Infractions: warrants and penalties.

In Penal Code Section 853.6(a)(4), 'This subdivision does not affect a defendant's ability to be released on bail' was changed to 'This subdivision shall not affect,' making the protection more explicitly mandatory.

In Penal Code Section 853.6(d), the prohibition on selling or distributing thumbprints placed on notices to appear was strengthened from 'may not' to 'shall not.'

Minor wording changes throughout Section 853.6, including changing 'When the case is called' to 'At the time the case is called,' and rephrasing 'no further proceedings shall be had' to 'further proceedings shall not be had.'

The enrolled version removes line numbers, page headers, and internal amendment markup, replacing them with standard enrolled bill formatting including passage dates (Assembly May 22, 2026; Senate August 26, 2026).

A large new section (Section 4) amending Penal Code 853.6 was added, establishing detailed procedures for misdemeanor arrest and release including: mandatory release via notice to appear, exceptions for domestic violence protective order violations, scene or agency booking before release, filing deadlines, bail forfeiture rules, identity verification via thumbprint, citation dismissal procedures, and specific nonrelease grounds including organized retail theft and store theft within the prior six months. This section sunsets on January 1, 2031.

Vehicle Code Section 40510.5 (installment payment of bail) was broadened by removing the word 'infraction' from its applicability, so the installment payment procedure now applies to all violations of the Vehicle Code, not just infraction-level ones.

The prohibition on bench warrants for infractions was refined. The original bill prohibited all bench warrants when the underlying crime is an infraction. The amended version adds that bench warrants for other infractions (not covered by the full prohibition) are limited to authorizing only arrest and booking at the scene followed by immediate release, rather than allowing detention.

A new provision in Vehicle Code 40508 allows courts to impound a driver's license and order a person not to drive for up to 30 days if they fail to pay bail installments or fines on an infraction, with a livelihood exception for class C or M license holders.

The misdemeanor for willfully failing to pay bail installments or fines under Vehicle Code 40508 was not fully repealed as originally drafted. Instead, it now only applies when the original charge was not an infraction. If the original charge was an infraction, the failure-to-pay misdemeanor no longer applies.

Penal Code Section 19.7 was clarified to state that 'all laws relating to misdemeanors, except for the authority to issue bench warrants' apply to infractions. The original language said 'all provisions of law relating to misdemeanors' without the explicit bench warrant carve-out.

Authorship was updated: Assembly Member Bryan added as principal coauthor, and Assembly Members Schultz and Sharp-Collins added as coauthors. Penal Code Section 853.6 was added to the list of sections being amended in the bill's title.