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Appropriations committee sends 38 measures to suspense file; authors waive presentations
Summary
At the hearing the Senate Appropriations Committee moved dozens of bills to the suspense file after authors waived presentations and most items drew no committee questions; the committee allowed public testimony limited to fiscal impacts.
The California State Senate Committee on Appropriations moved 38 measures to the suspense file during a single hearing in which most authors waived presentation and committee members did not take amendments.
Committee staff opened the meeting by noting that 38 measures remained on the agenda and that authors for the suspense measures had waived presentation; the committee said it would nevertheless accept public testimony limited to the fiscal aspects of each bill.
For numerous bills the Department of Finance registered “no file” or noted potential fiscal impacts. Committee members repeatedly recorded the formal action “without objection” and directed each bill to the suspense file. Examples of measures placed on suspense at the hearing include AB 64, AB 343, AB 352, AB 86, AB 399, AB 258, AB 260, AB 535, AB 316, AB 618, AB 323, AB 731, AB 338, AB 358, AB 803, AB 845, AB 859 and many others listed on the printed agenda.
Witnesses spoke on a small number of the measures while the committee reviewed fiscal notes. For example, representatives of the Western Fairs Association said AB 258 would raise fair allocations from roughly $4 million to $10–12 million annually and would not take effect until fiscal year 2027–28, giving fairs time to adjust. The Department of Finance did not take a formal position on that bill at the hearing.
On several bills the Department of Finance provided fiscal cautions. For example, the department said AB 959 (school internship approvals) could create ongoing general‑fund costs in the low to mid hundreds of thousands of dollars and that other measures could create multi‑million‑dollar costs or administrative burdens not included in the current budget plan.
The committee concluded the agenda after the roll call on AB 379 and adjourned. Most suspense actions were approved by unanimous consent or “without objection”; no recorded roll calls were taken for the listed suspense measures at the hearing.
