Appropriations Committee moves a slate of Assembly bills to the suspense file

The Senate Appropriations Committee processed a docket of 15 measures, many of which were designated suspense file candidates. Committee members accepted waived presentations from several Assembly authors and permitted public testimony where present. By unanimous consent or without objection, the committee moved numerous bills to the suspense file for further fiscal review and consideration, including AB 402, AB 708, AB 1080, AB 1126, AB 1204, AB 1235, AB 1555, AB 1641, ACA 7, AB 1672, AB 1943, AB 2565 and AB 2571.

Several witnesses testified on AB 1204 and AB 124 (Raise the Base coalition topics): Diane Jones (president, Fremont Unified School District Board) and other district leaders expressed opposition to proposed LCFF adjustments, arguing that shifting supplemental and concentration grants could widen funding disparities and exacerbate structural deficits in underfunded districts. Pleasanton Unified Superintendent Dr. Maurice Geisel testified that raising the base grant remains the strongest foundation for equity and said AB 1204 could deepen disparities for underfunded districts.

For most suspense candidates, authors waived presentation and no witnesses were present; the committee recorded those bills as moving to the suspense file pending further fiscal analysis. No final enactments occurred on these items during the hearing.