Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing. It's 08/27/2026. We have two bills to consider this morning as part of our regular order. You can catch this on the website, apr.assembly.ca.gov. You can submit written testimony.

The room's open for attendance. All are encouraged to watch, and everyone is expected to behave like grown ups. Okay. With that, we'd like to establish a quorum.

[Roll Call]

We have a quorum. Okay, and I see we have Senator Wahab here. You are presenting SB 259. You can begin when you're ready.

All right. Thank you. I'm here to present SB 259. SB 259 is a response to the consistent threats from federal and local actors to interfere with our elections by undermining or obstructing the vote-by-mail process, which in California, many, many, many people do, both Republican and Democrat. In March of this year, the Trump Administration issued executive order that aimed to rewrite the rules of federal election.

Federal courts have deemed this executive order unconstitutional and warned that implementation will cause confusion and disenfranchise eligible voters. California heavily relies on mail voting with more than 80% of voters using this method. To ensure that future elections are protected from the voter suppression tactics, SB 259 will create a new felony to deter anyone in a position of authority from interfering with the delivery or submission of a vote-by-mail ballot. Election security and voting access are not competing values. We must protect both. With me to testify in support is Beth Malinowski from SEIU. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Good morning, Chair and members. Beth Malinowski with SEIU California, proud sponsors of SB 259. SEIU California is committed to safeguarding the right to vote, a right that is currently under active attack by the federal government. These growing threats highlight why California must act now to strengthen California law ahead of the upcoming federal elections.

Building on prior election safeguarding bills, SB 259: Wahab and AB 282: Pellerin, an election protection legislative package, ensures Californians have the greatest confidence in our election systems. As noted by the author, this bill would establish a new felony and misdemeanor relating to the willful interference of the delivery or receipt of a vote-by-mail ballot.

Of note, the penalties under this bill do not apply to instances where an individual local election official accidentally misplaces or impacts a ballot's timely receipt or delivery. In closing, we stand with the Legislature in creating new protections, safeguards to guarantee a free and fair election. Ask for your aye vote today. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other folks in the room wish to express support or opposition? We'll bring it back to committee. Any questions?

Move the bill.

We have a motion and a second. Would you like to close?

I just wanna make a comment.

Oh, yes. Sorry.

I wanna thank you for bringing this bill forward. It's so important in such a timely manner, so I just really wanna thank you for your work on this.

Thank you. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Great. That is out. Oh, sorry. It's do pass and out on a B roll call with Mr. Hoover not voting. Thank you, Senator Wahab. Okay. And Senator Pérez-- or you're not here. Okay. We'll wait for our last author.

Hi, Senator Pérez. Thanks for your hustle. It's that time of year. You are presenting SB 957. You can begin when you're ready.

There we go. Good morning, Madam Chair and members. SB 957 the Protecting Vulnerable Immigrant Detainees Model Act directs the Attorney General to develop a comprehensive oversight plan for privately opened civil detention facilities to better protect the health, safety, and welfare of individuals held in these facilities.

This bill has absorbable cost to the Department of Justice and to the state entity designated to cooperate with the AG in the development of the oversight plan. While there are implementation costs associated with this bill, this is a necessary investment for the state to ensure that there is adequate oversight of these facilities and that they are providing basic humane conditions.

This investment is especially critical given the latest report from the California Attorney General revealing cruel, inhumane, and unacceptable conditions in these facilities, including six deaths in less than a year. Last year alone, 32 people died in ICE custody, the deadliest year in decades.

California has always uplifted and prioritized ensuring basic human rights for everyone in the state. This investment in the development of a comprehensive oversight plan for privately operated detention facilities is an investment in the protection of basic human rights.

SB 957 is grounded in a simple principle. If privately operated civil detention facilities operate in California, they must meet California standards for safety, dignity, and human rights. This bill is sponsored by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Public Council, and South Asian Network. Today with me to provide testimony in support of this bill is Ronald Coleman with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights or CHIRLA.

Good morning, Chair and members. Ronald Coleman Baeza here on behalf of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, CHIRLA. SB 957 investigates how California can develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for an oversight plan for privately operated detention facilities to better protect the health, safety, and welfare of detainees.

CHIRLA's impact litigation team currently represents clients in Adelanto Detention Facility. Clients often represent deplorable health and safety conditions. Detainees are often given raw or uncooked food, and medical neglect is rampant. Chronic pain is often treated with Tylenol for those who are lucky enough to get it.

Diabetes is often mismanaged with detainees not getting the proper care or the nutrition they need. And chronic conditions often deteriorate, leaving individuals who are likely to be deported with long lasting health challenges. This lack of basic health and safety standard has no place in any facility within California's borders, and it must be addressed.

We've appreciated that since 2017, the AG has reviewed and reported on conditions in these facilities. Now we need a long term plan for detention oversight due to the changing legal landscape with the Federal Government now purchasing detention centers such as California City.

Now is the time to ensure California has a consistent ongoing regulatory structure for inspections, compliance enforcement at the state level to protect people held in detention, and we can do this with existing resources.

SB 957 does that by directing the Attorney General's Office to develop this plan so that next year, California policymakers can appropriately address the issue in the future. For those reasons, we ask for your aye vote and thank the author for her steadfast leadership. Thank you.

Thank you so much. And additional folks in the room wish to express support?

Madam Chair, members. Christopher Sanchez here on behalf of Inclusive Action for the City in support.

Thank you. Any folks in the room wish to express opposition?

Okay. Any questions from committee?

We have a motion and a second.

Any questions? Before you close, I Senator, I wanna thank you for your steadfast leadership on this issue. I know the previous version that was related to this, SB 995, we didn't have allocated, money in the budget. So we unfortunately, had to hold the bill, but your commitment on this and your dedication and your perseverance is just noted and appreciated, and your advocacy is also really welcomed here.

And I'm glad we're able to move something in this space, because I do think the underlying issue is a real problem.

And so just I'm very great grateful for both of you and for the work that you do and for so many in the community who are pushing for this. And I know when you and I spoke, you had talked about specific people who've had some of these really horrific stories, and I know you carry that with you in your work. So thank you for that. And with that, would you like to close?

Just appreciated your partnership on this, Madam Chair, and the feedback that you've provided me as well. It's, you know, been helpful as we look at how we might address this issue moving forward and respectfully ask you all for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Yeah. We're happy to move the bill out of committee. It's a do pass, on a B roll call with Mister Hoover not voting.

Any other additional public comment on any issue here from the public?

Okay. With that, we are adjourning our last, appropriations hearing. Right?

Yeah. Of the, of the cycle. So oh, wait.

False alarm. False alarm.

Okay. With that, we are meeting adjourned.