Practitioners urge rejection of AB 17 03, warning of criminalization and county costs; committee places measure on suspense file

A small group of internationally trained community practitioners told the Senate Appropriations Committee that AB 17 03 would unfairly target their practices and could criminalize care that they have provided for decades.

The speaker, identifying the group as small, grassroots and internationally trained, said they were late to register opposition because they had no lobbyist but had discussed potential amendments with legislators. The group said there had been no documented harms from their services in decades of practice and urged the committee to avoid "criminalizing" their work. The speaker said many clients could face disability or loss of daily functions if access to those services were removed and argued that incarceration costs resulting from criminalization would fall to counties.

The committee accepted the testimony and moved AB 17 03 to the suspense file without objection, giving the bill additional time for review and possible amendment.