Assembly Governmental Organization Committee

We're too short.

All right. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and committee members. First, I would like to thank the chair and committee staff for their hard work and collaboration on this bill. I am happy to accept the committee amendments. AB 1593 is a common sense measure that requires state agencies that impose a monetary charge, including any fees, to annually report on its website the revenue generated from those charges. Most state agencies in California impose fines, fees, and other miscellaneous charges. However, the total revenue generated from those fees is not clearly or concisely disclosed in a consistent manner. The state has long held precedent, has a long held precedent for improving government transparency and accountability. And in recent years, that need for transparency has become increasingly apparent. The California Public Records act and government Programs such as Open FI$Cal are examples of accountability measures that have increased the availability of publicly accessible data. By identifying the amount of money currently being collected by state agencies, we and the public will ultimately be able to determine the efficiency of how that money is subsequently used. The bill has received no opposition. I respectfully request. And I vote.

Can I just.

Comment real quick.

Thank you for bringing this to the floor. And I would love to be considered a co author.

Thank you. We will take up the vote when appropriate. Thank you. I don't see Assemblymember Lowenthal. So we'll go ahead and wait for Assemblymember Lowenthal. If you can call him, please. Thank you. Okay, we have quorum. Madam Secretary, can you please call the

Here.

Ramos.

Present.

Here.

Okay, we have a quorum. And now I need a motion on AB 1593. Dixon.

By Assemblymember Gibson. Second. By Assemblymember Macedo. Second. Okay. Madam Secretary, can you call a roll, please?

Rubio.

Aye.

Thank you. That the mo. The measure has a vote, but we'll leave the roll open for added members. And then now I need a motion on the consent items.

Okay.

Moved.

on the consent calendar? AB 1754. Pacheco and AB 1719. Ward, the motion for bills is due passed to the Committee on Appropriations. Recommended consent. Rubio.

Rubio, I. Davies. Davies, I. Alvarez. Berman. Brian. Carrillo. Carrillo, I. Dixon. Dixon. I. Fong. Gabriel. Gabriel, I. Gallagher. Gallagher, I. Gibson. Macedo.

Macedo, I. McKinner. Win. Pacheco. Pacheco, I. Ramos. Rodriguez. Rodriguez, I. Solace. Solace, I. Soria. Sodia, I. Ta. Ta. I. Valencia. Wallace. Wallace. Aye.

Opening the roll for AB 1593 for assembly member Gabriel. Gabriel. Gabriel I. Rodriguez. Rodriguez, I.

Opening the roll for assemblymember fong. Ab 1593, dixon. Fong phong? Aye. On the consent calendar. Fong phong. Aye.

No. Thank you.

Aye.

Great to see everyone.

Does he know that there's one more bill? No, there's one more bill, Mr. Berman. I can ask.

he's already on there. Because I have a couple of sub

Yeah.

Opening the roll for assembly member valencia. Ab 1593, dixon. Valencia. Valencia I on the consent calendar. Valencia. Valencia.

So nice to be here.

Madam Chair, do you think the state could use AI so that we don't have hearings presented at the exact same time in two buildings?

Well, two different buildings and sometimes there's three, so.

Nope.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, members. And thank you for your patience. I do appreciate it. I'm so pleased to present AB 1982, which will remove the sunset on AB 2375 and AB 1013, which together require that type 48 license establishments. Those are bars and nightclubs to have test drug drug test strips or devices and lids available for their drinks. Both AB 2375 and AB 1013 are bills that have gone through this committee and received unanimous bipartisan support. Roofing, or drink spiking, occurs when perpetrators incapacitate their victims through slipping date rape drugs such as roofanol, GHB or ketamine or others into a victim's drink when they are not looking. Typically, drink spiking is not an independent crime. Rather, it is done to facilitate other horrific crimes such as sexual assault and rape. Drink spiking can take place anywhere. However, the most common places are bars and nightclubs where alcoholic beverages are being served when someone's been roofied. Not only do the drugs cause memory loss, but they also pass through the body extremely fast, making it very difficult for the victim to seek justice after the fact. This is why preventative measures, such as the one this bill preserves are critically important for tackling the issue. AB 1982 simply will continue to require Type 48 license establishments, bars and nightclubs to provide testing strips and lids to a patron upon their request and to post a sign declaring this availability. That's all. Allowing patrons to have access to lids and testing strips is a common sense measure to deter perpetrators from attempting to commit these crimes. Reducing levels of drink spiking and in turn sexual assault and rape. These are preventative measures that can prevent someone from being drugged and the victim of another crime. Their laws are not burdensome to the local businesses either. Locations providing test devices are not responsible for false negatives or positives. Additionally, the business may sell them for a modest price, allowing owners to recoup the cost of these products. That's their choice. I'm very pleased, Madam Chair, to be joined by Leila Carrillo from the Office of Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention, apart from the San Francisco Mayor's Office for Victims Rights and Elizabeth Driessen of Nightwatch San Francisco is here to testify in support.

Good afternoon Chair Rubio Committee Members, My name is Carrillo. I am the Director of the San Francisco Sharp Office, which stands for Sexual Harassment Assault Response and Prevention within the Mayor's Office for Victims Rights. One of Sharp's primary functions is to convene stakeholders and impacted communities to identify and develop strategies to improve systems of response and prevention of sexual violence in San Francisco. I thank you for the opportunity to speak today in support of AB 1982. At its core, this bill is about crime prevention. Drink spiking is dangerous. It's a deliberate act that can facilitate sexual assault, robbery and other serious crime. However, the good news is that it's also preventable. We know what works staff training, clear protocols, coordination with law enforcement, city, agency and community partners, and consistent prevention strategies and standards across venues. AB 1982 helps ensure these tools are permanent. Removing the sunset date creates a stability needed for real prevention. Without it, efforts remain fragmented and ineffective, making it harder for businesses to invest in training and prevention tools, harder for agencies to coordinate prevention and response, and ultimately easier for bad actors to exploit the gaps in the system. This bill allows us to move beyond short term compliance and fully integrate prevention into everyday operations. And this is how we can stop harm before it happens, not have to deal with the damage afterwards. This is also about economic fatality. The nightlife continues to play a vital role in California's economic recovery and the revitalization of downtowns and entertainment districts. This type of safety must be prioritized. People will not participate in spaces where they feel vulnerable. When safety is uncertain, attendance drops, workers are put at risk and entire districts suffer. Strong prevention standards protect both people and the industry. There's strong alignment among stakeholders to confront this issue and addressing this proactively sends us clear and strong message. California takes drink spiking and sexual violence seriously and is committed to stopping these crimes before they happen. AB 1982 is practical, prevention focused policy and in strength is the coordination, supports implementation and ensures that those of us working to prevent sexual violence have the policy framework needed to advance our efforts. I want to thank Assemblymember Lowenthal for his leadership on this issue and his continued commitment to advancing meaningful prevention based solutions. I thank you.

Good afternoon Chair Rubio and members of the Committee. My name is Elizabeth Driessen and I am the founder and Program Director of the Night Swatch, a San Francisco based organization working to prevent sexual and gender based violence in nightlife spaces. We provide a bar and nightclub staff with practical tools to recognize, respond to and prevent risks like drink spiking and drug facilitated sexual assault. I started this organization in response to my own experiences with sexual violence in nightlife, including drug facilitated sexual assault. For years, I and many others normalized this behavior as part of a night out, not because it was acceptable, but because there were no clear or visible systems in place to prevent it or respond to it. Early through my work now I know how common these experiences are. These incidents are consistently underreported and too often opportunities to intervene are missed because expectations and tools are not clearly defined. As California continues to invest in vibrant nightlife as part of downtown revitalization and economic recovery, safety must be part of that foundation. AB 1982 is an important step forward by removing the sunset date. This bill provides the long term framework needed for venues, advocates and public agencies to implement prevention measures and consistently and at scale. We are already seeing how existing legislation is opening the door for more meaningful conversations between venues, staff and policymakers about prevention, not just response. AB 1982 helps sustain and build on that momentum. Safer nightlife does not happen by accident. It happens when expectations are clear and communities are equipped to act early. For these reasons, the Night's Watch respectfully urges your I vote on AB 1982. Thank you.

Thanks. Hi, good afternoon. My name is Raul Verdugo. On behalf of Alcohol justice, we respectfully ask for your I vote on AB 1982. AB 1982 continues simple effective protections Drink spiking test kits and protective lids that help people detect tampering, protect themselves and deter harm. Letting these safeguards expire would send the wrong message about public safety. We urge your I vote on AB 1982. Thank you.

Okay.

I was just going to comment. Make a comment.

Thank you so much for bringing this up again. And I can tell you that I have spoken to a lot of young ladies that have used these when they're going out. And just the fact of the safety issue, it's really made a huge change in their concerns that they have. And I would love to be co author on this again and just say thank you.

Thank you. Any other comments?

Thank you. Any other comments? Okay. I would also like to be added as a co author, if you don't mind. Thank you. Okay. I have a motion and a second. I'm sorry. Assemblymember, you may close.

Thank you. Madam Secretary. Can you call the roll?

Aye.

Aye.

Thank you. That bill has enough votes to get out and we have some. Member McKinner. Can we open the roll up for Assembly Member McKinner, please?

Ramos.

All right.