Assembly Floor

The Assembly is now in session. Mr. Reading. Clerk, you know the feeling when you have reach into your pocket on the suit and there's money inside? 6080 bucks inside. That feeling, that feeling of having the wind at your back.

That's the feeling I get when I'm trying to start session and I look across the green floor and I can't start procedurally until I see Mr. Wallace. Mr. Wallace notices the absence of a quorum. Sergeant Omes will prepare the chamber and bring in the absent Members. Clerk will call the roll.

[Roll call]

[Roll call[

Members, the quorum is present. We ask our guests and visitors in the rear of the chamber and in the gallery to please stand for today's prayer. Reverend Oshita will offer today's prayer. Reverend Noshta.

Please join me in a moment of reflection. I grew up the third of four children. My older brother Gerald was six years older. When I was six, he was 12. When I was 12, he was 18. There were too many years between us to really play together as children. But I admired him.

He was always just so much wiser and talented. I recall in junior high school, dropping off my books at home before going out to meet my friends. He happened to be home and inquired, where are you going? I set out to play. He asked me, did you finish your homework? I smugly replied, yes, it's all done.

Then he asked me, are you getting all A's? I reluctantly said, well, no. He let that sink in, then added, you may have finished your homework, but it's clear you haven't finished studying. There was no denying that what he had to say was true. When I was in college, I recall him commenting on a statement I made.

I responded quickly in defense. After a few moments, he interrupted me softly saying, calm down. I'm just sharing my opinion. I'm not trying to change your mind or prove you wrong. I said, I'm not arguing. Then, with a smile, he said, look at us. Who's the one raising his voice again, he made me assess my behavior.

In 1992, my older brother Gerald suffered a stroke and died exactly four weeks after his 50th birthday. It was then that I realized he had always been my unconscious preview to life. As a young child, I knew I would someday be doing the things he was doing. Watching him prepared me for the changes and challenges to come.

But I was not prepared to lose him so suddenly. That feeling is perhaps the last and greatest lesson he gave me. He taught me that there is no guarantee that we will have the chance to grow old together.

He taught me that if there are people that have helped us, we must thank them now and to those we love. Hold them close now. Not tomorrow, not the next time we see them. This, to me, is the path to live my life with few regrets.

Please join me on this path of caring and gratitude and few regrets. Namo amidavas. Let us try to live with kindness and gratitude beyond words.

We ask our guests and visitors today to remain standing and join us in the flag salute. Assemblymember Dixon will lead us in the pledge of allegiance.

Please place your hand over your heart. I pledge allegiance.

May be seated. To our guests and visitors today. State law prohibits persons in the gallery from interfering with legislative proceedings or disrupting the orderly conduct of official business. Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest or other appropriate legal remedies. Reading of the previous day's Journal Assembly

Chamber Sacramento Tuesday, January 20, 20206. Member.

Aguiar-Curry moves and Ms. Sanchez seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with presentations and petitions. There are none. Introduction to reference of bills will be deferred. Courts of committees will be deemed read and amendments seemed adopted. Messages from the Governor? There are none. Messages from the Senate? There are none.

Moving on to motions and resolutions. The offices for the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal onto procedural motions. Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good morning. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly rule 1018A to allow Assembly Members Wilson Alanis, Ahrens Tangapa and Avala Farias to have guests in the rear of the chamber.

That objection. Such shall be the order. Members, we're going to sprinkle in guest introductions as the day goes on. And we are going to begin with our business on the daily file. Concurrence file items 1 and 2, pass and retain reconsideration file items 3 through 5. All items shall be continued.

Assembly third reading file items 6 through 36 going to be skipping around today, so please pay attention. We're going to beginning beginning with File item number 14. That's AB713 by Assembly Member Solache.

Assembly Bill 713 by Assembly Member Solache and others an accolade to a public postsecondary education.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Member Solache, you are recognized.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I rise to present AB713, the opportunity for All Act. This bill will allow students at the University of California, California State University and the California Community Colleges equal access to campus jobs regardless of immigration status.

While California has a long standing commitment to expanding access, affordability and student success in higher education, our undocumented students continue to face significant financial and structural barriers. One of the most significant challenges is the inability to access paid on campus employment, including jobs needed to complete their degrees.

These opportunities are critical as students prepare themselves for skill shortages and become better positioned to support their families, communities and the US Economy. As a son of immigrants, I am proud to represent the same Assembly district as Marco Antonio Fireball, a legislator who fought hard for our undocumented community and students.

Importantly, AB540 eligibility for in state tuition, which has been great legislation for our students. Legislation like AB713 furthers California's legacy of advocacy for undocumented student population students who are simply asking for an equal opportunity to work and contribute. AB713 builds on the work led by my esteemed colleague from San Diego.

I command his steadfast leadership and his issue. Thank you to my colleagues who have supported the progress of this legislative effort. I want to recognize the brave students, allies and partners who have dedicated years of building the Opportunity for All Coalition.

Our deep, deep gratitude to the late Ken Wong, immigrants rights advocate and former UCLA labor center who fought alongside students to champion these opportunities. Their voices continue to steer us towards greater justice. They are an inspiration understanding the gravity of the movement we are living in.

I remain committed to continued stakeholder engagement and to opportunities to strengthen protections to student data. If you are concerned for student safety, the safest place for our students who are undocumented to be work is on campus. Without this opportunity, students face the risk of exploitation through unofficial and under the table employment.

For decades of Federal Government and I repeat, for decades the Federal Government, Republican Democrats have not been able to get immigration reform right. Until true system reform comes, California must continue to lead with dignity and humanity. Colleagues, we all represent diverse caucuses with standard priorities to improve our state.

I hope this is something that we could all come together on. Our students are just asking for the opportunity to work. No handouts, simply the chance to provide for themselves and contribute to our communities and the campus they call home. I respectfully ask for your iBoard on AB713. Gracias.

Thank you Assembly Member Solache. All debate having cease. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll, tally. Votes Ayes, 41. Noes, 11. The measure passes. Okay, skipping ahead, File item number 17.

That's AB 1049 by Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez, presented by Assembly Member Jackson. Decorum, members. Decorum. Thank you, members. File Item 17; that's AB 1049 by Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez, presented by Assembly Member Jackson. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1049 by Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez and others, an act relating to food assistance.

Assembly Member Jackson, you are recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm proud to present AB 1049, on behalf of Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez. This bill is a common-sense policy to streamline the application process for the California Food Assistance Program to reduce administrative burden and support low-income immigrant families in need. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Jackson. All debate having ceased, clerk will open the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll; tally the votes. Ayes: 42; noes: 11. The measure passes.

Continuing on, we are going to be taking up File Item Number 19. That is AB 1421 by Assembly Member Wilson. The clerk will read with amendments.

Assembly Bill 1421 with amendments by Assembly Member DeMaio.

Assembly Member DeMaio, you are recognized. Assembly Member DeMaio, you are recognized to speak on your amendment, sir.

Oh. All right. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to AB 1421 and urge that this body instead go in a different direction on this topic of a California mileage tax, which is what AB 1421 would initiate, the implementation of a statewide mileage tax program which will be a sucker punch to working-class Californians who are already suffering with the high cost of living.

California already has the highest car tax in the nation. We have the highest gas taxes in the nation. We also add regulations to the price of gas, mandates, fees. As a result, we are seeing fuel and driving be a burden, a costly burden for working families. A mileage tax would just be the final straw that breaks the camel's back.

In the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, under SB 1, the county moved forward in 2022 to approve in its Regional Transportation Plan a countywide mileage tax. The staff of the county determined that the mileage tax, based on national analysis, should be 0.06 cents to 0.09 cents per mile driven.

That would impose a cost of $900 to $1,200 per driver for just the average mileage on a car, 15,000 miles a year. Now remember, working-class Californians have to drive longer, so it's a more expensive proposition. To equate that to a gas tax increase, a 0.06 cent would be an 0.87 cent increase in the gas tax per gallon. A 0.09 cent mileage tax per mile would be $1.15 increase in the gas tax per gallon. That is what you're voting to initiate with Assembly Bill 1421.

When you add up the car tax, the gas tax, and this new mileage tax, for a family with two cars, a working family with two parents driving, they would have to pay $4,200 a year to the State of California just for the privilege of driving on crappy roads. $4,200, and that's after their income taxes.

That doesn't include gas price, it doesn't include the car, the insurance. What are we thinking here? I mean, people talk about the billionaires' tax. What you're about to do--and many of you oppose the billionaires' tax. To your credit, you oppose a tax finally that would increase the cost of living in California, but you're about to impose a mileage tax in our state?

No. Now the author will say, this is only to replace gas taxes on electric vehicles. Uh, we know the real intent here. It's a full-blown mileage tax, which is what San Diego tried to implement. So I think we need to make a clear statement that this body will stand up for working families, that we don't want a mileage tax snuck in at the local level or the state level, that it's the wrong policy.

And so my amendment would gut the bill, which initiates a statewide mileage tax, and instead goes the other direction, saying that no locality can try to do what San Diego County did by imposing a local mileage tax and that we certainly are not going to be moving forward with a state mileage tax. I urge your support for this amendment.

Thank you, Assembly Member DeMaio. Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized.

I move to lay the amendments on the table.

Thank you, Madam Majority Leader. Seconded by Assembly Member Ortega. This member is not-- this motion is not debatable. Takes a majority of those present and voting. Members, this is a procedural vote. The clerk will open the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. The Majority Leader is asking for an aye vote. Mr. DeMaio is asking for a no vote. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote.

Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes, 43. Noes, 21. The amendments are laid on the table. Assemblymember Wilson, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues.

Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1421 by Assembly Member Wilson and others an act relating to the vehicles.

Apologies. Assemblymember, you may open.

It's still beginning of the year.

I get it. Alrighty. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Colleagues AB 1421 responds to a reality that we can no longer ignore. California's transportation funding system is becoming less stable, less equitable and less sustainable as more drivers switch to fuel efficient and zero emission vehicles.

Despite what my colleague said in his support for an amendment, this bill creates a transparent, research driven process to evaluate the advantages, disadvantages and inevitable trade offs of a road user charge or mileage based funding system so that the Legislature in the future can make informed decisions Today.

Drivers using the same roads often pay very different amounts for that use. Low income and rural commuters who must drive farther and less efficient vehicles can pay more while others contribute less despite roadway impacts.

AB 1421 asks a basic fairness question, how do we ensure all motorists pay their fair share, no more and no less, while protecting affordability and privacy?

As you know, in 2025, the Assembly Transportation Committee held two informational hearings focused on one the condition of statewide multimodal transportation systems and the long term transportation funding shortfall facing the state, region, cities and counties and second, evaluating new and emerging funding tools used in California and other states.

In 2026, the Committee will convene an additional informational hearing specifically focused on California's road user charge pilot programs, lessons learned and unresolved policy questions. This work is being informed directly by Californians. In 2025, we held four regional transportation funding town halls in Fresno County, Solano County, Monterey County and Butte County.

We will continue our outreach this year with three additional town halls in San Diego County, San Bernardino county and a statewide virtual town hall to ensure broad access and participation. These forms are designed to hear from commuters, workers, businesses, community groups and local governments before any policy decisions are made. Let me be very clear.

AB 1421 does not impose a new tax or fee. Moreover, I'm committed to amending AB 1421 in the Senate to explicitly direct the research to help understand and avoid situations where motorists could be double taxed.

The research required under this bill will examine how to ensure motorists are not charged twice for the same road usage and that any future approach is both transparent and accountable. AB 1421 is about getting the facts right, engaging Californians and ensuring our transportation funding system is equitable, fair and enduring for all motorists.

With that, I respectfully ask for your support to continue to to move this important conversation forward. Thank you to the Members.

There we go. Thank you. Assembly Member Wilson. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes, 43. Noes, 18. The measure passes.

Moving backwards, we are going to File item number 18. That's AB 1171 by Assembly Member Patel. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1171 by Assembly Member Patel an act relating to community colleges and making an appropriation therefore.

Assembly Member Patel, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to present AB 1171 which modernizes California's part time faculty health insurance program to expand access to health care for community college part time faculty. In 2022, recognizing that the original program lacked sufficient funding, the Legislature increased appropriations to over 200 million annually. That commitment has been maintained every year since.

Despite this investment, only 69 million was utilized last year and nearly 1/3 of community college districts are are not participating in this program. AB 1171 addresses this by removing barriers to participation for part time faculty. The Bill mandates that districts use existing funds to provide health insurance reimbursement to part time faculty up to a certain amount.

This approach creates continuity for faculty who work at multiple districts, ensures equity across our geographically diverse state and empowers faculty to choose coverage that works for their families. Members access to health care for workers is a priority for this Legislature. Usually budget constraints stand in our way.

Here we have the opportunity to expand coverage using existing underutilized funding. This Bill has no stakeholder opposition, received bipartisan support in policy Committee and I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Patel. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes 49, Noes 5. The measure passes.

Members, we have a full body here, so we are going to go back to our guest introductions. Assembly Member Wilson, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Good morning, members. I am really excited. I am proud to introduce representative Harry Benton, hailing from Illinois 97th District to our California State Assembly. Representative Benton holds close community ties where he grew up in Crest Hill, attended Richland Grade School, and Lockport Township High School. He now calls Plainfield home, where he's lived for over a decade.

His commitment to public service stems from a lifetime of civic engagement and leadership rooted in a strong belief in giving back to the community he is a part of. As a caregiver for his parents during difficult health challenges, Representative Benson used his lived experience to become a strong advocate for healthcare access and affordability.

Prior to taking office in Springfield, he worked as an iron worker, giving him clear insight into the needs of working-class families and the importance of good-paying jobs for the next generation. Representative Benton is here along with a delegation of state legislators from Illinois to discuss High-Speed Rail and other transportation solutions. Please join me in giving a hearty welcome to Illinois State Representative Harry Benton.

Okay, members. We are continuing on with our guest introductions. Decorum, please. Special guest introduction at the rear of the chamber. Assembly Member Alanis, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, today I am honored to recognize the Modesto Junior College Women's Track and Field team for winning the school's first State Championship in 2025. We have a group of guests from the Modesto Junior College joining us today from the gallery, if you guys look up here, and then we also have some that are joining us at the back of the chamber: Shaylan Roy-Williams, Kylie Davis, Julia Pedretti, Jada Orona, Ava Torres, and Savannah Brown.

And also a big thanks to Dr. Lena Tran from the Yosemite College District Chancellor and Dr. Brian Sanders from the Modesto Junior College President, and the entire Modesto Junior College family for joining us today who continue to help these programs and athletes thrive.

Members, please join me again in recognizing these talented athletes today and those that are celebrating them for achieving a huge accomplishment for Modesto Junior College. Thank you.

Let's go. Let's go, Modesto. Members, while we're in the celebratory mood, if you look at the center aisle, we see our colleague, Assembly Member Caloza. Yesterday was your birthday, I believe, Assembly Member. Happy birthday, Assembly Member. We love you. Happy birthday. Working those bills on your birthday. Okay, members, going back to the Assembly Third Reading file.

We are going to start from the top. File item six and seven. We will pass and retain file item number eight. That's AB 1382 by Assemblymember Castillo. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1382 by Assembly Member Castillo and others an act relating to animals.

Assemblymember Castillo, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, today I rise as a longtime pet owner and strong advocate for animal welfare. I rise to present AB 1382. This Bill would prohibit the sale of genetically modified animals when those genetic modifications are made solely for cosmetic or aesthetic purposes.

In recent years, companies have begun developing genetically modified cats, dogs and other pets to satisfy consumer demand for so called designer traits. These alterations are made despite the unknown long term health risk to the animals themselves.

AB 1382 seeks to draw a clear and responsible line by ensuring that animals are not genetically altered simply to meet novelty preferences. Genetic modification for cosmetic purposes risk prioritizing appearance over animal well being and further fuels demand for novelty pets at a time when California is already facing a serious pet overpopulation and shelter crisis.

This Bill reflects our responsibility to promote humane treatment and ethical standards in the sale of animals. As I made clear throughout the Committee process, AB 1382 does not inhibit legitimate genetic or medical research intended to benefit public health, science or society.

This Bill is narrowly tailored and explicitly targets only the sale of household pets that have been genetically modified for cosmetic purposes. Additionally, I remain committed to continuing discussions on potential amendments to address concerns raised regarding existing genetically modified aquatic species, including grandfathering provisions where appropriate.

AB 1382 has received bipartisan support and co authorship and I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you Assemblymember Castillo. I'll debate having ceased. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally votes Ayes 57 Noes 0 the measure passes file item number nine. That's AB 292 by Assemblymember Patterson.

The Clerk will read. Assembly Bill 292 by Assembly Member Patterson and others [unintelligible] to domestic violence.

Assembly Member Patterson, you are recognized.

Great. Thank you Mr. Speaker, Members, I'm here to present AB292, which is the fourth year that I've been working on this bill. And I would like to acknowledge and thank the Chair of the Public Safety Committee, my colleague from Burbank.

My intent for the last several years has been to make felony domestic violence a violent felony because believe it or not, in statute it is not a violent felony.

And so what that means is that individuals who are convicted of felony domestic violence are eligible for early release from prison and oftentimes get released after serving only less than half their sentences. And so that was a big concern to me, something I've been working on for several years.

But at the end of the day, what I wanted to do is accomplish something that could perhaps penalize those who are repeat offenders of domestic violence and the chair brought up some good ideas, good points regarding negotiations in the event that there was felony domestic violence, that was a strikeable offense on the table.

And so after many discussions with the chair over the years, we decided to make a more modest bill. And I appreciate his work on this and the Committee offering me these amendments. And so what the bill does now is for repeat felony domestic violence abusers. These are repeats.

It could increase the penalty in state prison, but also it gives a minimum sentence in or minimum jail time for domestic abusers who are convicted of domestic abuse. So it's a. It's a very modest bill.

And in fact, if you ask some district attorneys right now that they can accomplish some of these terms, but it does offer potential more clarity on increased prison time for repeat felony domestic abusers and gives what I think the chair called as a cooling off period for those who are convicted of domestic abuse multiple times in a county jail.

And so with that, I respectfully ask for your aye votes. My colleague, who has just now returned to his desk, is a joint author on the Bill, so I was delaying for him to get back. So welcome back, and I'll let him speak to the measure.

Thank you, Assemblymember Patterson. Assemblymember Alanis, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I tried real hard to get here fast. I'm proud to stand as a joint author on this with my friend and colleague from Rockland.

When I was a deputy and a sergeant, I ran domestic violence cases as a detective, and I answered the calls, and I saw many marks, wounds, tears, and lots of trauma. The people who commit these crimes against their survivors over and over again deserve to be punished and held to an account for their actions.

I encourage all of you to please support this bill. For the survivors who cannot speak and support AB292 today. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Alanis, seeing and hearing no further debate. Assembly Member Patterson, do you wish to close?

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, I wanted to say that, as I mentioned, this is a long time that I've been working on this measure. And to be honest, I think both sides of this potential debate are.

You can see the bipartisan nature of it, because from a Democratic perspective, maybe you have some allies that continue to be opposed to this measure. And of course, we will continue to work with them on this measure.

And from the Republican side, we could have had the hearing, you know, with this was a part of a San Francisco Chronicle editorial as well as many other publications have covered this, and we could have brought the bill, you know, and done our thing and when it was voted down and gotten partisan and critical of maybe what the vote may have been.

But we chose to work together on this measure and I think that that's a good thing. And I think we'll continue to work on it, including with those that continue to be opposed to the measure. And I look forward to those discussions.

And this is actually the beautiful thing about this bill is I think maybe we're each giving up a little bit of something because we know that domestic violence is a plague that we need to get rid of in this state and we need to do a lot more.

And in fact, one of the opposition letters mentions some of the things that the state needs to invest in. And I totally agree we need to help ensure that this doesn't happen in the first place and I'm committed to doing that as well.

But if people are continuing to commit domestic violence, we need to have a conversation about a cooling off period and making sure that they don't continue to re victimize after spending a couple days in jail to think about it.

And so with that and the bipartisan nature of this measure, I ask that you give me an opportunity to continue to work on it. And if you have any concerns with it, you can continue to bring those concerns with me. And I look forward to working with you.

Should this be voted off the floor today, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Patterson. I'll debate. Having ceased, the Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 51, noes 0. The measure passes by line number 10. That's A.B.

375 by Assemblymember Nguyen.

Assembly Bill 375 by Assembly Member Nguyen an act relating to Healing arts.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Member, when you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, I'm proud to present AB375. After the Covid 19 public health emergency ended, insurance including United Healthcare, abruptly stopped covering telehealth services provided by qualified autism services paraprofessionals, also known as qasp. This left many families, especially those in rural and underserved areas, without access to Central Autism Therapy.

AB3 will restore telehealth access because every child with autism deserves access to care they need, no matter where they live or what their family can afford. AB375 has bipartisan support and zero known votes. I respectfully ask for your vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Nguyen I'll debate having ceased. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Thank you, Robert. Clerk will close the roll tally. Votes Aye, 68. No, 0. The measure passes file item number 11 A.B.

442 by Assemblymember Hadwick.

The Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 442 by Assembly Member Hadwick and others an act relating to forestry.

Assembly Member Hadwick, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. California's wildfires have grown dramatically in size, intensity and duration over the past two decades with devastating impacts to communities. The most effective tool to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk is responsible long term forest management. Working forest management plans developed by landowners serve as living long term plans for sustainable forest stewardship.

Under current law, a planned harvest area cannot include more than one watershed. This restriction recreate creates an unnecessary barrier for example, a tree straddling the ridge line between two watersheds cannot be harvested. This restriction drives up planning costs, wastes money that could otherwise be used on the landscape.

AB442 removes the requirement that a harvest area be limited to a single watershed, allowing landowners to manage forests more comprehensively. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you Assemblymember Hadwick. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes Ayes 61, Noes 0. The measure passes. File item number 12 AB 501 by Assemblymember Papan. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 501 by Assembly Member Papan, an act relating to civil proceedings.

Assembly Member Papan, you are recognized.

Thank you so much Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Happy to present my first bill of the year, which is a good one I might add, in my own opinion in any way. So AB501 is about protecting your good name, your reputation and your good credit.

The Uniform Commercial Code Financing Statement, also known as a UCC1 lien, was designed to be an easily accessible way for businesses, financial institutions and individuals to secure the listed debtors property as collateral.

What's been happening though is people are using UCC1 liens to weaponize and to target, believe it or not, public officials and small businesses to attribute a debt to them that they don't have. False lien filings occur because there's limited accountability for wrongful filers and and there's no requirement to notify the party against whom a claim was made.

So AB 501 is going to do three simple things. First, it's going to ask the Secretary of State's office to notify somebody when a lien is filed against them and you have 21 days thereafter to object to the lien.

The second thing is it does is if the victim ultimately seeks legal recourse, it reserves cost until the end of the litigation. And if they don't win, then the false filer has to pay your legal fees. And the third thing that AB 501 does is it triples the fines for filing false liens.

Right now, if you're found guilty of filing a false lien, it's a $5,000 fine. This makes it a $15,000 fine because you cannot and should not be able to ruin someone's good credit so easily and without proper penalties.

The Bill takes a targeted approach to protect the integrity of the UCC1 lien process for legitimate business transactions while at the same time ensuring that all Californians are protected by from hostile financial incrimination. I respect the request and I vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Papan. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll tally votes. Aye, 66. No, 0. The measure passes.

Members, before we continue on to File item number 13, I understand there are some cupcakes in the Members lounge and that is because it is Mr. Ramos birthday today. We love you Mr. Ramos, the ageless wonder. Thank you sir for those cupcakes. Happy birthday. We hope you have the best year of your life. File item number 13.

That's AB 634 by Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 634 by Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez and others an act relating to public health.

Assembly Member Gonzalez, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, today I rise to present AB634 which would prohibit the manufacturing, distribution or sale of tianeptine here in California. This Bill will prevent Californians from being exposed to tianeptine, a dangerous substance also known as gas station heroin.

Gas station heroin is often sold over the counter at retail establishments such as gas stations, tobacco retailers and small markets with no age restriction. This means that when children go to buy their favorite snack, they also have access to gas station heroin.

Existing federal law does not explicitly approve or disapprove of this substance and it is marketed as a supplement. It currently enjoys a legal gray area. While approved in some European and Asian countries to treat depression or anxiety. This substance can produce both an opioid like high and an opioid like addiction when used recreationally.

Many other states have already acted against this substance, from placing it on a schedule to restricting its sale. In the Senate, I will work to ensure that store clerks are not targeted with this measure, as well as ensuring that the substance can still be researched.

To date, I'm happy to share that this measure has received no no votes. With your support, we will be on the right track to protecting Californians from the dangers of gas station heroin through this measure. And with that, I respectfully, respectfully request your aye vote.

Thank you. Assemblymember Gonzalez. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes: Ayes 61, Noes 0, the measure passes. We have already dispensed with File item number 14.

We're going to pass temporarily on File Item Number 15. Brings us to File Item Number 16. That is AB 939 by Assembly Member Schultz. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 939 by Assembly Member Schultz and others, an act relating to housing.

Assembly Member Schultz, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Good morning. AB 939 modernizes California's Density Bonus Law to expand affordable homeownership opportunities by eliminating unnecessary resale delays and clarifying compliance procedures for market-rate developers, nonprofit affordable housing organizations, and local governments.

Right now, colleagues, some lower-income designated homeownership units are remaining empty and going unsold for extended periods of time, often 180 days or more. Nonprofit home developers, like Habitat for Humanity and others, are prohibited during the entitlement phase of a project from partnering with market-rate home builders to ensure compliance with Density Bonus Law.

They're also prohibited from acquiring and selling to qualified buyers already in the market for six months after certificate of occupancy. Simply put, AB 939 provides a targeted, no-cost fix to streamline affordable homeownership by removing the 180-day resale restriction currently in state law if the developer is under contract with a nonprofit affordable housing organization for the transfer of units to be sold to low-income individuals directly.

The last thing I will note is that I appreciate the dialogue our office has had with the California Association of Realtors. We're in receipt of their proposed amendments, and should this move off the floor today, we look forward to working with them and are confident we can get them, hopefully, to a position of neutral. With that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Schultz. All debate having ceased, clerk will open the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. The clerk will close the roll; tally the votes. Ayes: 45; noes: 5. The measure passes. We've already dispensed with File Item 17, 18, 19.

We're going to pass and retain on file item 20. File item 21. AB 739 by Assemblymember Jackson. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 739 by Assembly Member Jackson an act relating to common interest developments.

Assemblymember Jackson, you are recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I present AB739 which aims to provide transparency to homeowners on fees charged by managing agents and Commons interest developments. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you Assembly Member Jackson. I'll debate having cease. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes 66, Noes 0. The measure passes final item number 22.

That's AB 464 by our Majority Leader. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 464 by Assemblymember. Aguiar Curry and others an act relating to prisons.

Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members California state prisons are supposed to have zero tolerance policy for rape and sexual assault. Yet reports of sexual abuse by prison staff continue. This is completely unacceptable. AB464 is an accountability and anti retaliation Bill that does four key things.

First, it extends the statute of limitations so survivors assaulted by CDCR staff have until the end of their sentence to report the abuse. Second, it provides enhanced monitoring for 90 days after a report or assault to help prevent retaliation. Third, it ensures that CDRC staff who were terminated for confirmed sexual abuse can never be rehired.

And finally, the Bill strengthens reporting requirements and anti retaliation protections. This Bill is a necessary step to protect incarcerated survivors of the sexual assault and to hold bad actors accountable. Amendments by the Appropriations Committee would limit the state's liability. There was no opposition and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Madam Majority Leader. I'll debate having cease. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes 66, Noes 0. The measure passes file item number 23.

That's AB910 by Assembly Member Banta.

The Clerk will read Assembly Bill910 by Assembly Bonta and accolade at pharmacy benefit management.

Assembly Member Bonta, you are recognized.

Good morning, members. I rise to present AB 910, which strengthens state reporting on pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs. Last year, this body passed bipartisan legislation that established a regulatory scheme to rein in PBM practices. This includes provisions requiring annual PBM reporting to the state.

AB 910 builds upon those efforts to ensure that the state analyzes and publicly reports on data reported by PBMs, shining a light on their practices and helping Californians better assess their impact on rising prescription drug costs. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Bonta. All debate having ceased, clerk will open the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. The clerk will close the roll; tally the votes. Ayes: 62; noes: 2. The measure passes. File Item Number 24. That's AB 1080 by Assembly Member Bryan.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1080 by Assembly Member Bryan an act relating to foster care.

Assemblymember Bryan, you are recognized.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise to present AB 1080, which continues our state's efforts to address the egregious issue of making foster youth pay for the cost of their own care. Two years ago, we passed a bill that prohibited county agencies from collecting a foster use survivor benefits and using it to reimburse themselves.

This bill continues that progress by extending that prohibition to the rest of Title II benefits, which include retirement and disability insurance benefits. Our previous efforts have had bipartisan support and I respectfully ask your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Bryan. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. The Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Aye, 67. No, 0. The measure passes by 1125. AB 1153 by Assembly Member Bonta.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1153 by Assembly Member Bonta an act relating to solid waste.

Assembly Member Bonta, you are recognized.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker and Members. California is a global leader in sustainability, yet illegal dumping continues to plague cities across the state. Oakland being a prime example. Oakland Public Works removed 46,415 piles of illegally dumped debris in one fiscal year alone. Despite the city investing millions annually to combat the issue, all illegal dumping worsens.

Statewide, abandoned recreational vehicles are becoming increasingly common and problematic. The process of removing abandoned RVs and trailers is broken, extremely labor intensive, costly, and with no efficient end of life pathway. Abandoned RVs attract illegal dumping, create fire hazards, and pose serious health and environmental risks, especially when wastewater disposal is unmanaged or illicit.

These vehicles often sit on public rights of way, easements or vacant lots, impacting residents, businesses and neighborhoods directly. AB 1153 does three things. Funds the removal and disposal of abandoned recreational vehicles, strengthens enforcement strategies and establishes a support, an local enforcement team to address illegal dumping using the existing Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery CalRecycle program. I respectfully request your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Bonta. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 67 Noes 0. The measure passes. We're now on file. Item number 26.

Number 26. That's AB 1165 by Assembly Member Gipson, presented by Assembly Member Wicks. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1165 by Assembly Member Gipson, an act relating to housing.

Assembly Member Wicks, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and members. I rise to present AB 1165, on behalf of our dear colleague, Mr. Gipson, who couldn't be here today. This bill requires our State Housing Agency to create a fiscal analysis and requires a financial plan to solve this very vexing issue, which is our housing and homelessness crisis here in California.

This will help create the roadmap so that we can get to the solution I know that we all want for our constituents, and with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Wicks. All debate having ceased, the clerk will open the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes: 47; noes: 11. The measure passes. Thank you.

Members. We are on file Item number 27. That is AB 1198 by Assemblymember Haney. The Clerk will read

Assembly Bill 1198 by Assemblymember Haney an act relating to public works.

Assemblymember Haney, you are recognized.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker and Members, I rise today to present AB 1198, which is crucial legislation that will ensure equitable pay for construction workers across California by addressing several shortcomings in current prevailing wage law. Right now, prevailing wage rates are locked in at the time a public works project is first advertised for bid.

Workers are then forced to take the prevailing wage for when the project was first announced, even if it was years before the project actually breaks ground or if there was a lower wage in place.

These outdated rates create a loophole that some bad actors are exploiting to underpay workers, lower bid costs unfairly and undercut contractors who are doing the right thing. AB 1198 will ensure that workers receive the current prevailing wages on projects regardless of when a project was announced for bid.

This adjustment is essential to maintain equity within the industry and ensure workers are receiving adequate wages throughout the duration of the project. We work closely with the California Housing Consortium, and the most recent amendments address all of their concerns. Thank you, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Haney. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes, 56. Noes, 6. The measure passes. Members, we're going to skip backwards.

Take up File item number 15. File item 15. That's AB762 by Assemblymember Irwin.

Clerk will read Assembly Bill 762 by Assemblymember Irwin and others. Naturally in the vapor inhalation devices.

Family Member Irwin, you are recognized. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Many of us hear from our constituents about the high cost of living. Trash bills are going up partially because of the increasing number of fires caused by lithium batteries in landfill sorting facilities and trucks.

This bill nudges users of legal nicotine toward using reusable vapes as opposed to disposable vapes over a number of years. Lithium batteries and vapes are highly flammable and cannot be removed. They pose costly and hazardous safety issues at every point in the waste stream.

They are thrown in the trash and sent to material recovery facilities where they ignite and catch garbage trucks on fire, putting operators and firefighters at risk. AB762 has strong enforcement mechanisms to deter the sale of these devices.

I would like to point out that the UK banned these devices last summer, and after the ban, the vast majority of consumers easily pivoted to reusable devices, which meant millions fewer lithium batteries in the waste stream.

I would also like to point out that the vast majority of legal cannabis users have already switched over to reusable devices, which is why we removed cannabis from this bill. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Erwin. Assemblymember Macedo, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My concern is with the fiscal impact of the ban established by this bill. While our fiscal analysis points to a revenue loss exceeding $150,000 annually, the actual. Market data points to a much larger. Revenue loss here in California.

Data from our California Department of Fee and Tax Administration point to a potential loss of nearly $52 million in state excise tax revenues for nicotine replacement products and nearly 70 million in lost cannabis excise tax revenue. In addition, there would be a concurrent loss in state sales tax revenue.

In a time of difficult choices we face with budget deficits, should we be enacting legislation that will exacerbate our revenue shortfalls.

Thank you, Assemblymember Macedo. Assemblymember Rubio, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I want to thank my colleagues for their effort to solve unforeseen environmental consequences of disposing single use vape pens. I continue to caution us that outright bans on products inevitably drive consumers towards the illicit market, where products sold are unregulated, unsafe, and yet remain accessible.

I also have concerns about the limited capability of enforcement over the illicit market. Simply put, if we could enforce the illicit market, the illicit market wouldn't exist. I understand that you will be working with the opposition to make this both successful. I also appreciate the fact that you took out the cannabis.

I know that it has been successful. But I want to thank you for taking these issues into account. And I hope that you continue working to ensure that this bill can be funded and implemented as intended to protect both the environment and our health. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Rubio. Assemblymember Banta, you are recognized.

I rise in support of AB762. My concern is with our health and certainly our environmental health being a piece of that as well. I want to thank the author for bringing forward this measure and anything that we can do to completely eliminate the use of vaping, I think would make California much healthier place.

And I appreciate the environmental strength of this bill as well.

Thank you, Assemblymember Bonta. Assemblymember Bauer Cahan, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise in support of AB762 as well. And I want to thank our colleague from Alameda for always putting the health of Californians at the front and center. As someone who prides myself on my fiscal responsibility, I also caution against the comments of our colleague from Tulare.

We should not be getting our tax revenue from people smoking and harming their health. And we can't become dependent on that tax revenue, because what is in the best interest of Californians is for them to be healthy and not smoking or engaging in nicotine behavior.

So I really appreciate this, but I wanted to rise and express my gratitude to the author who in the book Business and Professions Committee made a commitment to work on differentiating nicotine from cannabis and did so in amendments in the bill. And so it is with gratitude that I rise to ask for your support on this bill.

Thank you, Assemblymember Bauer Cahan. Assemblymember Alanis, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, I rise today to oppose AB762, which in addition to the significant financial impacts it has on the state, also leaves an open question of what about the black market. Simply banning high demand consumer products only fuels demand by illicit means, leading kids to seek out unregulated and more dangerous products.

Law enforcement agencies agree more bans are less effective than using existing law enforcement efforts. For example, in Australia, 120 illegal vapes are now imported annually and they banned it back in 2024. And I've said this before, local agencies need better resources and more support to meet the expectations and standards we continue to add to their plate.

I respect the author immensely. I'm sorry that I'm opposing this, but I'm urging you a no vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Alanis. Assemblymember Schiavo, you are recognized.

Thank. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. Tall guys in the front. So I. I have to rise to support this and just not only to support this bill, but generally for us to think about as a body.

Because as I often do, I want to remind folks, we have a burning landfill in my district that's going to be burning for 20 years. And the trash of LA County has been coming to my district for decades.

And now those batteries that are in that trash heap and all of the plastic and everything else, all of those toxins are burning and making my community Members sick.

Sick to the point of being disabled, sick to the point of having to lose their whole investment in the future of their lives that they had put into their homes because they have to leave and take a loss. There are huge, huge environmental impacts connected to what we're putting in our trash.

And we have to be so much more aggressive to keep toxins out of our trash when we have not only my burning landfill, but we have 11 landfills around the state that have waivers to operate at high temperatures.

So it's not just my district, it's a lot of our districts that are threatened to have a fire in their. In their landfill, too. And so I'm grateful for the leadership of my colleague from Ventura county and urge an aye vote on AB762.

Thank you, Assemblymember Schiavo seeing and hearing no further debate. Assemblymember Irwin, do you wish to close?

Just. I just do want to comment on the comments of my colleagues about enforcement. Absolutely critical. And we are committed to getting this right. There are license revocations and civil penalties. And a few years ago there was $28.5 million that went toward law enforcement to help with enforcement. We will continue to push enforcement for this bill.

And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Irwin. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally votes. Ayes 47, no 16. The measure passes. We're going to go back to our file order.

Skipping back to File item number 27. That's AB 1198 by Assemblymember Haney. Clerk will read. You don't want to do it again. We already dispensed with that item. Forgive me, Mr. Haney. Forgive me, Madam Clerk. File item number 28. That's AB 1235 by Assemblymember Rogers.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1235 by Assembly Member Rogers, an act relating to public contracts.

Assemblymember Rogers, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to present AB 1235. This Bill would create a skilled and trained requirement for the CSU system, bringing it into harmony with the existing regulations. And requirements for the UC system inappropriations. Housing projects were removed from the Bill. But in policy Committee this had bipartisan support, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Rogers. I'll debate having ceased. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 51 Noes 4, the measure passes file item number 29.

That's AB 1245 by Assembly Member Stefani. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1245 by Assembly Member Stefani, an act relating to public contracts.

Assembly Member Stefani, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to present AB 1245, which would prevent human trafficking and forced labor at the source by updating the state's outdated public procurement rules.

Forced labor continues to plague supply chains and industries, and California is known to procure goods that are at high risk of being produced with human trafficking, forced labor, and child labor. Despite spending over $56 billion on purchasing and contracts, the state has not updated its procurement policies since 2007.

This bill aligns state law with federal standards on human trafficking prevention that adopts specific and detailed guidance for businesses who contract with the state. AB 1245 passed out of committee with bipartisan support, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Stefani. All debate having ceased, clerk will open the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. The clerk will close the roll; tally the votes. Ayes: 65; no: zero. The measure passes. File Item Number 30. That's AB 1383 by Assembly Member McKinnor.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1383 by Assemblymember McKinnor and others, an act relating to public employees' retirement and making an appropriation therefore.

Assemblymember McKinnor, you are recognized.

Mr. Speaker and Members. AB 1383 makes limited targeted revisions to the California Public Employment Pension Reform Act PEPRA to help address serious recruitment and retention challenges facing our state's first responders. We made significant changes adjusted retirement formulas, increasing retirement ages and requiring greater employee contributions to protect the long term help of our pension funds.

AB 1383 is careful and measured. It does not provide retroactive benefit increases. It does not create pension holidays. It does not dismantle the essential guardrails established under PREPRA. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you Assemblymember McKinner. All debate having ceased. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 58 Noes 1. The measure passes file item number 31. That's AB 1439 by Assemblymember Garcia.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1439 by Assemblymember Garcia, an act relating to public retirement systems.

Assembly Member Garcia, you are recognized.

Thank you Mr. Speaker and Members. AB 1439 is a good study Bill that will assess the potential costs and impacts of prohibiting public pension fund investments in development projects that failed to meet basic labor standards and worker protections.

CalPERS and CalSTRS currently have a responsible contractor policy intended to protect public employees retirement investments and ensure fair treatment of construction workers on pension funded projects. However, that policy lacks clear requirements to ensure prevailing wages are paid, workers are properly trained, or labor peace is maintained after construction.

Today, contractors simply self certify compliance by checking boxes with little verification or enforcement. As a result, CalPERS, CalSTRS can ultimately end up investing in projects that enable worker exploitation and undermine labor standards.

Problems such as wage theft, health and safety violations and poor quality construction are often not visible during the construction phase and frequently surface only after a project is completed as workers fear retaliation or job loss if they speak up. Such risks can erode project returns, increase costs, and are difficult to correct once they have been already developed.

Ultimately, these practices expose CalPERS and CalSTRS to real financial risk, including cost overruns, delays, reduced returns, and projects that fail to meet construction standards. I respectfully ask for your aye vote on this study Bill. Thank you.

Thank you Assemblymember Garcia. Assemblymember Demaio, you are recognized.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to AB 1439 and this is one of the rare times I actually will agree with organized labor.

Labor looks at these bills from the Legislature telling the pension boards how they're supposed to invest money based on political factors and they say no, let the investment be made based upon the greatest return to protect the retirement security of our retirees and to protect the interest of taxpayers.

What we have seen from this body time and time again are bills driven by political objectives, not financial objectives. Trying to tell the pension boards invest in this or don't invest in that. And what it does is it ends up putting politics into these decisions when only a financial rate of return should be the guiding factor.

Again, I don't often agree with organized labor, but on this one, they understand that when you put politics into investment decisions, you're going to have less money in the end. So I urge you to simply send one message and one message alone to the pension board.

Try to maximize return on investment, try to secure the retirement security of our employees, and try to minimize costs to taxpayers. This Bill does none of that. It adds to the problem. I urge a no vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember DeMaio. Assemblymember Garcia, seeing and hearing no further debate. Do you wish to close?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad I've received the seal of approval. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Garcia. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote.

Clerk will close the roll; tally the votes. Ayes: 44; noes: 8. The measure passes. File Item Number 32. That is AB 1486 by Assembly Member Soria. The clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1486 by Assembly Member Soria and others, an act relating to climate resiliency.

Assembly Member Soria, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and members. AB 1486 will help ensure that Prop 4 funds for agricultural experiment stations or agricultural research institutes at UC and CSU are made available quickly, efficiently, and without delay.

As you guys know, Prop 4, the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10 billion. Of these funds, Prop 4 made $15 billion available to UC and CSU for research farms, with a focus on improving climate resiliency. The bill enjoys support from both sides and has no opposition. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Soria. All debate having ceased, clerk will open the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. The clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes: 64; no: zero. The measure passes. Members, going backwards.

Going backwards, please File item number seven. File item seven. That is AB 1406 by Assemblymember Ward. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1406 by Assembly Member Ward and others an act relating to real property.

Member Ward, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members, I'm pleased to present today AB 1406 a work in progress which would incentivize condominium development by increasing the amounts of your own deposited funds that can be used. From our current statutory cap of 3% to 6%.

This change will unlock financing by using your own money for the project for the condo that you want to live in smartly, because it's actually going to make that capital a little bit cheaper, reducing the amount of capital that a developer would otherwise have to go get from a bank, which incurs that interest, which drives up development costs.

Folks, the theme of the year is how are we going to be able to reduce our costs of development? And this Bill goes a long way to help that.

You know that California consistently ranks near the bottom among US states in home ownership rates, and it is currently second to last in the country with just over 55% from 2005 to 2024. In the last generation, we saw a decrease of 8.5% in home ownership in California.

We have a crisis and we know that California's declining Home ownership rate is only being further exacerbated by the legislature's embrace of much needed pro housing and environmentally responsible policies which increase the share of multifamily housing, much of which however, is not available for sale.

According to the research conducted by the lambda alpha international lai over the last decade, only 3% of newly constructed multifamily construction housing was for sale. 97% goes out to the rental market.

Our state's 3% strict liquidated damages cap, which is the lowest in the nation, does increase the risk of condominium projects and restricts the financing available to a developer who would force them to use more expensive debt and equity. As such, developers must obtain more financing at less attractive terms, passing this added cost on to consumers.

So AB 1406 addresses this key constraint by increasing this damages cap from 3% to 6%, which allows the developer to obtain more attractive financing, reduces the reliance on more expensive debt, and allows the developer to pass these savings on to customer onto consumers, ultimately to that condo owner.

This change maintains all current protections in state law, including the existing law's requirement that deposit money may be held in escrow and the ability in statute for a buyer to challenge a developer if they believe that the liquidated damages being requested are not reasonable.

Colleagues, AB 1406 seeks to revert California's declining homeownership rate and increase consumer choice by reforming our state's restrictive deposit laws. For these reasons, I respectfully request your Aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Ward, Assemblymember Wicks, you are recognized.

Thank sorry. Thank you. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise in support of AB 1406 here. I want to thank our colleague here from San Diego for taking on this important issue. You know, homeownership is a really critical aspect of the housing crisis that we haven't even really fundamentally started to address.

We have some of the worst homeownership rates in the country, 49th out of 50th. And one of the great ways we can tackle this issue is make it easier to build condos.

Condos are an excellent way for first time home buyers for seniors who don't need large homes anymore, who aren't raising families and others to really build equity. The way that you build wealth in our country is through home ownership. That's how most people build wealth. And it's too difficult right now to build condos.

That's why we are doing this. We have other things we're going to be doing in the, in the condo space that are going to be critical this year. So I just want to thank my colleague and really urge an Aye -vote on this. He's working with all stakeholders. I know this is complicated.

I have faith and trust in this author to land this and would respectfully ask for an Aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Wicks. Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. And for those that have been around for my eight years, it may surprise you that I'm standing up in support of a housing bill. Many of our housing efforts in this body have focused on local control and taking it away from our local jurisdictions. And frankly, that's been hard for me.

And this bill takes a different approach. It really gets at the question of how do our local jurisdictions and the builders in them succeed in building the housing California needs. And so I think that that is a goal that all of us on this floor share, whether this is a bill you intend to support or not.

And that is how I came at this. And I frankly struggled with the original version of this bill because consumer protections, I am the consumer protection Chair, is front and center for me at all times.

But I want to thank the author because between the time when this was heard in Judiciary just a week or two ago and now he has been meeting with all stakeholders and trying to find a place to land on this bill and has amended it from what it was in that Committee at 10% to now what is here on the floor at 6%.

And I want to give the author an opportunity to tell us what he can intends to continue to do in the second House. But I know this is a work in progress, but what he's trying to achieve is so important.

So with the major amendments that have already been made, again reducing it almost in half, I expect that this will be a bill that will come out and be able to produce more housing and be supportable by all. But I would, you know, question for the author. What is your intent as we move to the second House?

Thank you, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. Assembly Member Ward, you wish to answer that question now, answering your close, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd be happy to answer that question because it has received a lot of curiosity and, you know, questioning that's out there that I think have reached a lot of Members that I've had a chance to talk to many of you as well and answer.

So like you, my colleague from Orinda, I do hold consumer protections above all else. And in fact, we know that as we're trying to be able to get this right, change this restrictive law to Something that is in line with what other states do. New York at 10%, Nevada at 10%, Colorado at 15%.

Many states don't even have a cap. No caps, absolutely doesn't sit well with me. We have to figure out that sweet spot that allows more equity here to be used more smartly. What we are intending on doing is one of two tracks.

The actual original, original version of this Bill before we got into liquidated damages space, got into other areas of deposited funds that can go towards smartly towards construction costs.

We are running into some challenges with the Department of Real Estate and we'll spend the next five months, should this get out of the floor before it gets to the Senate Policy Committee working with them and see if that's something. Because then we get off of liquidated damages questions altogether.

The other track actually mirrors something that was a bill passed by the Legislature and signed into law in 2008. It was AB 2020 and that actually did extend the liquidated damages cap for new condo construction to 6%. But it had a lot of other parameters that went into that as well too. We don't live in 2008 times.

Right. I need to revisit many of those parameters, which is why we ran out of time to incorporate it into the version on the floor here today. But what I would say as well is that that actually had a sunset date of five years post 2008.

And do we all remember what happened between 2009 and 2014 when that bill was in effect? The market crashed, nothing was being built. And so it wasn't an effective tool at the time. We can make it more effective. So one of those two tracks I think will be the version that comes out of the Senate.

Working closely with them, I believe that that would remove any doubt on consumer protections and hopefully also remove opposition.

Hi, Mike. Thank you. I want to thank our colleague from San Diego for his robust answer. Given the fact that 6% with additional protections was law in 2008 and it was allowed to sunset and the author is committing to working towards the protections in the 2008 bill. I rise in support of AB5. 1406.

Thank you, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. Members, I failed to offer up without objection in that question exchange. You have the right to object to a question in the middle of debate. Assemblymember Hoover, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise and actually echo the comments of my previous colleague. Rise in support of this legislation would encourage the author to continue working on this in the Senate. I do think there is some work that still needs to be done and some stakeholders that I think can still be worked with on this.

But I think the author has really identified an important problem here which is that we simply do not have enough entry level for sale options in our state.

This state is not only one of the most expensive states when it comes to housing, but it's really hard if you are a young family or and really trying to get into the market to purchase your first home.

I think condos are a fantastic way to do that and I think this bill ultimately will help us move in that direction. So thank you.

Thank you Assemblymember Hoover, Assemblymember Wilson, you are recognized.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the author. I rise as a proud joint author of AB 1406. And so this, as is noted from the discussion that's happened on the floor, this will allow us to increase the amount of affordable housing units in California.

And we know, as our colleague just stated, that this is an affordable way to enter into home ownership with the ever increasing cost of a single family home. And I want to give a quick statistic. In 2021 nationwide, first time homeowners with government backed mortgages bought 60% of condos and just 40% of single family homes nationwide.

Yet California is not a part of that statistic because of our low production. And this contributes to California's home ownership rate being so low compared to other states.

And so I appreciate the Member from San Diego pursuing this measure and look forward to seeing more condo constructions in California to help us solve this missing middle problem we face here in the state. And I, along with other colleagues who have stood, I respectfully ask for your Aye vote.

Thank you Assemblymember Wilson. Seeing and hearing no further debate. Assemblymember Ward, do you wish to close?

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank our colleagues from Berkeley, Orinda, Rancho Cordova and Susan City for their kind remarks as well. And as you can tell, yes, this is still a work in progress, but much has been done to study this issue.

I want to thank the Chair and the Members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee that had a robust discussion here to really get into what is real and what is not real about the challenges here or potential challenges within the bill. I was happy to through that exchange in question.

Thank you for no objection, Mr. Speaker, that we were able to very clearly and transparently say what we are intending to be able to do. Should this be able to get over to the Senate? Because I do want to make sure that this is locked tight.

But at the end of the day this is about creating more opportunities. I am so proud to be a part of this Legislature that prioritizes housing and cost of development issues. And we have a lot of work that we're going to be able to do on that this year.

This bill is one of those that is going to be making a difference to make sure that more condominium opportunities are available out there. And importantly, is using your own money smarter. The fact that our own state's regulations and statute are restricting the opportunity that you ultimately want. This thing is getting built.

It's going to take two years to get built. You know, you want to live there, you want to lay down your deposit and so what that sits in an escrow account doing nobody any good.

You want to make sure that your capital is actually being used, that you're speeding that development along and you're making sure that it is more cost effective with that capital. And so that actually gives you as a buyer choice.

It reduces the risk and the need for developers to be able to get the projects done so we can move on to the next project.

With your faith and respect and trust in this bill and the work that we want to do, I respectfully request your aye vote so that we can continue to work on this issue in the Senate. Thank you, Assemblymember Ward.

All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes, 41. Noes, 14. The measure passes. Returning back to the file order where we left off.

Back to file item number 33. We are going to pass and retain file item number 34. That's ACR 120 by Assemblymember Avila Farias. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 120 by Assembly Member Avila Farias relative to Positive Parenting Awareness Month.

Assembly Member Avila Farias. You are recognized.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to present ACR 120, which will declare January 2026 a Positive Parenting Awareness Month. The quality of parenting is important predictor of child's future and health research confirms that positive parenting creates positive childhood experiences and youth who experience safe and nurturing relationships.

We should continue to support programs, services and funding and initiatives that promote family wellness as well as organizations that promote them. As we look to mark January 2026 as Positive Parenting Awareness Month, we recognize that the efforts to protect California families are valued beyond measure. Thank you.

And I respectfully ask for a open and I'm open to co Authors, thank you.

Thank you. Assemblymember Avila Farias, seeing and hearing no. Excuse me. Assembly Member Quirk Silva sort of obscured there. Assembly Member Quirk Silva, you are recognized.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of ACR120. In a world where there is so much happening so quickly, parents are often quietly alone in their struggle to raise their children. Many times this does not rise in priorities on this Assembly floor or even in other areas. We just assume parents are fine.

We just assume they have children and they are raised and all goes well. And yet we know the stresses of parenthood are at the highest level in many, many decades. Parents are concerned about child care. They're concerned about their children's well being and mental health.

Parents are concerned about how they're going to make payments for rent, for school. All of those issues that they know that they want to have their children succeed in life. One of the issues that we know now more than ever that is affecting children and families is social media.

Parents are now competing with social media and the addiction it is causing at some of the youngest ages with children that are addicted. Even at the ages of 12 and 3, we're seeing ramifications of children speaking less. We're seeing ramifications even in our teenage years. There's so much to say about parenting.

But the most important message here is parents need support. So whether it's from the school systems, with their parent teacher association, we must double down on parent education and let them know they are not alone, that there is support out there for them so that we can have a thriving younger generation.

With that, I urge an aye vote for ACR 120.

Thank you. Assemblymember Quirk Silva seeing and hearing no further debate. Assemblymember Avila Farias, do you wish to close?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I asked my colleagues for an aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Assemblymember Avila Farias, do you wish the first roll to be open for co-authors? Okay. Clerk will open the roll for co-authors. Members, this is for co-authors. All those vote who desire to vote. For co-authors. All those vote who desire to vote. All those vote who desire to vote.

Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes: 65; no: zero. Excuse me; ayes: 65; no: zero. Sixty-five co-authors are added. Without objection, we'll take a voice vote on the resolution. All those in favor say, aye. All those opposed, no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Assembly Member Avila Farias, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Feels weird here. Awkward position here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to proudly welcome the leaders from First 5 from Mendocino and the Triple P Collaborative in the rear of the chamber. These outstanding professionals work tirelessly to support parks and waterways for all our communities in California.

Their leadership and service dedication ensures that young children be healthy and ready to learn and supported in nurturing families and communities. Colleagues, please help me welcome Executive Director, Ms. A and Coastal Coordinator, Ms. Aldrin. Members, please join me in thanking the First 5 and Triple P Collaborative and their lasting contributions to California families.

Okay, continuing on File item number 35. That's ACR 121 by Assemblymember Tangipa. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 121 by Assembly Member Tangipa and others relative to National Mentoring Month.

Assembly Member Tangipa, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to present ACR 121, which would establish January 2026 as National Mentoring Month. It is truly an honor to introduce a resolution centered on mentorship because I understand firsthand that mentorship has been life changing for me.

Throughout my life, I've been fortunate to have mentors who believed in me, challenged me, and helped guide me to where I am today. Their support didn't just shape my career, it shaped my confidence, my resilience and my sense of purpose. Purpose Mentorship matters because it creates a connection and provides stability.

Having grown up in an extremely disadvantaged community, young people find and are looking for mentors. They are hungry for them. When I was younger, that ended up being football. But I also grew up with gang members that would target our areas and especially young men, and we needed to find somebody that could provide us directions.

People are looking for those mentors. That is why it is essentially meaningful to highlight the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central California, whose impact as mentors is deeply felt across our region. Their dedication to serving children and families, particularly those facing adversity, strengthens our communities in lasting and measurable ways.

In fact, more than 30,000 lives have been impacted by Big Brothers Big Sisters in Central California alone. That number represents thousands of young people who have gained guidance, encouragement and consistency through one on one mentorship. It is proof that mentorship works. We even have a Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer on my team in our district office.

We recognize National Mentoring Month. We affirm the value of those relationships and encourage more Californians to step into the role of mentor. Because sometimes all it takes to change a life is someone willing to show up, listen and believe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

And I would like to open the roll for co authors and respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Assemblymember Tangipa, seeing and hearing no further debate. Clerk will open the roll for co authors. Members, this is for co authors. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes.

There are 66 co authors added without objection. We'll have a voice vote on the resolution. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Assemblymember Tangipa, you're recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you. Again, I am honored to welcome representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central California, an organization that has changed and continue to change the lives of tens of thousands of young people across the region.

This group joined me a couple weeks, a month ago actually in fishing in the city where we were able to bring a lot of inner city kids, take them to a local park, stock that park with a lot of fish, and if you could see the faces of these kids that caught some fish, you would understand just how important it is for them.

So joining us today we have Nick Lutton, the Vice President, Diane Penicum, the Executive Director and Monica Valero, the Media Director. Their work is amazing and I couldn't be more honored to represent them here in Sacramento. Thank you.

Okay Members, we are getting close to the end here. Decorum please. File item number 36 ACR 122 by Assembly Member Ahrens. The clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 122 by Assembly Member Ahrens relative to Anesthesiologist Week.

Assembly Member Ahrens, you are recognized.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, today I am proud to present ACR122 which designates this week as Anesthesiologist Week. Anesthesiologists are medical doctors who have completed four years of medical school, have the highest levels of training during anesthesiology residency and must complete between 12,000 and 16,000 inclusive hours of training prior to practicing independently.

The California Society of Anesthesiologists continues to take proactive steps to promote patient safety in all healthcare settings and increase education about pain management, safe opioid use and non opioid alternatives to pain management. Thank you for allowing me to present and I respectfully ask for an aye vote and the first roll call to be opened for co authors.

Thank you. Assemblymember Ahrens, all debate having ceased, the Clerk will open the roll. Members, this is for co authors. All Members vote who Desire to vote. This is for co authors. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. There are 70 co authors added without objection.

We'll take a voice vote on the resolution. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Assemblymember Ahrens, do you wish to. I understand you have guest introductions. You are recognized, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With me today in the rear of the chamber are several members of the California Society of Anesthesiologists: Dr. Patrick Farmer, Dr. Christina Menor, Dr. Christine Doyle--my constituent--Dr. Mark Thoma, Dr. Prabdit Sidhu, and Dr. Todd Primack. And up in the gallery are several additional representatives from the California Society of Anesthesiologists. Will you please join me in welcoming them to the chamber today?

Members, while those pictures are being taken at the rear of the chamber, I'm actually going to continue on. We're on the Senate Third Reading file. We're going to pass and retain on File Items 37 and 38. We are going to go back to Concurrence and Senate Amendments. We have-- we're pass and retain on File Item Number 1.

But file item number two. That's AB 1485 by Assembly Member Macedo. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Bill 1485 by Assembly Member Macedo and others an relating to taxation to take effect immediately. Tax levy.

Assemblymember Macedo, you are recognized. Decorum Members.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. AB 1485 is back on concurrence. Under current law, nonprofit organizations qualify for tax exemptions when they acquire land for public use, preservation or conservation purposes. Simultaneously, Native Indian tribes across California are working to reclaim and preserve lands that have deep ancestral cultural and environmental significance.

When land is returned to California's first people for conservation, we should be affording them the same tax treatment that nonprofits receive. AB 1485 brings equity to federally recognized tribes by making them eligible for the welfare exemption when land is held for conservation. Thank you. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Macedo. Assemblymember Ramos, the birthday boy. You are recognized.

Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I join my colleague in standing up for California's first people and their right to be able to move forward. I ask for your aye vote on AB 1485.

Thank you. Assemblymember Ramos seeking hearing no further debate. Assemblymember Macedo, do you wish to close?

Thank you to my colleague. Happy birthday. And Members, let's go home.

Thank you. Assemblymember Macedo. I'll debate having cease. Clerk will open the roll. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll tally votes: Ayes 69, Noes 0. The measure passes. Okay, we're moving on to the consent calendar.

Send amendments are concurred in Send amendments are concurred in. Moving on to the consent calendar. We're moving to a vote on the consent calendar. Does any Member wish to remove an item from the consent calendar? These are file items 39 through 43. Seeing and hearing none. The Clerk will read the second day consent calendar.

Assembly Bill 683 by Assembly Member Davies an act relating to business entities.

Clerk will open the roll on the consent calendar. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. Ayes 65 Noes 0. Consent calendar is adopted. Quick will read the remaining items on the consent calendar.

Assembly Bill 763

Ayes 65, Noes 0.

Assembly Bill 1126.

Ayes 65, Noes 0.

Assembly Bill 1278.

Ayes 65 Noes 0

And Senate Concurrent Resolution

Ayes 65 Noes 0. Moving on to announcements, I'm ordering the desk to be held open to process business from the budget Committee session schedules as follows. Friday, January 30th no floor session no check in session. Monday, February 2nd Session at 1pm Seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn.

Madam Majority leader moves and Mr. Lackey seconds that this House stands adjourned until Monday, February 2nd at 1pm Quorum call is lifted and we are adjourned. Vote changes from the Members des immediately upon adjournment. Assembly Member Dixon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Assembly Bill 1406 from no no to not voting. Thank you.

The vote change. Assembly Member Dixon. Assembly Bill 1406 no to not voting.

Assemblymember Davies.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. AB 762 from aye to not voting. Thank you.

Vote change. Assemblymember Davies. Assembly Bill 762 Aye to not voting.

Assemblymember Hoover.

Vote change. File item 18. AB 1171 No to Aye.

Vote change. Assemblymember Hoover. Assembly Bill 1171 No to aye.

Assemblymember Bennett.

Vote change. AB 292. Patterson. Aye to not voting.

Vote change. Assemblymember Bennett. Assembly Bill 292 Aye to not voting.

Assembly Member Muratsuchi.

Vote change. File item 31. AB 1439 Aye to not voting.

Vote change. Assembly Member Muratsuchi, Assembly Bill 1439, Aye to not voting.