CA AB 1162

Author: Mia Bonta
Challenges to housing and community-serving projects.
05/12/2025 - Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.
AB 1162, as amended, Bonta. Challenges to housing and community-serving projects. Existing law provides that in a civil action brought by a plaintiff to challenge a housing development project that meets or exceeds the requirements for low- or moderate-income housing, a defendant may seek an order requiring the plaintiff to furnish an undertaking as security for costs and damages that may be incurred by the defendant if the bringing of the action would result in preventing or delaying the project, as specified. Existing law authorizes the court to limit the amount of the undertaking or to decline to require the plaintiff to furnish an undertaking if the court determines that, based on evidence submitted by the plaintiff, furnishing an undertaking would cause the plaintiff to suffer undue economic hardship.This bill would expand the type of civil actions for which motions for undertaking may be filed to include actions that challenge a community-serving project, as defined.

CA AB 225

Author: Mia Bonta
State hospitals for persons with mental health disorders: patient funds.
02/03/2025 - Referred to Com. on Health.
AB 225, as introduced, Bonta. State hospitals for persons with mental health disorders: patient funds. Existing law sets forth various functions and duties for the State Department of State Hospitals with respect to the administration of state institutions for the care and treatment of persons with mental health disorders. Existing law authorizes the Director of State Hospitals to deposit funds of patients in trust, as specified. Existing law also authorizes the hospital administrator, with the consent of the patient, to deposit the interest or increment on the funds of the patient in the state hospital in a special fund for each state hospital, designated the “Benefit Fund,” and requires the hospital administrator to be the trustee of the fund.Existing law authorizes the hospital administrator, with the approval of the Director of State Hospitals, to expend moneys in the fund for the education or entertainment of the patients of the institution. Existing law requires that the hospital administrator take into consideration the recommendations of representatives of patient government and recommendations submitted by patient groups before expending any moneys in the fund.This bill would additionally authorize the funds to be expended for the welfare of the patients of the institution. The bill would require the hospital administrator of a state hospital to notify patients, patient governments, and patient groups, in writing, about any newly authorized expenditure options for the benefit fund, when applicable.

CA AB 40

Author: Mia Bonta
Emergency services and care.
03/06/2025 - Re-referred to Com. on Health.
AB 40, as amended, Bonta. Emergency services and care. Existing law provides for the licensing and regulation of health facilities by the State Department of Public Health and makes a violation of those provisions a crime. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law requires a health facility to provide emergency services and care upon request or when a person is in danger of loss of life or serious injury or illness, and requires a health care service plan to reimburse providers for emergency services and care. Existing law defines “emergency services and care” for these purposes to mean medical screening, examination, and evaluation by a physician and surgeon, or other appropriate licensed persons under the supervision of a physician and surgeon, to determine if an emergency medical condition or active labor exists and, if it does, the care, treatment, and surgery, if within the scope of that person’s license, necessary to relieve or eliminate the emergency medical condition, within the capability of the facility, among other things.This bill would additionally define “emergency services and care” for the above-described purposes to mean reproductive health services, including abortion. By expanding the applicability of a crime with respect to health facilities and health care service plans, 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.This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

CA AB 1376

Author: Mia Bonta
Wards: probation.
06/11/2025 - From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
AB 1376, as amended, Bonta. Wards: probation. Existing law subjects a minor between 12 and 17 years of age, inclusive, who violates any federal, state, or local law or ordinance, who persistently or habitually refuses to obey the reasonable and proper orders or directions of the minor’s parents, guardian, or custodian, or who is beyond the control of that person, who violates an ordinance establishing a curfew or is truant, and a minor under 12 years of age who is alleged to have committed specified serious offenses, to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge the minor to be a ward of the court. When a minor is adjudged to be a ward of the court, as previously described, and is placed under the supervision of the probation officer or committed to the care, custody, and control of the probation officer, existing law authorizes the court to make any and all reasonable orders for the conduct of the ward, and to impose and require any and all reasonable conditions that it may determine fitting and proper to the end that justice may be done and the reformation and rehabilitation of the ward enhanced.This bill would limit to 9 months the period of time a ward may remain on probation, except that a court may extend the probation period for a period not to exceed increments of 6 months after a noticed hearing and upon proof by a preponderance of the evidence that it is in the ward’s and the public’s best interest. The bill would require the probation agency to submit a report to the court detailing the basis for any request to extend probation at the noticed hearing. The bill would require the court to provide the ward and the prosecuting attorney with the opportunity to present relevant evidence, as specified. The bill would require the court to hold a noticed hearing for the ward not less frequently than every 6 months for the remainder of the wardship period if the court extends probation. The bill would additionally require, among other things, that conditions of probation for a ward be individually tailored, developmentally appropriate, and reasonable.Existing law authorizes the court, as part of the order adjudging the minor to be a ward of the court, to order the ward to pay restitution, to pay a fine up to $250 for deposit in the county treasury if the court finds the minor has the financial ability to pay, or to participate in an uncompensated work program.This bill would remove the authority of the court to order the minor to pay the $250 fine or participate in an uncompensated work program in lieu of restitution.Existing law requires the court, for specified offenses, to order certain actions as a condition of a minor’s probation, including attending counseling, repairing property, repaying the cost of apprehension to the city or county, and performing community service. This bill would, in specified instances, no longer require the court to order certain actions as a condition of a minor’s probation.