AB 1279 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Criminal procedure: sentencing.

Summary
Existing law, added by Proposition 184, approved at the November 8, 1994, statewide general election, and amended by the Three Strikes Reform Act of 2012, approved as Proposition 36 at the November 6, 2012, statewide general election, commonly known as the Three Strikes Law, imposes additional years of imprisonment in state prison on a person who commits a serious or violent felony and has been convicted of, or who has a prior conviction for, a serious or violent felony. A prior juvenile adjudication constitutes a prior serious or violent felony conviction for purposes of this sentence enhancement if the juvenile was 16 years of age at the time and other requirements are met. The Legislature may directly amend these initiatives by a statute passed in each house by a 23 vote, or by a statute that becomes effective only when approved by the voters. This bill would amend those initiative statutes by prohibiting a prior juvenile adjudication from being considered a prior serious or violent felony conviction for purposes of sentence enhancement. The bill would provide a means of vacating a prior juvenile adjudication and resentencing a defendant on any remaining counts, as specified. By requiring the participation of district attorneys and public defenders in the resentencing process, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/21/25 - Introduced 04/21/25 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Apr 21, 2025
MODERATE
AB 1279 was amended to make the exclusion of prior juvenile adjudications and pre-18 convictions from Three Strikes sentence enhancements more absolute by removing the specific criteria that previously allowed certain juvenile adjudications to qualify as prior serious or violent felony convictions. The bill also expanded the vacatur provision (Section 1170.96) to explicitly cover juvenile adjudications, giving people already sentenced under the old law a clearer path to resentencing.
Scope change
The bill's core scope remains the same (excluding pre-18 offenses from Three Strikes enhancements), but the amendment strengthens the exclusion by removing any residual pathway for juvenile adjudications to qualify, and broadens the remedial provision to explicitly cover those sentenced based on juvenile adjudications rather than only prior convictions.
ELIGIBILITY

Removed the detailed criteria (paragraph 3 with subparts A through D) that previously specified when a prior juvenile adjudication could count as a prior serious or violent felony conviction for Three Strikes enhancement purposes. The amended version retains only the blanket prohibition that no prior juvenile adjudication or pre-18 conviction shall constitute such a prior, making the exclusion categorical rather than conditional.

Section 1170.96 (the vacatur and resentencing provision) was expanded to explicitly include 'juvenile adjudication' alongside 'prior conviction' throughout the petition requirements. This clarifies that people whose sentences were enhanced based on a juvenile adjudication, not just a prior adult conviction, can file a petition to have the enhancement vacated and be resentenced.

TECHNICAL

References to the California Rehabilitation Center (which no longer operates) were replaced with the generic term 'a substance abuse rehabilitation center' in multiple locations.

Assembly Members Bryan, Elhawary, and Haney were added as coauthors alongside the original coauthor McKinnor.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
3
Committee
5
Amendments
2
May 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (May 23).
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Committee
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
lower
Apr 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read second time and amended.
lower
Apr 10, 2025
Introduced
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 8).
lower
Mar 13, 2025
Committee
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
lower
Feb 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
lower
Feb 21, 2025
Introduced
Introduced. To print.
lower
1 primary · 4 co-sponsors

Sponsors