AB 1321 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Department of Justice: online missing person registry.

Summary

Existing law requires the Attorney General to establish an online, automated computer system designed to effect an immediate law enforcement response to reports of missing persons. Existing law requires the online missing persons registry to accept and generate specified information on a missing person. Existing law also requires the Attorney General to establish a separate and confidential historic database relating to missing children and at-risk adults, for statistical and research purposes, as specified. This bill would require the Attorney General to establish, in consultation with specified groups, agencies, and organizations, an electronic database and support system, as specified, for the public to report and search for missing children, as specified. The bill would require that parents reunified with children be offered free DNA testing to confirm parentage.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status failed 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

03/10/25 - Amended Assembly → AB1321 · 2 edits

MINOR

The substantive bill text (Section 14217 and Section 14205) is unchanged between versions. The only content difference is the removal of the sentence 'This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those provisions' from the legislative counsel's digest. The remaining differences are formatting changes reflecting a shift from a printed legislative document layout to a web page rendering.

TECHNICAL

The sentence 'This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those provisions' was removed from the legislative counsel's digest, removing the characterization that the amendment was merely technical.

Formatting changed from a numbered-line legislative document layout to a web page format with navigation elements. No statutory text was altered.

02/21/25 - Introduced → 03/10/25 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Mar 10, 2025

MODERATE

AB 1321 was substantially expanded from a purely technical fix to Section 14205 into a bill that adds an entirely new Penal Code section (14217) requiring the Attorney General to create a public electronic database and support system for reporting and searching missing children, including immigrant children. The new section mandates anonymous reporting features to protect families from immigration enforcement, firewall protections against unauthorized data sharing, and free DNA testing for parents to confirm parentage upon reunification. This transforms the bill from a minor cleanup into a substantive new program with significant policy implications for immigrant families.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a technical, nonsubstantive correction to Section 14205 into a substantive new program (Section 14217) creating a public-facing electronic system for reporting and searching missing children with specific protections for immigrant families, including anonymous reporting and free DNA testing for reunification.

SCOPE

New Penal Code Section 14217 requires the Attorney General to establish, in consultation with nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, legal aid groups, and government agencies, an electronic database and support system for the public to report and search for missing children, including immigrant children.

REQUIREMENT

The new database must allow parents to register missing children and receive updates on the child's location, include anonymous reporting features to encourage participation without fear of immigration enforcement, and ensure firewall protections to prevent unauthorized data sharing.

FISCAL

If a missing child is identified, parents shall be offered free DNA testing in a state-approved laboratory to confirm parentage, with results used exclusively for reunification purposes.

Fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the new program now requires a fiscal note due to costs of establishing and operating the database and DNA testing.

DEFINITION

New definition of 'immigrant' includes any person who is not a citizen or national of the United States, including undocumented persons.

TECHNICAL

Section 14205 subdivision (d) removes a duplicate word: 'a separate, separate and confidential historic database' becomes 'a separate and confidential historic database.'

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

Apr 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

lower

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on PUB. S. and P. & C.P.

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 · 0 co-sponsors