Assembly Floor

Thank you. Assemblymember Davies. Good afternoon, California. Welcome back. Springtime, it's a time of renewal.

Madam majority leader. And since it is a time of renewal of new beginnings, Assemblymember Hadwick, can you advise Assemblymember Wallis to notice the absence of a quorum, please? Assemblymember Wallis notices the absence of a quorum. Sergeant Hobbs will prepare the chamber, bring in the absent members, and the 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 today's prayer. Assemblymember Wilson will offer today's prayer. Assemblymember Wilson.

Creator of the heavens and earth, we come before you as leaders of this great state. We will not be anxious for anything, but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, we will let our request be made known to you. For in you, all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. You have created all things through you and for you, and you hold all things together.

We pray for all people, especially those who are in high positions so we may lead a peaceful and quiet life worthy of you and dignified in every way.

Give each of us a wise and discerning heart. Although the decisions before us may not be clear, we know that you are not an author of confusion. So we trust you to guide us on the right path that will benefit the people of California. May your blessings pour out without hindrance. May your love shine bright in our hearts and mind, and may your joy overflow to every corner of the state.

In these times of division, help us to be united. Guide us in wisdom to live up to our motto as a country out of many, one. Continue to grant us favor in your sight, and let us remain a beacon not only to this nation, but to the world. May our prayers be according to your will and acceptable in your sight. In your power, we pray. Amen.

We ask our guests and visitors to remain standing to join us in the flag salute. Assembly member Patel will lead us in the pledge of allegiance.

Members, please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag.

May be seated. To our guests and visitors today Excuse me. 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, 01/20/2026.

Majority leader, Agarra Curry moves on miss Sanchez seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal, he dispensed with. Presentations and petitions, there are none. Introduction and reference of bills will be the 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 absence of the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal. On to procedural motions. Madam majority leader, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Thank you, mister speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend assembly rule 45.5 to allow assembly member Krell to speak on an adjournment in memory today.

Without Objection. Such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 1.08 (a) to allow Assemblymember McKinnor to have guests in the rear of the chamber today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend joint rule 62a, the final notice requirement to allow the assembly budget subcommittee one to meet at 02:30 or upon adjournment of the assembly session, which is earlier than the originally scheduled time. The assembly budget subcommittee one would like to meet prior to the joint hearing that was noticed in the daily file.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend assembly rule 56 to allow the following committees to notice bills pending rereferral. Elections committee to set AB 2230 Avila Farias for their hearing on Wednesday, April 15, pending rereferral from the Human Services Committee. And Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee to set AB 2132 Macedo and AB 2627 hard for their hearing on Tuesday, April 14, pending rereferral from the Natural Resources Committee.

Without objection. Such shall be the order.

Pursuant to assembly rule 96, I request unanimous consent to rerefer the following bills to committee. AB 1650 Caloza, from the Transportation Committee to the Judiciary Committee and the Public Safety Committee. AB 182, Stephanie, from the Local Government Committee to the Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, then back to the Local Government Committee. AB 2262, Michelle Rodriguez, from the Public Safety Committee to the Judiciary Committee.

AB 2483, Elharwary, from the Public Safety Committee to the Public Employment and Retirement Committee.

Employment and retirement committee to the pry privacy and consumer protection committee, then back to the public employment and retirement committee. AB 2,734 Hart from the transportation committee to the natural resources Committee, and AB 2746 Shivo from the Banking and Finance Committee to the Health Committee, then back to banking and finance committee.

Without objection, such shall be the order. Okay. Members to quorum, please. Let's give our attention to assembly member McKenner, who has a very important guest introduction. Thank you, members.

Mister speaker and members, permission to use a prop, please?

Just a moment, please. Not objection. Such shall be the order.

I have a countdown here for the Olympics. I just wanna show you guys this. We are counting down. We are eight hundred and thirty days away from the opening ceremonies of the twenty twenty eight Olympics and Paralympic games in Los Angeles. As California continues its preparations to welcome the world to Los Angeles in the next two years, I'm pleased to welcome LA twenty eight leadership to the assembly floor today.

As chair of the assembly select committee on the twenty twenty eight Olympics and Paralympic games. Please join me in welcoming Reynold Hoover, CEO of LA twenty eight, Janet Evans, four time Olympic gold medalist and one time Olympic silver medalist and chief athletic officer of LA twenty eight. And I wish she would have brought her medals because I would have tried to wear them. Also, Joy Freeman, Gabby Mars with team LA twenty eight.

The LA twenty eight team in Sacramento today is participating in an informational hearing, providing the legislature and the public with an overview of the work being done in preparation for Los Angeles' third Olympic games and first Paralympic games.

Members, the question often raised, how can Los Angeles top the widely successful nineteen eighty four Olympic games? Well, if you know anything about LA, you know that we love a good sequel. Members, please join me in welcoming the leadership of LA twenty eight to the California State Assembly. Thank you.

Okay. We are gonna continue on with our guest introduction. Assemblymember Stefani. You are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, mister speaker. Today, I welcome to the gallery members of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, and the Black Women for Wellness Action Project. These organizations do incredibly important work to support students, strengthen communities, and ensure that people have access to accurate information and essential reproductive health care services. They are working every day to organize, educate, and support communities across our state.

That work helps people access the care and services they most desperately need. So please join me in offering a warm welcome to our visitors in the gallery today. Thank you.

Welcome to the California Assembly. Okay. Members, we are going to be moving on to business on the daily file. Second reading, file items one through seven. Clerk will read.

[Second Reading]

All bills will be deemed read, and all amendments will be deemed adopted. Onto concurrence and Senate amendments, file item number eight, we're gonna pass and retain. On reconsideration, file items nine through 11, all items shall be continued. Gets us to the assembly third reading file. That's file items 12 through 28.

We're gonna pass and retain file items twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. That brings us to file item number 19. That's AB 1944 by Assembly member Lee, the clerk will read.

Assembly bill 1944 by Assembly member Lee an act relating to vehicles.

Thank you, members. Thank you, members. Let's give our respectful attention to the author. Assemblymember Lee, you are recognized.

Thank you, mister speaker and members. I rise today to present AB 1944, which will amend the axle weight limit for zero emission buses. In 2015, the legislature established these weight limits, decreasing them from 25,000 to 22,000 pounds by 2022. This declining schedule was believed to provide sufficient time for advances in battery technology to reduce weight while maintaining high performance standards.

However, improvements in battery weight have not kept pace with earlier expectations, and transit agencies are struggling to acquire buses that both meet the current weight limits and provide the range needed for longer routes.

AB 1944 provides a practical and responsible solution by postponing the implementation timeline of these axle weight limits to allow more time for battery technology advancements, ensuring that transit agencies could continue to provide reliable and quality public transportation while working towards California's zero emission goals. This measure is supported by the California Transit Association, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Lee. 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. Eyes 49, nose one. The measure passes. We're gonna pass through tandem file items twenty and twenty one. That brings us to file item number 22.

That's AB 2305 by Assembly member Calra. The clerk will read.

Assembly bill twenty three zero five by Assembly member Calra and Accolint of attorneys.

Thank you, members. Decorum, please.

Thank you, mister speaker. AB 2305 will prohibit corporate investors from controlling or interfering with litigation decisions. Until recently, the legal industry was one of the last industries not to take private equity investment because of long standing ethics rules prohibiting non lawyer ownership. However, models like management service organizations and alternative business structures have continued to find loopholes by creatively restructuring their involvement with law firms such as classifying their investment as a loan.

This risk litigation decisions such as whether to file a case, how to resolve a case, or whether to pursue a certain strategy being influenced by investor return expectations over the interest of injured clients or consumers.

For example, aggressive loan repayment timelines could lead to firms encouraging clients to settle cases prematurely and for lower settlement amounts. In response, AB 2305 closes these loopholes by blanket prohibiting private equity firms, hedge funds, and other corporate investors from directing or influencing the practice of law. This will ensure litigation decisions remain solely in the hands of licensed attorneys and their clients rather than the investors regardless of how ownership is structured. Access to justice means more than having the right to file a lawsuit.

It means having an attorney whose only obligation is to act in the client's best interest.

This bill has received bipartisan support, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Assemblymember Karl Rovell, 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 tallying the votes. Ayes fifty five. No zero, the measure passes. Pass to retain on file items 23, 24, 25.

That brings us to file item number 26, AB 2004 by assembly member Alanis. The clerk will read.

Assembly bill 2004 by assembly member Alanis and others and accurately the peace officers.

Assembly member Alanis, you are recognized.

Thank you, mister speaker. Members, AB 2004 is a common sense bill that expands the list of counties authorized to designate county correctional officers as peace officers. Over time, California has recognized the dangerous and volatile work performed inside our jails. AB 2004 adds Fresno and San Joaquin Counties to the existing list of counties that already have this authorization.

Peace officer status brings important benefits, including enhanced training, access to public safety officers procedural bill of rights, stronger protections for presumptive work related injuries, improved employee morale, and eligibility for inclusion on the peace officer memorial wall that is just across the street from here.

The issue is best illustrated by the case of Fresno County correction officer Scanlon. On 09/03/2016, officer Scanlon was critically injured when an armed individual entered the Fresno County Jail lobby and opened fire on correctional staff. In 2021, he unfortunately succumbed to those injuries. However, because officer Scanlon was classified as a public officer rather than a peace officer, his name is not included on that memorial wall across the street. That is a gap worth addressing.

AB 2004 moves Fresno And San Joaquin Counties closer to correcting that. This bill does not mandate any changes. It simply authorizes Fresno And San Joaquin Counties in coordination with their sheriff's and employees groups to extend peace officer designations if there is local agreement. This is not about interfering with collective bargaining or restructuring roles. It is about supporting local flexibility.

AB 2004 promotes consistency across counties, supports the individual responsible responsible for maintaining safety in our jails and recognizing the risks that they all face. I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Alanis. Assemblymember Tangipa, you were recognized.

Thank you, mister speaker. And I too rise in support of AB 2004. And I don't refer to this bill as officer Scanlon bill. I refer to this as Toa as he was known by. So Toa was a former Fresno State football player.

His family, an amazing family from the Fresno area. And just to put context behind this, an active shooter walked into the jail. An unarmed TOWA took a shot to the head, tackled the individual, held him down, and saved multiple people from being killed. Unfortunately, due to his injuries, he ended up in a coma for over five years until, unfortunately, we lost him in 2021. I remember being at his funeral.

I remember the procession, and I remember the family that is a family just like mine. He has a lot of kids. He had an amazing heart. And he was one hard headed poly Polynesian man who deserves this type of recognition and for the other correctional officers that put their life on the line.

Towa will forever be remembered at the Fresno Memorial at the Share Fresno Sheriff's Memorial Site, but he should be forever memorized as a peace officer for what he did to sacrifice his life and to save multiple people unarmed.

And I truly thank the author for bringing this bill, and respectfully ask for your aye vote.

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

I just wanna thank my colleague for those kind words and respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, Assemblymember Alaniz. 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 the vote size 52, no zero. The measure passes. We'll pass and retain on file lines 27, 28, 29, thirty, thirty one, 32, 33. Excuse me.

We will pass and retain on file items twenty seven and twenty eight. That then brings us to the Senate third reading file item. File items 29 through 33, we'll pass and retain on all of those items. Members will now move on to the second day consent calendar. Before we vote, we'll first take up resolutions on the consent calendar for the purpose of adding coauthors.

Clerk will read the resolution on the consent calendar.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution one sixty one by Assembly member Addis relative to districts special districts week and house Resolution 87 by Assembly member Tzu Chi relative to school accountability.

Clerk will now open the role to allow any member to add on as a co author to the resolutions. All members vote who desire to vote. Members, this is for co authors. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote.

The clerk will close the roll. There are 57 co authors. Moving on to a vote on the consent calendar that's at file items 40 through 43. Does any member wish to remove an item from the consent calendar? Seeing and hearing none, the clerk will read the second day consent calendar.

I'll assume the Concurrent Resolution 161 by Assemblymember Addis votes to special districts week.

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 and tally the vote.

Ayes 57, no zero consent calendar is adopted. Quick, we'll read the remaining items on the consent calendar.

Assembly bill 2,199.

Ayes 57, no zero.

Assembly bill 2290.

Ayes 57, no zero.

And house Resolution 87.

Ayes 57, no zero. Members, we're now moving on to adjournments in memory. Quorum call is still in place. Let's please give our respectful attention to those who are granted prior permission to speak on their adjournment in memory. Family is present.

Please take your conversations off the floor. Please take your conversations off the floor. Assembly member Krell, you are recognized for your adjournment in memory.

Thank you, mister speaker. Good afternoon. Marcela Villanueva lived a life full of purpose and grace, always putting others before herself and giving generously from the heart. Whether through her warm smile, thoughtful words, or steady presence, Marcela had a way of making people feel valued and cared for. Marcela was born to Vicky Reyes and John Villanueva on 05/23/1974.

From an early age, she demonstrated a deep sense of compassion and responsibility for those around her. Qualities that would define her entire life. Family was always central to Marcela's life. She was devoted mother to her daughter, Savannah Lopez. Marcela cherished her role as a parent and took great pride in nurturing Savannah with love, strength, and guidance.

She also served as a caregiver for her grandmother, Olive Lopez. Marcela also shared a meaningful partnership with Elaine Rabotecki. Together, they built a life grounded in love, mutual respect, and shared experiences. Professionally, Marcela dedicated seventeen years to the California Commission on Aging where she served as a valued and trusted member who skillfully managed the duties and operations that supported its mission to improve the lives of older Californians. Marcela passed away on 06/19/2025 at the age of 51 here in Sacramento surrounded by family and friends.

She's remembered for her compassion, her strength, her unwavering commitment to those she loved and served. Here to recognize her legacy is her family, friends, and colleagues seated in the gallery.

Thank you, Assemblymember Krell. Members, let's serve a moment of silence to honor this historic Californian, Marcela Villanueva? Members let's please bring the names to the desk to be printed in the journal. All requests to adjourn in memory will be deemed read and printed in the journal. Moving on to announcements, the following committee hearings are scheduled for this afternoon.

Budget subcommittee one will meet upon adjournment of session or 02:30pm in Capital Room 127. Joint hearing of assembly budget subcommittee one and sent Senate budget commit budget subcommittee three will meet upon adjournment of budget subcommittee one in Capital Room 127. Revenue and taxation at 02:30PM in Capital Room 126. Natural resources at 02:30PM in Capital Room 437.

Transportation at 02:30PM in Swing Space 1100, the joint hearing of the twenty twenty eight Olympic and Paralympic Games, select committee in the arts, entertainment, sports, and tourism committee at 3PM in Capital Room 447, and banking and finance finance will meet at 03:30PM in Capital Room 444.

Session schedules as follows, Tuesday, April 7, check-in session. Wednesday, April 8, check-in session. Thursday, April 9, floor session at 9AM. Seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready to entertain a motion to adjourn. Assistant majority leader Garcia moves, and mister Hoover seconds that the house stands adjourned until Thursday, April 9 at 9AM.

Quorum call is lifted, and we are adjourned.