill's sponsor, we urge your support of AB 524, which implements a new program which is funded by Prop 4, approved by voters in November and addressing a serious issue in the farming community, and that's land access.

This is a first of its kind program in the state and does not conflict with or compete with any existing program. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support? How about in opposition? Department in Finance? Department of Finance.

The Department of Finance is opposed to this bill because it will likely create significant ongoing General Fund cost pressures to either implement the intended program if Proposition 4 bond funding is not available or to continue it after Proposition 4 bond funding is no longer available.

Finance notes that there is no specific allocation for the program created by this bill in the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness and Clean Air Bond act of 2024, which is Prop 4. Further, there is only one allocation in Prop 4. From which this program appears eligible for funding.

A $30 million allocation to improve land access and tenure for socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, tribal producers and beginning farmers and ranchers. The Department of Conservation estimates unknown but potentially significant costs depending on the amount of funding allocated to the program. Additionally, the Department of. I'm sorry.

The Strategic Gross Council estimates that this bill will require $525,000 in two positions per year for two years to implement the requirements of this bill.

Thank you very much. Seeing no questions or comments. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 524 will move to suspense. Moving on to AB 559 by Assemblymember Berman, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance.

No file.

Seeing no questions or comments. This is a suspense file.

Candidate without objection, AB 559 will move to suspense. It'd be 586 by Assemblymember Flora, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support?

Jerry Desmond with the sponsor of the bill, the Professional Fiduciary Association of California, realized that annual costs of 192,000 have been identified. And I know as a sponsor of the bill, we're open to having the authority for the bureau to adopt the necessary fees to cover those costs and enough time to develop the regulations to implement them.

And urgent support. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support? How about in opposition? Department of Finance?

No questions or comments from the Committee. This is a suspense file.

No file.

- candidate. Without objection, AB 586 will move to suspense. AB 567 by Assemblymember Solache, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance

No file.

No questions or comments from the committee; this is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 667 will move to suspense. AB 695 by Assemblymember Fong who has waived presentation. Testimony in support?

Good morning. Valerie Johnson with the California Undocumented Higher Education Coalition in support. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support? How about in opposition? Department of Finance.

No file.

No questions or comments from the committee; this is a suspense file candidate.

Without objection, AB 695 will move to suspense. AB 740 by Assemblymember Harabedian, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance.

No file.

No questions or comments from the committee; this is a suspense file -

Candidate without objection AB 740 will move to suspense AB 1206 by Assembly Member Harabian who has waved presentation testimony in support testimony in opposition.

Good morning. Claire Sullivan on behalf of the City of Thousand Oaks in opposition. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in opposition? Department of Finance.

No questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file. Candidate without objection AB 1206 will move to suspense AB 747 by Assemblymember Kalra who has waived presentation testimony in support testimony in opposition.

No problem.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Committee Members Jace Bajwa with Receivables Management Association International. We've shared amendments with the author and sponsors still working with them respectfully in opposition unless amended.

Thank you very much.

Anyone else in opposition? Department of Finance?

No file.

No questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection AB 747 will move to suspense. AB 753 by Assemblymember Garcia who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

No file.

No questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection AB 752 will move to suspense. AB 777 by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

No file.

No questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection AB 777 will move to suspense. AB 891 by Assemblymember Zbur who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

No questions from the committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 891 will move to suspense. AB 899 by Assemblymember Ransom, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support?

No file.

Good morning. Mike Robeson here on behalf of the Glass Packaging Institute, sponsor and supporter of the bill. Thanks.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support in opposition? Department of Finance?

No file.

No questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file. Candidate without objection. AB899 will move to suspense AB 1136 by Assemblymember Ortega, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

No file.

No questions from the Committee.

This is a suspense file. Candidate without objection. AB 1136 will move to suspense AB 1341 by Assembly Member Hoover, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

No file.

No questions from the Committee. Without objection.

AB 1341 will move to suspense. AB 1227 by Assemblymember Ellis, who has waved presentation. Testimony in support?

Good morning, Madam Chair. Chris Micheli here on behalf of Humboldt Redwood Company, in support. Thank you - on policy grounds.

Thank you very much. Anyone else send support? How about in opposition? Department of Finance.

No file.

This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 1227 will move to suspense. AB 1276 by Assemblymember Carrillo, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support?

Good morning, Madam Chair and Members. Raymond Contreras, on behalf of San Diego Housing. Commission, SPUR, Habitat for Humanity, California YIMBY and Circulate San Diego, all in strong support. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support? How about in opposition?Department of Finance? This is a suspense file. Candidate without objection. AB 1276 will move to suspense AB 1400 by Assembly Member Soria, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance?

No questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file.

No file.

Candidate without objection. AB 1400 will move to suspense AB 1413 by Assembly Member Papan, who has waived presentation testimony and support.

Morning. Jennifer Fearing again on behalf of Community Alliance with Family Farmers in support of AB 1413. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support? How about in opposition Department of Finance?

The Department of Finance does not have an official position on the bill, but notes that the Water Board estimates that this bill would result in unknown but potentially significant General Fund savings due to the reduced need to assess ongoing groundwater adjudications and potentially intervene in the proceedings to protect the intent of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

The Water Board's annual budget includes approximately $3.6 million of General Fund for 18 permanent positions for SGMA with additional 22 permanent positions temporarily funded from the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund.

Thank you very much. No questions or comments from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. Without objection, AB 1413 will move to suspense. AB 1520 by Assemblymember Papan on behalf of the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. She has waived presentation on this bill. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance.

No file.

No questions or comments from the Committee. Without objection, AB 1520 will move to suspense. And finally, the last on the- on the docket is AB 1532 by Assemblymember Boerner on behalf of the Communications and Conveyance Committee. She has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Department of Finance.

No file.

See no questions or comments from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate. So without objection, AB 1532 will move to suspense. And ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our hearing for today. Let me just say a big thank you very much to everybody, the Committee Members, the staff as well as. This is the regular Appropriations Committee. Regular.

Regular order. I was going to say the normal order. I don't know that anything's ever normal, but the regular order. Thank you to everybody for your testimony and we always appreciate hearing, hearing from the public on these issues. So the Senate Appropriations Committee is adjourned. And thank you to Department for always being there.