May 28, 2026 · Budget Sub4 · 2,151 words · 6 speakers · 39 segments
The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee 4 will come to order. We are holding our committee hearing here in room 113. I ask all members of the committee to be present in room 113. And at this point, I would like to thank my fellow subcommittee members for their service. This is our 11th subcommittee hearing. We have ordered a broad range of issues over the past several months. While our votes here today reflect those within the purview of this subcommittee, they reflect just a portion of the actions that make up the Senate Democrats' budget package. Notable actions before us include significant investments in affordable rental and home ownership programs, full funding for rounds 7 and 8 of the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program to sustain the momentum we have finally achieved on reducing rates of unsheltered homelessness. Promotion of the California economy, including extension of our state's flagship CalCompetes tax credit program to attract and retain jobs and investment in key California economic sectors. Adopting new revenue solutions and other oversight-related actions, including creating greater efficiency in the Department of General Services procurement processes. Through statutory changes, continuation funding for programs safeguarding consumer safety and financial regulation of the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, and funding for various programs focused on information technology resilience and increased data security. Before we proceed to public comment, I would like to offer colleagues any comment. Okay, Senator Smallwood-Cuevas. Thank you, Madam Chair. And, you know, I know we have a lot of work to do, so I won't belabor the points, but I just want to say that, you know, this has been a very difficult budget session cycle this year. and we had a lot to comment on early on in our process with a number of departments asking for information, wanting to make sure that we had all that we needed to make the decisions that we needed to make. We did not get a lot of the information that was requested. I understand the importance of us doing the work to get this budget passed Pass and to make sure that we get services to our constituents But we've got to do something about how information is relayed back to us as a committee It is not acceptable that we didn't receive I would say half of the things that I requested we did not get My office did not hear back from those departments. So I just I want to just point out that I'm I'm I'm supporting and will be voting on a number of the items, but that really does concern me. The other point I wanted to raise is that we still have a long way to go to make sure that my region and the state of California is prepared for the Olympics. We did not get the resources for Expo Park in this budget, which is very concerning to me. We will have 15 million visitors from around the world coming, and this is a park that has been underinvested in for many, many years. We want to make sure that people are safe. We want to make sure they're protected. We also want to protect the state from liability, so I think it's important that we revisit that. And that brings me to the investment in our arts program. another area where we have not made significant investments and we know that the Trump administration has targeted many of our arts and culture programs because they do lift up diversity and the richness of the diversity of California and they have been targeted because of that The state needs to step up so that those cultural districts are invested in and particularly those that are near Olympic venues We want to make sure that those small arts businesses are able to fully participate and again have some opportunity to scale up as we are going to welcome the world to to California so I just wanted to share those concerns I know we have a lot of work to do but I appreciate you giving me some time to just to make those comments
Senator Kowal. Thank you, Madam Chair. I mean, as we're at this at the stage of this next stage of the budget process, obviously this is not the end. It is, though, the important milestone of the Senate making real the foundation for the future future budget plan that we released earlier in the cycle, which was one of the most transparent but also values based plans. And I'm proud of the Senate for doing so to try to center the issues and the consideration of the budget around the key priorities. And certainly for our subcommittee, the investments that we're going to be considering today in the housing programs in particular and the homelessness programs. I want to thank the chair for her leadership both in the subcommittee and then in addition to our 11 hearings, knowing that she and the other subcommittee chairs have done an enormous amount of work, at least maybe not unprecedented, but not unprecedented recently as a former subcommittee chair. Just the amount of effort to make sure that the budget is right and that the details in particular are paid attention to has been really important. Also, I want to just acknowledge LAO and the Department of Finance and the staff of this subcommittee and in both caucuses that have done really outstanding work to make this all real as well. There's just a million moving parts as we're going to vote on 150 items today. And over those 11 hearings for 40 hours of consideration of just this one slice of the budget, the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people who've actually taken the time to come to Sacramento to testify before the subcommittee and thousands of others that have communicated through the Senate's various communications channels, It's been a high amount of engagement in this process, and that's reflected in the actions that we'll be considering today. And so thank you to everybody that has taken the time to participate. Thanks also. I appreciate the executive branch agencies who have responded either here or following up, as Senator Smallwood-Cuevas noted. And this subcommittee, very appropriately, asks hard questions and digs into the details, and that's our job. And it has an extraordinary scope of responsibilities. And sometimes those can get heated. But I also appreciate that the administration officials that have been before us, especially the agency heads, have been responsive. They've been professional. And we look forward to correcting some of the follow-up issues that have been raised by my colleagues. but this process wouldn't work without the appropriate oversight that we conduct, but also the appropriate work that the agencies do in order to be responsive and help us build the budget that is our constitutional mandate. So thank you so much, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Vice Chair, do you have any comments before we go?
Not right now, thank you.
Okay, thank you. All right. At this moment, we'll go ahead and establish a quorum. Senator Hattado Here Senator Nilo Senator Cabaldon and Senator Smallwood Quaix Quorum Established okay we all here Quorum Established okay so due to constraints regarding length of hearing committee chairs may institute We may institute time limits today on testimony I'm asking that each member of the public providing comment keep their marks to within one minute We will now open up public comment to all issues on the agenda those members of the public wishing to comment Please come forward and form a line at the microphone, and we will proceed.
Good morning. Justin Garrett with the California State Association of Counties. I just want to express our sincere gratitude to the subcommittee for fully funding the HAP program at a billion dollars, as well as the commitment to get the funding distributed by the September 1st goal date, and we look forward to continuing engagement on the trailer bill language. Thank you.
Thank you. Okay. Is that public comment on all items? Okay, we have one more.
Good morning, Chair Hurtado and Senators. Christina Rico on behalf of the Small Business Development Centers. I want to thank you all and your staff for the collaboration that we've had through this process. We have requested that GoBiz is funded $26 million in the SIP and TAP program. So those are loan assistance and technical assistance programs. It's a one-time budget augmentation that would support thousands of businesses across the state, currently unable to receive services due to the oversubscription of the program. Last year, over 150,000 businesses were serviced by the SBDC Network and Women's Business Centers Network. The Small Business Technical Assistance Program and Capital Infusion Program provide meaningful and impactful assistance to local minority and women-owned businesses in your district, and these services are necessary to support local economies in your districts, grow jobs, and drive tax revenue. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. Having heard from all members of the public, is there any final remarks before we head on to votes, Mr. Vice Chair? Okay. With no additional comments from the dais, we will now move on to votes. And for the sake of efficiency, we're going to go ahead and vote in blocks, and we'll begin with items number 1, 3, 6, 8, 12 through 16, 18, 19, 22 through 39, 43, 45 through 47, 50 to 53, 55 through 57, 59.
Do I have a motion from Senator Nilo?
I thought the person was.
I will ask. Can we just say that?
So it also includes 69 parts 1 and 5, 70, 71, 74 through 77, 79, 85 through 90, 92, 95, 97 through 99, 101 through 105, 107, 110 through 113, 115 through 117, 121, 124 through 142, 144 through 147, and 150.
And I do make a motion for that small list.
Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. Having a motion, can we? I sure could could I ask you to please read the list again it an emotion sorry to read again if Senator Neil I wouldn mind reading his motion again So I trying to keep up with the You like me to repeat all the numbers Yes Would somebody please do that? Yes, I'm happy to repeat those numbers.
Thank you.
So on the items, it's 1, 3, 6, 8, 12 through 16, 18, 19, 22 through 39, 43, 45 through 47.
Okay, just... Madam Chair. Oh, that's a lot. Okay. Okay. Yes. Okay. We have a motion, and we have an understanding of all the items that we're voting on. can we go ahead and please call the roll the call the items senator Hurtado sir Toto I senator Nilo Senator Nilo I senator Cabaldon I senator Cabaldon I senator small and Quay this senator small and Quay this I those items are out
I'm sure okay, we have four eyes and those items are now out
Next we do have on the the items will be taking a vote on our items number two four five seven nine through eleven 1721 40 41 44 48 49 54 58 60 through 68 69 part 2 through 4 72 73 78 80 through 84 91 93 94 96 100 106 108 109 114 118 through 120 122 123 143 148 and 149
Do I have a motion on those items?
Okay. We have a motion to adopt the staff recommendation as set forth in the agenda.
Consulting, can you please call the roll?
As to the called items, Senator Hurtado?
Aye.
Hurtado, aye. Senator Nilo?
No.
Nilo, no. Senator Cabaldon? Senator Cabaldon, aye. Senator Small-Cuevas?
Aye.
Senator Small-Cuevas, aye.
Okay.
we have ice three nose one those issues are out okay next we have issues 20 and 42 do I have a motion okay the motion is to adopt the staff recommendation is set forth in the agenda consultancy please call the roll As to issues 20 and 42, Senator Hurtado?
Aye.
Senator Hurtado, aye. Senator Nilo?
Not voting.
Senator Nilo not voting. Senator Cabaldon? Aye. Senator Cabaldon, aye. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas?
Aye.
Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, aye.
Okay, so we have ayes three, noes zero. Those issues are out. Thank you to all the individuals who participated in public testimony today. If you were not able to testify today, please submit your comments or suggestions in writing to the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee or visit our website. Your comments and suggestions are important to all of us, and we want to include your testimony in the official hearing records. Thank you, and we appreciate your participation. Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation. And we've concluded the agenda for today's hearing. The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee 4 is now adjourned. Thank you.