Assembly Floor

Morning, California. Happy Black History Month. The Assembly is now in session. Not sure if we have a quorum. I sure wish somebody would notice the absence of a quorum. Assemblymember Dixon. Assemblymember Dixon, can you please alert Assemblymember Wallis? Assembly Member Wallis notices the absence of a quorum. Sergeant at arms will prepare the chamber. Bring in the absent Members. Clerk will call the roll.

[Roll Call]

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

As the black caucus recognizes Black History Month and honor our unsung heroes, we will conduct a simplified version of our libation ceremony.

For those that don't know, libation in Africa is a ritual of heritage, a drink offering to honor and please the creator, our sacred ancestors, humans present and not present, as well as the environment, this ritual is also practiced in many places all over the world.

Libation ceremonies promote the cosmic order of oneness and balance of the beings and the things in the universe, safeguarding the correct relations among them and between them.

The origins of libations are so old that the first records of the ritual can be found in the legends, myths, sacred literature, and language of Kemet, which is ancient Egypt over 5,000 years ago. An African proverb tells us that people who lack the knowledge of their past are like a tree without roots.

So in the spirit of remembrance, we do this libation. We honor the past so that we may learn from it. We honor the importance of family. We raise our cup to God to share our reverence for the original source of our lives.

We use cool water to freshen the road our ancestors traveled to be here with us today. And we use cool water as a symbol of the continuity of life, to purify and to nourish our souls. We do this to celebrate us sharing this sacred space together. It is said that through others, we are somebody.

So through this ceremony, we brought in our family circle, Remember our heritage and recall those who gave us life. We call upon our ancestors, our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers, our fathers, grandfathers, and our great grandfathers, uncles, aunts and cousins. The foundations of our families immortalized in our thoughts.

We call upon our elders, whose wisdom we seek in all endeavors, our friends, whom we are blessed to have in our lives, our parents, who guided us along the road to adulthood. And we call upon family who have passed over and could not be here today, but we ask that they be with us in our thoughts.

Therefore, we cast our libations to the north, to the south, to the east, and to the west. And this is a time where we get to call out our ancestors, our unsung heroes in our own lives.

And as we do so, and we hear their names, we respond with the African word ashe, meaning, if I say it, let it be so. For you church folks, it's like saying Amen. It's like saying a ho. It's like saying palabra. It's a recognition that we recognize it as true and as a blessing.

So at this time, we would take out the time to just call out an ancestor that you would like to recognize today. Your unsung hero. I call out my grandmother, Leota Jackson, and I say, Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. Ashe.

And as we have called out the names of those who have meant so much to us in our own lives and whose thoughts, who continue to be in our thoughts and our hearts today, let us live our lives in such a way and treat others in such a way so that with others may gather and it's their turn to call out a name that we may be blessed to be called out amongst them. Let us all say Ashe.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, as you join the Black Caucus, we are standing in justice rooted in power. And as we reflect recite the pledge. We affirm a profound, resilient hope in an indivisible nation striving to fully realize the promise of liberty and justice for all. Please join me. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag and to the republic for which it stands, One nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all.

May be seated. To our guests and visitors today, State law prohibits persons in the chamber 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 202026 the Assembly met at 1pm The Honorable Josh Lowenthal, Speaker Pro temporary of the Assembly, presiding. Chief Clerk Sue Parker at the desk, reading. Clerk David A. Bowman reading. Roll call.

Mr. Bryan moves and Ms. Bonta seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with presentations and petitions. There are none. Introduction and reference of bills will be deferred. Reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the Governor? There are none. Messages from the Senate? There are none.

Moving on to motions and resolutions. The absences of the day for maternity leave, Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez. For illness, Assemblymember Chen, Muratsuchi and Sanchez onto procedural motions. Madam Majority Leader, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Irwin and Gipson to speak on an adjournment in memory today.

Without objection. Such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly rule 118A to allow Assembly Member Pellerin to have guests in the rear of the chamber. Assemblymember Johnson to have a guest seated at her desk. Assemblymember Bryan to have guests on the floor for the Black History Month. History. And assemblymember Ahrens to have guests in the gallery. Without objection.

Such shall be the order. Pursuant to Assembly Rule 97, I move to re refer File Items 12 and 13, SB107, Laird, and SB117, Budget and Fiscal review to the budget Committee.

Without objection. Such shall be the order. Okay, we are moving on to business on the daily file. Going to begin with the Assembly third reading.

Members, we will now move to the Assembly observance of Black History Month. Without objections. We will now take up File item number eight, Assembly Concurrence Resolution number 134, Bryant.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 134 by Assemblymember Bryan and others, relative to black history month.

Assemblymember Bryan, you may open on your measure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Happy Black History Month. I was thinking this morning when I woke up, I am the 35th black man to ever serve in the State Legislature. The 34th is presiding. The 36th is our brother from Reno Valley. In fact, we're the only black man in the Legislature currently. Had me thinking about history.

Today is 100 years that we've been celebrating black history in this country, but we know black history goes long before that hundred years. In 1619, the first slave ships arrived here on this soil and then became two centuries of subjugation, bondage, slavery, rape, torture, family separation, lineage-based violence like the world hadn't seen before.

Then the Civil War, which former slaves and currently enslaved people fought in that war and afterwards, believing they had secured their freedom, walked into the Jim Crow era, the black codes, intentional laws, especially in the south, that undermine the foundations of the constitution. The inability to assemble peacefully, the inability to own a firearm, the inability to exist.

And if you broke any of these black codes, you could be sent to prison and then leased back to the same plantations that your ancestors served for 200 years. That's the history of this country. That's modern day history.

We have living relatives from the black code and Jim Crow era, the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement, justice for all. "I Have a Dream." We celebrated Martin Luther King in January, but we often don't think about the kind of conditions folks were living in that led to the need for the civil rights movement.

Separate but unequal, blatant outright discrimination. The inability to live freely, to purchase homes, to exist in neighborhoods. Back in slavery, we were prohibited from reading and writing. Three hundred years later, our children are still the most under invested in when it comes to our education, the poorest education outcomes. These relationships are not the failure of black children.

It's the afterlives of this history. We're dealing with many of these afterlives today. I had the privilege of leading a delegation with my colleagues from the Black Caucus this past September to Selma, Alabama. Nearly 20 of you went with us.

And I remember walking through with our speaker Pro Tem, tears running down his face, connecting the through lines of that history, realizing that it didn't end at emancipation. It didn't end at Brown v. Board of Education. It didn't end at the Civil Rights Era. It hasn't ended today. We used freeways to split neighborhoods, black neighborhoods.

We still have separate and unequal schools. It's still significantly more difficult for black Americans and black Californians to get approval for a home loan to buy their first home. Mass incarceration still disproportionately targets black people and black men and black boys. In fact, here in California, we were still fighting wildfires with slave labor until last year.

So, while we acknowledge and celebrate this 100 years of black history, I think it's also important that we ground ourselves in a call to action. The work is not yet done, and we have a role to play in it. We are living in black history right now.

For the Members of the Black Caucus, that's a weighted responsibility in these times. But I hope for everybody else you feel the songs a strong sense of allyship because black folks didn't liberate ourselves by ourselves. We didn't fight for civil rights alone by ourselves.

And we are not going to continue to make progress in this country by ourselves. Change has always taken all of us and I respectfully ask for your aye vote on ACR 134.

Assemblywoman Pellerin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. On behalf of the Jewish Caucus, I rise in strong support of ACR 134 recognizing the centennial anniversary of Black History Month. Black History Month is a time to honor the generations of African Americans whose resilience, leadership, and courage have shaped our state and our nation.

Their contributions are woven into every part of the American story, in our democracy, our culture, our economy, and our ongoing pursuit of justice. It is also a moment of reflection. Black History includes triumph and progress, but it also includes painful chapters that challenge us to confront injustice honestly.

A strong democracy depends on our willingness to tell the full story and learn from it. The Jewish community understands the sacred responsibility of remembrance. We know that preserving history is essential to protecting freedom and human dignity. We also recognize the enduring partnership between black and Jewish communities in advancing civil rights and equal protection under the law.

This resolution affirms a simple but profound principle that all people are equal, that constitutional rights must be safeguarded, and that every Californian deserves respect, opportunity, and full participation in civic life.

As we mark 100 years of Black History Month, let us recommit ourselves to building a future worthy of that history, one rooted in equality, dignity, and justice for all. In that spirit and on behalf of the Jewish Caucus, I respectfully ask for your aye vote on ACR 134.

Thank you. Member Ransom, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise in strong support of ACR 134. Black History Month is an opportunity to honor generations of black Americans whose bravery, courage, leadership, and sacrifices have shaped our nation. From science to the arts, business to public service, Black Americans have profoundly influenced each and every part of our society.

That is in spite of handicaps and obstacles that have been placed in front of us. Black Californians have fundamentally changed the culture of this entire country through music, movie, literature, sports, research, and beyond, all while defying stereotypes. You see, America would not be America without the contribution of black Americans.

And trailblazing Black Californians continue to open doors that have been unjustly closed to them for generations, not only by achieving personal success, but by dismantling systemic barriers and expanding access to the very institutions that have once denied us entry.

We have made our workforce stronger, our schools smarter, and our Legislature more representative in the state of California. And as the most diversive state in the country, our strengths come from recognizing, not erasing, histories of our people and the priceless contributions that we have made to these communities.

With that said, I respectfully ask for your aye vote on ACR 134.

Member Caloza, you're recognized.

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker and Members. Thank you to my colleague from Los Angeles for bringing this important resolution forward. On behalf of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I rise in support of ACR 134 to recognize February as Black History Month.

Black History Month is a time to honor courage, resilience, and the brilliance of black Americans who have shaped this nation, often in the face of extraordinary injustice. Black History Month is not separate from American History; it is central to it.

Because of leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., who called us toward a beloved community rooted in justice, and organizers like Ella Baker, who reminded us that strong communities build lasting change, our democracy is stronger and more inclusive today.

Because of the bravery of people like Congressman John Lewis and the moral clarity of Fannie Lou Hamer, generations of Americans gained access to the ballot and a voice in our political system. Their struggle expanded rights, not just for black communities, but for all of us.

And as we reflect on this month, we must also recognize the deep and powerful history of black and Asian American solidarity. Activist Yuri Kochiyama stood alongside Malcolm X, grounding her own fight for justice and the liberation of black communities.

In Detroit, Grace Lee Boggs spent decades organizing black workers and neighbors, building multiracial coalitions for economic justice and community empowerment. Here in California, labor leader Kent Wong—we just lost—carried forward that legacy, building solidarity between black, Asian, Latino, and immigrant workers, reminding us that when workers stand together, everyone rises.

These leaders understood something fundamental, that our struggles are interconnected. Solidarity is not automatic. It is intentional. It requires us to confront anti blackness in our own communities. It requires us to listen. It requires us to show up for one another, especially in difficult moments. Black History Month is both a celebration and a call to action.

A call to protect voting rights. A call to advance economic justice. A call to build a multiracial democracy where every community can thrive, because when black communities thrive, our entire nation thrives. Lastly, I also want to thank my colleagues in the Black Caucus.

I had an incredible opportunity to travel with you to Alabama a few months ago, where we got to spend time with our friends at Smart Justice and the Glide Center for Social Justice, where we visited sites in Selma and Montgomery to deepen our collective understanding of our country's history of mass incarceration and racial inequality.

So, as we recognize Black History Month today, let us not only celebrate history, but reaffirm our commitment to a future where the dreams and opportunity and justice can be realized for every single person. And with that, I strongly ask my colleagues to vote aye on ACR 134. Thank you.

Thank you. Member Bonta, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise today on behalf of the Legislative Women's Caucus and on behalf of the beautiful black children who call my district and this great state home, to recognize Black History Month.

This year marks the hundredth anniversary of Black History Month, and we honor it by celebrating the achievements, resilience, and lasting contributions of black Americans throughout our history. It is time to reflect not only on our struggle but on our strength, leadership, progress, and resilience.

Black women have been at the forefront of that change, shaping history while fighting for equality, justice, and opportunity, often while facing both racial and gender discrimination. Hailing from Oakland, I'm proud to stand on the shoulders of giants like Elaine Brown of the Black Panther Party, of Mayor Barbara Lee, of Vice President Kamala Harris, of Rev. Wanda Johnson, of Mama Mary, of the women far and wide, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, and Shirley Chisholm, who plays the path I now walk.

And as a Chair of Assembly Health, I think today, especially of the black woman who built the very foundations of American medicine, of Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first black woman to earn a medical degree in the country, who used that degree to care for people who had been enslaved and had no one else. Of Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston, who fought to make sickle cell disease screening routine at birth, saving countless lives.

Of Kizzmekia Corbett, whose research helped develop the COVID 19 vaccine, protecting millions around the world. These women did not just practice medicine; they fought for the right to practice medicine. And it is because of that and their hard-earned work that we've been able to win the seat to fight for the most vulnerable.

I'm honored to Chair the Assembly Health Committee and have a counterpart in the Senate Health, Dr. Senator Weber-Pierson. And I am proud that for the first time in California's history, the health committees in both chambers are simultaneously chaired by black women. That is living history.

Black History Month reminds us that black history is not only about the past, but it is also living history. Our living history, still being written today by us, right here.

The legacy and leadership of black women, past and present, our fights, our sense of community, our unabashed, unashamed willingness to stand up, not for one, not just for the black community, but for every single one of us is the reason why we are able to pursue justice, equality, and opportunity for all. With that, I ask for your support for ACR 134.

Thank you very much. Member Ramos, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And today, I rise on behalf of the California Native American Legislative Caucus to rise and join in the celebration of Black History Month. This month is a time to reflect on the incredible contributions California's African American community has contributed to the success of the state of California and this nation.

We honor their resilience—those on this floor here today, and the ancestors—and recognize the impact of black culture, innovation, and leadership in our society where they have transcended barriers and reshaped our communities for the better, despite a horrid history and a horrid past by the United States and the state of California.

That we look past that to see the resilience, the resilience of the members on this floor here today and their ancestors, to speak up for equal justice in today and 2026 to make sure that their voices resonate on this Assembly floor, a growing number of people want to forget black history.

But we should embrace that history and not dwell on the past but look towards the future. The future of unification, of history unfolding in front of us today. The Native American community shares a common thread with our brothers and sisters, a thread in history. And we have unified around each other, side by side, in times of peril.

We continue to stand side by side today in honoring the names that have been called out on this floor here today, in honoring all of our ancestors that we stand together side by side, for all. And let us not just have one day, one month, to remember the contributions of our brothers and sisters.

Let's remember it every day we take our seats here on this floor because none of us could be in these seats if it wasn't for those that paved the way to bring down opposition, oppression, in the history of the state of California.

I personally have had the pleasure of marching with an unsung hero here in these Capitol grounds. And that's the late Reverend Jesse Jackson, who brought attention where we stood side by side again in times of peril to bring justice to the Native American community here in the state of California, side by side and sharing that common thread.

It's time that we all unify around one another and share and share in the great history and contributions in honor, Black History Month. Again, not dwelling on the past, but looking towards the future of standing side by side and making sure that the voices of those continue to resonate on these floors and in these chambers.

Not just one month, but every month of the year, I ask for your aye support on ACR 134.

Thank you very much. Member Rodriguez, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, today, I rise on behalf of the Latino Legislative Caucus in support of ACR 134, which recognizes February as Black History Month. This year marks 100-year anniversary of February, celebrating the inspiring stories and historical contributions of African Americans across the United States.

Every facet of our state and this nation, from science and the economy to public health and education, owes many thanks to generations of black Americans and their contributions which have helped shape our world into more righteous, better version of itself.

Here in California, black leaders have helped move our state forward, breaking barriers in their Legislature, in this Legislature, serving in statewide office, and championing justice, equity, and opportunity for all.

Over the past century, we have witnessed extraordinary milestones, from the Civil Rights Movement to the election of the first black President and Vice President, to historic appointments at the highest levels of our government and courts. Black History Month is not only about honoring the past; it's about shaping the future.

And we do that by channeling the legacy of our leaders, like Reverend Jesse Jackson, whose lifetime of work was an inspiration for so many successes, and now and in the future, it's about investing in our children, protecting the right to vote, expanding opportunity, and building California where every person can thrive. Our shared history, celebrating Black history is still being written, and this is why I ask that you join the Latino Caucus in supporting ACR 134. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Member Solache, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus in support of ACR 134, celebrating Black History Month. Every February, we honor the courage, resilience, and immeasurable contributions of black Americans. Black history is American history. Importantly, it is a story of our collective quest for justice. The truth feels especially urgent today.

Black history is—across this country, we are witnessing a coordinated effort to erase and censor history rather than learn from it. From Harriet Tubman and Baynard Rustin to today's movement leaders, Black Americans have shaped this nation even while being systematically excluded from its promises.

Black history is a story of resilience and in the face of injustice, the victories secured by black civil rights leaders establish the foundation for Latino civil rights, immigrant justice, disability rights, and LGBTQ equality. Black leaders taught us the one that none of us are one of—sorry, Black leaders taught us that none of us are free until all of us are free.

As members of the LGBTQ Caucus, we know that black and brown activists were instrumental in igniting Stonewall and advancing equality. Recognizing Black History Month affirms that in California, we are committed to protecting history in our schools, in our public spaces, and in our laws.

I repeat that, in our laws, so future generations understand that we have achieved and how much more can be achieved together. Members, let's recommit ourselves to protecting that and advancing the dream of true justice and equality for all.

On behalf of the LGBTQ Caucus, I greatly thank our brothers and sisters of the California Legislative Black Caucus for this important resolution. Thank you, speaker and Members. I respectfully ask for an aye vote on ACR 134. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Dr. Sharp-Collins, you're recognized.

As I always do start off, happy Black History Month and good afternoon, Chair and Members. I rise in support of ACR 134. It is an honor to stand before you today as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. This is a month in this month itself is a time to reflect.

It is a time to acknowledge, but also, it is a time to respect the immense contributions of black Americans. Black is not confined to a singular narrative, but it is woven into the very fabric of the American and global story. I want to focus today on the full breadth of black history.

As black history is American history, it is history that has built this nation. It is the history that has taken us honestly back to the beginning of time, starting with our genius, meaning our history does not begin with slavery, nor does it end with the Civil Rights Movement.

It begins in ancient Kemet, as you all call Egypt, going back to 3100 BC, the Nile Valley civilization and the kingdom of Kush Nubia, and so much more. This is a critical time for all of us. It's a critical time for all of us in this room and a time for all of us in this entire nation.

We have White House leadership seeking to remove our history, to remove our culture. We are under attack and we have been mocked, we have been dehumanized, and as a result of the color of our skin, reducing blacks to the narrative that continue, which is the stereotypes, and they're perpetuating the system of inequality.

After so many movements over the years, Brown v. Board of Education, Civil Rights Movement, Voting Rights Act, the Poor People Campaign, Black Lives Matter Movement, and so many more, the message is still the same. When you look at this world today, we see that not much has changed.

And we continue to fall back on a promise that was made to this country, which was rooted in justice, and here, we are continuing to do everything we can to stand in our power. We are still facing challenges as blacks, as Africans, as African Americans. We must achieve twice as much to receive the same recognition as others.

I'm sick and tired of being tired. Half of what is good and double what is bad. That's what we hear. That's what we continue to fight against. This day reminds us of what it is, what it was, and what's to come. So...look back so we can move forward.

Let's take this opportunity to share our stories of our past and shape the narratives as we continue to fight every single day to gain the respect and credit that we, as blacks in this country, deserves. Civil rights, they are human rights, but black history is everybody's history.

So, to be here celebrating today, yeah, this is a day, this is a month. But I said this last year, I'm black every day of my life. As long as I am black, I am historic. So, it's not about just celebrating today. You're going to celebrate for 365 days a year.

And I can tell you that we cannot talk about American history without talking about African American, black history in this country. So, last week when I spoke, I asked, what side of history do you want to be on and what kind of ancestor do you really want to be?

And when I closed that out, I said, think about it. And if you remember, I said clock it. I meant that. So, honoring black contributions, it is a continued call to action. It is black consciousness. So, with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote on ACR 134.

And once again, what type of history, really, what side of history do you want to be on and what ancestry do you want to be? As I said last week, think about it and clock it.

Mr. Demaio, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the passion of my colleague from San Diego and the remarks made by many of my colleagues from the other side. My colleague from San Diego rightfully decried the stereotypes.

This morning when I woke up, I, as I usually do, as I was waiting for my flight up here, got up on news and I saw what at first I thought had to be an AI generated clip of our Governor making remarks to a mostly black audience, saying that the reason why they should identify with him is that he can't read and he has low SAT scores.

I agree with my colleague from San Diego. Yeah, the stereotypes are, on many levels, despicable and worthy of being called out. Many have been calling out our Governor during this Black History Month. I would encourage my colleagues from the other side of the aisle to do the same.

Seeing and hearing no further debate. Mr. Bryan—my apologies, Mr. Jackson, you're recognized.

You know, one thing that black history tells us is how white supremacy works. You see, white supremacy says, that I think that I have the right to tell another community story, that I have the right that while a people are celebrating their ancestors and the great history of resilience, of faith and triumph, that I have the right to disrupt that in order to create my own message.

That's why we say white supremacy continues to live today.

We would never, as a black community, because we know how important it is, we would never interrupt another person's or another group's history and story being told in this...body in order to put our own views in place, because we know that it is disrespectful, it is dishonest, it is disgusting.

But we still have people on this floor who believe that they are so great amongst themselves, that their story is more important. It was done last year with Cesar Chavez. It continues to be done.

And at some point, you have to say within yourselves, what's wrong with my own humanity that I will take up this floor in order to disrupt a sacred ritual we all participate in?

What's wrong with my humanity that I cannot be honorable to other people to let them have their own space, yet demand that they have their space every time they talk? There is something wrong with a person's soul that they have to work out with themselves.

And I pray to God that he will help these people on this floor to truly understand what being a human being is all about. So, I pray for their soul. We pray for their soul. Because there's no way you can represent a diverse people when you still think you're the most important.

Respectfully ask for an aye vote, an ACR 134.

Assemblymember McKinnor.

Seeing and hearing no further debate. Assemblyman Bryan, you may close on this measure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to all of my colleagues who spoke up. My brother from San Bernardino and Linwood, Los Angeles, San Diego. My sister from P Town, and of course, the family from Oakland and Merino Valley and Stockton. I think we've seen today why moments like this are so important.

I get asked all the time, how come you're always talking about the bad stuff that happens to black folks or the bad stuff that happened to black folks, and that's because it hasn't stopped happening. We didn't come here seeking refuge. We didn't flee, seeking asylum. We didn't immigrate here. We were stolen.

Millions died as property in the Atlantic Ocean, their bodies in the bottom of that ocean floor today. Many more died here on the homeland, separated from their families, bred, beaten, maimed, mocked. Our laws affirmed this. Even laws here in California passed in this body, the most draconian fugitive slave law in the country.

Here in California, the Supreme Court was not infallible. Dred Scott was declared property. Plessy v. Ferguson. We have had to fight for everything. And every time we make progress, somebody tries to knock us back, whether it's distracting and telling us black folks what we should be outraged about today on Black History Month, while sitting silent when we tell you what we actually are outraged about.

Those distractions don't knock us off our cause, though, because like the Member from San Bernardino said, we are resilient. Dare I say we are the most resilient people who ever lived, so resilient that they call us magic.

Everything that is good, that has ever been good, for the betterment of black people has been good for everybody. That is the through line in American history. When you take care of black folks, you take care of this country.

And this country should take care of black folks, because for over 400 years, black folks have been taking care of this country. It's important that we reflect and we look backwards at history, but it's even more important that we realize that we're living in it, that the active erasure of that history is happening in real time.

The silencing of the modern heroes is happening at this time. The incarceration of black journalists in Minneapolis just a few weeks ago, civil rights leaders, the fact that Jesse Jackson won't be buried as an American hero, but podcasters can. All of these things represent the injustices that are still occurring.

And that is why black history isn't just a celebration and a day of reflection. It is a call to action. It is a plea to continue to make black progress and black history with us. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Mr. Bryan, would you like the first roll to be open for co authors? Thank you very much. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the first roll for co authors. All Members wishing to vote. All Members voting who desire to vote. All Members who desire to vote. All Members desire to vote.

This is for co authors. Members, The Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes 74 votes for CO authors to be added without objections. We will now take a voice vote on the resolution. All in favor signed by Aye. All opposed say no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

Members, today we will be celebrating Black History Month by recognizing unsung heroes across the state. California Legislative Black Caucus has established the Unsung Heroes award in honor of of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. To celebrate those who have embodied the philosophy of his ideals. We continue to do this tradition to recognize distinguished individuals being honored.

Today I have appointed an escort Committee who will bring these honorees on the floor for the ceremony. Members, when I call your name, if you can please go to the rear of the chambers. Member Bryan, Bonta, Elhawary, Gipson, McKennor, Ransom, Sharp-Collins, Wilson. Also in the front we will ask our Speaker Robert Rivas. Republican Leader Heath Flora.

Legislative Black Caucus Chair, Senator Akilah Weber Pierson. Would you please move to the front and the center of the aisle to receive our honorees? Members, it is now time to introduce and welcome our unsung heroes for 2026. The Clerk will read.

Escorted by Assemblymember Bryan is Leroy Hamilton. Leroy Fotoham Hamilton is an acclaimed self taught photographer and visual archivist known as the James Vander C of South Central whose work documents and celebrates the history, culture and excellence of black Angelenos. Please welcome Leroy Hamilton. Escorted by Assemblymember Miabanta is Marilyn Washington Harris.

Marilyn Washington Harris is a gun violence prevention and community based interdiction advocate and the founder and Director of the Gaddafi Washington Foundation. Supporting families navigating devastating loss by offering prayer, compassion and immediate practical resources. Please welcome Marilyn Washington Harris.

Escorted by Assemblymember El Hawari is Vernell Brown. Vernell Brown is a lead community intervention worker for the office of Los Angeles City Council President Marquise Harris Dawson and and a proud native of South Los Angeles. Vernell advances peace and violence prevention strategies by working alongside residents, local businesses, community intervention teams, city departments and the Mayor's office.

Please welcome Vernell. Escorted by assuming Member Gibson is Dr. Javon Hilton. Dr. Javon Hilton is a Carson native, local pastor and a City council Member committed to strengthening neighborhoods through faith, education and public service and whose leadership continues to inspire meaningful change and empower families throughout the community. Please welcome Dr. Javon Hilton.

Escorted by Assemblymember McKennor is Robert Pullen Miles. Mayor Robert Pullen Miles was first elected to the Lawndale City Council in 2004 following his service as chair of the Lawndale Planning Commission.

His tenure reflects more than 22 years of dedicated public service, having served as a District Representative to Assemblyman Carl Washington, State Senator Jenny Orbiza, State Senator Ted Lieu, Assemblymember Autumn Burke and Los Angeles City Councilmember Heather Hutt. Please welcome Robert Pullen Miles. Escorted by Assembly Member Ransom is Bernice King Tingle.

Bernice King Tingle is the Vice Mayor of California's newest city, Mountain House, California and has served her community for decades through people centered approaches to encourage genuine community engagement and help guide policy decisions in the state. Please welcome Bernice King Tingle.

Escorted by Assemblymember Sharpe Collins is Dr. Susan Aflalo. Suzanne Aflalo is a dedicated family physician, Medical Director of Alliance Health Clinic and a community health leader who has spent more than 25 years advancing equitable patient centered care for underserved communities in San Diego. Please welcome Dr. Suzanne Aflalo.

Escorted by Assemblymember Wilson is Vincent Hayes. Vincent Hayes is a 20 year old Vacaville Volunteer firefighter who saved a man in cardiac arrest while on vacation at Disneyland last year. His efforts were nothing short of amazing.

Hayes began his journey at the Fire Academy just last month, continuing his commitment to serving others and demonstrating extraordinary courage, composure and selfishness at a young age. Please welcome Vincent Hayes. Escorted by Assemblymember Sharp-Collins. On behalf of Senator Weber Pierson is Jason Chanley.

San Diego Fire Rescue Department Captain Jason Chandley is the founder and President of Homework San Diego, a groundbreaking initiative born out of the collaboration between local firefighter Jason Shanley and the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council. Please welcome Jason Shanley.

Escorted by assuming Member Gibson on behalf of Senator Richardson is Rosie Lee Hooks. Rosie Lee Hooks is Director of the Rosie Lee Hooks Watchtowers Art center and a multidisciplinary artist whose career spans more than 35 years. Please welcome Rosie Lee Hooks. Escorted by Assemblymember El Hawari. On behalf of Senator Smallwood-Cuevas is Lauren Brazile.

Lauren Brazile is the founder and Executive Director of We Grow la, a Los Angeles based nonprofit advancing food access, sustainability and community wellness, expanding community driven improvements across Southern California. Please welcome Lauren Brazile. Unable to attend Today is Cleveland CJ Johnson nominated by Assemblymember Jackson.

Cleveland CJ Johnson is a 20 year veteran of the US Air Force, serving in Vietnam, Europe, Western Asia and the United States. Following his service, he held several prominent community roles in addition to serving as a Member of the Moreno Valley Unified Board of education since 2018 until his retirement from the board in January 2026.

Please join the Legislative Black Caucus in recognizing Cleveland CJ Johnson for his contributions to the State of California.

We want to congratulate and thank all of our honorees. So please move to the Senator aisle for a group photo.

And on behalf of Vice Chair Isaac Bryant and the Members of the California Legislative Black Caucus, thank you for helping us commemorate Black History Month celebration for their contributions to Black America, for the State of California and to our nation as we mark the celebration.

A copy Members, on your desk is a book of Miseducation of the Negro by Dr. Carter Woodson that we place on your desk. So please. This is a gift from the California Legislative Black Caucus. Members, in honor of the centennial anniversary of Black History Month, the Legislative Black Caucus will be hosting a reception today at the Brasserie.

From five to seven Members and their staff are all welcome to attend this reception. This concludes the Assembly observance of Black History Month. As an honoree, after the finish of taking their photograph, please exit the building and thank you very much. Let's give them one more round of applause.

Okay, Members, we are going to continue on with our day. And before we get back to business, I noticed that retired Assemblymember Matt Harper is on the floor. Will you join me in recognizing former Assemblymember Matt Harper? Thank you, Members. Decorum. And on the topic of introductions, Assemblymember Avila Farias, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise proudly to recognize and welcome students from my district in Contra Costa County. With us in the gallery. Joining us today are the seniors from De La Salle High School and Crondalent High School. Today, these civic students have received a.

Unique hands on opportunity to explore the Legislature process and to apply concepts that they learned to the real legislation. I'm confident that these bright young minds will someday be standing on this green carpet. Members, please join me in welcoming these inspirational and talented future leaders.

Thank you, Assemblymember Avila Farias. Assemblymember Nguyen, you are recognized. Just a moment, Assemblymember.

Thank you, Mr. Members, I'm proud to bring a group of dedicated parents and we, all of us who are parents, love when you get dedicated parents who are committed to shaping policies and programs that protect and also work with our children because we know that our children deserve a life that is inclusive of everything around us.

And so please help me and welcoming these dedicated, amazing parents who are from the Sacramento region and are from the Parent Mentoring Advisory Group up there in the gallery. Please give them a round of applause for being here and for the work that they do in our community.

Thank you, Assemblymember Nguyen. Assemblymember Johnson, you are recognized for your very significant other. Guest introduction.

Awesome. Very significant other. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that today I have the privilege of introducing a very special guest, my husband, Scott Johnson. Public service is never an individual journey, as we all know it is a family commitment.

The long hours, the time away from home, and the weight of this responsibility are only possible because of his strength, his patience, and his unwavering support. Scott manages his business, carries the load at home, and fiercely loves our family, making it possible for me to stand on this floor with you and serve.

I'm not sure either of us fully understood the weight of this sacrifice or the role and the time that this would require, but I am endlessly grateful that he stands by my side, even when that means standing back at home.

Colleagues, please join me in his first time on the floor welcoming a man you would all be fortunate to know and whom I'm blessed to call my partner in life for the last 25 years, Mr. Scott Johnson.

Welcome. Mr. Johnson, welcome. Welcome, Assemblymember Ahrens, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I have the privilege of introducing today some amazing community college students and staff. With me today in the gallery I have Corima Martinez, Logan Fisher, Angela Panamino, Natasha Hernandez, Arelli Solis, Jada Servicit, Christina Herrera and Brian Campos. Sure, many are the first in their families to go to college.

Our future legislators, can you please give a warm California welcome to my guests in the gallery.

Welcome, future leaders. Okay, Members, we are going to go back to business on the daily file concurrence files item items 1 and 2. We're going to pass and retain reconsideration file items 3 through 5. All items shall be continued back to the Assembly. Third reading file. We're going to pass, retain and file item six.

That brings us to file item number seven. Decorum, Members. Thank you. Members. File item number seven. That's ACR 132 by Assemblymember Dixon.

The Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 132By Assemblymember Dickson and others relative to Rare Disease Day.

Assembly Member Dixon, you are recognized.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members, as the Vice Chair of the Rare Disease Caucus, I am proud to rise today to introduce ACR132, Rare Disease Day. As many Members of this body may remember, in 2023, I carried a piece of legislation creating the California ALS Research Network voluntary Contribution Fund.

As awareness now grows for als, it is still a rare disease with a death sentence. Like many other rare diseases, I ran this Bill in honor of my mother who passed away from ALS 22 years ago. I have personally witnessed the devastating and unrelenting progression of this rare disease.

I remember vividly when my brilliant mother could only blink her eyes and move her little pinky figure. But she was still there. Unfortunately, there is no cure. Yet. I join advocates, parents, children and doctors in bringing focus to rare diseases. A rare disease is a condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.

Examples of rare diseases include ALS, or their official name is amniotropic lateral Sclerosis. Als, Spina bifida, cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease. I can't pronounce this. Achondroplasia and many more, as well as other rare diseases you've just never heard of. I've never heard of. And to know how many there are, it's devastating.

According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, one out of every 10Americans lives with a rare disease. And there are more than 30 million people in the United States now living with rare diseases. Rare diseases touch many of us in this chamber, with many people having one degree of separation from someone with a rare disease.

California has long been a leader in developing innovative treatments and care models and we must continue to strive for leadership within the life sciences sector. Rare Disease Day is observed on the last day of February to raise awareness about rare diseases and their impact on the individuals, their families and and their community Members.

I respectfully ask on behalf of the Chair Member from Santa Monica and myself to join US in observing February 28 as rare disease Day. Thank you.

Thank you Assemblymember Dixon, Assemblymember Zbur, you are recognized.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. As Chair of the California Rare Disease Caucus, I'm pleased to stand alongside the Vice Chair of the Caucus and our colleague from Newport beach in strong support of ACR 132.

This resolution recognizes February 28th as rare disease Day and reaffirms our commitment to raising awareness and supporting individuals and families affected by rare diseases across California. A rare disease is defined as a condition affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States, but collectively, rare diseases impact an estimated 1 in 10 Californians.

These are often life threatening or severely disabling conditions, and while there are more than 10,000 identified rare diseases, only a small fraction have approved treatments. Rare diseases significantly impact patients and their families. Patients and their loved ones often wait years, sometimes seven or eight years, just to receive a diagnosis.

That's years spent searching for answers while symptoms worsen and conditions progress. Despite each rare disease's nature, patients struggle with common challenges, including frustrating barriers to get a diagnosis, limited and expensive treatment options, difficulty accessing services, and significant, significant issues with with insurance coverage, among many other things.

This as with my colleague from Newport Beach, this issue is deeply personal to me as well. I watched my sister lose her health and ultimately her life due to ALS as well.

During that time, her doctor prescribed treatments that could help manage her symptoms and slow her progression, but some of them were denied by insurance simply because they were considered awfully labeled. In other words, her doctor who specialized in ALS and who understood her condition determined the care that she needed.

But an insurance reviewer who likely never treated ALS and who did not know my sister got the final say. Understanding that my sister's conditions and my sister's experience is not unique but is typical of people facing rare diseases.

I will continue to fight for the rare disease community on behalf of my sister and the many people in the rare disease community who share the struggles that she did. Recognizing Rare Disease Day is a crucial step in raising awareness of the challenges this community faces and in reaffirming our commitment to support those living with rare diseases.

I thank the co chair of the California Rare Disease Caucus for carrying this resolution this year and I'm proud to be a principal co author. This sends a strong message that the Legislature is here to support those afflicted by rare diseases. I strongly ask for your aye vote.

Thank you Assembly Member Zbur. Assemblymember Ransom, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise as a Member of the Rare Disease Caucus and in strong support of ACR132. One in ten American lives, lives. One in ten Americans live with a rare disease. Though each condition may be rare on its own, together they affect millions of families across this country.

And right here in California, I ask my colleagues to please think about your own lives, your neighbors, your friends, your families and maybe even yourself. Someone you know is impacted by a rare condition. California is the best state in the nation and maybe the world for the people with rare diseases who seek treatment.

We are the home to groundbreaking research institutions, innovative biotechnology and world class medical centers that make longer, healthier lives possible. Conditions like Hemophilia, which less than a century ago shortened life expectancy by decades and kept children bedridden for fear of injury, are now highly treatable.

People today live full, active, healthy lives because of scientific progress and sustained investment. Rare Disease Day gives us the opportunity to recognize how far we've come and and how many lives have been and can continue to be transformed. It also reminds us that much work remains.

Hundreds of rare diseases still have no treatment and thousands have no cure.

So during Rare Disease Week, I hope that this body is reminded of our commitment to the families and the communities in our district who count on us to keep pushing and to keep fighting for California's research to reach its full potential, to expand access and to above all, lead with compassion.

And with that, I respectfully ask for your Aye vote on ACR 132.

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

Thank you Mr. Speaker and Members. I also rise in support of ACR 132. And I do so because at any moment any one of us can be touched by a rare disease.

Many of you were here in this body when I went through the transition of being someone who sat here, not touched by rare disease, to becoming a rare disease family Member.

And those days of waiting for a diagnosis, of trying to find the right doctor, somebody who might actually know what's happening, are horrendous for anyone who's been through it.

And then to get to the point where you know what the answer is and hoping there's a treatment because not enough people are facing the same thing you're facing is not something we want anybody to ever have to face.

And as someone who's come through the other side and found treatment and hope, who spent all morning thank you to my colleague from West LA talking about insurance denials. I spent all morning on the phone with the insurance company who for the third year in the row is denied treatment. This is real and it is constant.

And again, it can become any one of us. And for so many rare disease patients, it isn't necessarily about taking being the thing that causes them to lose their life, but it's about living up to their fullest potential, being able to play, run, live, succeed, thrive.

But in order to do so, they need the research, the treatment and the coverage for that to be possible.

But I also wanted to rise and take this time to thank the doctors who tirelessly, day in and day out, support these families, support these patients who despite maybe never having heard of the thing, are willing to go the extra mile and read research all night to try to learn more about these diseases, give the patient the treatment they deserve.

The researchers who don't look at the numbers, but instead just know they want to help every single person who is suffering from something out there. And to everyone on this floor who supports more funding for research, better insurance coverage and supports the institution that supports these families, thank you, because it really does matter.

With that, I respectfully ask your aye vote on ACR132.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members. And I want to first say thank you to the Chair and Vice Chair of the Rare Disease Caucus. And I'm proud to rise in support and in solidarity with both of them in support of ACR132 that establishes February 28 as rare disease Day.

And want to thank particularly Assemblymember Zbur, who has shared many times on this floor, and Assemblymember from Northern California, from the Bay Area, for shedding light on this issue and her personal journey with this issue. You know that rare diseases affect less than 200,000 individuals in the United States, which makes them incredibly challenging to treat.

And of those children make up a significant portion of those affected.

And so as a former special education teacher, but also now as Chair of the the Sub one Budget Subcommitee Number one on Health and Member of the Rare Disease Caucus, I'm here To say that as we think about our healthcare system and as we've talked many times on this floor about the detrimental effects of HR1 and what the federal Administration is doing in terms of attacking health care in our nation, one of the most particular areas of attack is on how we Fund research and development and create insurance programs and health coverage options for people with rare diseases.

And so it's critically important that we don't lose the strides that California has already made. We want to say. I want to say thank you to the education institutions and others, the industry as well, that have already brought transformation to families with rare diseases.

But I want to urge all of us, particularly all of us on both sides of the aisle, to speak out about what has happened under HR1 and to speak out against the rolling back of funding for research and development, the rolling back of funding for our scientific institutions, the rolling back of funding for the programs that are needed to develop the cures of the future.

Because as we stand against those efforts, as we stand against those rollbacks, we're actually standing with people who suffer from rare diseases.

And I think it's incumbent on all of us to be clear eyed about what this HR1 means for people with rare disease, what it means for people who are on the edge of losing hope because there's so few of them in the system already and who desperately need those scientific dollars to be able to find the cures of the future.

So thank you to my colleagues for bringing this resolution forward. And I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Addis. Assemblymember Papan, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's with great pride that I rise today to be a Member of this Caucus of Rare Diseases. And I feel particularly honored to be a part of this caucus. The term rare really hides a hard truth. Over 3 million Californians live with a rare disease. This equates to nearly 10% of our entire population.

Behind those numbers are parents, siblings and children looking for answers. And they deserve a system that will prioritize finding them. We must recognize that this isn't a niche issue. It's a statewide problem and a part of everyday life for millions of people.

I don't often talk about my own personal life on the floor, but I stand before you as a survivor of somebody who lost a sibling to a rare illness. My brother John was 21 when he died. And to my colleague from West LA, we were one of those families that waited years to figure out what was wrong.

And eventually they did an angiogram put too much dye on my brother and eight feet of his intestine died. So then they had to remove eight feet of his intestines. It is scary. You hold on with white knuckles. You hope that maybe insurance pays for it.

Insurance did try to cancel my family when my brother was first found to have issues. I've been through all of it as a family, and I don't often speak about it, but I am so proud that this caucus has been created. I know our Member from Newport Beach went through so much with her own mother.

My mother suffered from lupus for many years up and down this road a lot. So I'm proud of this caucus. I'm proud to say that this Legislature will stand in solidarity with so many Members in the state of California that are scared, that are hoping there'll be coverage.

And I think that the 80 of us, if there's one thing we can come together on, it is this. So I thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Papan. Assemblymember Ahrens, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to rise in support of ACR 132. Just before getting elected to the Legislature, my twin brother passed away from a rare disease, and I almost didn't run because of it.

And to see so many of my colleagues from across the aisle unite in support of further funding, investment, attention, policy, work on the rare disease Caucus has brought a renewed sense of purpose of the work and the important work that we need to do in a bipartisan way to protect people's health and continue research and investment.

So I just wanted to rise and acknowledge and on behalf of my brother, I strongly urge an eye on acr132. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Ahrens. Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on behalf of my son. So I'm going to speak as a dad, right? Coming here, my purpose was to get a seat at the table, be a voice for my son, so that way we can help make his life a little bit better.

And then I realized a lot of people are going through the same struggles that we're going through. The challenge is that as a body, we have a lot of disagreements in our own parties, outside the parties, what have you.

But see, people like my son and like daughters and moms and uncles and aunts, They can't wait on us to fix our problems. They can't wait on us to fix our disagreements. They can't wait for the partisan rhetoric. They need us to step up. They need us to be leaders. Not in 2027, not when things get better.

They need us to be leaders today in everything that we do. I've always said we can be the folks that can either create a solution or be the ones responsible for the problem. So we have a choice here today.

And as we go through the rest of the session, when we look at legislation or funding, when it comes to innovation, medication, think of the person that's waiting. Think of the person that's on the other side saying, I wish someone would listen. I wish someone would pay attention to us.

We have the ability to come together as one body, to be able to move in the right direction. We can actually do that. We do that on Black History Month. We said, let's all come together. We do that on a lot of other things. Why can't we do it on things like this?

Because there's a mom, there's a dad, there's a grandmother and grandfather, aunt, uncle, cousin, so on, in between that's waiting for us to be united on this topic. So, colleagues, as we all are unified and hit that green button, don't let that be the last thing that we do.

Don't let it just be a green button and we move on. Let's rise up to make sure that people get the right health care. Let's rise up to make sure that we're working together to make these things happen. I heard a young man by the name of Mark Coronel, he's in the gallery.

He told his story and it inspired me because he was on the brink of death and he fought back. We have an ability to honor folks like that, the ones who have passed, the ones who are in the middle of it and those who are fighting.

If we come together and be unified, that's what California wants, that's what California expects, and that's what California has been waiting for. So, colleagues, I urge you not only to rise and support this, but to rise and continue to support it. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Gonzalez. Seeing and hearing no further debate. Assemblymember Dixon, do you wish to close? And would you like the first roll to be open for co authors?

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Let the first roll be open. And again, just listening to these heartfelt comments illustrates the fact. The point that we're all making is that these rare diseases are one degree of separation in each of our lives. They're here in front of us.

People are speaking about their silent struggles to get help, to get insurance. When you have als, you can't go into a Hospital, you can't have insurance. My parents, I remember sitting in my mother's bedroom.

It used to be their bedroom but my father had to move out when she had a hospital bed and all the people that would help her, I'd sit at her office, I'd go, mother, you want to sell at and T or Exxon today?

Because we're liquidating all of her investments that they worked hard, they weren't wealthy people, they worked hard. And my mother always. Well, that's why I read the Wall Street Journal every day. I grew up reading the Wall Street Journal to see what the stock market is doing.

And it was just their hard earned money that she would invest and never sell. But I had to sell all her stock in those days because having in home care at our own expense, there's no insurance.

So those stories, when I tell these stories and my colleague from Santa Monica had the same stories, traveled to Korea searching for a solution to a cure or a treatment or something to slow the progression. You don't even want the cure. You just want a slow progression. And we're all, many of us are fighting these same battles.

And my heart goes out to all of you and and by being part of this caucus that the assemblymen formed brings awareness and I'm so proud to share this non partisan issue.

We want to help people and the people who are dedicated, many of the people right up there today have traveled to Sacramento and I'm sure are appreciating that we are all with you as we fight this common, common battle. So let's, I respectfully urge your support for co authorship and then ultimately for passage. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Assemblymember Dixon. 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. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes.

There are 71 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 Dixon, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. Yes. If you would cast a glance up in the upper gallery. I'm going to introduce a large number of people I'm proud to rise today to introduce the people behind ACR132 Rare Disease Day, the patient advocates and caregivers. As I say your name, stand up. Isabel and Carla Boisso.

Mark Coronel, Dr. Pedro Sanchez and his family Michelle Padilla, Dan Shockley, Suzette James, Catherine Ames with Fierce Hope Patient Advocacy Liz Helms with California Chronic Care Coalition Hannah Dohai with Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute Patricia Espinal Ramos and Jacqueline Ramos D. Espinal with National MPS Society Lynn Kinst with Bleeding Disorders Council of California, Shania Coates with so Visible and George Cruz with the California Behavioral Health Association.

I would also like to introduce and thank Dr. William Benko with UC Davis Pediatric Neurology and his son Victor Benko Patrick Maloney with P4ML Patty Cooper with Biotech Foundation, Lindsay Sediak with Biomarin, Philip Herrera with Herrera Co. And Stephanie Cohen with Cedars Sinai.

I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the California Life Sciences for leading the efforts behind Rare Disease Week in Sacramento and elevating awareness of the millions of Californians living with rare diseases.

Your continued leadership in advancing policies and partnerships that drive breakthrough innovation is critical to ensuring patients in California and around the world have access to the treatments and hope that they deserve.

This would not be possible without the invaluable work of each one of you, whether as advocates, patient caregivers, researchers developing life saving medications or Members of support groups. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the work you do. Thank you.

Thank you. Assemblymember Dixon, Assemblymember Pellerin, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker Members the Seismic Safety Commission is celebrating 50 years of seismic safety policy as well as recommendations and reports highlighting its many achievements and emphasizing the positive impact it has made throughout the State of California.

In 1971, San Fernando earthquake in Los Angeles county demonstrated that existing seismic standards were insufficient when modern structures were considered. As a result from this natural disaster, California created the Seismic safety commission in 1975.

The Seismic Safety Commission is responsible for investigating earthquakes, researching earthquake related issues and recommending policies to the Governor and the state Legislature to help reduce earthquake risk. The commissioners appointed to serve bring a wide range of expertise touching on local government, building standards, utilities, emergency services, structural engineering and more.

The Seismic Safety Commission's work in monitoring seismic activity, educating the public about best practices for prevention, ensures California is prepared for safe from and resilient to seismic hazards in a state built on fault lines. The Seismic Safety Commission has been our steady hand for 50 years.

And joining me on the floor in the back of the chambers we have Dr. Sarah K. McBride, the Executive Director of the California Seismic Safety Commission, Paul McGinnis with the legislative affairs division at Cal OES, and Tanya Black staff at the Seismic Commission. Thank you for all you do.

And here's to another 50 years of providing expert guidance to California. Thank you so much.

Members, rounding out our business on the daily file, we have already dispensed with file item number eight in the Assembly third reading file. Going to pass and retain on File item number nine. We will pass and retain on third reading file for all Senate bills. That's file items 10 through 13.

Members, we're now moving on to adjournments and memory. The quorum call is still in place. Let's give our respectful attention to those who are granted prior permission to speak on their adjournment in memory. Family is present. Please take conversations off the floor. Thank you Members. Thank you Members. Please take your conversations off the floor.

Assemblymember Irwin, you are recognized.

Members. Today I ask that we adjourn in the memory of Peyton Trilling. Peyton was a remarkable young woman whose life, though far too short, was defined by extraordinary courage, compassion and purpose.

On December 28, 2025 Peyton passed away at just 17 and a half years old, followed by a long and courageous six and a half year battle with a rare cancer.

Throughout the years of treatments, clinical trials and challenges that no young person should ever have to face, Peyton met each day with resilience, grace and an unwavering strength of spirit. Her bravery never eclipsed her kindness. Her determination never diminished her heart. Peyton was a senior at Agora High School.

Even while navigating her own profound health challenges, she remained deeply committed to improving the life of others. Social justice and community service were not just interests for her, they were guiding principles.

Through Agora High School Civic Engagement Program, Peyton worked tirelessly on issues related to immigration and equity, always striving to uplift those around her and give a voice to those who are often unheard. Her passion for helping others extended to her leadership of the Cords Cure Club, a student centered organization she ran at her school.

Through music, Peyton raised funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research, turning her personal battle into a mission of hope for countless other children and families. In doing so, she transformed pain into purpose and left a legacy of advocacy rooted in empathy and action. Peyton was a gifted and creative student.

She found joy and expression in Agora High School Ceramics program where her love of art flourished. Outside of school, she treasured simple moments baking, spending time at the beach, practicing yoga and embracing life with intention and gratitude.

In the summer of 2025, Peyton served as an intern in my district office where her passion for public service continued to blossom. In assisting the constituents of California's 42nd Assembly District. Peyton demonstrated maturity beyond her years and a deep commitment to making government work for the people that it serves.

Even in the face of illness, she showed up with purpose, kindness, and an eagerness to help. Peyton lived a life defined not by the length of her years, but by the depth of her impact. She taught all those who knew her what it means to lead with courage, to serve with compassion, and to face adversity with grace.

Her legacy will live on through the causes she championed, the lives she touched, and the love she leaves behind. Our deepest condolences are with Peyton's parents, Andrew and Heather, and her three sisters, Katie, Mia and Caroline, as well as her extended family, friends and classmates.

May her strength continue to inspire us and may we strive to keep carry forward her commitment to service, justice and hope. I ask that we adjourn in Peyton's memory.

Thank you, Assemblymember Irwin. Members, let us observe a moment of silence to honor the life of this historic California and this Member of our capital community, Peyton Trilling. Assemblymember Gipson, you are recognized for your adjournment and memory.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Members. Today I rise to ask this body to adjourn in memory of a man who was a hero, a leader, a trailblazer, a giant of a man who was not an elected official, who was a community man.

You will not find his name chronicled by heroes or other elected officials, but certainly he was called by God. He stood 6 foot 7, about 350 pounds. His name was John Jackson, a son of Boyle Heights, a servant of his community and a man whose life reflected a deep commitment to justice and dignity for others.

You see, he was born in 1953. John was raised in a tight knit community of Boyle Heights where he learned the value of family and to persevere and community and service. John's life was rooted to uplift those in his community and especially those in need.

In 1996 he joined a community based organization called by the name of ACORN where he spent his life a decade to helping low income Members of his community organize and find their voice and fight for fair treatment. He coined the phrase kids before politics, people before politics.

And it was a constant reminder to me, putting people first before politics. And he did that and said that long before I was even elected. And he instilled that in everyone that knew him. John Jackson lived a life guided by faith in people, committed and in service to his community.

He understood that justice is not abstract, it is built day by day through compassion, perseverance and courage to stand with those who were overlooked, who was left out, those who were left for dead, those who could not defend themselves, those who society tried to erase.

John made sure that his statue stood in the gap for those who could not stand for themselves. John is survived by his mother Mary, his father James, six brothers and sisters, and 14 nieces and nephews.

When I received the phone call that John would not be with us very long, I called his sister who facetimed me and John was unable to speak.

But he was still responsive and I prayed for John and John motioned that he understood the prayer and even though I had to say goodbye and John the very next day transitioned, I know that he is in heaven organizing even in heaven. John, rest in peace. John, rest in power.

We will miss you, but it's not goodbye.it's see you later.

Thank you. Assemblymember Gipson Members, please bring the names to the desk to be printed in the Journal. All requests to adjourn a memory will be deemed read and printed in the Journal. Moving on to announcements, the following committees meet today. Budget Subcommitee number one will meet at, well, what was supposed to be 2:30pm in Capitol Room 127.

Meeting right now in Room 127. Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies meets also right now, both the Assembly and Senate sessions at Capitol Room 126.

Session schedules as follows Tuesday, February 24, check in session Wednesday, February 25, check in session Thursday, February 26 floor session and 9am seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Madam Majority leader moves and Ms. Johnson seconds that this House stands adjourned until Thursday, February 26th.

At 9:00am the quorum call is lifted and we are adjourned.