Assembly Floor

Good morning. The assembly is now in session. Assemblymember Caloza knows it says the absence of a quorum. Sergeant at arms will prepare the chamber and bring in the absent members. Clerk will call the roll.

[Roll Call]

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

Please join me in a moment of reflection. On his recent visit to the colonies, King Charles III shared both levity and sensibility with Congress. He said, in the spirit of 1776, we can agree that we have not always agreed. But added later that our founding fathers forged a nation on the revolutionary idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. At that time, 250 years ago, most countries in the world were ruled by monarchs, royal families, kings, and emperors.

They often claimed a lineage confirmed by divine selection. Then came the creation of the United States Of America. Our country continues to be a bold experiment in democracy where our leaders are elected to serve, in contrast to many countries where leaders feel they have been chosen to rule. However difficult and contentious and imperfect our democracy may be at times, it has long been a beacon of hope for oppressed people everywhere.

The United States of America is more than a dream in a work in progress. It is a dream in progress. A dream that someday we will be truly a place where there is liberty and justice for all. How fortunate we are to be the caretakers of this dream. And to this dream each day, we pledge our allegiance. Let us take to heart what King Charles shared in closing.

He said, to the United States Of America on your 250th birthday, that our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless sacrifice of our people and of all people of the world. Let us try to live with kindness and gratitude beyond words.

We ask our guests and visitors to remain standing to join us in the flag salute. Assembly Member Davies will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please place your hand upon your heart. Veterans may salute. Ready, begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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

Assembly Chamber Sacramento, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. The Assembly met at 7AM. The honorable Leticia Castillo is...

Mr. Garcia moves and Ms. Hadwick seconds that the reading of the previous day's journal be dispensed with. Presentations and petitions, there are none. Introduction and reference of both bills will be deferred. Reports of committees will be deemed read and amendments deemed adopted. Messages from the governor, there are none.

Messages from the Senate, there are none. Moving on to motions and resolutions, the absences for the day will be deemed read and printed in the journal. On to procedural motions. Assistant Majority Leader Garcia, you are recognized for your procedural motions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 118A to allow Assembly Members Elhawary, Gabriel, and Hadwick to have guests in the rear of chamber, and for Assembly Member Gabriel to have a guest seated at his desk today.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I move to withdraw AB 2568, Johnson from the Appropriations Committee and order it to the second reading file. This bill is not fiscal.

Without objection, such shall be the order.

I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 56 to allow the Public Safety Committee to set SB 73, Cervantes for their hearing on Wednesday, May 6 at 1:30PM in Room 126, pending re-referral from the Elections Committee.

Assembly Member Hadwick, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Withhold consent and ask for a roll call vote.

Thank you, Assembly Member Hadwick. The motion has been seconded by Assembly Member Connolly. Members, this is a procedural motion. Thank you, Members. Thank you, Members. This is a procedural motion. This requires 41 votes. This is not debatable. Clerk will open the roll. Majority Leader, Assistant Majority Leader Garcia is asking for an aye vote.

Ms. Hadwick is asking for a no vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. All Members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 41, noes 14, the motion carries and the rules are suspended. Okay, Members. We are moving on to guest introductions, and we will begin with Assembly Member Hadwick. You are recognized for your guest introduction.

Mr. Speaker. Members, it is my distinct honor to introduce Wayne Woo, sheriff of Placer County, and Shayne Wright, undersheriff, who are joining at this rear of the chamber as they commemorate this extraordinary milestone, the 175th anniversary of the Placer County Sheriff's Office. Established on April 25, 1851 at the height of the California Gold Rush, the Placer County Sheriff's Office began as a small frontier agency tasked with bringing over order to rapidly growing mining camps.

Over the past 175 years, it has evolved into a modern full service public safety organization serving nearly 500,000 residents across a diverse landscape that stretches from the Sacramento Valley to the Sierra Nevada. Today, the department is comprised of more than 600 sworn and professional staff who serve in a wide range of specialized units, including patrol operations, investigations, corrections, search and rescue, k9 teams, air operations, and emergency services.

The sheriff's office is often recognized for its regional leadership, coordinating multi agency responses during wildfire seasons, operating one of the busiest search and rescue volunteer programs in Northern California, and maintaining strong partnerships with local schools, cities, and community organizations to enhance public safety and preparedness.

Through periods of tremendous growth and change, the men and women of the Placer County Sheriff's Office have remained steadfast in their commitment to service, professionalism, and community trust, carrying forward a legacy that begins in California's earliest days.

Mr. Speaker and Members, please join me in warm welcome to Sheriff Woo and Undersheriff Wright to the state capitol and congratulating the Placer Sheriff's Office on 175 years of dedicated service.

Thank you, Members. Thank you, Members. Continuing on with guest introductions. Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, colleagues. Today, I'm proud to welcome students and staff from John Muir Charter Schools, representing schools from across California. John Muir offers an alternative high school experience to 14 to 16 year olds, ensuring all students have a pathway to graduation and success beyond. Please join me in welcoming them to the Assembly floor.

Welcome, John Muir. Welcome. Assembly Member Lee, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, Members. Please join me in welcoming the winners of our 24th Assembly District's third annual youth art contest and their families at the state capitol. Each of our winners has displayed exceptional talent, creativity, and unique perspective in illustrating the theme, healthy meals feed happy families. Their pieces will be proudly displayed in my capitol office throughout the year, and I encourage you all to stop by and see their wonderful art.

This year's winners are Arlene Q Luov, a student from Lila Bringhurst Elementary School. Kiran Jain, a student from Mattos Elementary School. Harshita Kanchipalli, a student from Maloney Elementary School. Elaine Kim, a student from Ruskin Elementary School. Rebecca Lu, a student from Valley Christ School.

Ishan Shandanjeti, a student from Horner Middle School. Shihan Yan, a student from Piedmont Middle School. Shria Rai, a student from Washington High School. Jody Wong, a student from Irvington High School. Please, Members, give a warm welcome to the winners of my youth art contest.

Welcome. Welcome. Assembly Member Patterson, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, it's my honor to welcome the national champions from Oak Ridge High School cheer team to the California State Assembly. Oak Ridge High School is back on top claiming their third national championship in medium varsity D1 in their competition in Florida. They've now won four state championships and are preparing to win their fifth in a few weeks here. In the gallery, we're joined by the entire team, coached by Elaina Padilla, coach Kat Martin, coach James Blank.

And I gotta say, you know, as a cheer dad myself, I know how hard, you know, not only the the students and the coaches work, but also the parents, and the commitment it is to get to such an excellent level. So congratulations on your championship, and I'll look forward to seeing you in the district soon. Take care.

Okay, Members. We're gonna have one more guest introduction by Mr. Connolly, but his group needs to come into the gallery, so we are going to start with our business on the daily file. We'll begin with our second reading, file items one through 42. Clerk will read.

[Second Reading]

All bills will be deemed read, and all amendments will be deemed adopted. Concurrence and Senate amendments. File item 43, we're gonna pass and retain. Reconsideration, file items 46, 44 through 46, all items shall be continued. And that brings us to our Assembly third reading file. That's file items 47 through 113. We're gonna pass and retain on file items 47 all the way to file item 69. That brings us to file item number 70. That's ACR 176 by Assembly Member Elhawary. The Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 176 by Assembly Member Elhawary, relative to Second Chance Month.

Assembly Member Elhawary, you are recognized.

Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. Today, I am so proud to present ACR 176, a resolution recognizing April as second chance month. Let's start with a question. Y'all ready for the question?

Raise your hand if you've ever been given a second chance. I want you to think about what that chance meant to you. Now, if you're open to it, I want you to close your eyes. I want you to think back to that time that you messed up in elementary school. Maybe you pulled a high school prank.

Or did maybe you did something you know you shouldn't have been doing. I want you to remember how relieved you were that you didn't get caught. Now, think about all those who did get caught for doing the exact same thing you did that day. You can open your eyes. This is the reality of second chances.

Sometimes you need them, and sometimes you are simply lucky enough to not have to ask for one. But today, we're not here to talk about pranks. We're here to talk about life altering mistakes and just how pivotal an opportunity can be in turning someone's life around. Second chance month is about highlighting how meaningful getting another chance can be for those returning home from incarceration.

After serving their debt to society and taking accountability, it really matters when someone believes in you, when the same system that locked you up invests in your success.

Individuals returning from prison or jail attempt to support their families, contribute to their communities, and rebuild their lives, but significant barriers often stand in the way. They often face challenges accessing financial aid, securing housing, and obtaining employment. And that being the case, system impacted folks often don't receive a real second chance. Even though we should want those individuals to get their lives back on track. So why do I care so much about second chances?

I have a story to share about Linda Gomez Evans, whose memory we hope to honor today. Linda, after spending eighteen years in prison, where she led healing circles, founded the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, which brings together system impacted folks to uplift their voices and advance policy change. I met Linda through the Community Coalition Fellowship. She was a standout from the beginning, a skilled community organizer who easily mobilized people toward action. She always saw the best in people, despite their past mistakes.

She saw their potential and used her gifts to help them reach it. Linda recruited folks like David Wynne, someone who deeply shaped my involvement with criminal justice reform. She recruited David to join COCO, as it's affectionately called. And I had the train the pleasure of training both of them. After spending sixteen years in prison, David received his college degree, dedicated his life to uplifting those around him with random acts of kindness, and helping them find hope and transform their lives.

He now serves as a representative for mayor Karen Bass. In the process, David introduced me to so many people who had once felt hopeless because of their prison sentences. One of these individuals who's here today was Adonai Melendez. Adonai spent thirty years incarcerated. And after receiving his second chance, Adonai was ready to give back through living amends.

He became involved with Homeboy Industries and developed into a restorative justice advocate and has since become a justice liaison with our team, supporting with getting others involved in our justice league coalition. All that being said, mistakes have consequences. Let's not ever forget or ignore the victims and survivors. We also need to fight for resources and support for all those that have suffered because of others' mistakes, including victims and their families.

Healing is not a linear process, and our support for victims, survivors should not be an afterthought, but a priority.

At the same time, our system is filled with cycles of victimization as impacted folks often commit crimes stemming from their own victimization, often out of a need to protect themselves. And while hurt people hurt people, healed people also heal people. For this reason, we need to shift the narrative and start seeing incarcerated individuals and those coming home as people in need of healing and rehabilitation.

We have seen the value of second chances through Linda and David and Adonai and all those being recognized today who lead with accountability, remorse, and a desire to give back. System impacted folks can build up our society, but we cannot tear them down before they get that opportunity.

Thirty seconds.

To uplift these individuals, we must champion trauma informed intervention programs, healing circles, mentorship, restorative practices, housing, workforce training, and expand access to educational opportunities for those who have been system impacted. And as they enter the job market and the education system, recidivism becomes so much more unlikely. So as we continue to make these opportunities more accessible, we will continue to see folks better support their families, contribute to their communities, and create a society where fewer individuals make the same mistakes they did.

I wanna close by reminding us that as Bryan Stevenson said, each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done. I respectfully ask for your aye vote, and I'd like the role to be open for co authors.

Thank you, Assemblymember Al Hawari. Assemblymember Ta, you are recognized.

Thank you, mister speaker. I'm really happy to support ACR 176 because I believe giving the people, like, second chance after they have paid their debt to society is very crucial. And that is why I introduced AB 11565, which would give job opportunity for formerly incarcerated people by giving small businesses a tax ready for hiring them.

Unfortunately, my AB 1565 was held in a committee this year, but I look forward to working with all of you on this bill next year. With that, I respectfully ask for your eyeball.

Thank you, Assemblymember Ta. Assemblymember Brian, you are recognized.

Thank you, mister speaker. I stand in strong support of ACR 176 with my seatmate, and I believe as a coauthor to our colleague from the other aisles, Bill. Last year was the first time in California history incarcerated people were recognized on this assembly floor while they were incarcerated. And the reason we recognize them is because they spent three weeks saving Los Angeles and Altadena, what's left of Los Angeles and Altadena from the worst fires to ever hit our region.

And I think in that moment, we recognized that not only did their labor have dignity and deserved a pay raise, but that they deserved a second chance.

And don't think you should have to put your life on the line to deserve that second chance. I think that's part of what justice looks like. Accountability is important. We should never forget victims or survivors, but we also have to remember that the systems we've designed for accountability also victimized. And that many people, while they deserve a second chance, also never had a real first chance.

And that's part of our responsibility. It's difficult to come from communities that have underfunded schools, disproportionate housing burdens, no grocery stores, no public health infrastructure, environmental hazards, and police on every corner. When your conditions are violent, it leads to violence. So I'm proud to stay here to support second chance month, and I think we all should be, but I hope we remember that we also have the power in this building and the responsibility to make sure more first chances are equal across California.

I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Assembly member Brian. Seeing and hearing no further debate, Assembly member Al Hawari, do you wish to close?

I respectfully ask for your aye vote, and I'd like the role to be open for co authors.

Okay. All debate having ceased, the clerk will open the role for co authors. Members, this is for co authors. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote.

All members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. There are 55 co authors added. Without objection, we'll take a voice vote on the resolution. All those in favor, say aye.

All those opposed, no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Assembly member El Hawari, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you so much, mister speaker. Today, we are joined by individuals who are a testament to the value of second chances. Please direct your attention to the back of the floor as we recognize some of our second chance month honorees. Rodney Buckley, Alan Burnett, April Grayson, Adonai Melendez, Philip Melendez, of no relation, Amika Mota, and Jimmy Wu. These individuals altogether were incarcerated for a combined one hundred and thirty one years.

Some of them have been out for as little as a few months, while others have been out for almost seventeen. In this group, we have founders of organizations, individuals with paralegal certificates, political and executive directors, and mentors. Their work has ranged from highlighting the power of rehabilitation to promoting behavioral health access for those in the system, uplifting incarcerated women, advocating for sentencing reform, and using creative writing as an avenue for personal transformation.

Now, please direct your attention to the gallery in the top right as we recognize the rest of our second chance month honorees. Tyson Atlas, Eugene Day, Jared Nava, Kaye Toch, Jay Vasquez, and Michael Villasenor.

These individuals were incarcerated for almost a hundred and twenty five years combined. While some recently completed a year outside of the system, others have been out for as many as thirteen years. These are folks who have contributed to documentaries, who are now substance use disorder counselors, founders of organizations, legislative staffers here in the building, criminal justice consultants, and policy directors.

They have advocated for reforms related to visitation rights for system impacted folks, published papers on the criminal justice system, delivered speaking engagements, and helped create a pilot for community based alternatives to police involvement. There are a few folks who couldn't make it today who I'd like to recognize who are watching.

Angelique Evans, the widow of Linda Gomez Evans, Frank Silva, who is on the Senate side, Amber Rose Howard, and Gambino Rosales, who also works here in the building, who could not be here. They have held roles either here or as executive directors and co founders, and they've made impacts in probation reform, helped expand access to visitation rights, and even have helped the California legislature to function. Please join me in giving an amazing round of applause to our honorees for second chance month.

They are the reason why second chances are so important. Thank you.

Okay, folks in the rear of the chamber, quick photo and then we got to move on with our business, please. Thank you, Members. Assembly member Connolly, you are recognized for your guest introduction.

Thank you, Speaker. Colleagues, today I have the honor of welcoming outstanding seniors from Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, located in the heart of my district. These students are part of a special program that emphasizes civic education and engagement. Throughout the semester, they've been preparing to meet with elected officials, asking thoughtful questions, and better understanding how our government works. Their visit to the Capitol is a culmination of months of learning and discussion about public policy, Democracy, and the role of leadership in shaping our communities.

And to our Casa Grande Gauchos here today, we hope today's visit inspires you to stay engaged in public service and advocacy for your communities. On behalf of the California State Assembly, we thank you for being here today, and we look forward to seeing the impact you will make in the future. Welcome.

Okay, members. Continuing on with our business and the Assembly third reading file, we are at file item 71. We're gonna pass and retain on 71 through. File item 106, that brings us to file item number 107. That's HR109 by Assembly member Schiavo.

The clerk will read.

House Resolution 109 by Assemblymember Schiavo, relative to California's janitorial and cleaning workforce.

Assemblymember Schiavo, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and members. Today, I rise to present House Resolution 109, recognizing 04/27/2026 as a day we honor excellence and dedication of California's janitorial and cleaning workforce. Janitors and property service workers are truly first line of the—first line of defense against the spread of infectious disease. Research shows that properly cleaned and disinfected services surfaces can reduce virus concentrations by over forty percent.

And when combined with good hygiene practices, which we all should practice, the number jumps to more than eighty five percent.

Every day, they keep students and workers and customers and hospital patients safer. These workers play a critical role in keeping Californians safe and healthy and productive, But it's not easy work. And much of this work happens behind the scenes, late at night and early in the morning, often going unseen and underappreciated. I don't know if anyone else has done a day in the life, with the janitors, but I did all night long cleaning office buildings and bathrooms and sorting through gooey trash.

And the one one woman that I shadowed, they put me in three different scenarios so I could experience all of it.

One woman I shadowed was literally running from trash can to trash can in the office. The office building was like the size of a city block. And she was running between trash cans so that she could clean the office as quickly as possible, and I could not keep up with her. It was unbelievable that she did that for eight hours throughout the whole night.

This is the kind of work that people are doing, and we come into our offices in the morning and and don't even think about it.

But it truly keeps us safer and healthier, and we're so grateful for it. California's janitorial workforce is also deeply reflective of our state's diversity. They're not only essential workers, but vital members of our communities who keep our economy running and our institutions functioning. This resolution is an opportunity to give these individuals the recognition they deserve. Today, we take a moment to acknowledge their resilience, their dedication, their essential contributions to our state.

And I respectfully request an aye vote on HR 109 and ask for the first role to be open for co authors. Thank you.

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

Thank you very much, mister speaker and members. I wanna thank my colleague from Santa Clarita for bringing HR 109 before us today. Members, I am honored to rise today in support of HR 109, this resolution to celebrate the unsung heroes of our workforce. Members, before I was elected to the state assembly, I served as a statewide political director for justice for janitors for SEIU local eighteen seventy seven, which is now USWW. I held that position with with absolute pride.

I served for and worked for Mike Garcia who passed away several years ago. Janitors and other, service workers are essential, in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, serving as frontline safeguards, by keeping workplace safe, schools, hospitals, hospitality settings cleaned and sanitized. Today, I rise in strong solidarity with our very own DGS brothers and sisters with dignity, with diligently, who care for and maintain our state our state capital and also our swing space. They have dedicated their work with pride and dignity.

My mother also, did domestic work, for wealthy families, in the San Fernando and Encino Valley, who raised along with my father who was a truck driver.

And I saw my mother each and every day going to work and cleaning not only rich families' homes, but also coming home, and making sure that we also had a clean home. It is with, immense pride that I rise and show strong support for this HR. And I just want to elevate, the work that our DGS workers do every day.

And because for me, not only working for justice for janitors, I also was a janitor cleaning cows at University Dominguez Hills, bathrooms, the library, taking great pride in doing that work that gave me the foundation to never look down on janitors.

And sometime, going to the restrooms, making sure that I always acknowledge the individuals that clean our our bathrooms, never walking past a DGS worker who's mopping our floor, always making sure that we speak or that I speak, and want to encourage you not to pass by them and act like they're invisible, like some of us do.

They make sure that our restrooms, the floors are waxed and mopped each every day so that we're comfortable. When we go to our office, our trash cans are empty. Our desks are cleaned, and, you know, our the the the lint and the dust are are taken off of our desk. They do work when we are at home or when we leave this building. So it is our responsibility, I think, to say thank you, not pass by them, not act like they are invisible individual.

They work day in and day out to making sure that we're comfortable when we come to this place and do the people's business. So we elevate the work that they do day in and day out, and it's the least that we can do is say something that I hope that our parents taught us, and that is to simply say what my mama taught me to do is that simply say thank you. It's the least we could do.

So, again, I wanna thank my colleague from Santa Clarita for bringing HR 109, and I I respectfully ask for a strong I vote on this measure. Thank you.

Thank you, Assemblymember Gibson. Assemblymember Jeff Gonzales, you are recognized.

Thank you, mister speaker. Colleagues, I rise in support of my 4th Floor crew that works through the day and the crew that works through the night, but specifically, I wanna highlight Reuben. Reuben, every single time I get onto the 4th Floor and I see Reuben, Reuben is is humble, and he is he just reaches out and says hello to me. He calls me uncle. I call him nephew.

Sometimes I call him Roo. But, that's that's the level of interaction that we should all have, that personal, interaction. And and let me tell you something, they do a great job. So to Ruben and to my 4th Floor crew, I appreciate you, and I sup and I support and I ask all my colleagues to support HR 109.

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

Thank you. I wanna thank my colleagues for their, generous words today and words of recognition that I think are so critical, for folks, as I said, who often go unseen. And I encourage everyone to do a day in the life with your local janitors union. It's eye opening. And beyond keeping surfaces clean and protecting us from disease, as you know, landfills are an issue I'm working too much on.

And they're also helping us to keep things out of our landfills that should not go in there. And people do not know how to recycle. I would tell you, we were pulling those trash cans open and sorting things for folks. And, you know, thankfully, they're our first line of defense to make sure that things get recycled and and put in compost and all the other things that keep things out of our landfills.

So incredibly grateful for the work of our janitorial and cleaning services and, and workers and respectfully request an aye vote on HR 109.

Thank you, Assemblymember Schiavo. All debate having ceased, clerk will open the roll. Members, this is for co authors. All members vote who desire to vote. This is for co authors.

All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. The clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. There are 58 co authors added without objection. Take a voice vote on the resolution.

All those in favor, say aye. Aye. All those opposed, no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.

We are going to pass and retain on file items one zero eight, one zero nine, one ten, one eleven, one twelve. That brings us to file item one thirteen. That's ACR 119 by Assemblymember Ta. Clerk will read.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution one nineteen by Assemblymember Ta relative to black April Memorial Month.

Assemblymember Ta, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm proud to introduce this ACR 119. The resolution is to designate April 30 as the fifty first anniversary of the Black April. Today, fifty one years ago, Saigon and the South Vietnam were lost into the hand of communist in the North. So the black arrow is a very sad day for the Vietnamese American community.

After the fall of Saigon, millions of Vietnamese had tried to escape the country and many hundreds of thousands of them escaped the country by boat. And unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of them lost their life into the deep ocean. Under the Communist regime, millions of families suffer. Thousand of the South Vietnamese military official, intellectual, doctor, teacher were imprisoned, and my family was one of them.

I still remember on Christmas Eve nineteen seventy eight, when my family was ready for dinner, several Communist agent came to my house and took my father away.

My family and I came to America in 1992 as political refugees. Very thankful of America that said my family and thousand thousand of Vietnamese families to live in a free society. There are about 700,000 Vietnamese live in the state of California. And for the last five decades, the Vietnamese Americans have assimilate into the into the mainstream system and build up a strong community and contribute to the state of California.

Every year, the Vietnamese American community everywhere organize the black apparel ceremony to honor the sacrifices of 58,000 American soldier and more than 250,000 South Vietnamese soldier who fought side by side during the Vietnam War.

The Vietnamese people lost their country, but they never lose hope that someday Vietnam will be free. I also want to sincerely thanks and appreciate all of you for your strong commitment to stand with the Vietnamese American community in California. United we stand, and we stand for freedom. With that said, I respectfully ask for your eye vote.

Thank you. Assemblymember Toph. Assemblymember Kalra, you are recognized.

Thank you, mister speaker. And it's an honor to stand in solidarity with my colleagues from Westminster and Elk Grove in supporting ACR 119 and to recognize the fifty first anniversary of Black April. California has the largest Vietnamese community outside Vietnam, Orange County and and San Jose. Santa Clara County are literally the two largest communities outside of Vietnam, and San Jose alone has estimates of at least a 140,000 Vietnamese Americans.

And when I think about being the fifty first anniversary, we're thinking now about multiple generations that have called California home, but yet who still lived through a lot of trauma, through their history and what they had to go through in order to reestablish themselves and build a new life in America, never forgetting what they lost.

And as our colleague from Westminster indicated about the journey that so many took to make their way across the ocean or to to be out at sea for many weeks or even months until they got picked up by a ship if they were lucky enough to have been discovered. And that's why there's there's so many that perished because they were given a choice. Either they stay and get slaughtered or they go or imprisoned or they try to escape for freedom.

I have great gratitude for the Vietnamese American community in San Jose in California for how much they've contributed in a relatively short period of time to this great state. And for those that ever make their way through San Jose, not not only come by come through the little Saigon, but at our history park, we have a museum of the boat people and the Republic Of Vietnam that I think really speaks to the experiences that so many went through.

And if you ever go there, you'll probably meet some of the elderly Vietnamese the some of the Vietnamese elders who can speak to the experience firsthand of trying to get their families out of Vietnam to some semblance of security and safety. So I wanna again thank our colleague from Westminster and respectfully ask everyone to support ACR 119.

Thank you. Assembly member, Kalra. Assemblymember Nguyen, you are recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and the members. I I wanna thank the member from Westminster for so eloquently speaking on this ACR 119 and the member from San Jose as well too. I've had the opportunity to tour both areas and see the rich history of the Vietnamese community in both of their cities and how much they put into our Vietnamese American community as a daughter of Vietnamese refugees who escaped Vietnam. This day is different for us than it is for our country.

While they are celebrating, we are in mourning because as you heard earlier from my colleague in Westminster, we lost thousands thousands of lives.

Not only in Vietnam, but our soldiers here from The United States who chose and volunteered to come fight this fight with us. And on this day, when we declared the fall of Vietnam, it broke all of our hearts because we realized that we lost. But you have to find good in everything. And this is what I have found. As hard as it's been to find good in such a terrible moment in a terrible day, we found this.

That it gave my family, my parents, the member from Westminster, his family hope. And it gave us the courage to run and escape, a place that we feared. And we made it all the way here to The United States. And only here in California and in The United States that we would have a community that would accept us, that would pull us in, that would love us, and that would fight with us.

And that here in California, you have two legislators, one from Northern California and one from Southern California who are Vietnamese American, whose English is the second language because our first language was Vietnamese and who continue to carry the culture and the tradition.

And more importantly, this is our flag. This is the flag that we know. This is the flag that our community celebrate that we hold up here in The United States. And this is the only flag that our children will know. And this is the only flag that my grandchildren and my great grandchildren and every single children in every single school should know.

Not the one that you see when you Google or you search up. This is it right here. This is the one that our veterans wear proudly when they say that they serve our country and they were in the Vietnam War. And so this day, I find as a sad day, but also as a day in which we can continue to fight and educate and continue to push for our freedom flag right here.

So as a Vietnamese American, as a daughter, a Vietnamese refugees who escaped by boat for months, not sure if they were going to survive or not, but the courage, the fight that they had to make it here so that we had a chance and an opportunity to be able to serve right here in California as legislators and push for policies and things like this right here.

Mister speaker and members, I ask for your aye vote on ACR 119.

Thank you. Assembly member Nguyen. Seeing and hearing no further debate, Assembly member Todd, do you wish to close?

I really appreciate the inspiring comment from my colleagues in Elk Grove and in San Jose, and I like to ask for the first row to be open for co author. Thank you.

Thank you, Assembly member Ta. All debate having ceased, Clerk will open the roll. Members, this is for co authors. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote.

All members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the role on tallying the votes. There are 63 co authors added. Without objection, we'll take a voice vote on the resolution. All those in favor, say aye.

Aye. All those opposed, no. The ayes have it. Resolution is adopted. That brings us to the Senate third reading file.

That's file items one fourteen through one twenty. We're gonna pass and retain On the second day consent calendar, file items one twenty eight through one fifty two, we're gonna pass and retain. Members, we're moving on to announcements. Session schedules as follows. Friday, May 1, no floor session, no check-in session.

Monday, May 4, floor session at 1PM. Seeing and hearing no further business, I'm ready and entertain a motion to adjourn. System majority leader Garcia moves, and miss Hadwick Seconds that this house stands adjourned. So Monday, May 4 at 1PM, forum call is lifted. We are adjourned.