Assembly Standing Committee on Public Employment and Retirement

Good morning. Please bear with us. We're waiting for members to get here. It's a little rainy. Let's give them about five more minutes.

Thank you. Good morning, and welcome committee on public employment and retirement. Before we begin, I have some housekeeping announcements. For this hearing, we'll be limiting substantive testimony to two primary witnesses on each side of the bill, and each will have two minutes to speak. Others may only say their names, organization, if any, and position on the bills.

As a reminder, primary witnesses and support must be those accompanied, the author or who has registered a support position with the committee, and the primary witnesses in opposition must do the same thing. All other support and opposition can be stated at the standing microphone when called upon to simply state their name, affiliation, and position. For committee members well, I can skip that part. For authors for authors and their staff, you're you'll note that our hearing is publicly noticed as a file order.

Your staff should be monitoring this hearing to assist you with coming at the appropriate time to present your bill.

Hello, members out there. Please come to the PERS Committee. And finally, the assembly has experienced a number of disruptions to committee and floor proceedings in the last few years because we seek to protect the rights of all who are participating in the legislative process and can effectively deliberate on critical issues facing California. So let's be clear. If you don't behave, we'll stop the meeting, have the sergeants ask you to leave.

If that doesn't work, we'll take a recess. We'll escort you out of the building, and we'll begin again. So with that, we don't have a quorum. We'll start as a subcommittee. Our first bill we're here this morning is AB 2483, El Hawari, who is right here on time.

Good morning, madam chair. I am proud to present AB 2483, which creates a permanent dignified pathway into firefighting careers for formerly incarcerated individuals who served on CAL FIRE hand crews. Thank you to the committee staff on this bill. I will be accepting, committee amendments. California has relied on incarcerated firefighters for nearly a century.

Just kidding. Sorry about that. Men and women who risk their lives clearing brush, cutting fire lines, and supporting fire suppression across the state. These individuals are carefully screened, limited to low level nonviolent offenders with good behavior and low security classifications. These are folks who went through Cal Fire's rigorous hands on training, risked their lives on the front lines, and came home with no certificate and no job prospects.

AB 2483 changes that. It ensures they leave with an official certificate and a fair shot at a real job. This bill is about more than a job though. It's about recognition, dignity, and a real shot at rebuilding their lives. It's about showing people that if you do the work, you deserve the opportunity, and we have the power to open those doors instead of keeping them locked.

Joining me today are Christine Sloto De Berry, board member of the South Marin Fire Protection District and the executive director of Prosecutors Alliance Action, and Royal Ramey from the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, chief and executive director.

You'll each have two minutes.

Great. Thank you. Good morning, chair. Christine Soto Deberry. I'm the Executive Director of Prosecutors Alliance Action and, in my personal capacity, a board member of the Southern Marin Fire Protection District.

And we're here today proud to sponsor AB 2483, a smart investment in jobs, justice, and safety. Fighting fires, unfortunately, is a growth industry in California, and we need more experienced firefighters on the front lines year round. For years, incarcerated fire crews have been a backbone of our emergency response. In 2024 alone, they provided 42% of CAL FIRE's emergency response hours. They have done dangerous skilled work protecting our homes, our communities, and our loved ones.

But when they return home, they face numerous obstacles to continuing their firefighting career. AB 2483 fixes that. This bill ensures that incarcerated individuals earn the certificates they need to apply for entry level positions with Cal Fire when they are returned home. It aligns our workforce needs with common sense. If we trust individuals to fight our fires while incarcerated, we should be ready to hire them to do that same essential work when they come home.

Throughout my career in both prosecution and public defense, I've seen that one of the strongest ways to reduce recidivism is stable, meaningful employment. A job provides structure, dignity, and a pathway forward. It strengthens families, reduces economic strain, and helps break cycles of incarceration. From a workforce perspective, the need is urgent. Cal Fire is projected to hire more than 2,400 positions in the coming years, and we can help fill those positions with formerly incarcerated firefighters who are already trained, tested, and committed to protecting our communities.

AB 2483 turns experience into opportunity. It strengthens California's ability to respond to the fires we know are coming, and it makes all of our communities safer. We respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Good morning, chair. My name is Chief Royal Ramey. I'm the co-founder and the CEO of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program. I spent two seasons as an incarcerated firefighter at Batista Conservation Camp, and that's where I fell in love while in firefighting.

It gave me purpose and it gave me direction. And when I came home in 2014, I wanted to continue that work, but I quickly realized how difficult that transition really was. I had the experience. I had the training, but I didn't have the certifications, the guidance, or even the pathway to move forward. I had to, figure out myself, navigating the application process, the requirements that nobody really prepared me for.

I refused to give up, and I figured out the pathway, and it led me to The US, employment with the US Forest Service and later on with Cal Fire. Today, FFRP has helped transition over 360 people get jobs in a forestry fire careers, and including 60 of those individuals actually work for CAL FIRE today. And many people who serve are just like me, formerly incarcerated, individuals who already did the work and already served on the front lines, and we are ready to continue protecting our communities.

For decades, incarcerated, you know, firefighters have been on the front lines, risking their lives, completing rigorous training, and gaining real hands on experience. But when they come home, they often don't receive the official certification for that work.

This isn't about special treatment. AB 2483, creates a modest hiring, preference, one that recognized their experience still while maintaining a fair and competitive process. At its core, this bill is about recognizing that public safety and rehabilitation goes hand in hand. A vote aye is a step toward honoring that work and creating real pathways and building safer and more resilient communities. Thank you for your time and your consideration.

Thank you. Are there any, more witnesses in support? Please step forward and give your name, organization, and your position.

Good morning. Jasmine Asher representing the Greater Sacramento Urban League. We're in support.

Good morning. Bella Kern on behalf of the Michaelson Center for Public Policy cosponsors in support.

Good morning, chair. Carmen Nicole Cox with the Cox for Infra Law and Policy on behalf of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program. Proud cosponsors in support. Thank you.

Thank you. Seeing no more witnesses, are there any, witnesses in opposition? Please come forward. Seeing none, are there any witnesses to to give opposition at the mic? Seeing none, Well, I guess it's just me.

So I'm very first of all, to the author, what a great bill. Please can I I am the chair? I wanna be a co author. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Please list me as a co author. I think it's the what we should be doing right now in California. This is California, and how we make it a great state is making sure that we provide jobs, jobs, and more jobs, and this is the way that we do it. And to the young man, I am so super proud of you for what you're doing, how you're leading on this issue because we need leaders in this issue, and so I'm I'm extremely proud of you.

I had an opportunity to visit one of the camps in in Pacific Palisade in in Eaton, and I got to visit with some of the incarcerated firefighters.

The pride that they took in their work was just awesome. It was breathtaking. I felt like a grandmother there visiting all my grandsons, and it just was amazing, just the pride that they had. And I think this will cut recidivism in half because when you get out and you have something to do and you have something that you could take pride in, saving lives, saving people's homes, this gives these folks pride. And so when we talk about, this is not we're not giving anybody any preference.

They've already did their on the job training, which which I think is is valuable. When you have it's education when you have on the job training. So with that, I do recommend an Aye, but we're gonna stop. Do we have enough to vote? No?

Not yet. And so and and to clarify, we did not we're not proposing amendments.

Yes. I I recognize that now.

Thank you. Thank you. Well, we'll take up motions at roll call once we establish a quorum.

Okay. And then may I close or

And you may close. Sorry.

It's okay. There these are folks, just like chief Royal Ramey who have done, the work, who have stepped up, protected our communities, and this is our time, to really recognize that. They stepped up under some of the toughest circumstances, and I've shared before, but my family was directly impacted by the Eaton fires. And so knowing that when they come home, they can get a real chance, that's exactly what this bill is looking to do, and and we owe them that.

So, please give them that chance, and Aye, request an aye vote.

Thank you. Yes. Next on the row, AB 619 Valencia. AB 1619 Valencia. Did I read it all wrong? I'm just well, I am dyslexic. Good morning.

Thank you.

Good morning, madam chair, members. Hopefully, everybody's having a a pleasant day so far. I wanna start by accepting the committee amendments and thank your staff, and the committee for their diligent work on this bill. AB 1619 would increase trustee stipend limits for county employees retirement system boards, California State Teachers Retirement Systems, also known as CalSTRS, and California Public Employees Retirement Systems, CalPERS, from $100 to $320 per meeting. Employees' retirement boards oversee complex public pension systems, often managing multibillion dollar investment portfolios.

Trustees dedicate substantial time reviewing funds, reports, budgets, disability retirement applications, and litigation. Despite these responsibilities, the $100 stipend limit has not been updated in nearly forty years. AB 1619 increases the stipend while maintaining local control since it is subject to local approval. With me with me to provide testimony today is mister Roger Hilton with the Orange County Employees Retirement System.

Thank you. You have two minutes.

Morning, honorable chair, honorable committee members. My name is Roger Hilton. I know I wear a bunch of different hats, but today, I'm I'm wearing the hat of a trustee for retirement board for Orange County. I served thirty three years as a deputy sheriff. Nine of those years, I was the elected safety member, and now I am the elected retiree member.

And I'm here to support the bill. I'm gonna be very brief today. The current $100 stipend was set nearly forty years ago. It has not kept pace with the economic realities and the growing complexity of these systems. AB 1619 allows retirement boards the option to increase compensation up to $320 per meeting with a maximum of five meetings per month.

One example is, when I started in 2012, our system had $9,000,000,000 in assets. Today, it has 28,000,000,000. So the the expectations placed on the Board Members has have grown, but their compensation has not. Retirement Board Members carry serious fiduciary responsibility, managing large investment portfolios and benefit systems that public employees depend on. AB 1619 modernizes their compensation to reflect the weight of that responsibility and to account for inflation.

Any increase requires the adoption of the local board of supervisors preserving full local control. I will say the the impact on diversity, current the current limited stipend can discourage participation due to financial constraints and the amount of time needed to carry out duty. Without action, current stipend structures limits diversity of candidates able to serve. A AB 1619 helps ensure the people managing billions in public retirement assets are qualified, committed, and diverse. I respectfully request an aye vote.

Thank you very much. And if anybody has any questions, I'm willing to answer.

Thank you. Are there any other witnesses, on for AB 1619? Please come to the mic. State your name, affiliation, and position.

Good morning, chair and members. Naomi Padron on behalf of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association. We don't have a formal position, but we'd like to thank the author, the committee, specifically Michael Bolden, for working with us on the, Laceras specific amendments. Thank you.

Thank you. We're gonna pause for a minute and establish a quorum. Madam secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Are there any other witnesses? Are there any witnesses in opposition? Please come forward. Seeing none, are there any, witnesses that would like to come in opposition that would like to come to the mic? Seeing none, I'll bring it back to the members.

Second. And the bill was moved by Assembly member Nguyen and seconded by Assembly member Lackey. Would you like to close?

Thank you, madam chair. I firmly believe in public pensions, and much of the work that we do in this body revolves around ensuring that public servants receive those pensions after a long tenure. It's equally as important to ensure that the folks that have oversight and jurisdiction in managing those funds are also appropriately compensated. And because of that, I respectfully ask for a yes vote on this bill.

Thank you. Madam secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

We have six votes. We'll keep the roll open for absent members. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, mister Bolton.

Okay.

I will... Assembly member Lackey will be chairing the meeting while I present a couple of bills. Thank you.

You may begin.

Thank you. Mister chair, members, I'm presenting the committee's bill AB 2780, which is the annual public employ employee retirement laws cleanup bill. This bill makes minor technical clarifying or conforming changes to the teacher's retirement law administering by CalSTRS and the county employees retirement law administered by the 20 independent county retirement systems for the continued efficient and effective administration of retirement for public employees, retirees, and their beneficiaries.

With me today are representatives from CalSTRS and the county retirement system to offer comments of support and answer technical questions.

You have two minutes. You may begin.

Wonderful. Good morning, mister chair, members of the committee, Joycelyn Martinez-Wade from the California State Teachers Retirement System, cosponsors of the bill, and happy to answer any questions on the provisions related to CalSTRS.

Very good. Alright. Do we have anybody in the audience who would like to express their support for this bill? Please come forward. Seeing none.

Do we have any opposition that would like to come and express their opposition? Apparently not. Seeing none. How about anybody in the audience that would just like to come to the mic and express their opposition? Apparently not.

Yes. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Okay. Back to the each one of us up here. Second. Third. K. We have multiple motions, so we're in a good shape there. Ma'am, would you like to close?

Sounds good. Madam Secretary, we're ready for the role.

Item number 6, AB 2780. The motion is, to pass and be referred to the committee on appropriations. {Roll Call}

Bill's on call. You may go with your next president.

Thank you. Members, I'm presenting my bill AB 2519. Late last year, I became aware of an issue following my bill, AB 1997 signed into law in 2024 that made various changes to CalSTRS law to simplify payroll reporting processes that benefit CalSTRS employees, the system, and retirees. However, while simplifying those processes, that bill excluded some charter school positions from continuing to be in CalSTRS, and that was not my intention whatsoever. You all know me.

I strongly believe in being fair, and this bill is intended to correct that issue so that they can continue continue participating in the system, especially since continuing to work and earn service credits toward their pension is important to those people and extremely important to me. With me today are two representatives of charter schools in my district to offer comments and support. A representative from CalSTRS is also here to answer any technical questions. Thank you. You may begin.

Good morning. My name is Danielle Kelsick, and I am the Superintendent of Environmental Charter Schools. A network of four public charter schools serving 1,700 students in LA's South Bay. 82% of our students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, and yet ninety eight percent of our graduates are accepted to college every year. I started my career out of state as a classroom teacher with no intention of becoming a school leader.

I spent years working directly with students until I was encouraged to apply for school leadership by my principal at Environmental Charter High School.

At ECS, developing teachers into leaders is central to who we are. Six of our current school administrators were previously teachers or counselors at ECS. That is the promise of charter schools, and it is a promise that AB 1997 now puts at risk. Due to an unintended consequence of AB 1997, educators promoted after 07/01/2027 would lose CalSTRS eligibility. At ECS, that means 162 employees would be impacted, including counselors, psychologists, social workers, and librarians, all critical to student success.

At a time when California faces a teacher shortage, especially in high need communities like ours, we cannot afford to penalize educators for staying in the profession and advancing their careers. AB 2519 fixes this with a solution that mirrors traditional district processes to designate positions subject to CalSTRS membership. I've built my career in public education, and I rely on CalSTRS for retirement. Our educators deserve the same security. Keeping educators in CalSTRS is good for them, and it's good for the fund.

Every educator pushed out is a member lost. AB 2519 keeps those members in, and I'd like to thank Assemblymember McKinner for her commitment to protect our pensions. I respectfully ask for your aye vote on AB 2519. Thank you.

Thank you. You may begin.

Good morning. My name is Marina Rivera Leal. I'm an eleventh grade English teacher and Department Chair on Environmental Charter Schools in Lawndale, and I'm passionate about working in the same community where I grew up.

As a student, I didn't always love school. Instead of belonging, I experienced microaggressions and teachers who weren't always culturally responsive or inclusive. While those experiences didn't necessarily bring me to the classroom, they absolutely kept me in the classroom because I saw the impact I could have on students who felt the way I once did. I first taught in Miami, then in Oakland where I served as a dean of culture and later as an assistant principal at at a charter school. Then I made the deliberate choice.

I made my way back home to the South Bay, and I went back into the classroom. I wanted to be with students who could have been me, kids growing up in the South Bay Of LA. I took that step with a very clear goal in mind to become a school leader, not at a school an hour away from me or in a different state, but in my own community. That's the plan. Department chair today and with the support of my network, leadership tomorrow, right down the street from where I live.

AB 1997 inadvertently puts that plan at risk. If I accept a promotion after 07/01/2027, I lose my CalSTRS eligibility and would be forced to choose between living in my own community and the retirement security my family depends on. I'm recently married and plan to have children, and I help care for family members in need. CalSTRS is not an abstraction for me, nor is it for my colleagues who I can name right now that also aspire to move into administrative work. Passionate educators who would be impossible choice.

AB 2519 means none of us have to make it. Thank you, Assemblymember McKinner, for introducing AB 2519, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Do you have any, people in the audience like to express their support for this measure? Please come forward, state your position, name, and organization.

Good morning. My name is Habib Thomas. I'm the Senior Director of Fiscal Services for Sage Oak Charter Schools, and I support AB 2519.

Thank you.

Good morning, Cynthia Rachel with Springs Charter Schools, and I support the bill. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. Mary Cox, Superintendent of Core Butte Charter School, and I'm in support.

Thank you.

Good morning. Jared Austin, superintendent, Kairos Public Schools, in support of the bill. Thank you.

Good morning. Jeff Rice, Founder and Director of APlus , and we're in support of the bill. Thank you.

Good morning. Joe Woods, Superintendent for Natomas Charter School here in Sacramento in support of the bill. Thank you.

Good morning. Dorothy Johnson on behalf of the Association of California School Administrators. Apologies for not getting our letter of support in time for the committee analysis, but thank the author for her leadership. Thank you.

Thank you.

Shannon Green representing California and Pacific Charter Schools in support.

Thank you.

Mister chair, madam chair, members, Adam Keigwin on behalf of California LULAC, National Action Network, and Alliance College Ready Public Schools in support. Thank you.

Eric Premack with the Charter Schools Development Center in support. Thank you.

Katie Dodd, California Montessori Project Charter Schools in support.

Thank you.

Melanie Brown, California Montessori Project, and we're in support.

Thank you.

Brad Bookser, Sage Oak Charter Schools in support. Appreciate it.

Xavier Maltese with the California Charter Schools sponsoring. Thank you to the author.

Thank you. K. Witnesses in opposition. Seeing none. Anybody wanna go to the mic and express their opposition?

Looks like there's no one. Okay. We'll come back to the dais. Move the bill. K.

Multiple motions. You may close.

Yes. Members, this was a this was a tough one, and I hope that everyone kinda pays attention to what happened here. I did a bill last year. It had unintended consequences. I met with the charter school employees and teachers and looked across the screen at them and found out they were losing, their retirement, their CalSTRS, because of a bill that I did, and I was mortified.

Because I asked them who did the bill, and they're like, you. I'm like, okay. Well, I didn't like that. And so I promised that I would fix this. And so we're we're trying.

We're doing it, and I would really, really be grateful for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Madam secretary, we're ready for the roll.

Item number five, AB 2519. The motion is do passed and we refer to the committee on appropriations. {Vote}

Thank you.

Apparently, we're gonna take a brief recess because we have no authors present.

[Roll Call]

We'll take a ten minute recess, for waiting for authors. Thank you.

Next bill to be heard, AB 2017, Haney.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am proud to present AB 2017, the California Eid State Holiday Act, which recognizes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in California and ensures students observing Eid receive excused absences. California is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the country, yet our state does not reflect these deeply significant observances. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are among the holiest days in Islam, marked by prayer, reflection, charity, and community, and are observed by over 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide.

Despite this, Muslim students across California are often forced to choose between attending school or fully observing their holidays.

Even when absences are excused, students miss instructional time and can feel isolated from their peers. Employees face the same burden when workplaces do not formally recognize Eid. California prides itself on being one of the most diverse and inclusive states in the nation, but our laws have not yet caught up. Other jurisdictions, including Washington State, New York City, and several major school districts, have already taken steps to formally recognize Eid.

AB 2017 brings California in line with these efforts by adding these holy days to the state holiday calendar while maintaining flexibility for courts and local educational agencies.

The bill ensures excused absences for students, allows schools and community colleges to close through negotiated agreements, and enables employees to observe Eid using existing leave or personal holiday credit. This approach mirrors how California recognizes observances such as Lunar New Year and Diwali. Here to testify with me today is Hala Hejazi, CEO and founder of the Muslim Impact Council, and Ahmed Al Okta.

You have two minutes each. Thank you.

Good morning, Chair. My name is Ahmed Al Okta, and I'm here in support of AB 2017 on behalf of the Muslim Ministry of State Association at California State University, Sacramento. I attended Natomas Charter School, which is part of the most diverse school district here in California and only the second in the nation.

But even so, in a place that's so diverse and reflected so many backgrounds and communities, Eid was still so often unfamiliar to many people around me. Eid is one of the most important holidays in my faith.

Yet for most of my life, I found people not even knowing what it is. Just last month, when we were celebrating Eid, my younger brother came up to me. He asked me a question. It was pretty heartbreaking, to be honest. He said, why don't others celebrate Eid with us?

It's a shame, really, that people don't understand the importance of a holiday that we Muslims hold so sacred. I'd love to be able to tell my classmates and teachers that I am observing Eid and for them to immediately understand what that means. Too often, I feel like Muslims have to explain ourselves, miss class quietly, and feel like our traditions are invisible or something separate from the shared society that we have. And AB 2017 would help change that.

It would help Muslims feel seen, respected, and included in our schools. It would mean that future students can celebrate their faith openly and proudly without feeling misunderstood.

Recognition matters, especially for young people who are still learning where they fit in. They should not have to feel like they have to explain or justify their identity just to be seen, or feel like they have to justify their place in a place that's already theirs. And this bill says something very simple yet so extraordinarily powerful: that you belong here without any conditions, and anything less than that is simply not enough.

I respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you.

Honorable Chair Mckinnor and members of the committee, thank you. I'm Hala Hejazi, and I speak today as a civic leader with twenty-five years of public service focusing on California's competitive advantage. We often cite our state as the fifth largest economy in the world, but that economy is only as strong as the people who power it. AB 2017 is a critical piece of civic infrastructure that aligns our statutes with the functional reality of a modern, world-class, and diverse workforce. In my work reaching government and the private sector, I see one recurring challenge: workforce stability.

When our state formally recognizes the cultural and religious milestones of its residents, we're doing more than making a symbolic gesture. We are sending a clear signal to every worker, student, and entrepreneur that California is a place where they can belong and thrive. Currently, there's a gap between our state's values and our formal recognitions. This bill bridges the gap, providing a framework for inclusion that reduces fear and social friction and fosters a strong sense of shared civic identity. Ultimately, this is about modernization.

As we build a resilient future, we must recognize that a sense of belonging is a primary driver of civic engagement and productivity. By passing AB 2017, we are updating our approach to community building. This is not a partisan issue. It's a progress issue. It ensures our government reflects the people it serves in a way that is both practical and profound.

California has always been the laboratory for the future. Today, you have the opportunity to lead the nation by demonstrating that our diversity is our greatest strategic asset. I respectfully urge your aye vote on AB 2017. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Are there any more witnesses in support? Please come forward and give your name, organization, and your position. And you almost made me cry too.

Monica Madrid, on behalf of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, CHIRLA, in support.

Osama Muqaddam, legislative director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, California chapter, and a proud cosponsor of this bill, in strong support. Thank you.

My name is Ali Akbar, and I'm a Muslim mom and an emergency room physician taking care of veterans in California, Sacramento, for about twenty years.

Just name and affiliation. I'm sorry, ma'am. Name, affiliation, and position.

I beg your pardon?

Name, your organization, and your position.

Okay. My name is Ali Akbar, and I'm a Muslim mom, and I do not represent any organization. I'm here as a Muslim mom, and my 14-year-old girl, when she was in high school

I'm sorry, ma'am. Support the bill?

Okay. Alright. Support with all my heart. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Hello. My name is Joseph Saragosa here on behalf of the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs. We are proud to cosponsor AB 2017, and we respectfully ask for your aye vote today. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Anas Musthova, community member and university student, and I support this bill.

Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Haras Doman. I'm an eighth grader at Granite Oaks Middle School, and I support this bill. Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Betula Badula. I am a business owner and a Muslim, and I support this bill. Thank you so much.

Hi. Salam. I am Mahbouba Khan. I'm a substitute teacher at FPA and a member at the Muslim Community of Folsom, and I, hopefully with my full heart, support this bill. Thank you. Thank you.

Hello, everyone. Good morning. My name is Manav Carzon. I am a master's student, and I'm also here with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and I wholeheartedly support this bill.

Thank you.

Imam Julius Thibodeaux-Hasan. I am the imam at Masjid Assuribur, and I fully support this bill.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. Kasuri Remini, on behalf of Chairline, CAPC, in full support of the bill. Thank you. Thank you.

Good morning, everybody. My name is Hassan Ubadola. I'm a state employee, and I fully support this bill.

Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Mithu Molla. I'm a professor of medicine at UC Davis Medical Center and the vice chair for the Department of Internal Medicine. I fully support this bill.

Thank you. I'm seeing no more witnesses in support. Are there any primary witnesses in opposition? Seeing none, are there any witnesses that would like to come to the mic and give their position? Seeing none.

Hold on. Hold on.

So this is for opposition?

Well, this is for opposition.

Go. Uh-huh.

No. No. You just can't. So I'd like to bring it back to the members, bring it to the dais. Any questions?

Assembly Member Nguyen?

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanna, again, I, this came through our BNP, and I was so excited to be able to hear not only the testimonials, but just like everybody is saying, this is your whole heart. This is so long overdue, and this is a great step for us to be able to show the rest of the world what they could do, what they should be doing. I wanna thank you for your testimony.

I mean, you made me cry as well. So I could feel it, how emotional it is, how special it is. My daughter is in the fifth grade, and just this year, for the first time, she started learning about it because her teacher is Muslim. And I thought that was so wonderful because she brought home a box with treats in it, and, you know, it said Eid, and she was asking, she has difficulty in speaking.

And so she was trying to say Ramadan. Right? And I just thought that was so cute that they're learning this in the fifth grade. And it really should be taught, you know, at such a young age, for all these other kids to understand and to learn about all of our different cultures in here. This is what makes our world so beautiful, that we are a part of so many different cultures and so many different traditions.

And I'm so thrilled and happy that this is coming forward finally, and I really wanna thank the author for bringing this forward. This is long overdue, but I'm so glad that it's happening now while I'm here so that I could be able to vote on this not just once, twice. Looking forward to seeing this on the floor and making this a real thing happen for us here in California. I'm gonna be celebrating with all of you all as well. It's a truly, truly special moment for me.

Thank you so much. And with that, I think it's already moved. If it hasn't been seconded, I'd second it.

Yes. Any other members? Any comments? Well, I have some comments. I thank you for bringing the bill.

I think the author, he always has such great bills. I love his bills. And I thank you as well. I felt it, being an African American woman, you know, celebrating Juneteenth and teaching people about our history, celebrating Black History Month, being able to actually teach folks about our history is really important to me. And so, can you pronounce the name of the holiday again?

I've never heard of it, so I look forward to learning. I'm glad that I'm going to vote for the bill, and my recommendation is a yes. And I haven't heard of the holiday. And so we did have Assembly Member Bill Essayli here with us, and he's no longer in the assembly, but we have Senator Wahab. And so if the Senator can hear me, I'm gonna be looking for you to teach us all about it, Senator.

And with that, would you like to close?

Sure. And I really appreciate those comments and really wanna thank Ahmed and Hala and the Muslim Impact Council, CAIR, and the California Commission on API Affairs. This is resonating across California throughout Muslim communities. This is a moment of pride, of recognition, of inclusion, of our commitment as a state to our diversity, and to making sure that all of our residents feel fully seen and included, and that they're not punished for simply wanting to celebrate with their communities on their most holy days.

It's a very proud moment, but it's also a moment for all Californians to be able to increase understanding and solidarity.

And it will help us, I think, with a lot of the challenges we have in terms of people understanding each other and fighting against ignorance. And so with that, appreciate the support for the bill, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. There was a motion by Assembly Member Boerner and a second by Assembly Member Nguyen. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

That bill has seven votes. It's out. Thank you. Thank you.

We'll take another brief recess. We have one more bill left.

AB 2656, assembly member, Petrie Norris.

Good morning. Good morning. Good morning, madam chair and members. Thank you for your patience. I know we're all supposed to be in four places at once today, including, I think, my witness. So we'll see if they pop on in. So AB 2656 ensures that public employee organizations receive advanced notice of the proposed use of generative AI so that they are afforded a meaningful opportunity to provide input on the development, introduction, and use of generative AI in the workplace. This session, there has been a lot of bills focused on artificial intelligence and the impact that that's having on, workers across so many sectors.

We know that artificial intelligence is increasingly being utilized in public sector workplaces, often without advanced notice to the employees most directly affected.

These tools significantly impact job duties, performance evaluations, and overall working conditions. Without transparency, employees may be subject to decisions made by systems that they don't understand, presenting the risk of bias, errors, or lack of human oversight. While existing law requires employers to meet and confer over changes to wages, hours, and working conditions, does not explicitly address the growing use of AI. This creates a clear gap as this technology rapidly expands across government operations. AB 2656 establishes a clear common sense requirement.

Public employers must provide at least forty five days written notice to recognized employee organizations before developing, purchasing, implementing, or utilizing generative AI to perform work within classified job classifications within represented job classifications. We believe that this bill will promote a more transparent and thoughtful approach to AI and public employment. And by ensuring this early communication, the bill supports more effective and responsible implementation, helps identify and mitigate risks to employees, and strengthens collaboration between employers and employee organizations.

This is a balanced approach that supports innovation while reinforcing stable labor relations and informed decision making. Now I may or may not have Ben Therriault here.

Well, hi. Come on up, Ben.

Good morning. Good morning.

You have two minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ben Therriault, I am the vice president for the Peace Officers Research Association of California who represent 90,000 public safety employees. Happy to be here with you this morning. We're as a a cosponsor in support of this bill. And essentially, obviously, artificial intelligence is changing our lives. It is positive thing.

Technology is a positive thing. But the boil down part of this bill is simply notification. A simple email to a labor leader is all that this entices, and there's nothing it's really that simple. It's not a anything that has to do with the MMBA or anything into that effect. So it's very cut and dry, very simple.

And look, a forty five day notification is not a big deal. I think, you know, if the Terminator was real life, I think people would appreciate if Skynet was gonna come online, if they have forty five days heads up. I think they'd like that.

Yes.

And that's all this bill does. So we offer support for that, and thank you for your time.

Thank you. Are there any other witnesses in support? Please come forward and give your name, organization, and up imposition. Seeing none, are there any registered, witnesses in opposition? Join us. You have two minutes.

Thank you, madam chair. This I'm Jean Hurst, aired today on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, a coalition of the largest 14 counties in the state. We do have an opposed position on AB 2656. We have raised general concerns with the author about the scope of the bill and the practical impact of implementation on local agencies. However, we do really appreciate that the bill recognizes that public agencies are different in terms of their implementation of any technology, including AI.

We've had helpful conversations with the author's office and believe there's an opportunity to work collaboratively on language that meets both her goals and isn't overly burdensome or costly for public agencies, and we look forward to additional conversations with the author as the bill moves forward. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any other witnesses in opposition? Please give your name, affiliation, and position.

Sarah De Ket, on behalf of the Rural County representatives of California, echoing my colleagues' comments. Looking forward to working on the bill with the author. Thank you.

Good morning, madam good morning, madam chair. Aaron Avery, California Special Districts Association, also on behalf of the California State Association of Counties, respectfully opposed. But, again, align my comments with my colleague. Thank you.

Thank you. I would seeing no more witnesses, I'd like to bring it back to the dais. Any questions, comments? None? Second.

Second. Okay. Assemblymember Rodriguez moved the bill. Assemblymember Alanis second the bill. And I would like to say thank you for what you're doing.

Thank the author because we have been talking about AI since January. And I think that forty five days before Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator came in, that would have helped all Americans. It would be nice for employees to know before you start shopping and getting the system. So I don't really think it it would be burdensome on the counties because this is the a notify just a notification before you start shopping and and getting your quotes and and and looking for the system, the AI systems.

It would be great for employees to know that this is coming their way because AI is taking jobs.

Now I don't know what it would would do to public safety. We'd love to talk to you and find out how how AI would do with public safety. That's interesting. But I thank you for the bill, and I support it. Madam secretary, please call the roll.

Oh, would you like to close?

Well, thank you, madam chair. I appreciate your comments and support, and certainly, we'll continue to to work and have conversations with the opposition so that we land this plane in a way that protects workers and doesn't create unnecessary burdens or regulations. So with that, I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Madam secretary?

Item number four, AB 2656. The motion is do passed, and we refer to the committee on appropriations. Mckinner. Aye. Mckinner, aye.

Rollcall.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you. Did you get all the hold on. Hold on, you guys. Did they get everything?

No. We haven't. No.

No. No. But for the rest of the day Everyone. Everybody. Okay.

Item number four, AB 2656. The current vote is six zero. The motion is do passed and re referred to the committee on appropriations. Berner? Aye.

Berner, aye. That bill is out seven to zero.

Thank you. This meeting is adjourned.