April 21, 2026 · Arts Entertainment Sports And Tourism · 5,326 words · 9 speakers · 116 segments
. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Thank you. . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you.
Good morning.
Well, good morning. I'd like to welcome you all to today's hearing of the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism. Any absent members should be making their way to room 444 of the Capitol. We have just three items on our agenda today. As always, each bill will have up to two main witnesses in support and opposition, and each witness would receive up to two minutes to present. For those still wishing to do so, written testimony can be submitted through the position portal on the committee's website. And for those attending in person, conduct which disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of this hearing is prohibited. I want to thank you. And at this time, Madam Secretary, would please establish a quorum.
Ward.
Here.
Lackey.
Here.
El-Hawari.
Jeff Gonzalez.
Here.
McKenner.
Ortega.
Here.
Quirk Silva.
Here.
Valencia.
Thank you. And we have a quorum, but yet we do not yet have an author. So we'll wait for that. And just an announcement for staff right now. If we have more than a 10 minute gap waiting for authors right now, we will be adjourning this committee. We all have places to be and you have options to be able to have somebody else present your bill as well too. But we're not going to keep the committee members waiting longer than necessary. Thank you.
Hmm? You think don't have a tissue. Especially when you know a committee is going to be college judiciary, right? Pop it in. Pop it in. Yeah. You know? It's always a piece of paper. Right? Play. Logic doesn't drive. No. Hopefully that spurts staff. You know, like, oh, . It's worth a try. I appreciate it. It's the same thing for housing for teenagers. One person who was like, 30 seconds away And that was a long period. I can see if there This committee is not here I don try to challenge dressing No, you're always on. And you have a really good role. Thank you. What's going with that? Good point. Good point. I haven't seen very many bow ties. I've never seen. I know. Gibson's the only one I've seen. Yeah. Every now and then. I like that shirt. Thank you. It looks like a thick shirt. Well, I've been here so long. It's a true restaurant shirt. It's a big, big couple of ladies. Yeah. OK. Awesome. One of the guys in the community went over there and thought, yeah, let's go to Booth Barn. No, let's go back to Booth Barn. It's spicy. I mean, women do that all the time. But men do all like, yeah. Yeah. What's that going on? Perfect. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you All right we have our first author our fellow committee member Assemblymember McKinner who is here to present item number one, AB 2113. And Ms. McKinner, when you are situated and ready, you may begin your presentation.
Hello. Good morning. Thank you guys for waiting. apologize for the tardiness. Mr. Chair and members, AB 2113 addresses a growing public safety gap as the use of drones become more widespread across California. Large ticketed entertainment events such as concerts, festivals, and sporting events often bring tens of thousands of people into dense, confined spaces, especially in my district. In these environments, unauthorized drones activity poses real risks, including potential injury to attendees, disruption of operations, and interference with the emergency response efforts. While the federal government regulates airspace, it is not always positioned to respond quickly to drone activity occurring directly above these events. Local law enforcement is responsible for on-the-ground safety, Yet current law does not provide clear enforceable authority to address this specific issue. AB 2113 responds to this gap by establishing a clear and straightforward rule that prohibits the operation of a drone within a 400-foot radius of a ticketed entertainment event held at an outdoor venue capable of accommodating 1,000 or more attendees. The bill creates a simple infraction with a $500 fine, strengthening deterrence while remaining practical to enforce. Importantly, AB 2113 is narrowly tailored. It focuses solely on the physical operation of drones in close proximity to large crowds and does not expand surveillance authority to implicate personal privacy. The bill also includes a common-sex exemption for authorized operators, including those with event-organized consent, venue employees, and utility workers. By providing a clear statutory framework, AB 2113 empowers local authorities to respond effectively, enhances crowd safety, and ensures California is prepared to safely host major events that are central to our economy and cultural life. I respectfully ask for your aye vote. My witness with me today is Josh Stevens with Live Nation. Thank you. Chair and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to address you guys today. My name is Josh Stevens. I'm the Senior Manager of Government Affairs for Live Nation, and we are proud co-sponsors of AB 2113. I'm here today speaking in favor of it as a necessary and significant improvement on public safety regulations for live outdoor events and the large crowds they attract. Last year alone, we welcomed over 150 million fans to Live Nation events across 54,000 concerts. Modern technologies such as drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles present a new challenge for public safety at large events such as the ones we put on. This bill would be a meaningful step to solving that challenge. Recreational drone usage has increased substantially over the last five years, more than 160% since 2019, according to the FAA, and our operational experience reflects that. Drone incursions have become more common at all types of events, from small outdoor concerts to large multi-day festivals. Despite that, regulatory guidelines have not kept up to this new trend and leave event organizers and our law enforcement partners vulnerable to potential bad actors. Federal guidelines and processes are unfortunately currently inconsistent for event organizers and rarely apply to any but the largest of events, such as the Super Bowl or World Cup matches that will start next month in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. While there have been efforts to improve the situation and streamline the temporary flight restriction process, also known as TFRs, these haven't yet led to consistent meaningful change. and we alone hosted 1,000 events in 2025 with 10,000 or more attendees that did not meet the qualifications for FAA TFRs to prevent drone usage above those large crowds. As a result, new state law remains the best option to helping event organizers keep attendees safe and to give law enforcement agencies the regulations they need to take action against unauthorized drone users. To be clear, we believe in a layered approach to this issue, one that includes state and federal frameworks that work together to protect the largest events, as that is the best possible solution for public safety. And we will continue to work extensively with the FAA and Congress as part of a larger coalition of cities and public safety agencies to improve their processes. We hope California will do its part with this bill and look forward to working with you on it.
Thank you. Great. Thank you. Right on the nose. Are there any other members of the public wishing to state a position of support? Please approach the microphone.
Mr. Chair and members, Scott, Governor, Baffin, San Francisco 49ers in support. Thank you. Mr. Chair and members, Eli Garcia with a late support for the Bottle Rock concert. Thank you. Thank you.
Seeing no other members of the public, are there any members of the public here in opposition? We have none on file.
Mr. Chair, I'm Sabrina Lockhart with the California Attractions and Parks Association. We actually have a support if amended if the bill includes amusement parks. We appreciate the author's leadership in this space. We appreciate her willingness to continue to work with us and the committee staff for outlining our concerns in the analysis. We like these events. We welcome thousands of guests every day. Unlike these events, we have rides. So if an unauthorized drone were to strike a ride, that can cause serious injury. Last year, when Congress reauthorized FAA, they designated us as critical infrastructure, the same as national landmarks and energy grids. So we hope to keep the conversation going and hope that those amendments are made before it reaches the floor. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, Chair members. Jose Torres with TechNet. We are in an opposing last amended position. Sorry, I apologize for getting in our letter late, but just wanted to highlight we appreciate the author and their office for their work on this bill. So understanding the intent of the bill and the significance of that, to be clear, our concern is to ensure that we don't inadvertently limit the use of a growing technology in valid commercial uses. That being said, understanding that the prohibition of a drone would be 400 feet within an outdoor ticketed venue, but in very much urban stadiums, this would mean that the neighbors to these stadiums wouldn't be able to use a drone for valid commercial reasons, whether it be using a drone to look at the structural aspects of a building during the day, such as like the various hotels across from like Petco. or if a realtor wants to use a drone to record an apartment across the street and wants to highlight the experience outside of the venue, that would be prohibited during a game or like a ticketed event. But other than that, appreciate the author, but thank you for your time.
We'll take a look at that letter when it comes in. Turning it back to committee, any members comments?
Assemblymember Gonzalez To my esteemed colleague I know I have Coachella stagecoach and in the future head trip. We also have BNP Paribas within the region. So drones are a very normal piece of drones and flyovers are a very piece. And I understand the necessity of protecting large crowds, especially in light of the tactics, techniques, and procedures that we're seeing live with the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And being that was my bailiwick in a former life, I can understand that. My question to this is, with respect to the drone, whatever drone that is, right, the unauthorized, because authorized are okay, the unauthorized drone, what's the way in which to that we're going to hold these folks accountable, right? Drone flies over. How do you find the person? What's, how do you, how are we going to do that?
So it's a great question and mitigation and prevention are two very different things. And certainly under current regulatory frameworks require very different authorizations and approaches, trainings for law enforcement, not to mention equipment. this is certainly a fantastic first step to prohibiting and it gives law enforcement as as representative pointed out there's currently no justification to tell someone they can't do something and to get them to stop which which this would authorize there's probably a more involved process that would have to take place on the mitigation front and there's been a substantial amount of work done on that ahead of the world cup starting next month and there's been a federal task force that I believe the FBI has led with police departments that are going to be hosting those games, training, equipment, funding for all that has been led federally, not so much on the state side. Again, a layered approach is important here, and you've certainly struck that there's more to do. But this is an important first step. And finally, one of the challenges that we have to overcome, and that is that there is an evolving technology with respect, and I don't want to get too deep into the proprietary and confidential stuff that law enforcement has to deal with. But there are, unfortunately, regulations that we have that don't allow us to completely mitigate drone operations because of the technology and where it comes from. And there are regulations currently in place that don't allow us to stop these types of things. I'd be more than willing to talk with the author about this and help out in any way that I can. and I appreciate what you're doing, especially for my community where we see half a million people on a weekend for different festivals. And for that, I'll be in support. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Gonzalez. Assemblymember Elwira.
I just want to appreciate the author for this bill. I was at Coachella this weekend, hence the teal hair. But it was a really good opportunity to actually see the infrastructure specifically related to how to keep folks safe. And looking at the command center, they talked about this bill. They talked about the importance of what they often see and how it's impacting them. And they specifically mentioned your name. And it was I think really important to hear to be a part of it to see what was going on to feel the experience and to recognize how much it can become a safety concern if we don do something So I really grateful that you brought this bill and looking forward to supporting it today Thank you Great to hear that I was a celebrity at the event I love that Thank you.
Naturally. Assemblymember Cork-Silva.
Just a quick comment regarding the opposition. It's not often that we get opposition that says we're opposed to the bill because we want to be included. but I definitely She was supportive of amended. Yes. Right. I definitely appreciate it as I have all the well, two of the major theme parks in my district, but I do understand that that can happen at a separate or in a separate bill, and so I'll be supporting this bill, and I think the bill was moved.
We'll take a motion by Ms. Cork-Silva. Yes, motion to move. Elwari? Great, in a second. Any other member questions or comments? Ms. McKenna, I want to thank you for bringing forward AB 2113. I think it's a common-sense solution that, you know, really satisfies a couple of issues. One and foremost, the safety concerns that we have for this unauthorized use when we have a large congregation for both, especially for the attendees, but also for our law enforcement and the performers there as well. I agree. It's great when you are introducing a subject that, you know, we're thinking a little bit more broadly. Obviously, a lot of our theme parks and a lot of other places sort of satisfy the same conditions. We've got a large congregation of the public, and we want to think about the spaces as well. This may not be the right vehicle for that, but I'll leave it to your discretion to be able to have those conversations going forward and decide how to further that conversation if it's possible this year. But I also acknowledge as well, as we referenced in the Coachella example, it's not just a safety issue and everything. We also have increasing use of authorized drones as a part of a performance. And so any conflict with those could be disastrous. Certainly a big safety issue in and of itself, but one that also would be very disruptive to the rights of that performance. So I appreciate you bringing this bill forward here today, as I've done before in committee. I'm happy to support the bill and would invite you to close.
Yes, I will thank the chair, the staff, and the members of this committee. I will continue to work with opposition to get this bill right. We know we have to be safe and secure. We have all of our big major events coming up, along with everything that we do every year like Stagecoach. I want to get an invitation to go out there. I've been hearing that. It's a really good event. And so we want to make sure that our folks are safe, safe and sound. And so with that, I'll ask for your aye vote. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Secretary.
Please call the roll. AB 2113, the motion is due pass to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Ward?
Aye.
Ward, aye.
Lackey?
El Huari? Aye. El Huari, aye. Jeff Gonzalez? Aye. Jeff Gonzalez, aye. McKenner? Aye. McKenner, aye. Ortega? Aye. Ortega, aye. Quirk Silva? Aye. Quirk Silva, aye. Valencia? Yes. Valencia, aye. Zabir? And we are at 7-0. We'll hold the roll open for absent members. Thank you.
Thank you. Next, we have Mr. Gabriel with item number two. He'll be presenting AB 2492. And when you and your witnesses are situated, you may begin your presentation.
All right. Good morning, Mr. Chair and colleagues. I am pleased today to present AB 2492 a measure that will ensure safety and security are prioritized when California hosts some of the biggest sporting events in the world including the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games These events present a unique opportunity to boost our economy generate millions in state and local tax revenue and further strengthen California global brand At the same time these events also require enhanced security coordination to ensure the safety of attendees, athletes, and our local communities. AB 2492 will accomplish this goal by establishing a framework for interagency coordination, ensuring that state and local agencies, as well as host committees, are aligned in their efforts to provide the highest level of security, while also reducing the risk of human trafficking, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. Ensuring the highest levels of coordination is appropriate given notable instances of violence at major international sporting events, including the attacks in New Orleans prior to the Sugar Bowl just last year. While we always hope for a safe and peaceful event, AB 2492 ensures that California is prepared for any incident, whether it be a natural disaster, a medical emergency, or a security threat, so that we can deliver the best possible events on the global stage. This bill is supported by a coalition that includes the Los Angeles Super Bowl host committee, the California Travel Association, the California Hotel and Lodging Association, and the California Police Chiefs Association. Very pleased to have with me today to testify in support of the bill, Amelia Zimani, on behalf of the California Travel Association. Thank you and respectfully request an aye vote. Good morning, Chair and members. Thank you, Assemblymember Gabriel, for having me here again. As he said, I'm Amelia Zimani, the Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy with the California Travel Association. Our members include destinations, lodging, attractions, and more across the state of California. Obviously, we have a lot of major events coming both this summer and in the future, the subject of this bill. And these are more than just a sporting moment, obviously. It's a huge boon for our economic future, workforce development, and our international reputation. According to a recent U.S. Travel Association survey about the World Cup coming this summer, one-third of international visitors plan to stay more than two weeks, compared with 9% of typical international travelers, and they spend more. International travelers for the World Cup are expected to spend 67% more than their last main vacation, and domestic travelers are going to matches outside of their home area are also expected to spend more. While the next few years will showcase everything we love about California, they will also bring increased scrutiny. It's critical that with the world's eyes on California, we ensure the safety and security of our visitors, workers, and residents. According to the same U.S. Travel Association survey I mentioned earlier, personal safety emerged as travelers' top concern, reflecting a shift in priorities and increased sensitivity to safety and U.S. policies that influence travel decisions. This is unlikely to change before Super Bowl 61 in winter 2027 or the Olympics and Paralympics in summer 2028. This bill develops a framework for interagency coordination to ensure these international sporting events are safe for everyone involved and the only memories people leave California with are happy ones. The positive attention we garner from these games will hopefully result in many years of return visits from around the globe. We respectfully request your aye vote for 24-92. Thank you very much.
Are there any other members of the public wishing to state a position of support? Are you seeing none? Is anybody here to offer an opposition statement for presentation? Seeing none. Any members of the public wishing to have a position of opposition? Okay, seeing none, we'll turn this back to committee member. Questions and comments?
Moved by Mr. Gonzalez.
Second. And seconded by Ms. Cork-Silva.
Well, Mr. Gabriel, I want to thank you for bringing this bill forward as well. Obviously, we have a lot of wonderful events coming up that are going to be on the global stage when we think about the Super Bowl, the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. I think this requires the highest level of attention by the state to make sure that we are well coordinated between all the agencies that are responsible. I appreciate that you've expanded this bill as well, not just to include the event facilities themselves, but also the watch parties. That's going to be an opportunity for those that can't get for a game to also participate in the festivities and the liveliness that we have around these events, but importantly as well to really connect them to communities and make sure that we're highlighting the broad fabric that we have here across the state of California. So I know this is going to place us in a position as best as possible to be as secure as possible for these important events coming up, and I invite you to close.
Yeah, thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the very thoughtful comments. You know, we know that the eyes of the world are going to be on Southern California and very specifically on Ms. McKenna's district, so we want to deliver the best possible product on the global stage. And with that, I would respectfully request an aye vote.
Thank you, Madam Secretary. Please call the roll.
AB 2492, the motion is due pass to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Ward?
Aye.
Ward, aye.
Lackey?
El-Hawari?
Aye.
El-Hawari, aye.
Jeff Gonzalez?
Aye.
Jeff Gonzalez, aye.
McKinner?
Aye.
McKinner, aye.
Ortega?
Aye.
Ortega, aye.
Quirk Silva?
Aye.
Quirk Silva, aye.
Valencia?
Aye.
Valencia aye.
Ms. Burke.
All right. That bill has seven votes as well, and we'll hold the roll for absent members. Thank you very much. Thank you. And we have our final author of the morning, Mr. Haney, is here to present item number two. This is AB 2130. Back in front of this committee. And I appreciate your witnesses here as well. And when you are ready, you may begin. Great. And I'm sorry, Mr. Haney also, if we could call Mr. Zabur and Mr. Lackey back to the committee room for closing out votes. I'd appreciate it at this time. Mr. Haney.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and members. I want to thank your staff for the work on this bill and accept the committee's amendments. As you recall, I'm sure just a few years ago, we were able to expand the existing retirement fund, which was available for boxers to MMA fighters. And as a part of that, we made some commitments to find ways to put revenue into that fund so we can support these folks who put their bodies on the line for this sport, for their fans. And there are so many people in California who are fans of this sport, who attend these events, who watch them on TV. But there are also many, many thousands of fighters and aspiring fighters, folks who want to be a part of this sport, who it's a growing sport. We now have, as you're here, a combat university here in Sacramento State. We are the biggest state for fights and for fighters. And we should find ways to support these folks, including when they finish fighting. That's what this bill will do. It will authorize the California State Athletic Commission to place sponsor logos on referee and official apparel at boxing and mixed martial arts events, which will help to create a new revenue stream. And this will allow us to support more of these folks. And it will also be a practical and sustainable way to strengthen fire retirement benefits beyond what exists now which is solely the ticket prices ticket sales With me to testify in support of the bill is Hector Fajardo Director of Operations at Combat U and Commissioner Chris Gurell from the California State Athletic Commission. Great. Thank you. Thank you all for your time this morning. My name is Hector Fajardo. I'm the Director of Operations for Sacramento State University and also a current MMA fighter in the state of California. Um, I'd like to support this bill. Um, it speaks to me in a sense that this allows companies to vest in a pension fund, um, and put money into something that's going to go back to the fighters that, uh, I'm sure you've heard that as a combat sports, uh, practitioner, you leave a piece of yourself in the ring or in the cage. Um, so I think this movement would be awesome to give a little bit back to the fighters who maybe they don't go to the top highest level of the sport, but they've spent their career in California, shedding their blood, sweat, and tears in California and getting a little bit back, which I think is wonderful to support such fighters that have spent their time in the state. It's also awesome because this bill also vets and brings back, gives a little bit of a pension to fighters that have already spent that time in California fighting. And I support this bill greatly, especially as serving over 500 students at Sacramento State University with aspirations that want to fight, that want to pursue this sport, and knowing that California is leading the way and giving a little bit back and there is something after you finish your career. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, Chairman Ward. I want to thank you all for taking the time to consider this legislation. I think it's important to note that California is not only the only state in the country but the only location in the world that provides fighters with a retirement benefit. And for those who are able to access these funds, it can truly be life-changing. These are funds they've earned. And thanks to your support, when we extended those benefits to our mixed martial artist fighters, we don't have the funds right now to go back and honor those fighters, some of who are literally the folks who created the sport here in California. And this will go a long way for helping us extend that dignity of a retirement benefit to those fighters. In addition, some of these funds will be used to help train our ring professionals, make sure they also have the support to do the good jobs they do. So thank you again for your time, and we look forward to your support.
Great. Thank you. Are there any other members of the public here wishing to issue a statement of support or a position of support?
Good morning. Tim Lynch on behalf of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and we're in support of the bill.
Thank you. Is there anybody here? I have no opposition on file. Anybody wishing to offer a statement of opposition or state a position of opposition? Okay, seeing none, we'll turn this back to committee member questions or comments. Seeing none, do I have a motion?
Move the bill by Mr. Gonzalez and second by Ms. Olawari.
And Mr. Haney, I want to thank you for bringing this bill here forward. While it's a niche issue, an important one, because you're rightfully recognizing, I think, a growing popularity of MMA and boxing and the opportunities for sponsorships for the athletic commission to be able to support fighters after they really hung up their gloves We want to make sure that we using the revenue to enhance any programs already in place without an impact to state funding So that a win for all involved And these athletes we of course recognize are an important aspect of California sports and entertainment industries. For all these reasons, I'm happy to support your bill today and invite you to close.
Thank you so much, Chair, and thank you for those amendments. And again, I should have underscored this, does not rely on the state's general fund, will not increase ticket prices, and will not raise taxes. This is a win-win. This is the fastest growing sport in the world, and we're the biggest state for it. And if we can also be the best place for supporting these folks, both when in the ring and when they're done fighting, that will also be something we can be very proud of. And with that, respectfully, I ask for an aye vote.
Thank you, Mr. Haney, for accepting those amendments. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.
AB 2130, the motion is due pass as amended to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Ward?
Aye.
Ward, aye.
Lackey?
El-Hawari?
Aye.
Ahawari, aye. Jeff Gonzalez, aye.
Jeff Gonzalez, aye. McKenner, aye.
McKenner, aye. Ortega, aye.
Ortega, aye. Quirk Silva, aye.
Quirk Silva, aye. Valencia, aye.
Zabir, aye. Zabir, aye.
That currently has 8-0. We'll hold the roll open for absent members.
Thank you, Mr. Haney. If you had three votes, you are free to go. But we're going to go back through the roll really quick to capture any absent members. Secretary, if you'd like to open the roll on item number one.
AB 2492, Lackey. This is item number one. 2113. AB 2113, the motion is due passed to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Lackey, Zuber.
Aye.
Zuber, aye.
Current roll is 8-0.
Hold that roll open for absent members.
Item number two we just dispensed with, and item number three.
AB 2492, the motion is due passed to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
Lackey, Zuber.
Zuber, aye.
That's current roll is 8-0.
We'll hold the roll open for absent members.
Thank you.
Thank you
Okay, Madam Secretary, we'll reopen the roll on item number one.
Oh, sorry. Do pass to the assembly committee on appropriations.
Lackey, aye. That bill is out 9-0. Item number 2, AB 2130.
AB 2130, the motion is due pass as amended to the assembly committee on appropriations.
Lackey? Aye. Lackey, aye. That bill is out 9-0. And I have number 3. AB 2492,
Motion is due pass to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
Lackey?
Aye.
Lackey, aye. That bill is also out 9-0. And with that, we are adjourned.
Sorry about that. The bonds bill is not exactly a controversial piece. No. No, she has a base. What's the effort into it? The media is. Arts, entertainment, sports. There's information that's very conflicting. Yep. There you have it. There we go. Thank you. Thank you.