Juvenile facilities: visitation.

Children Education Parental Rights

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Bryan (A) , Mark González
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide a clear list of what types of nonsexual physical contact are allowed.

Juvenile facilities: visitation

This law requires youth in juvenile facilities to have the right to engage in nonsexual physical contact during visits.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a right for young people in juvenile facilities to engage in certain types of nonsexual physical contact during in-person visits.
Requires all juvenile facilities to create rules and procedures that align with this new visitation right.

Who It Names or Affects

Youth in juvenile facilities
Visitors to youth in juvenile facilities, like parents and guardians

Terms To Know

Hug Act: The name given to the law that allows certain types of nonsexual physical contact during visits for young people in juvenile facilities.
State-mandated local program: A program where the state requires local agencies to implement new rules or procedures, and if it costs more money, the state will pay some or all of those extra costs.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify exactly what types of physical contact are allowed.
It is unclear how much this new requirement will cost local agencies until the Commission on State Mandates reviews it.

Bill History

2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2026-03-04 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 3). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-03-04 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2026-02-09 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2026-01-28 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee February 27.
2026-01-27 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1646, as introduced, Bryan.
Juvenile facilities: visitation.
Existing law establishes the Youth Bill of Rights for all youth confined in a juvenile facility, which includes the right to maintain frequent and continuing contact with parents, guardians, siblings, children, and extended family members, through in-person visits, among others. Existing law regulates the provision of these rights.
This bill, the Hug Act, would require that all youth confined in a juvenile facility have the right to engage in certain types of nonsexual physical contact during in-person visits, as provided. The bill would require all juvenile facilities to establish regulations and procedures consistent with this requirement. To the extent that this bill would impose a higher level of service on local facilities, it 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, 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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF