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AB-1011 • 2026

Crimes: child abuse and neglect: sentence credits.

Crimes: child abuse and neglect: sentence credits.

Children Crime Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Hoover
Last action
2025-08-29
Official status
In committee: Held under submission.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about which child abuse crimes are covered under this law, leaving some uncertainty regarding the exact scope of affected offenses.

Ryla's Law: Child Abuse and Neglect Sentencing

AB-1011, also known as Ryla's Law, makes certain child abuse crimes serious felonies and limits sentence credits for those convicted of these crimes.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes specific child abuse crimes serious felonies under California law.
  • Expands the scope of an enhancement for repeat offenders who commit serious felonies involving child abuse.
  • Limits the ability of people convicted of certain child abuse crimes to earn sentence credits by working as inmate firefighters.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who commit serious felonies involving child abuse and neglect.
  • Prisoners convicted of specific child abuse crimes.

Terms To Know

Serious Felony
A crime that carries additional penalties, such as longer sentences or enhanced punishments for repeat offenses.
Sentence Credits
Reduction in a prisoner's term of imprisonment earned through good behavior and participation in approved programs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact crimes that are covered under this law.
  • It is unclear how many people will be affected by the changes to sentence credits for inmate firefighters.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Held under submission.

  2. 2025-07-14 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. 2025-06-11 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  5. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  6. 2025-06-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 1931.)

  7. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  9. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  10. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  11. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  12. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 8).

  13. 2025-03-10 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  14. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  15. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1011, as amended, Hoover.
Crimes: child
abuse and
neglect:
serious felony.
sentence credits.
Existing law prohibits plea bargaining in a case in which a serious felony is charged and imposes a 5-year enhancement for conviction of a serious felony if the person has previously been convicted of a serious felony. Existing law makes a felony in which the defendant personally inflicts great bodily injury on a person a serious felony.
Existing law makes it a crime for a person who has the care or custody of a child to willfully cause or permit the person or health of that child to be injured or willfully cause or permit that child to be placed in a situation where the child’s health may be endangered, as specified. Existing law imposes a 4-year enhancement on a person who violates that provision and who willfully
causes or permits a child to suffer, inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or injury that results in death, or, having the care or custody of a child, willfully causes or permits that child to be injured or harmed, as specified, and that injury or harm results in death.
Existing law requires a person who, having the care or custody of a child who is under 8 years of age, assaults the child by means of force that to a reasonable person would be likely to produce great bodily injury, resulting in the child’s death, to be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for 25 years to life.
This bill, Ryla’s Law, would make the child abuse crimes described above serious felonies for the above-specified purposes. By expanding the scope of an enhancement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Under existing law, a prisoner can reduce their term of imprisonment by earning credit for, among other things, continuous incarceration, good behavior, and participation in approved rehabilitative programming. The California Constitution grants to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the sole authority to award credits for good behavior and approved rehabilitative or educational achievements. Existing law prohibits a prisoner convicted of specified felony offenses from earning credit if the prisoner previously has been convicted of one of those felony offenses 2 or more times and has served 2 or more separate prior prison terms.
Existing law makes an inmate of a state prison, or of a county jail, who has completed training for assignment to a correctional institution as an inmate firefighter, or who is assigned to a correctional institution as an inmate firefighter, eligible to earn 2 days of credit for every one
day served in that assignment or after completing that training.
This
bill
bill, Ryla’s Law,
would make a person convicted of specific child abuse crimes ineligible to earn 2 days of credit for every one day served as an inmate firefighter or after completing inmate firefighting training. By reducing the amount of credits an inmate sentenced to county jail can earn, 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 no reimbursement is
required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Download Bill PDF