Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations

The Senate Committee on Appropriations will now come to order. We're meeting Today in room 2200 of the O Street Building. Sergeants, please contact any absent Members and have them come down to the hearing so that we can start with a quorum, which I am sure we have today. So let's go ahead and take the roll.

[Roll Call]

We have a quorum. Thank you for your patience. I appreciate the opportunity to start a little bit late. We have 25 measures on today's agenda, all of which meet the criteria for referral to the suspense file. The authors, for all but one of the suspense measures on today's agenda, have waived presentation.

What that means is that they won't be here because they're going to go to suspense anyway, and so they will not be testifying. However, as usual, we will be taking testimony from the public on every item.

So if you're here to speak on a Bill, I will announce it and give you the opportunity to come up to the mic. We want to hear from you. Before we begin, I want to remind any witness to limit their testimony to the fiscal aspects of the Bill.

This is the Appropriations Committee, so we don't want to get into the policy discussions. Please refrain from lengthy policy discussions and repeating prior testimony in your comments. We've established the quorum, so let's go ahead and get started. We will start with AB46 by Senator Umberg.

Senator Umberg has waived presentation, so we're going to go directly to witness testimony. Is there anybody who would like to testify in support of SB46? How about anybody in opposition saying neither?

We do not have the Department of Finance, they have been notified, or they have notified us that they will not have comments on any of the bills before the Committee this. This morning. So we'll move straight to comments or questions by the Committee.

Sam?

So along with the fog, we have funny mics. So we're moving, moving over to make sure that this is getting broadcast. So we want to make sure people can hear. Okay, so we are. We had no questions or comments on SB46, which is a suspense file candidate. So without objection, SB46 will move to suspense. Moving on to SB3 by Senator Umberg. Senator Umberg has waived presentation.

Is there any, anybody that would like to testify in support of SB342? How about in opposition? How about questions, comments from the Committee seeing none. SB 342 is a suspense file candidate without objection. SB 342 will move to suspense. SB 490 by Senator Umberg who has waived presentation, testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions of Committee.

Seeing no questions or comments. The Bill is a suspense file candidate without objection. SB490 will move to suspense. Moving on to SB574 by Senator Umberg who has waived presentation testimony and support, testimony in opposition, questions of Committee. This is a suspense file candidate without objection. SB574 will move to suspense.

SB 758 by Senator Umberg, who has waived presentation. Witness testimony in support? How about in opposition?

Support. Sorry, just quick... Clifton Wilson on behalf of the Board of Supervisors for the Counties of Humboldt, Kern, and Tulare, all in support. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anybody else in support? How about in opposition? Questions by the committee? Without objection, SB 758 will move to suspense. Moving on to SB 58 by Senator Padilla, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Questions of the committee? SB 58 is a suspense file candidate, so without objection, SB 58 will move to suspense.

SB73 by Senator Cervantes. Testimony in support, testimony in opposition, question of the Committee. SB73 is a suspense file candidate, so without objection. SB73 will move to suspense. SB99 by Senator Blakespear. Testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate, so without objection. SB 99 will move to suspense.

SB 247 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas. Testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions of the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate, so without objection. SB247 will move to suspense. SB288 by Senator Seyarto. Testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions of the Committee. No tough questions. This is a suspense file candidate without objection. SB 288 will move to suspense.

SB 327 by Senator McNerney who has waived presentation, testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions of the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate without objection. SB327 will move to suspense. SB347 by Senator Choi, who has waived presentation testimony in suspense, in support, testimony in opposition, questions of the Committee. This is a suspense file. Candidate without objection.

SB347 will move to suspense. Moving on to SB381 by Senator Wahab. Senator Wahab will be presenting today. Welcome. It's a long walk.

Good morning. Chair and Members. In California, adoptees do not have access to their own original birth certificate because the certificate is sealed. At adoption, making it inaccessible to the adoptee.

Sealing original birth certificates for adoptees dates back nearly a century in 1935 to protect adoptees and adoptive families from societal stigma surrounding their status and not necessarily to protect birth parents. Preventing access to an original birth certificate has potential negative health implications as an adoptee does not have access to information related to their birth family health history.

It can also lead to mental health and identity issues as it potentially prevents an adoptee from knowing their race, heritage and cultural affiliation. To ensure adopted adults are treated equally under the law, SB381 authorizes the disclosure of an original birth certificate to an adopted person or descendant of an adopted person.

This Bill establishes a process to request an original birth certificate from the state registrar and requires the state registrar to create a non binding contact preference form available to birth parents. This Bill also removes the inability to request an amended birth certificate that omits the city and county of birth or color and race of the parents.

Sixteen other states have passed a law providing original birth certificates to adoptees, with many of them in the last year happening in the last six years, I should say, and with no determined fiscal impact, including Georgia in 2025, South Dakota in 2023, Vermont in 2022, Massachusetts in 2022, Louisiana in 2022, Connecticut in 2021 and New York in 2019.

Virginia and Wisconsin are also currently working on a similar Bill to this one. As you can see, both red and blue states have passed bills that are similar to this are currently working on a Bill to provide the original birth certificate with no determined fiscal impact for the policy, with around half having included in the legislation today.

I do have a witness, Wendy Turk with the California Alliance for Adoptee Rights to speak on behalf of the Bill.

Welcome again. I let you go way beyond the just the fiscal, but you got there eventually so that's a good thing.

Welcome. Thank you so much. Good morning. Chair Caballero, Vice Chair Seyarto and Members of the Committee. As the Senator noted, a review of similar bills enacted in eight other states. There are 16 states that have unrestricted access. Eight were in the last six years, including New York, and noted no fiscal impact.

I think one state had a minor absorbable cost and the same conclusion should be reached here. In fact, SB381 may generate cost savings. Under the current process, individuals must seek judicial authorization to access their own original birth record.

Moving this to a non judicial administrative process would reduce unnecessary court involvement, particularly important as California court courts continue to face significant backlogs and limited judicial resources. Further, as Other states have recognized the fees associated with obtaining an original birth certificate will help offset any administrative costs that might arise in its implementation.

And finally, community organizations like mine and the Broad Coalition supporting this Bill are ready to assist with the public service announcements and community outreach contemplated in the Bill to publicize the availability of the new contact preference form. And SBA 381 is a matter of civil rights and equal rights.

Any costs should be minimal and manageable and are worthwhile to ensure that all Californians have equal access to their original birth certificates. Please vote yes on SB381. Thank you.

Great. Thank you so much. Is there anyone else who would like to speak in support? How about in opposition? You may conclude.

I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Okay, well, we won't have a vote, but actually we will have a vote. This is a suspense file candidate. So unless there is objection, this is going to go to suspense. Seeing no objection, SB381 will move to suspense. Moving on to SB417 by Senator Cabaldon who has waived presentation, testimony and support.

Good morning. Marina Espinoza here on behalf of the California Housing Consortium, All Home, Enterprise Community Partners, and Prosperity California, in support.

Thank you.

Good morning. Natalie Spievack with Housing California in strong support. Thank you.

Good morning, Chair and Members. Brian Augusta on behalf of the California Coalition for Rural Housing and Self-Help Enterprises in support.

Clifton Wilson on behalf of the Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco Daniel Lurie, as well as on behalf of the Board of Supervisors for the City and County of San Francisco, and the Burbank Housing Development Corporation, all in support. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Good morning. Alicia Dienst with the Sacramento Area Congregations Together in strong support.

Thank you very much. Anyone else in support? How about in opposition? This is a suspense file candidate, so without objection, SB 417 will move to suspense. SB 828, Senator Cabaldon, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Questions from the committee? This is a suspense file candidate, so without objection, SB 828 will move to suspense.

SB 492 by Senator Menjivar who has waived presentation, testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate as well, so without objection. SB 4 2 will move to suspense. SP 504 by Senator Allen who has waived presentation. I'm sorry. 501 by Senator Allen. Again he is waived presentation, testimony in support?

Clifton Wilson on behalf of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, in support. Thank you.

Thank you. Other testimony in support? Testimony in opposition?

Jack Wursten from Nosman on behalf of the Motorcycle Industry Council, we have an opposed unless amended position.

Thank you.

Very good. Anyone else? In opposition, questions from the Committee saying none. This bill is a suspense file candidate, so without objection, SB501 will move to suspense. SB557 by Senator Hurtado, who has waived presentation. Testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Questions from the Committee? This is a suspense file candidate, so without objection. SB557 will move to suspense.

SB623 by Senator Archuleta, who has waived presentation, testimony in support? Testimony in opposition? Questions from the Committee. Seeing none. This is a suspense file, candidate without objection. SB 623 will move to suspense. SB 667 by Senator Archuleta, who has waived presentation, testimony in support?

Good morning. Ryan Snow, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen in support.

Thank you very much.

Good morning, Madam Chair. Committee Members, Louie Costa with SMART Transportation Division in support.

Thank you. Anyone else in support? How about in opposition? Questions from the Committee? This is a suspense file, candidate without objection. SB667 will move to suspense. SB742 by Senator Perez, who has waived presentation. Is there anyone, anyone that would like to testify in support? How about in opposition? Questions from the Committee?

This is a suspense file, candidate without objection. SB 742 will move to suspense. SB 747 by Senator Wiener, who has waived presentation. Is there anyone that would like to testify in support? How about in opposition questions from the Committee? This is a suspense file candidate, so without objection. SB747 will move to suspense.

SB811 by Senator Caballero, who has waived presentation, testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions from the Committee. Payback. This is a suspense file, candidate, so without objection. SB811 will move to suspense. SB837 by Senator Reyes, testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions from the Committee.

This is a suspense file candidate, so without objection, SB837 will move to suspense. SB849 by Senator Weber Pearson, who has waived presentation, testimony in support, testimony in opposition, questions from the Committee. This is a suspense file candidate, so without objection. SB 849 will move to suspense.

That concludes our agenda for today.

We do have one Member of the Committee that is on her way over, so I'm going to go ahead and leave the roll open, but you are all. We're finished. I want to wait.

Okay. Well, you're welcome. I'll let your staff know you're here. But first, before. Before we receive that Member that missed the hearing. I want to make sure to thank everybody that came today. It's always important to get testimony. That's why we do this and appreciate it very much. This is not the end of these bills.

It's just a pause. So thank you. We're back on the record again, the Senate Appropriations Committee. And we're going to record that Senator Richardson has arrived and has voted consistently with all of us. And thank you very much. And again, thank you to everybody who participated in. In today's hearing. We have now concluded the agenda. The meeting of the Senate Committee on Appropriations is adjourned.