Appropriations Committee advances dozens of bills, hears emotional testimony on utility relief bill AB 2700

The California State Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced a broad slate of legislation on May 13, moving dozens of bills out of committee on roll calls and hearing sustained public comment on AB 2700, a proposal to direct the Public Utilities Commission to pursue lower electricity rates and to secure full compensation for wildfire victims.

Chair Wicks opened the session saying the committee would consider 196 bills in regular order and established a quorum before taking up consent-calendar motions that placed many bills "out on a roll call." The committee then considered a sequence of authored measures across housing, public safety, health and education policy.

Housing measures: Assemblymember Santiago Alvarez presented two housing bills that the committee advanced. AB 1732, the Student Faculty Housing Opportunity Act, would exempt UC, CSU and community college housing projects from CEQA to accelerate campus housing construction; Kate Rogers of the Student Homes Coalition said, "This bill will strengthen California's higher education system and California's economy," and asked the committee for an aye vote. The committee also approved AB 2433, a set of changes to the affordable homes bonus law intended to increase take-up for for-sale units, with sponsor testimony from Colin Parent of Circulate Planning and Policy.

Public safety and environment: Assemblymember Mark Gonzales presented AB 2055 to align state boating enforcement with federal standards and vehicle laws; Corey Salzillo of the California State Sheriffs Association backed the measure as a modernization for enforcement and public safety. SB 73, presented by a visiting senator, would strengthen ballot security and limit law enforcement access to voting machines or voter rolls without a court order; the committee moved the bill on a roll call.

Health and social services: The committee advanced AB 1973 to update the scope of practice for advanced practice clinicians to provide reproductive care within their training, with Planned Parenthood and professional associations testifying in support. AB 1579, which expands the children's crisis pilot program to allow additional CDSS-approved residential models, was presented with testimony that no county has successfully implemented the original crisis residential model and that the bill aims to permit viable alternatives without new state costs.

AB 2700 — utilities, rates and wildfire compensation: Assemblymember Gallagher presented AB 2700 for presentation only; he told the committee the bill "does two really simple things": require the PUC to identify concrete ways to reduce rates and to ensure mechanisms so wildfire victims receive full compensation without shifting costs to other ratepayers. Gallagher cited past CPUC reports and recent utility financials as part of the justification. The hearing drew numerous public commenters — wildfire survivors and local officials — who urged the committee to act, describing unpaid or incomplete compensation from utility-caused wildfires. For example, Summer Hughes, identified herself as a PG&E wildfire survivor and said she was in "strong support" of the bill.

Procedural outcomes and next steps: For the majority of bills presented (including AB 2641, AB 2525, AB 1732, AB 2433, AB 2055, AB 1579, AB 2041 and others), the committee recorded "due pass" motions and placed the measures out on roll calls. AB 2700 was presented and received extensive public comment but, in the segments of the transcript, was not taken off suspense or voted at that time. The clerk read a lengthy suspense calendar later in the hearing that the chair deemed approved.

What this means: Several bills that affect housing approvals, consumer protections, health-care scope-of-practice and public-safety statutes cleared the committee for further action by the full Assembly. AB 2700 remains a focal point for advocacy from wildfire survivors and local officials who said they are pressing the Legislature for more concrete remedies to secure victim compensation and rate relief.

Votes at a glance (selected items): AB 2641 — sales-tax exemption for reclaimed pawned property: due pass (out on roll call). AB 2525 — Mission Bay Park surplus lands exemption (San Diego): due pass (out on roll call). AB 1732 — Student Faculty Housing Opportunity Act (CEQA exemption for campus housing): due pass as amended (tribal consultation modification; out on roll call). AB 2433 — Affordable homes bonus adjustments: due pass (out on roll call). AB 2055 — Boating safety and enforcement modernization: due pass (out on roll call). AB 1579 — Children's crisis program expansion: due pass (out on roll call). AB 2041 — EMS compliance reporting changes: due pass (out on roll call). AB 1973 — Advanced practice clinicians scope update: due pass (out on roll call). AB 2700 — Electricity affordability and victim compensation: presented (no committee vote recorded in transcript segments provided).

The committee adjourned after reading and approving a large suspense calendar. Many of the bills advanced on roll calls will next be scheduled for floor consideration; AB 2700 received extended public testimony and may return with amendments or additional materials before the committee takes a final vote.