Asm. Patrick Ahrens

Existing law establishes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training within the Department of Justice and requires the commission to, among other things, develop and disseminate guidelines for all peace officers in California. This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2028, the commission to study and issue recommendations to the Legislature on the use of canines by law enforcement. The bill would require the commission to consider in its recommendations, among other things, instances of appropriate patrol use with a canine, as specified, and instances of appropriate use with a canine for detection, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on July 1, 2031.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes January as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month in California to raise public awareness about human trafficking. The resolution recognizes the severity of human trafficking as a felony crime and highlights statistics showing its prevalence across the country and specific challenges with identifying male victims and labor trafficking cases. It aims to educate the public and encourage reporting and support for victims during this designated month.

Existing law, the Contractors State License Law, establishes the Contractors State License Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the licensure and regulation of contractors. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person to engage in the business, or act in the capacity, of a contractor without a license, unless exempted. Existing law exempts from the Contractors State License Law, among other things, a nonprofit corporation providing assistance to an owner, as specified. This bill would exempt from that law an artist who draws, paints, applies, executes, restores, or conserves a mural, as defined, pursuant to an agreement with a person who could legally authorize the work.

Existing law authorizes, until January 1, 2032, the City of Malibu to establish a speed safety system pilot program for speed enforcement on the Pacific Coast Highway if the system meets specified requirements. Existing law requires the city to administer a public information campaign at least 30 days before implementation of the program, including information relating to when the systems would begin detecting violations. Existing law requires the city to issue warning notices rather than notices of violations for violations detected within the first 60 calendar days of the program. Existing law also requires the city to develop guidelines for, among other things, the processing and storage of confidential information. Existing law requires photographic or administrative records made by a system to be confidential, except as specified, and would only authorize public agencies to use and allow access to these records for specified purposes. This bill would authorize, until January 1, 2032, the Department of Transportation to establish a similar program for speed enforcement that utilizes up to 35 speed safety systems on state highway construction or maintenance areas, as specified. The bill would require the department to adopt written guidelines for the use of speed safety systems before entering into an agreement regarding a speed safety system, purchasing or leasing equipment for a program, or implementing a program, and would require the department, in developing the guidelines, to consult with relevant state agencies and other relevant stakeholder organizations. The bill would only authorize the Department of Transportation to use and allow access to the photograph or administrative records for specified purposes. Existing law requires a violation of a speed law recorded by a speed safety system to be subject only to civil penalties, as specified. Existing law requires, among other things, the issuance of a notice of violation, an initial review, an administrative hearing, and an appeals process, as specified, for a violation under the speed safety pilot program. This bill would require the department to also implement similar provisions if it establishes the state highway work zone speed safety program on state highway construction or maintenance areas. Existing law requires the city to submit a report to evaluate the speed safety system to determine the system's impact on street safety and the economic impact on the communities where the system is utilized. Existing law requires revenues derived from a program to first be used to cover program costs, such as the installation of speed safety systems, the adjudication of violations, and reporting requirements. This bill would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the state highway work zone speed safety program and its impact on state highway work zone safety no later than 2 years after the commencement of the program, and annually thereafter. The bill would require moneys generated from the issuance of citations to be deposited in the Safe Highway Work Zone Account, which the bill would create in the State Transportation Fund. The bill would require moneys in the account to be continuously appropriated to the department for administration of the program, and would require any remaining funds to be used by the department for the Construction Zone Enhanced Enforcement Program and the Maintenance Zone Enhanced Enforcement Program. By authorizing moneys to be continuously appropriated to the department for these purposes, the bill would make an appropriation. Existing law establishes a $25 filing fee for specified appeals and petitions. This bill would require a $25 filing fee for an appeal challenging a notice of violation issued as a result of the department's speed safety program until January 1, 2032. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 70615 of the Government Code proposed by SB 720 to be operative only if this bill and SB 720 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

(1) Under existing law, a caregiver who is 18 years of age or older and signs a caregiver's authorization affidavit under penalty of perjury for a minor who lives in their home is authorized to enroll the minor in school and consent to school-related medical care on behalf of the minor. Under existing law, a caregiver who is 18 years of age or older, signs the caregiver's authorization affidavit under penalty of perjury, and who is a certain type of relative of the minor who lives in their home, has the same rights to authorize medical care and dental care for the minor that are given to guardians, as specified. Under existing law, a person who acts in good faith reliance on a completed caregiver's authorization affidavit to provide medical or dental care, without actual knowledge of facts contrary to those stated on the affidavit, is not subject to criminal or civil liability or professional disciplinary action for that reliance, but is not relieved from liability for violations of other provisions of law. This bill, the Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025, would revise the definition of relative to expand the type of relative who is authorized to execute a caregiver's authorization affidavit and grant them the same rights to authorize school-related medical care, as defined, for the minor that are given to guardians, as specified. By expanding who is authorized to sign a caregiver's authorization affidavit for these purposes under penalty of perjury, this bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill would amend the statutory form for a caregiver's authorization affidavit. (2) Existing law generally provides for the establishment and administration of guardianships. Existing law authorizes a court to appoint joint guardians of a person, an estate, or a person and an estate. Existing law requires a nomination of a guardian to become effective when made, and remain effective, unless stated otherwise in writing, as specified. This bill would authorize a court, in its discretion, to appoint a custodial parent and a person nominated by the custodial parent as joint guardians of the person of the minor, if the custodial parent will be temporarily unavailable due to specified circumstances, including, among other things, an immigration-related administrative action, as specified. The bill would make all records, petitions, orders, and documents related to these proceedings confidential, as specified. The bill would provide that absence is a basis for a delayed effectiveness of a guardianship and that such circumstances would not be a basis for subsequent legal incapacity for the nomination. (3) Existing law prohibits, except as required by state or federal law or as required to administer a state or federally supported educational program, school officials and employees of a local educational agency, as defined, from collecting information or documents regarding citizenship or immigration status of pupils or their family members. Existing law requires the governing board or body of a local educational agency to perform specified actions relating to pupils and immigration status, including, among others, providing information to parents and guardians, as appropriate, regarding their child's right to a free public education, regardless of immigration status or religious beliefs. Existing law requires the Attorney General, by April 1, 2018, in consultation with the appropriate stakeholders, to publish model policies limiting assistance with immigration enforcement at public schools, to the fullest extent possible consistent with federal and state law, as specified. Existing law requires all local educational agencies to adopt the model policies developed by the Attorney General, or equivalent policies, by July 1, 2018. This bill would revise the information disclosure requirements to require the governing board or body of a local educational agency to provide information related to specified guidance on immigration enforcement issued by the Attorney General and would require that information to be revised as necessary to be consistent with any revisions or updates to the Attorney General's guidance. This bill would also require local educational agencies to revise their model policies as necessary to be consistent with any revisions or updates to the model policies developed by the Attorney General, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law, the California Child Day Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of child daycare facilities, including daycare centers and daycare homes, by the State Department of Social Services. The act exempts certain types of facilities from licensure under its provisions, including California state preschool programs that meet certain requirements, including, among other things, that the programs are operated by local educational agencies in a school building. Similar to the provisions related to local educational agencies described above, this bill would prohibit licensed child daycare facilities, as defined, employees of licensed child daycare facilities, and license-exempt California state preschool program facilities from collecting information or documents regarding citizenship or immigration status of children or their family members, except as required by state or federal law or as required to administer a state or federally supported educational program. The bill would require the licensee or administrator of a licensed child day care facility, as applicable, to report to the department and the Attorney General any requests for information or access to the facility by an officer or employee of a law enforcement agency. The bill would authorize license-exempt California state preschool program facilities to make that report to the State Department of Education and the Attorney General. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to provide any information on California state preschool programs collected pursuant to those provisions to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The bill would require a licensed child daycare facility and a license-exempt California state preschool program facility to first exhaust any parental instruction relating to the child's care found in the child's emergency contact information if an employee of the facility is aware that a child's parent or authorized representative is not available to care for the child. The bill would require licensees or administrators of those facilities to request that parents or authorized representatives update their emergency contact information. The bill would require the Attorney General, by April 1, 2026, in consultation with the appropriate stakeholders, to publish model policies limiting assistance with immigration enforcement at child daycare facilities and license-exempt California state preschool program facilities similar to the model policies developed for local educational agencies described above. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to inform licensed daycare facilities, and the State Department of Education to inform license-exempt California state preschool program facilities, of the model policies. The bill would require all California state preschool programs to adopt the model policies developed by the Attorney General, or equivalent policies, as soon as possible, but in no event later than July 1, 2026. The bill would require California state preschool programs to update these policies to conform with any revisions or updates to the model policies developed by the Attorney General. The bill would require a licensed child daycare facility and license-exempt California state preschool program facilities to provide the parent or authorized representative with information about how to access those model policies. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to inform licensed child day care facilities, and the State Department of Education to inform license-exempt California state preschool program facilities, of any revisions or updates to the model policies and require any information, policies, or guidance provided by facilities to parents or authorized representatives to be updated to include any revisions or updates to the model policies issued by the Attorney General. The bill would authorize the State Department of Social Services to administer these provisions by interim licensing standards until regulations are adopted. (5) This bill would provide that its provisions are severable. (6) Existing constitutional provisions require a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies to be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. (7) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 234.7 of the Education Code proposed by AB 49, AB 419, or both, to be operative only if this bill and AB 49, AB 419, or both, are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

(1) Existing law prescribes the duties of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics (State Registrar) and local registrars of births and deaths with respect to the registration of certificates of live birth, fetal death, or death, and marriage licenses. Existing law requires the State Registrar to prescribe and furnish all record forms for use in carrying out the provisions governing vital records and prohibits the use of any record form or format other than those prescribed by the State Registrar. Existing law requires every live birth, fetal death, death, and marriage that occurs in the state to be registered with the local registrar. Existing law requires certificates of live birth, fetal death, or death, and a marriage license to include specified information, such as the full name of the child on a certificate of live birth and the full names of the parties to be married on a marriage license. Existing law also requires the county clerk to issue a confidential marriage license, as specified, on a form prescribed by the State Registrar. This bill would require, commencing no earlier than 2 years after an appropriation of funds by the Legislature, the State Registrar to require the use of a diacritical mark on an English letter within a name field to be properly recorded, when applicable, on a certificate of live birth, fetal death, death, marriage license and certificate, or confidential marriage license and certificate, and would require the use of a diacritical mark to be deemed an acceptable entry by the State Registrar. The bill would provide that the absence or presence of a diacritical mark on a certificate of live birth, fetal death, or death, or a marriage license and certificate or confidential marriage license and certificate does not render the document invalid nor affect any constructive notice imparted by proper recordation of the document. The bill would authorize the State Registrar to develop a list of acceptable diacritical marks for use on a certificate of live birth, fetal death, or death, or a marriage license and certificate or confidential marriage license and certificate through all-county letters or similar instructions from the State Registrar without taking further regulatory actions. The bill would authorize the State Registrar to remove any diacritical marks on the birth, fetal death, death, and marriage license and certificate data before furnishing the vital statistics to a federal, state, or local government agency. The bill would authorize, beginning July 1, 2026, if a name is not accurately recorded because of the absence of a diacritical mark on an English letter in any certificate of live birth, fetal death, death, or marriage already registered, the person asserting the omission, or the person's conservator, or if a minor, the person's parent or guardian, to make an affidavit under oath, as specified, stating the changes necessary to make the record correct. The bill would require the affidavit to be supported by the affidavit of one other person having knowledge of the facts and be filed with the State Registrar. The bill would require the State Registrar to, review the request and, if the request is accompanied with the payment of a specified fee, to issue an amendment to any certificate of live birth, fetal death, death, or marriage with the accurate name identified in the request. The bill would also authorize, if a name field of either of the parties married or their parents is not accurately recorded because of the absence of a diacritical mark on an English letter on any confidential license and certificate of marriage already registered, the party asserting the omission to make an affidavit, under oath, stating the changes necessary to make the record correct and file it with the county clerk. The bill would authorize the county clerk to charge a fee, not to exceed the amount of the fee for any other amended confidential marriage license and certificate issued by the county clerk and not to exceed the reasonable cost to provide the amended marriage license and certificate. The bill would require the county clerk to review the amendment for acceptance for filing, and if accepted, file the amendment and note the fact of the amendment, with its date, on the otherwise unaltered original confidential license and certificate of marriage. By requiring the affidavit to be under oath, the bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. By increasing duties on county clerks, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the collection of specified fees for certified copies of a fetal death record, death record, a birth certificate, marriage record, or marriage dissolution record. Existing law requires all applicants for certified copies of the above-described records to pay an additional fee of $3 to be collected by the State Registrar, the local registrar, county recorder, or county clerk, as appropriate. This bill would increase the additional fee charged for certified copies of the above-described records to $5. (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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law defines rape as an act of sexual intercourse accomplished under certain circumstances, including with a person not the spouse of the perpetrator where the person is incapable of giving legal consent because of a mental disorder or developmental or physical disability. This bill would remove the spousal exception from this definition of rape. By expanding the scope of a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

(1) The Donahoe Higher Education Act establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. A provision of the act requires the California State University, and requests the University of California, to annually report, on or before March 31, to the Legislature on their respective institutional financial aid programs. The act applies to the University of California only to the extent that the regents, by appropriate resolution, make it applicable. Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. For purposes of making an unusual circumstances adjustment regarding the dependency status of student financial aid and institutional financial aid applicants attending, or applying to attend, a California State University, California Community College, or University of California campus, this bill would require a financial aid administrator of the segment or the commission, as applicable, to accept a sworn statement containing information signed under penalty of perjury by an authorized representative of a local educational agency, county child welfare department, or probation department as sufficient documentation, as specified. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. By imposing new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law generally provides for the confidentiality of information regarding a minor in proceedings in the juvenile court and related court proceedings and limits access to juvenile case files, as defined. Existing law authorizes only certain individuals to inspect a juvenile case file, including, among others, a local child support agency for the purpose of establishing paternity and establishing and enforcing child support orders and members of children's multidisciplinary teams, persons, or agencies providing treatment or supervision of the minor. This bill would, in order to support a person who is or was previously adjudged a dependent or ward of the juvenile court, placed in foster care or on probation, or taken into the custody of the county probation department, in attending an institution of higher education, as specified, authorize personnel at a county child welfare department, county probation department, or local educational agency to provide, upon request of the person, the institution of higher education, as defined, with specified information, including the sworn statement described in paragraph (1) above. The bill would require all information received by the institution of higher education under these provisions to be confidential and used for certain limited purposes, and would make an intentional violation of this confidentiality provision a misdemeanor. By creating a crime, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law, the Gambling Control Act, establishes the California Gambling Control Commission, which is responsible for licensing and regulating various gambling activities and establishments. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to investigate any violations of, and to enforce, the act. Existing law also vests the department with the responsibility to investigate violations of prohibitions against specified gambling activities, as enumerated in the Penal Code, including, among others, prohibitions against (1) lotteries, (2) certain games played with cards, dice, or any device, for money, and (3) slot machines. This bill would clarify that the department's authority to investigate suspected criminal violations of the aforementioned prohibited gambling activities enumerated in the Penal Code includes suspected violations that occur outside of a licensed gambling establishment, irrespective of whether the suspected violation involves licensees. The California Constitution generally prohibits lotteries and raffles. The California Constitution, notwithstanding this general prohibition, authorizes the Legislature to authorize private, nonprofit, eligible organizations to conduct raffles as a funding mechanism to provide support for their own or another private, nonprofit, eligible organizations' beneficial and charitable works, provided that at least 90% of the gross receipts from the raffle go directly to beneficial or charitable purposes in California. The California Constitution further authorizes the Legislature, by a 23 vote of each house, to amend the percentage of gross receipts required to be dedicated to beneficial or charitable purposes. Pursuant to this authority, existing statutory law authorizes an eligible organization to conduct a major league sports raffle if, among other requirements, 50% of the gross receipts generated from the sale of raffle tickets are used to benefit or provide support for beneficial or charitable purposes, as defined, the other 50% is paid to the winner, and the winners of the prizes are determined by a manual draw, as specified. Existing law authorizes these raffles only at a home game and prohibits an eligible organization from conducting more than one major league sports raffle per home game. This bill would additionally authorize an eligible organization to conduct a major league sports raffle at a championship game, if held at the designated venue where an affiliated sports team plays their home games. The bill would make other technical and conforming changes. By expanding the scope of provisions that revise the percentage of gross receipts required to go to beneficial or charitable purposes pursuant to the California Constitution, this bill would require a 23 vote of each house.

Existing law, the Contractors State License Law, establishes the Contractors State License Board to license and regulate contractors and establishes the registrar of contractors as the executive officer and secretary of the board. Existing law requires the registrar, upon receipt of the Labor Commissioner's finding of a willful or deliberate violation of the Labor Code by a licensee or transmission to the board of citations or other actions taken by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, to initiate disciplinary action against the licensee within 18 months. This bill would authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action to impose discipline upon, to deny an application for, or to deny continued maintenance of, a contractor's license for failing to pay its workers the full amount of wages the workers are entitled to under state law or because the contractor has not fulfilled a wage judgment or is in violation of an injunction or court order regarding the payment of wages to its workers. The bill would require the Attorney General to notify the registrar before bringing a civil action and would authorize the board to intervene in a proceeding brought pursuant to the bill's provisions. The bill would require a court to issue an order directing the registrar to suspend or revoke, to deny an application for, or to deny the continued maintenance of, a contractor's license under terms specified by the court.