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Appropriations committee moves hundreds of bills to suspense; two measures receive due‑pass recommendations
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Summary
At a long appropriations hearing the committee moved dozens of measures to the suspense file and issued due‑pass recommendations for two bills (AB 13 39 and AB 49), while hundreds of other items were held for later fiscal review.
The Senate Committee on Appropriations heard hundreds of measures Wednesday and placed the majority on the committee’s suspense file for further fiscal review. Committee members opened the session by noting the scope of the work: “So, buckle up everyone. We have 285 measures on today's agenda,” the chair said.
Most bills received no formal roll‑call vote and were “moved to suspense” without objection. A small number of bills received a due‑pass recommendation (a favorable committee recommendation that sends a bill to the full Senate). Two measures in this hearing received due‑pass recommendations and recorded partial roll calls in committee.
AB 13 39 (Insurance availability for affordable housing entities). Assemblymember Gonzales presented the bill as a limited, one‑time study for the Department of Insurance to examine insurance availability and affordability for affordable housing entities. The bill received a due‑pass recommendation and the committee recorded a preliminary roll call. The motion to give AB 13 39 a due‑pass recommendation was made and the roll call recorded an initial vote in favor; the clerk noted the vote would be put on call for absent members and the bill will proceed to the floor with the committee’s recommendation.
AB 49 (Safe‑haven schools policy). The committee considered AB 49, described in testimony as prohibiting immigration enforcement on school property except with a valid judicial warrant or court order. The bill was supported by immigrant‑rights advocates and county education offices and opposed by some who expressed concerns about enforcement language and implementation. AB 49 received a due‑pass recommendation and a partial roll call was recorded; the clerk likewise said the result would be put on call for absent members and the bill would proceed to the floor with the committee’s recommendation.
Large set moved to suspense: The committee explicitly moved dozens of bills across subject areas to the suspense file during the hearing (public safety, education, environmental, housing, and others). Moving to suspense is a procedural step that keeps a bill alive while staff completes fiscal estimates; bills on suspense may later be returned to the committee, sent to the floor, or remain in suspense.
How to read the outcomes: “Suspense” is not a final rejection. It signals that the committee needs more fiscal information, or that a bill’s cost is significant enough to require additional consideration before it advances.
Representative quotes: “That’s when it goes to the floor. The governor still has the opportunity to say yay or nay,” Senator Richardson said when addressing attendees about the legislative process. Senator Sayarto reminded the public that the appropriations “drop” (late‑session review) is when suspense items are reconsidered.
What’s next: The committee will continue to process fiscal materials and revisit suspense file items in the weeks before the Legislature’s deadline; stakeholders are expected to continue advocacy and may seek amendments or funding language to address fiscal concerns.
