Senate Public Safety Committee

17 März 2026

Derzeit keine Kapitel verfügbar

Senate Public Safety Committee Di., 17. März 2026 California State Senate

00:19 - 01:52

Redner 1

Good morning. I'd like to call to order this meeting of the senate committee on public safety for Tuesday, 03/17/2026. I'm senator Jesse Yeti, the chairman of the committee joined by vice chairman Kelly Sarto. And we do not yet have a quorum, but we will begin, our hearing, to begin with bill presentations from authors. Once we're able to establish a quorum, we will, call the roll, and take action on bills.

Just a few announcements as we start today's hearing. File item one, SB eight ninety one by Senator Cervantes is on the consent calendar. And, the way we'll conduct public comment is we will give two minutes for principal witnesses in support and opposition that have been designated either by the by the, bill sponsor or, opposition witnesses who provided written written comments in the official record, after which time, we will take general public comment from members of the public. And your public comment will just be limited to state your name, your organization, or what city you're from, and your position on the bill. We will not take any other comments.

We welcome your comments in writing. We do review all written comments that are submitted through the portal, and, thank you for joining us today for this hearing. So with that, we'll begin with file item two, senate bill nine thirty six by senator Blake Spear. Good morning. Senator, whenever you would like to begin.

01:52 - 05:26

Redner 2

Okay. Well, thank you very much, Chair. Hello, members. Good morning. I'm happy to present today SB nine thirty six.

SB nine thirty six takes a measured approach to addressing the dangerous rise of nitrous oxide misuse in California. Nitrous oxide has become a popular recreational drug among youth, but it can have deadly consequences, especially for those who choose to drive while intoxicated by it. In particular, it can cause impaired brain function, loss of motor control, asphyxia or death, and repeated exposure has been linked to long term neurologic damage. To be clear, nitrous oxide does have several important legitimate uses, such as an engine propellant in the automotive industry, laughing gas for dental procedures, and as a culinary component in restaurants and coffee shops, and my legislation would not impact that. What SB nine thirty six would do is prohibit the retail sale of nitrous oxide canisters that are larger than eight grams while preserving legitimate uses in medical, dental, culinary, and automotive settings.

Currently, large tanks labeled for, quote, culinary use are widely available through retail shops, often with flavored varieties and branding that appeal to young consumers. And, Chair, I I have brought in an example that I would like to show here of what you can purchase locally here in Sacramento called Hot Whip. And this is a nitrous oxide canister that is clearly, from its marketing, indicated that it is being sold to children. And there is a there's a convenient way to access it. So you just access the nitrous oxide in this big container.

And so this is what we would not prohibit for sale, these large containers that are clearly marketed. This one is watermelon hot whip. These also come in bubblegum, vanilla cupcake, and tropical punch. The widespread use of nitrous oxide as a drug is dangerous to individuals and to public safety. While under the influence of nitrous oxide, drivers are impaired and can get into traffic incidents that can easily become deadly.

In one incident in my district, a local officer responded to a multi vehicle crash, and after guiding two people affected by the crash off the roadway, he checked on the driver who had consumed nitrous oxide prior to the crash. A second driver, allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, crashed into the stopped vehicles, killing both the initial driver and the responding officer. These incidents are not isolated. Across California, emergency department visits related to nitrous oxide increased two forty six percent between 2018 and 2023. For these reasons, several local jurisdictions, including one of the two counties I represent, Orange County, and the cities of Contra of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach have already restricted the retail sale of these nitrous oxide tanks.

SB nine thirty six builds on these local efforts by establishing a statewide standard for nitrous regulations. The bill does not ban it outright, and it does not affect the standard eight gram whipped cream charges that are commonly used in culinary settings. It also does not create new possession crimes or further criminalize Californians who consume nitrous. Instead, it reduces access for nonlegitimate uses. SB nine thirty six is sponsored by the rural county representatives of California, the National Stewardship Action Council, Orange County, and San Diego's district attorney Summer Stefan.

And with me today in support, I have Supervisor Madeleine Klein from Mendocino County and James Fontaine, a narcotics expert with the San Diego District Attorney's Office.

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