Issue · Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice

Every criminal justice bill, vote, and legislator stance in California, automatically classified by Maddy, our AI policy reader.

Total bills
173
2025-2026 Regular Session
Top supporter
Anna Caballero
92% support rate
Top opponent
Phillip Chen
8% support rate
Ranked legislators
10
5 support · 5 oppose
Key legislators

Who's moving criminal justice in California

Legislators moving criminal justice in California
Legislator Party Stance Support rate Decisive votes
Anna Caballero
Anna Caballero Senate · District 14
D
Strong +
92% 140
Joaquin Arambula
Joaquin Arambula House · District 31
D
Strong +
92% 99
Celeste Rodriguez
Celeste Rodriguez House · District 43
D
Strong +
91% 56
Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
Rebecca Bauer-Kahan House · District 16
D
Strong +
91% 86
Aisha Wahab
Aisha Wahab Senate · District 10
D
Strong +
90% 122
Phillip Chen
Phillip Chen House · District 59
R
Strong −
8% 65
Heath Flora
Heath Flora House · District 9
R
Strong −
11% 56
Brian Jones
Brian Jones Senate · District 40
R
Strong −
11% 71
Carl DeMaio
Carl DeMaio House · District 75
R
Strong −
12% 82
Ali Macedo
Ali Macedo House · District 33
R
Strong −
12% 96
Showing 61–70 of 173 bills

All criminal justice bills

passed both · California · Assembly Aug 26, 2026

AB 2393: False imprisonment: false arrest: remedies.

Existing law prohibits false imprisonment, defined as the unlawful violation of the personal liberty of another. Existing law provides that the measure of damages for the breach of an obligation not arising from a contract is the amount that will compensate for all the detriment proximately caused thereby, whether it could have been anticipated or not, except as expressly provided otherwise. This bill would authorize a prevailing plaintiff in an action based on false imprisonment or false arrest to elect to receive, in lieu of actual damages, $10,000 for each of specified acts committed by the defendant in the perpetration of the false imprisonment or false arrest, as specified. The bill would make defendants liable for the amounts described above for an incident of false imprisonment or false arrest jointly and severally liable and would limit the aggregate award to a person under the above provisions to $250,000 per incident of false imprisonment or false arrest. The bill would exempt causes of action brought against specified parties from the above provisions. The bill would make related findings and declarations and would make its provisions severable.
passed both · California · Assembly Aug 26, 2026

AB 1927: Bail Consumer Protection Act.

Existing law generally regulates the business of insurance in the state, including the conduct of insurance licensees, and provides for the issuance of bail licenses under the jurisdiction of the Insurance Commissioner. Existing regulations generally prohibit the solicitation of bail except after a bona fide request for bail services has been received from the arrestee or from another specified person. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to impersonate certain personnel, including a law enforcement officer or an officer or member of a fire department, with the intent of fraudulently impersonating such a person, or of fraudulently inducing the belief that they are such a person. This bill, the Bail Consumer Protection Act, would make it a crime for any person to impersonate, or falsely hold themselves out to be, a licensed bail agent, and while doing so solicits or attempts to solicit bail from any individual. The bill would also make it a crime for any person to hire another person or company to solicit bail when the person knew or should have known that the other person or company is impersonating or falsely holding themselves out to be a licensed bail agent, and that other person or company solicits or attempts to solicit bail from any individual. By creating a new crime, the 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
passed both · California · Senate Aug 26, 2026

SB 1237: Civil Rights Department.

Existing law establishes the Civil Rights Department to administer and enforce various laws relating to civil rights, including the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Existing law requires certain private employers to annually submit a pay data report to the department that includes, among other information, the number of employees by race, ethnicity, and sex, as specified, and, within each job category, for each combination of race, ethnicity, and sex, the median and mean hourly rate. Upon request from the Civil Rights Department, existing law requires a court to impose a civil penalty not to exceed $100 per employee upon any employer who fails to file the required report and not to exceed $200 per employee upon any employer for a subsequent failure to file the required report. This bill would increase the penalty for subsequent failures to file the report described above to an amount not to exceed $1,000 per employee. Existing law authorizes the department to develop, publish on an annual basis, and publicize aggregate reports based on the data obtained pursuant to their authority under this section, provided that the aggregate reports are reasonably calculated to prevent the association of any data with any individual business or person. This bill would require the department to annually publish the number of total pay data reports submitted, as provided and specified.
passed both · California · Assembly Aug 26, 2026

AB 1961: Civil actions: protective orders: workplace violence.

Existing law authorizes an employer or collective bargaining representative of an employee who has suffered harassment, unlawful violence, or a credible threat of violence from any individual, to seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of the employee and, at the discretion of the court, any number of other employees at the workplace or at other workplaces of the employer. Existing law authorizes one or more representative parties to bring suit for the benefit of a class of parties if the question is one of a common or general interest, of many persons, or when the parties are numerous, and it is impracticable to bring them all before the court. This bill would authorize an employer to seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at the employer's workplace or a location at which a group of employees perform their primary job duties if harassment, unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence is directed at that workplace or location. The bill would not require an employer to name any individual employee as a protected party if the employer seeks a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at the employer's workplace or a location at which a group of employees perform their primary job duties. This bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before January 1, 2028, to adopt or modify its forms, as specified. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure proposed by AB 2179 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2179 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure proposed by AB 1753 to be operative only if (1) this bill and AB 1753 are both enacted, (2) AB 2179 is not enacted or as enacted does not amend Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and (3) this bill is enacted last.
passed both · California · Assembly Aug 26, 2026

AB 1595: Criminal procedure: writs of habeas corpus and motions to vacate.

Existing law allows a person who is unlawfully imprisoned or restrained of their liberty to prosecute a writ of habeas corpus to inquire into the cause of their imprisonment or restraint. Existing law allows a writ of habeas corpus to be prosecuted on several bases, including on the basis of false evidence that is material on the issue of guilt or punishment, as specified, or the discovery of new evidence that exists that is presented without substantial delay, is admissible, and that has not been previously presented and heard at trial and has been discovered after trial. Existing law creates a presumption in favor of granting relief through habeas when the district attorney in the county of the conviction or the Attorney General concedes or stipulates to a legal or factual basis for habeas relief. This bill would revise the above-described standards to no longer require false evidence to be material and would instead require that the evidence create any reasonable likelihood it could have affected the outcome of the case. The bill would also change the new evidence standard to instead require that there be a reasonable probability it would have produced a different result sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome of the case. The bill would revise the presumption in favor of granting relief to instead make a stipulation binding on the parties, if certain conditions are met, unless the moving party proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the other party violated the terms or the state withheld evidence, as specified. The bill would also revise the process for a concession and instead prohibit a party from withdrawing a concession if the concession is contained in a return or other written filing signed by counsel for respondent, as specified. Existing law allows a person who is no longer unlawfully imprisoned or restrained to prosecute a motion to vacate a judgment on the basis of newly discovered evidence of fraud by a government official that completely undermines the prosecution's case, is conclusive, and points unerringly to their innocence, newly discovered evidence that a government official testified falsely at trial that resulted in the conviction and that the testimony was substantially probative on the issue of guilt or punishment, or newly discovered evidence of misconduct by a government official committed in the underlying case that resulted in fabrication of evidence that was substantially material and probative on the issue of guilt or punishment. The bill would revise the above-described standards to instead require a demonstration that there is a reasonable probability the evidence would have produced a different result sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome of the case, as specified. The bill would make other conforming changes. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
passed both · California · Assembly Aug 26, 2026

AB 1659: Juvenile court school pupils: joint transition planning policy: courses of study.

(1) Existing law requires a county office of education and county probation department to have a joint transition planning policy that includes collaboration with relevant local educational agencies to coordinate education and services for youth who have had contact with the juvenile justice system. Existing law requires, as part of the joint transition planning policy, the county office of education to assign transition oversight responsibilities to existing county office of education personnel who will work in collaboration with the county probation department and relevant local educational agencies to ensure that specified transition activities are completed for the pupil. This bill would require, as part of the joint transition planning policy, the school district or charter school in which the juvenile court school pupil will be enrolling to assign a staff member of that school district or charter school to serve as the point person for transition liaison responsibilities, and notify the county office of education and the county probation department of the assigned staff member's name and contact information. The bill would also require that staff member, and other personnel of the school district or charter school as needed to serve the pupil, to work in collaboration with the county office of education transition oversight personnel throughout the calendar year to ensure that the transition activities noted above are completed for the pupil. Existing law requires, for pupils detained for 20 consecutive schooldays or fewer, the pupil's individualized learning plan, if one exists, to be made available by the county office of education to the pupil upon the pupil's release. This bill would additionally require that pupil's individualized learning plan to be made available to the pupil's school district or charter school point person for transition liaison responsibilities. Existing law requires the county office of education, in collaboration with the county probation department, to establish procedures for the timely, accurate, complete, and confidential transfer of educational records, as specified. This bill would additionally require the county office of education to collaborate with relevant local educational agencies to establish those procedures. By imposing additional requirements on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires local educational agencies to issue full or partial credit on an official transcript for all full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed by pupil in foster care, a pupil who is a homeless child or youth, a former juvenile court school pupil, a pupil who is a child of a military family, a pupil who is a migratory child, or a newcomer pupil, while attending a public school, juvenile court school, charter school, school in a country other than the United States, or a nonpublic, nonsectarian school, as provided. Existing law requires, for a pupil in foster care, upon receiving a transfer request from a county placing agency or notification of enrollment from the new local educational agency, the local educational agency to deliver the official transcript to the next educational placement within 2 business days, as provided. This bill would require the transferring local educational agency to issue that official transcript within 2 business days, as provided. By imposing additional requirements on local educational entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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. (4) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 51225.2 of the Education Code proposed by SB 685 to be operative only if this bill and SB 685 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
passed both · California · Assembly Aug 26, 2026

AB 1664: Elections: law enforcement investigations of election records or voting technology.

The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of the state, and the Attorney General is the chief law officer of the state. Existing law requires a state or local agency that files or is served with an elections-related claim arising under federal law to provide written notice to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General within 3 court days. Existing law requires a state or local agency that intends to enter into a settlement, consent decree, or other court-approved agreement related to the claim to provide a draft copy of the settlement, consent decree, or agreement to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General at least 14 court days before entering into it. This bill would require a local agency, political subdivision, or elections official to provide notice to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General immediately, but no later than one calendar day, after becoming aware of any warrant, subpoena, or active law enforcement investigation pertaining to any election records or certified voting technology under their custody or control. The bill would authorize the Secretary of State or the Attorney General to intervene in, or initiate, any court proceedings to challenge a warrant or subpoena on any valid grounds or seek any other appropriate relief. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030. By increasing the duties of local elections officials, this bill would create 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
passed both · California · Assembly Aug 25, 2026

AB 2593: Corrections: treatment of prisoners.

Existing law prohibits the Department of Corrections Rehabilitation from allowing any lack of care that would injure or impair the health of an incarcerated person. Existing law prohibits the department from modifying or canceling the medical treatment of an incarcerated person if a physician certifies that the medical treatment is required to prevent certain violations of law or to prevent serious and imminent harm to the health of an incarcerated person, as specified. This bill would prohibit a supervisor, administrator, or employee of the department from interfering with or refusing to implement prescribed health care, as specified, that results in substantial emotional distress or serious bodily injury, as defined.
passed · California · Assembly Aug 25, 2026

AB 2204: Prisons: organized sports programming.

Existing law establishes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to administer the state prison system under the direction of the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Existing California constitutional provisions grant the department the authority to award credits earned for good behavior and approved rehabilitative or educational achievements in order to enhance public safety, improve rehabilitation, and avoid the release of prisoners by federal court order. This bill, the Second Chance Sports Act, would, until January 1, 2036, require the department to formalize, in consultation with specified individuals and organizations, a policy on organized sports programming. The bill would authorize the department to solicit and accept proposals and negotiate and enter into agreements with specified entities for the purposes of expanding access to sports programming as described above. The bill would establish the Second Chance Sports Fund within the State Treasury. The bill would require the department to seek advisement from the Legislature on the priorities for utilizing the moneys in the fund. The bill would make funds available, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, for the above-described purposes. The bill would require the Controller, on or before January 1, 2029, and annually thereafter, to provide a report to the Legislature on the amounts deposited into the fund. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
passed both · California · Assembly Aug 25, 2026

AB 2636: Juveniles.

Existing law subjects a person between 12 and 17 years of age, inclusive, who commits a crime, and a person under 12 years of age who commits specified crimes, to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge that person to be a ward of the court. Under existing law, as added by the Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Act of 1998, approved as Proposition 21 at the March 7, 2000, statewide primary election, a minor may be eligible for deferred entry of judgment if certain circumstances apply, including, among others, that the minor has not previously been declared to be a ward of the court for the commission of a felony offense. Existing law requires, once eligibility is established, the court to determine whether the minor is suitable for deferred entry of judgment and would benefit from education, treatment, and rehabilitation efforts. This bill would require the court to consider whether the minor is charged with an offense of carrying a loaded firearm, as specified, when evaluating suitability of the minor for deferred entry of judgment.
Showing 61 to 70 of 173 bills
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