County and city jails: incarcerated person contacts.

Crime Education Healthcare

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Bryan
Last action: 2025-10-13
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 726, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact amount of reimbursement for mandated costs is uncertain.

Jail Rules for Notifying Family

AB-1269, also known as Wakiesha’s Law, requires county and city jails to notify family members or other people listed by an incarcerated person within 24 hours of the death of someone in jail.

What This Bill Does

Requires county and city jails to give notice to people named on medical release forms and next of kin when a prisoner dies.
This law applies to all deaths that happen while someone is in a county or city jail.
It creates new duties for local jails, which means the state will have to pay some costs related to these changes.

Who It Names or Affects

People who work in county or city jails
Family members or other people named by someone in jail

Terms To Know

Medical release of information: A form that allows doctors to share medical details with certain people.
Next of kin: The closest family member or relative who has legal rights and responsibilities if someone dies.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear how much extra money the state will have to give counties and cities.
This law only covers deaths in county or city jails, not state prisons.

Bill History

2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 726, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-16 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
Urgency clause adopted. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3118.).
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2620.).
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-19 California Legislative Information
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
2025-07-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-18 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-04 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2017.)
2025-05-28 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Page 1756.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-04-01 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-03-28 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-10 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
Read first time.
2025-02-22 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1269, Bryan.
County and city jails: incarcerated person contacts.
Existing law requires every person incarcerated in a state prison to be asked to provide contact information for specific circumstances, including for medical release of information and next of kin authorizing control over body and possessions in case of death. Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to notify all persons covered by the medical release of information within 24 hours of a person incarcerated in a state prison being hospitalized for a serious or critical medical condition, as defined. Existing law requires the department to notify all persons covered by the medical release of information and next of kin within 24 hours of the death of a person incarcerated in state prison.
Existing law provides that a county jail is kept by the sheriff of the county in which the jail is situated and is to be used
for specified purposes, including for the confinement of persons sentenced to imprisonment in a county jail upon a criminal conviction.
This bill, Wakiesha’s Law, would require the county or city jail to notify all people covered by the medical release of information and next of kin forms within 24 hours of the death of a person incarcerated in the county or city jail. By imposing new duties on county and city jails, 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.

Current Bill Text

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