Plain English Breakdown
While the bill passed both chambers, the official status label notes it reached final enrollment but does not show if a governor has signed it or set an effective date.
AB-2119: Fair Investigations and Training on Gender Bias in Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
This law states that victims of sexual assault or domestic violence have the right to a fair investigation regardless of gender, allows them to request reinvestigations by district attorneys, requires new police training on bias prevention, and mandates public education materials.
What This Bill Does
- States that victims of sexual assault or domestic violence have the right to a fair, unbiased, and complete law enforcement investigation regardless of their gender.
- Allows victims to request that a district attorney reinvestigate their report if they believe it was not handled fairly.
- Creates a legal way for victims to sue law enforcement agencies in civil court if those agencies violate these new rights.
- Makes the right to sue apply retroactively to investigations made before January 1, 2027.
- Requires district attorneys to create a process that includes telling victims why they decided whether or not to file criminal charges and which specific accusations were chosen.
- Mandates that police training courses include trauma-informed methods for responding to victims, gender-neutral language in reporting, and best practices for preventing bias.
- Orders the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to create a course on gender bias that follows guidance from the Department of Justice.
- Requires the State Department of Public Health to develop materials teaching that people of all genders can be victims or perpetrators of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Who It Names or Affects
- Victims of sexual assault and domestic violence
- Law enforcement agencies and peace officers
- District attorneys' offices
- The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
- The State Department of Public Health
Terms To Know
- Civil cause of action
- A legal right to file a lawsuit in court against an agency that violated the victim's rights.
- Trauma-informed methods
- Ways for officers to respond to victims that understand how trauma affects people and avoid causing more harm.
- Retroactive
- Applying the new right to sue to investigations that happened before January 1, 2027.
Limits and Unknowns
- Reimbursement of costs to local agencies depends on whether the Commission on State Mandates determines that new state-mandated costs exist.
- The specific details of the Department of Justice guidance for training courses are not listed in this summary.