Assembly Standing Committee on Communications and Conveyance

The communications and conveyance committee is now called to order. My name is Sasha Burner. I serve as the chair of the committee. Joining me on the Dias today are Assemblymember Chris Rogers and Assemblymember Maggie Krell. We're currently waiting for assembly my vice chair to come in, and so we'll start with the public process.

And when my vice chair comes in, then we can start the presentation. Assemblymember Kate Sanchez no. Yeah? No. I was like, I don't think that's happening.

We're also joined by Emilio Perez, the chief consultant in the communications committee, and then Elizabeth Delgado, the committee secretary, as well as Daniel Battlin, the Republican policy consultant. There are six items on today's agenda, and there are two items on the proposed consent calendar. Item three, AB 2093, Bauer Canyon. Item four, AB 2193 top. Before we get our presentations, I'd like to take care of some logistical housekeeping.

As we proceed with the witnesses and public comment, I wanna make sure everyone understands the assembly has rules to ensure that we maintain order and run an efficient and fair hearing. We apply these rules consistently to all people who participate in our proceedings regardless of the viewpoints they address they express. We seek to protect the rights of all who participate in the legislative process so that we can have effective deliberation decisions on the critical issues facing California.

You can exit the hearing room once you're done testifying or return to your seat. Now let's cover the ground rules for appropriate conduct.

The assembly has experienced thank you very much. We have our vice chair Hoover here. Assembly has experienced a number of disruptions to committee and for proceedings in the last few years. In order to facilitate the goal of hearing as much from the public within the limits of our time, we will not permit conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of legislative proceedings. We will not accept disruptive behavior or behavior that incites or threatens violence.

The rules today for today's hearing include no talking or loud noises from the audience. Public comment may be provided only at the designated time and place as permitted by the chair. Public comment must relate to the subject being discussed today, and no engaging in conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the hearing. Please be aware that violations of these rules may subject to subject you to removal or other enforcement requirements.

we have a a I wanna notice an absence of a quorum. We'll operate as a subcommittee and proceed to item one. Today, we are hearing AB 1540 by Assembly member Mark Gonzales related to 988 suicide crisis lifeline for LGBTQ plus youth. Assembly member Mark Gonzales, you may open, and I think you have one minute. No. You have do you have one witness or two?

Technical and one witness.

So you either have four minutes for one person or two minutes for your each of you. You decide.

I'll be ceding my time.

Okay. Four minutes for you. Okay. Sure. Assemblymember Gonzales, you may begin what you want.

Thank you, madam chair. Thank you, members. Thank you for the opportunity to present today. I also wanna begin by expressing my appreciation to madam chair, and the committee staff for working with my office on this bill diligently. We've had many conversations, to make sure that we get this here today.

I wanna thank the many advocates and providers and stakeholders who have offered thoughtful, thoughtful feedback on this bill. Suicide prevention should never be political. It's a it's a public health responsibility. And when a young person is at their lowest point and finds the courage to ask for help, the worst thing we can do is let that call go unanswered.

Last year, national funding for the 98 LGBTQ plus suicide prevention line was cut, shutting down a lifeline that thousands and thousands of young people relied on in their darkest moments.

According to the CDC, our LGBT youth attempt suicide at almost triple the rate compared to their peers. With the pressure of the world on their backs and a federal administration who thinks transgender people are not real, our youth are begging for help. Not because they are broken, but because too often the systems around them are. AB 1540 is about restoring a lifeline.

It reinstates the press three option within the nine eight system so that when someone reaches out in crisis, they can be connected and trained to train counselors who understand the unique challenges LGBTQ plus youth face.

And restoring this service means restoring something simple but powerful, the chance for someone on the other end of the line to say, you're not alone. Stay with me. Sometimes the difference between tragedy and tomorrow is just one voice picking up that phone call. AB 1540 helps make sure that that voice is there.

This afternoon, with me to highlight the impact of this bill is Bridget McCarthy, mother to Riley in advocacy with the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, and we also have the following two individuals here, to provide technical support, Diva Shiv, with the senior policy advocate for California Alliance of Child and Family Services, and Craig Kulesher, a legislative director for Equality California, and we'll let Bridget take it away.

Excuse me. Assembly member, I'd like to take a moment to establish quorum. Yep. Secretary, please call the roll or please call the roll. Yeah.

[Roll Call]

We have quorum. Okay. You may you have four minutes. Thank you.

Oh, thank you, chair, committee members. My name is Bridget McCarthy, and I'm the public policy chair for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, the Greater Los Angeles and Central Coast chapter. But more importantly, I'm here as a mother. In September 2020, just twelve days after his sixteenth birthday, I lost my amazing son, Riley, to suicide. His birthday balloons were still in the room.

We are very fortunate to live in California, a state that has taken meaningful steps to support LGBTQIA plus youth and expand access to mental health resources. Yet even here, we are not immune. Ongoing national rhetoric around LGBTQ plus identity has contributed to increased feelings of isolation, distress, and and suicide risk amongst our young people. They do not feel safe. In California, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth.

And for children like mine, that risk is so much higher. After we lost Riley, we discovered that in the middle of his crisis, he sent an unanswered text to a gay friend, a reach for connection that never came. We know that a veteran in crisis turns to a fellow veteran. That's option two. An LGBTQ child needs that same lifeline.

They need to know the person on the other end sees them for exactly who they are, and that was option three. Yet in July 2025, the press 3 routing within the 988 lifeline was cut at a federal level. This change removed the direct path to counselors specifically trained to support LGBTQ plus callers and leaving thousands of our most vulnerable youth without any specialized support. With suicide attempt rates for trans youth over three times out of their peers, we cannot afford this gap.

My son was reaching into the dark, but he couldn't find a hand that felt familiar.

And that's the heartbreak I live with every day. No other parent should have to go through this. So for Riley and for every other child out there still reaching out, I urge you to support AB 1540. Thank you.

Thank you to the proponents. We'll move to any additional witnesses in support. You may approach the mic with name, affiliation, and position only, please.

Craig Pulsipher on behalf of Equality California, proud cosponsor and strong support.

Nora Angeles with Children Now in support.

Sasha Horowitz, Los Angeles Unified School District in support.

My name is Mary Moyle. I'm with the Sacramento p p flag group. I'm also speaking for the Oakland and San Francisco groups. Oh, we urge and I vote. Thank you.

I'm Anuradha Gupta. I'm the mom of an LGBTQ child and the president of pflag Danville San Ramon Valley chapter. I'm here on behalf of pflag Danville San Ramon Valley, pflag San Diego, pflag San Gabriel Valley API, PFLAG Santa Clarita, PFLAG Eastern Sierra, PFLAG Los Angeles, PFLAG Tri Valley, and my family in strong support of AB 1540.

Good afternoon. Lizzie Guansona here on behalf of the California State Association of Psychiatrists, the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the City of West Hollywood in support.

Good afternoon. Delilah Clay on behalf of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California in support.

Mark Isidra on behalf of the County of Los Angeles in support. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Tyvarindi on behalf of the California Psychological Association in support. Thank you.

Douglas Leach on behalf of the Multifaith Action Coalition in support.

Good afternoon, madam chair and members. Robert Franco here on behalf of the California Fire Chiefs Association and the Fire Districts Association in support.

Good afternoon. Josh Gaugher on behalf of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in support. Thanks.

Madam chair and members, Adam Kegwin on behalf of California LULAC in support.

Good afternoon. Lester Rabancho with the Commission for Behavioral Health and Support.

Danny Offer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, also known as NAMI California, in strong support. Thank you.

Sarah Pabst on behalf of the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls in support.

Good afternoon. Damon Rapata with the County Behavioral Health Directors Association in support.

Thank you to the witnesses in support. Moving on. Are there any primary witnesses in opposition? You each get two minutes. I'll count down the last five of my hands to go by quickly. Please begin when you're ready.

Chair members, my name is Greg Burt, vice president of the California Family Council, and we are here in opposition to AB 1540. The 988 lifeline exists to keep people alive. It was designed as a universal clinically neutral intervention tool, A day b fifteen forty fractures that purpose by creating an identity segregated subnetwork funded to deliver predetermined LGBTQ ideology to those in crisis.

Embedding ideology gate peeping into the public health system compromises its integrity and transforms a crisis service into an advocacy pipeline funded by the taxpayers. We've seen where this leads.

This legislature has already promoted the Trevor Project by putting its hotline on student IDs, and this bill would likely send them more funding. Last year, I warned you about the Trevor Space, an online platform for youth ages 13 to 24. It connects minors with unknown, unvetted adults in a global chatroom environment with 81,000 members from a 160 countries. Does that sound like a safe place for suicidal teens? Law enforcement raised serious concerns.

A thirty year veteran, anti trafficking expert testified that is he easily accessed unmonitored chat rooms, posing as a minor, and observing interactions, moving to platforms known for exploitation. A californiasheriffofficecom confirmed that an adult officer was able to pose as a 13 year old and immediately begin private chats without oversight. These warnings have been ignored. Just because the motivation is compassion does not justify exposing vulnerable youth to serious risk or politicizing a life saving system. I urge a no vote. Thank you.

You have two minutes.

Thank you. My name is Gideon Cotting. I'm here as a father. My concern with this bill is the reliance on organizations like the Trevor Project and the model of care and community spaces they are connected to, spaces that are being positioned within California's crisis response system for minors. There is not clear settled evidence that a single direction, gender affirming model serves every child well.

In some cases, including my daughters, the outcomes have been deeply harmful. When my daughter was 11 years old and experiencing gender confusion, she was brought to a gender health clinic in Sacramento. Barely early on, I was positioned as the problem because I did not affirm that path. Over the next thirteen years, I watched her experience isolation, confusion, depression, and ultimately, irreversible medical harm. Today, she is still struggling.

Assemblyman Mark Gonzales, you invoked Lent and spoke about conscious and compassion.

I want to respond to that directly. I understand not everyone here regards the Bible as a source of authority, but for those who do, we should be clear. Love is not the same as affirmation at all costs. Love tells the truth. Love protects the vulnerable.

And scripture gives a severe warning about causing harm to children, reference the gospel of Mark Chapter nine verse 42. So we have to ask, are the systems we are endorsing truly safe? Because within the Trevor Space community, there are serious concerns about oversight. There is no meaningful age verification barrier, meaning users can misrepresent their age.

At the same time, there are posts identifying users as minors seeking relationship, discussions of performing poly polyamorous group relationships, and users inviting others into more private platforms like Discord, a known predatory space.

These are real questions about how minors minors are being protected. Suicide prevention must be taken seriously, but it not but not be driven by what I would call caustic compassion, a form of compassion that presents itself as caring and effective, but in practice, leads to confusion, harm, and irreversible consequences. If we are going to embed any organization into our state's crisis system, we must be certain it can protect children and serve them fully, not part two. Sorry.

Forgot to count down. Thank you. Any additional witnesses in opposition that would like to state their name, affiliation, and position only, you may approach the mic.

Nicole Young, Placer County Moms for Liberty and Moms for Liberty California legislative committee. Thank you and strong opposition.

Meg Madden, on behalf of CAUSE, Californians United for sex based evidence in policy and law, and on behalf of the Coalition of Understanding that in ages 10 to 24, eighty percent of suicide deaths are in males in opposition.

Jean Chadbourne, lifelong Democrat, teacher, mother, proud mother of a gay son, in opposition. Thank you.

Thank you. Bringing it back to the committee. Any questions? Comments? Assembly member Rubio.

Thank you. Sorry about that. Thank you very much. I am a former teacher and wanted to express that sometimes kids need help. In this case, the 988 system was already it it already included a way to reach some support, and it was eliminated last year.

So this is not something new. This is just continuing the existence of a system that was already in place. And to be clear, and if I'm if I'm correct, this is just asking to ask the Federal Government for to approve the request, and and the approval is not guaranteed. So we're what we're doing is putting it as a request for the Federal Government to approve it. So it's just passing it today doesn't mean that it's going to be in effect. Am I correct?

So the bill does mandate that the state request the Federal Government, so that's SAMHSA. And then it also has, in the bill, if the Federal Government should seek to approve this, it then has steps on how the state will do that. But that is correct. It is contingent on the Federal Government approving this.

Right. I just wanna make sure that we were clear on that. And, you know, and when we talk about, compassion, Aye, come from a Latino community, obviously. And, you know, a lot of times, because of our faith, because we have Catholics, the Latino community is very Catholic. You know, some kids that are that are LGBTQ feel don't feel comfortable going to their parents.

And, I again, I was a teacher, so, not all of them came to me, but some kids did come because they felt safe. Latino communities, and I can only speak for for them, the Latino community, especially the the very, machismo rhetoric in our community, fathers feel that, you know, they disown their kids if they come out as LGBTQ.

And as a mother, I can tell you that I've never have understood how you can love your child so much because my kids are everything for me that if they tell you that they're LGBTQ, the next day you don't love them anymore. And that, to me, is heartbreaking because we the purpose of this bill is to help kids that are in crisis to to be able to call and get suicide counseling.

And so I just wanted to say that, but, again, the purpose of this bill is not to pass it.

It's to ask the Federal Government for approval, and we know the situation that is happening right now. The approval is contingent upon somebody saying yes. And so it's not this bill is not saying that this is gonna happen. It's saying that we're asking the Federal Government. So I appreciate your comments as well, but this is not mandating it right now.

We're asking the Federal Government to do it. And, again, as a mother, as a teacher, I can tell you I've seen so many kids that that need, some support, and sometimes our own family members can't provide that. I know as a teacher, I'm not qualified to provide it for my students and definitely not, equipped to provide it to my to my children. And I am so sorry for your loss, but thank you for being here. And, you know, this is about humanity.

This is about, you know, kids in crisis. We have a epidemic of just all kinds of mental health issues, that anything that I believe anything that we can do to help one child is enough. So thank you.

Thank you. Assemblymember Rogers. Thank you

so much, chair. And I wanna thank the author for for bringing the bill. This is actually the second committee that I've had a chance to to see it in. And I I'm always struck when we see some of these discussions, some of the statements made by opposition, some of the letters that have come in on it, some of the the correspondence that we have to our offices.

And it, for me, highlights why it is so important to be able to provide resources that are tailor made towards these youth, towards these children who are struggling, not attacking them with hate, not try to push them into a box, particularly one that tells them that there's something wrong with them, but rather embracing the things that they need to be able to survive in this community.

And so I appreciate you taking up the mantle. I can only imagine the types of comments you've been getting at your office, but I've been proud to stand with you and vote for this once, and I'm happy to do it again. Thank you. Yes. Motion by Rogers. Second by Krell. Is that right? Any other members wish to speak? Okay. So so my member Gonzales, you may close.

Thank you, madam chair. I wanted to kinda go back and forth on my closing, but I I redid another one. So I read the opposition letters, the ones mister Rogers mister Rogers mentioned, and thank you, mister Rubio, for your word today. The ones claiming that this bill is about ideology or politics or some kind of an agenda. Let's be clear what this bill is actually about, a phone call, a text message.

A young person alone in the room staring at the ceiling at two in the morning wondering if anyone in this world understands them enough to keep them alive for one more day or just simply one more hour. And when they finally find the courage to reach out, who should they, make sure we wanna make sure that that someone on that other end of that line knows how to help them. That's it. That's the bill.

Not ideology, not politics, just the basic responsibility to keep our children alive.

And as it was mentioned, yes, we just came off the season of Lent right now and celebrated Easter, a season that asked people of faith to reflect on sacrifice, conscience, and what it means to stand with those who are suffering. And for me, that reflection is simple. When a young person is in crisis, our job is not to interrogate them, debate them, or filter their pain through somebody else's politics.

Our job is to answer the phone because while some people are busy writing letters about ideology, there are kids out there right now just hoping someone will pick up that call. AB 1540 makes sure that when they do call, someone who understands them is there.

And in a moment when their life hangs in the balance, they can be the difference between despair and tomorrow. Members, this should not be a partisan question. It's a moral one. And I just met somebody over the weekend, and I shared this with Kyle and my team how a 35 year old man told me that because of the 98 hotline, he just came out. It was on the brink of suicide, made that phone call, and he stopped me at at an event.

And I've never met this person before. Turns out they work for EDD, and he said that it was this line that saved his life. And he just came out and, unfortunately, has been disowned by his family. But, you know, at the end of the day, he he's still living today. And with that, members are respectfully asked for an aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember Gonzales. The press three feature was a very successful one. It's unfortunate that the Trump administration stopped it. I know. I know. I know, but I like them. I didn't wanna read them. Can I read them?

Unfortunately, California, would need the Federal Government's cooperation to fully implement this bill. Lastly, this bill does not expand authorized expenditures under the nine eighty eight fund, which I think is important. The qualified entity to implement this bill would still need to be a nine eighty eight center, which is the purpose of the fund. So with that, your bill enjoys a do pass recommendation. Thank you and your staff for working constructively with my committee since the spill has been introduced.

Protecting the LGBTQ plus community is a youth more than ever is important. I'd like to be added as a coauthor, and I hope your efforts are successful. We have a motion by Rogers, a second by Krell. The motion on AB 1540 by Assembly member Mark Gonzales is to pass, and we refer to the committee on appropriations. Will the secretary please call through?

[Roll Call]

We'll leave the roll open for us so other members can add on for votes. Next, we're hearing eight is she here? Oh. Ransom? Is Ransom here? Bueller? You know how old you are when you know that joke?

No. No. No. I'm sorry? We're gonna do consent. It's a good idea. Okay. I'll take a motion to take up the consent, calendar for item three, AB 2093 Bauer Cayenne, state nine eighty eight advisory group. The motion is do passed and referred to the committee on appropriations. And item four, AB 2193, autonomous vehicles. Motion do passed and referred to the committee on appropriations. Is there a motion?

So moved.

Moved by Rubio, second by Krell. Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

The consent calendar is out, and we'll leave it open for additional members to add on their votes.

Next, we're hearing AB 1832 by Assembly member Ransom related to 211. Assembly member Ransom, you may open.

As soon as I catch my breath. Sorry.

When you're ready, take take a deep breath in for eight, out for eight.

Thank you, madam chair. Alright. Madam chair and committee, thank you, very much for this opportunity. I'd like to begin by thanking the committee for their work on this bill. I am accepting the committee's amendments that move the requirements under this bill, from, to the office of emergency services.

I'm here to present assembly bill eighteen thirty two, a bill that would strengthen and expand statewide access to vital two one one services across California. Currently, California is one of only three states in the country without full state one statewide two one one coverage. Many disaster prone states such as Louisiana, Texas, New Jersey, Virginia utilize two one one as a critical statewide service that connects residents to programs, reliable information, and disaster response systems. In California, unfortunately, we unfortunately, we are falling short.

Today, more than a dozen counties have no access to 211, and many others lack the capacity to answer incoming calls or are at risk of losing service entirely due to the unstable local funding.

211 can play a critical role during emergencies, whether wildfires, winter storms, or public health crisis. People turn to 211 for trusted real time information and resources. Without this assist without the system, nonemergency calls flood 911 lines, overwhelming emergency responders, and leaving thousands without access to timely health. During the Los Angeles wildfires, 211 answered more than 42,000 calls and texts and helped secure short term housing for 15,000 plus households.

Despite the success, the system lacks the statewide infrastructure, capacity, and integration into our emergency planning needed to keep up with increasingly frequent frequent and severe disasters.

Without state partnership, California is missing out on the valuable real time data. Two one one can provide insights into community needs by ZIP code, by region, by type of need, and helping that helps the state to better target our resources. AB 1832 addresses these gaps by establishing a statewide two one one fund to support core system capacity, creating a community needs dashboard to provide actionable data and integrate two one one into statewide emergency planning.

I respectfully ask for your aye vote when the time comes. And with that, I would like to introduce my witnesses, Alana Hitchcock, the executive director and CEO of two one one California, and Lizzy Lindsey Gordon, the two one one manager for Connecting Point.

You each have two minutes.

Thank you, assembly member, and greetings, madam chair and members of the committee. Alana Hitchcock, CEO of 211 California. In 2025, our local two one ones in California handled over 1,800,000 live calls and texts and responded to over 25 different emergency events. 20 one two one one is that trusted place to call twenty four hours a day to a number that's easy to remember. And for live help in very stressful situations, trusted information, and connections to verified services and resources.

Often, a 2 one call goes beyond referral to assist people in navigating services and overcoming barriers to access. And as the member mentions, two in one is there during disasters to support the public with verified information. Importantly, helping them understand emergency communications like evacuation orders and connecting them to disaster relief and recovery resources. Currently in California, 43 counties do have full 211 service, but the 15 counties with without are in highly disaster prone areas with limited local resources.

And another dozen counties are at risk of service shutting down or being severely reduced within the next year. 211s are being asked

to do more across the state from the year. Two in 1s are being asked to do more across the state from the SNAP food crisis to navigating HR 1 changes and assisting those who feel unsafe interacting with government. While two in one has traditionally not been funded by the state in California, the result is a patchwork of funding sources that is inequitably distributed across the state and is unstably funded.

This bill will provide that critical funding mechanism to support two one one work while initiating the connection between two one one and state emergency planning and strengthening California's emergency response system. Thank you.

Nicely done. Two minutes.

Hello, madam chair, members of the committee. My name is Lindsey Gordon, 211 program manager at Connecting Point. Connecting Point is a local two one one provider serving Nevada, Placer, Yuba, Shasta, Tehama, Siskiyou, and Plumas Counties. In our region, we see firsthand how local funding challenges result in inequitable two one one access and service gaps.

In Yuba County, for example, we're only able to provide full twenty four seven two one one services to seniors because agency on aging funding was the only funding that was available at the time.

Connecting Point respond I'm sorry. I wanna add to that. Many counties in our region have no 211 service at all. Connecting Point responds to emergency activations every year, especially wildfires, winter storms, and flooding events. Many of these events cross county lines, and have people evacuating to counties throughout the region, creating confusion when they can't dial 211 from their location.

A couple of examples of way ways we've been able to help in disaster during 2021 storms, real time unmet needs data reporting to our office of emergency services led to the county getting portable showers and laundry facilities for the community. Another example is a senior couple who was snowed in, and we were able to escalate them directly to the sheriff's department in Placer County who was able to get them out before their roof collapsing became a serious issue.

So AB 1832 would help us and our partners provide seamless disaster information and support no matter what county people live in or relocate to and ensure everyone that needs critical community resources, crisis supports, and safety net connections are in play have a place to go in dialing 2 on one. So thank you so much.

Also nicely done. Thank you to the proponents. We'll move on to any additional witnesses in support. You may approach the mic with name, affiliation, and position only, please.

Good afternoon, chair members. Jasmine Cuevas on behalf of United Way's of California. We're the state association of 28 local United Way's across the state and on behalf of the Family Resource Center, San Joaquin County in strong support. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Dan Okenfuss with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. We received lots of referrals from the 211 to our network of 24 ILCs across the state here in support.

Greg Herner on behalf of 211 San Diego in support.

Good afternoon. Christina Rico on behalf of the two one one network members, community action partnership of Kern and Community Link Capital Region.

... registering support on behalf of the Contra Costa County, Crisis Center as well as two one one LA. Thank you.

Thank you to witnesses in support. Moving on. Are there any primary witnesses in opposition? Any additional witnesses who wanna say name, position, name affiliation, position only? Any trainers in the room?

Okay. Thank you to all the witnesses bringing back to the committee. Are there any members who would like to speak on this bill?

I'd like to move the bill.

Moved by Krell, second by Hoover. Any other comments before we go? Assemblymember Ransom, you may call us.

Thank you. I wanna thank, the committee, the chair. I wanna thank, the witnesses for coming forward with real examples of the importance of two one one after floodwaters recede, after fires are out, after victims are done being victimized. We've seen that folks are able to be connected to the resources that they need to be able to rebuild their lives and to make their lives better. There are so many services that are available throughout communities, and these are people who are trusted connectors.

And so this bill is about building the infrastructure we need to help Californians be informed, safe in their time of crisis and or recovery. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you, Assemblymember Ransom, for bringing this bill forward. Your bills and joys the do pass as amended recommendation with the committee amendments and no opposition. Thank you and your sponsors who are working constructively with me and my team on the committee amendments. We have a motion by Krell, second by Hoover.

The motion is AB 1832 by Assembly member Ransom is do passed as amended, and we refer to the committee on appropriations. Madam secretary, would you please call the roll?

[Roll Call]

Rubio, aye. That bill is out. We'll leave it open for additional members to add on. I don't see assembly member Carrillo.

Thank you. You all are amazing.

He's And he's He's chairing local club. I remember when I was on both. So I should go? Let's go.

And then we'll get him over here.

Okay. So my vice chair, you get the gavel.

We are moving to file item six, AB 2289. Chair Boerner, please proceed when you are ready. Yes, ma'am.

Okay. Esteemed chair and members of the communications and conveyance committee, it's my pleasure to present to you a B2289 to establish the office of broadband and digital equity and implement other reforms to the CPUC. Beginning 07/01/2028, the office would serve as a centralized state department for broadband and digital equity activities within the state, which currently is split between the California Public Utilities Commission, the CPUC, and the California Department of Technology, the CDT.

California is one of the only states in the nation where essential broadband programs are split between two agencies and has not led to better outcomes. The committee has seen firsthand how the CPUC's processes have led to delays in funding and problems with public participation and the delays with delivering the middle mile broadband project. Despite the effort and the attention of this committee, there has been persistent challenges that I am committed to addressing with this bill.

To solve the structural problems, we need a structural solution, and that's exactly what AB 2289 is about. Under this bill, the state's existing broadband programs initiatives would be consolidated under one agency beginning 07/01/2028. To oversee this agency and create opportunities for public participation, direct public participation, the bill also establishes an 11 member broadband and digital equity commission. This commission would include members with backgrounds in broadband, digital equity, labor, and industry, and tribes.

From what I've observed with the current structure of our broadband programs, there are three persistent challenges.

Difficult public participation, confusing decision making processes, and poor interagency coordination. In tandem, these three persistent problems snowball into much larger invisible challenges such as funding delays, project delays, lack of stakeholder participation, and overall lack of accountability. This bill would also implement reforms of the CPUC, narrowing their regulatory jurisdiction to voice communications. These reforms will allow the CPC to focus their administrative capacity on pressing issues like energy affordability, reliability, and utility safety.

This bill intent is intended to work in tandem with my constitutional amendment, ACA 9, that will implement other structural reforms at the CPUC.

Unless we start thinking today about what the next three years, the next five years, and the next ten years will look like, we may never consider an alternative. We have the power now to shape what this looks like for California and to send a message of accountability to our people. I'm committed to to broadband for all, for consumer protection, and the goals I know we all share in this committee. That's why I'm carrying the spell.

It's Natasha b special, which is why I have no witnesses in support.

I respectfully ask for your support, and I vote. I welcome and encourage any questions from the members.

Thank you, madam chair. Any would anyone like to speak in support of the bill in the room? Seeing none, are there any witnesses in the room in opposition? Go ahead and come on up.

Move the bill. Second

Got a motion from Assemblymember Lowenthal, second from Assemblymember Krell. Go ahead and proceed when you're ready.

Good afternoon, mister chair and members. Ignacio Hernandez here on behalf of, two entities. The first is TURN, the Utility Reform Network and Consumer Advocacy Organization, and also here on behalf of the Communication Workers of America District 9, which covers California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Guam. We are in respectful opposition.

As far as TURN, actually, for both entities, I mean, I think we share some of the same goals as the author and respect for diligence in trying to address better coordination overall in some of the broadband policy in California.

And we share some of the frustrations. I can't I can go on and on about some of the challenges and trying to find out information and who's making decisions when it came to the middle mile, for example. That was extremely challenging. So we understand that. As far as term, what we are concerned primarily about is some of the regulatory, oversight that would be removed from the CPUC.

And so we have probably more questions than answers as to what that means, and will there be a void as far as enforcement, as far as the means for public participation and to shape some of the regulatory schemes that exist now. Though not perfect, there's a lot of good that has happened.

But we are concerned that by moving some of the regulatory oversight from the commission to a new entity that that there may be some stranded regulations that will no longer be enforced or rules that may not be enforced. It's unclear to us how the new entity would be able to actually enforce some of the things. There may be I think the committee analysis mentioned maybe some split enforcement.

I think that may cause more problems than solve. On behalf of the Communication Workers America District 9, again, I think we share the overall goal as stated by the author Broadband for All.

Okay. Go ahead.

Okay. Yeah. No. I heard the buzzer. We I think we share that.

And I think our position in in our letter, we mentioned some policy that the legislature can adopt going forward, some of which have been debated already in prior years, prior sessions. But going forward, we think those would go further right now to get to the Broadband for All, issue and solution that we all want. So I think we have shared values.

We might have different ways to get there right now, but we feel strongly that, while there could be some value in this that, you know, moving away from some of the regulatory oversight and not passing some legislation that could be very strong in protecting against discrimination, about requiring high road labor standards, and a number of other things that have been discussed in this legislature but have not passed.

And we think that if we start addressing some of those things that we may get better outcomes on broadband versus moving some of the administrative oversight.

So always willing to engage going forward and as the bill moves forward, we will continue discussions with the author.

Thank you so much. Any other witnesses or speakers in opposition? Seeing none, let's bring it back to the committee. Any members who'd like to speak on this bill?

Like to move the bill?

I think we have do we have a motion? Yeah. I think we're good. We are good on that. Madam chair, would you like to close?

I have I appreciate the opposition's comments, and we are always welcome, to hear any comments about what how we can better do the split between voice of the CPUC and, all other functions of the Office of Broadband and Digital Equity. I think what's really important is when we look at what the bill does, there will be a direct voice of our people.

If you realize right now, when somebody has an issue in telecommunications, they have to be a party for the CPU's to the CPUC in order to have their voice properly heard. And I don't know in what case any of us representing the 500,000 p or 500,000 people we each represent, why we wouldn't want them to have a direct voice.

And on the 11 member board, there are 11 voting members with two ex officio members, seven appointed by the governor, two by the assembly, two by the Senate, and seats reserved for advocates, labor, tribes, and industry.

I trust that a board that reflects the diversity of California will be able to solve these problems. And with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. We will now take a vote. Please call the roll.

The motion is for AB 2289. The motion is do passed, and we refer to the committee on appropriations. Berner. Aye. Berner, aye.

Hoover. Aye. Hoover, aye. Bonta. Caloza.

Aye.

Caloza, aye. Castillo Krell. Aye. Krell, aye. Lowenthal?

Aye. Lowenthal, aye. Rogers?

Aye.

Rogers, aye. Rubio? Aye. Rubio, aye.

That bill is out, but we will hold it open for missing members. Congratulations.

Thank you, everyone. For what you do.

And, Mr. Carrillo, you're welcome to come on up while we get resituated here.

Yeah. Wait. I didn't want to hear that.

I was waiting for you. How much fun were you having right now?

Do you Wanna gather that at the end

of that?

Good afternoon, madam chair and committee members. Thank you for allowing me to present Assembly Bill twenty four twenty four. To start, I would like to thank the committee for their work on this bill, and I will be respectfully accepting the committee's amendments. AB 2,424 is a measure that will provide the necessary oversight for the California Lifeline Program to prevent systemic abuse and fraud in its administrative process.

To provide context, the California Lifeline program was established to provide discounted home and cell phone services for qualifying low income households to help consumers lower the cost of their phone bills.

This program was created with the purpose of ensuring that high quality basic telephone services remain affordable for low income Californians, consisting with a more universal telephone service act. Unfortunately, since its inception, this program has been exploited through a fraudulent romance of duplicate subscribers, claiming those seeking to profit from loopholes in the current system.

A recent report summarized from investigation by the Federal Communications Commission or the FCC, Office of Inspector General, more than 116,000 lifeline enrollments across three states involved in ineligible or duplicate type cases, such as deceased individuals remaining enrolled. California accounted for over 94,000 of those problematic enrollments, making it the largest contributor to this issue. Similarly, a 2023 audit conducted for the CPUC examined duplicate enrollment risks by analyzing accounts with repeated addresses in the California Lifeline program.

Auditors selected a sample of 32 accounts specifically flagged for duplicate addresses out of a population averaging 85,964 monthly subscribers, indicating a greater and ongoing potential duplicate household enrollment problem. AB 2424 will create a low income telecommunications advisory board that will oversee low income telecommunication issues in the state in their scope of operations. The existing California Lifeline Advisory Board does not traditionally have deep expertise in telecommunications policy or infrastructure.

Historically, there hasn't been a requirement for the board to include telecommunications in the scope of their purview or a requirement for a representative on this board to have an expertise in the realm of telecommunications as it relates to low income services. This is a major breach and integrity over low income utilities consumers programs.

The creation of this new oversight board will provide the necessary supervision to improve program accountability, reduce fraud, and, in turn, increase the number of verified program users. The enemy to testify and support and answer questions, we're gonna have, Jocelyn Duarte, doctor Urbati of the Salvatore and American Leadership and Education Fund, also known as SALIF.

Doctor Duarte, you have four minutes.

Thank you so much. Good afternoon, madam chair and members of the committee. My name is doctor Jocelyn Duarte. I'm the executive director of the Salvadorian American Leadership and Educational Fund, known as SALIF, and I'm also an educator at the Los Angeles Community College District. I speak today on behalf of immigrant and low income communities across Los Angeles who rely on equitable access to essential services.

Telecommunications access is no longer optional. It is foundational, and it's important in our infrastructure. For communities that I serve on a daily basis that need access to have employment opportunities, telehealth services as we saw so much during COVID, educational platforms, emergency response systems depend on reliable connectivity, including those with our recent ICE rates. Lack of access is just not an inconvenience. It reinforces systemic inequity.

Low income households, mixed status families, and immigrant communities face limited access to broadband infrastructure, high service cost, language, and digital literacy barriers. These barriers directly, impact students' ability to succeed academically, family's ability to access legal and health resources, workers' ability to participate in our modern economy. The California Public Utilities Commission, the process remains highly inaccessible for low income communities.

It is concerning that both the c p the CPUC and the state report only a 30 to 40% participation rate in the program, specifically designed to protect health, safety, and welfare of low income residents, indicating significant barriers to access and engagement. Now with AB 2424, this ensures that California low income oversight board includes telecommunication experts.

This is a structure this is a structural fix, not symbolic. It embeds technical knowledge into decision making. It ensures policies reflect real world infrastructure and access challenges. Without this these expertise, critical issues risk being underrepresented and misunderstood. Telecommunications systems are rapidly evolving.

Policy needs to keep up to date. A dedicated expert can guide the board on broadband expansion strategies, affordable program, digital equity initiatives, infrastructure gaps, and underserved communities. I will say that at SALF, we have seen firsthand how digital access impacts our community through know your rights education, family preparedness planning, emergency response during immigration enforcement. Tools like digital platforms act allow for mobile access in critical times.

So here, I say that AB 2424 is a practical, targeted, and necessary improvement to how we govern programs serving low income Californians.

It strengthens the board's capacity to meet its mission with equity, equity, and expertise. So when we close the digital divide, we don't just expand access, we expand opportunity, dignity, and inclusion. Thank you.

Thank you for your, your, thank you for the proponent. We, will move on to any additional witnesses in support. You may approach the mic with name, affiliation, and position only, please. Seeing none. Thank you.

Are there any primary witnesses in opposition? When you get sorted, you have four minutes.

Good afternoon, madam chair, members. Amanda Gualderama with CALP Broadband. We are in respectful opposition, to the bill in print. And while we understand that there might be amendments taken today, we did just wanna point out a couple of option or a couple of items. There already is a universal lifeline telephone service trust administrative committee.

The committee is an advisory board providing advice, recommendations advice and recommendations to the CPUC on the development, implementation, and administration of the lifeline program. And this is the low income telecommunications program. The committee is also charged with the responsibility of providing advice and recommendations to the commission on the marketing of the program to work towards ensuring that those who qualify have those telecommunications services. Members of the committee include consumer based organizations, industry and accessible technology representative, a tribal representative, and the public advocates office.

They produce an annual report and in the past have produced reports jointly with the Electric and Gas Low Income Oversight Board.

The committee is paid for by the surcharges assessed on all telephone and wireless customers right now. I will note that by adding additional advisory board may increase those surcharges since there will be new costs. We look forward to continuing the conversations with the author's office and the committee We'll continue our full review of a potential amendments, but at this time remain opposed.

Thank you. Any additional witnesses in the room that wanna, come forward to state name, affiliation, and position only, please?

Good afternoon. Yolanda Benson representing US Telecom, the Broadband Association. Just wanna mirror the comments of my colleague from Broadband. We are in opposition at this time.

Thank you. Bring it back to the committee. Any committee members wish to speak?

I'll make the bill.

Motion by Lowenthal. Second. Second by Krell. Krell's the coming coming in strong today.

Oh, Assemblymember Rubio.

Yes. No. I just wanted to to clarify, know that you've been working very hard both sides, and I appreciate the the work. And, hopefully, we can come up with a a solution I know. I trust Assemblymember Carrillo.

He's always stood by his words, so I appreciate the the willingness to work with the opposition. Thank you.

No. Absolutely, I'm not gonna be meant to do that. Thank you.

Thank you. And with that, we have a motion by Lowenthal, second by Krell. Would assembly member Correa, would you like to close?

I I will. Thank you for the opportunity to close. So, you know, in close to maybe 2424, we ultimately assist the lifetime program in doing what it was intended to do, to provide Californians, most vulnerable income residents, reliable telephone and cellular services, enabling them to carry out essential daily functions in a digital area. With that, I respectfully ask for no vote.

Thank you. The motion on AB 2424 by Assemblymember Carrillo is do passed as amended and re referred to the committee on appropriations. Will the secretary please call the roll?

Berner. Aye. Berner, aye. Hoover. Bonta.

Aye. Bonta, aye. Colosa. Aye. Colosa, aye.

Castillo. Krell. Aye. Krell, aye. Lowenthal. Aye.

Lowenthal, aye. Rogers. Aye. Rogers, aye. Hoover.

This is for Aye. AB 2424 Carrillo. No. Hoover, no. Rubio? Aye. Rubio, aye.

That bill's out. We'll leave it over for additional members to add on.

We're gonna lift the call on consent and all the bills.

[Roll Call]

Yes. The, AB 2424 by Juan Carrillo is out seven to two. Members, this concludes the work on the Assembly Committee on Communicate communications and conveyance. We are adjourned.