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AB-2789 • 2026

Mediation: child custody and visitation.

Mediation: child custody and visitation.

Children
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Committee on Judiciary (A) - (Assembly Members Kalra (Chair), Macedo (Vice Chair), Bauer-Kahan, Bryan, Connolly, Harabedian, Pacheco, Papan, Stefani, and Zbur)
Last action
2026-06-11
Official status
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Mediation: child custody and visitation.

AB 2789, as amended, Committee on Judiciary.

What This Bill Does

  • AB 2789, as amended, Committee on Judiciary.
  • Mediation: child custody and visitation.
  • Existing law requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to determine the best interests of the child based on certain factors, including the nature and amount of contact with both parents and, consistent with specified findings, requires the court’s primary concern to be the health, safety, and welfare of the child.
  • Existing law requires a court to set the contested issues for mediation when it appears on the face of a petition, application, or other pleading to obtain or modify a temporary or permanent custody or visitation order that custody, visitation, or both are contested.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-11 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  2. 2026-06-10 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 9).

  3. 2026-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

  4. 2026-05-14 California Legislative Information

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

  5. 2026-05-14 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5057.)

  6. 2026-05-07 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

  7. 2026-05-06 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 6).

  8. 2026-04-22 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  9. 2026-03-23 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

  10. 2026-03-17 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee April 16.

  11. 2026-03-16 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2789, as amended, Committee on Judiciary.
Mediation: child custody and visitation.
Existing law requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to determine the best interests of the child based on certain factors, including the nature and amount of contact with both parents and, consistent with specified findings, requires the court’s primary concern to be the health, safety, and welfare of the child. Existing law requires a court to set the contested issues for mediation when it appears on the face of a petition, application, or other pleading to obtain or modify a temporary or permanent custody or visitation order that custody, visitation, or both are contested. Existing law requires notice of mediation to be given to each party, and where a stepparent or grandparent seeks visitation rights, to the stepparent or grandparent seeking visitation rights, to each parent of the child, and to each parent’s counsel of record. Existing law requires notice to be given
by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, to the last known address.
This bill would require all parties to be given written notice of mediation, including, among others, by court staff when all parties are present for a court hearing. The bill would require the court to develop a notice of mediation that includes that all communications between the mediator and the disputing parties are required to be confidential and, if there has been a history of domestic violence between the parties or a protective order is in effect, that the mediator is required to meet with the parties separately and at separate times at the request of the party alleging domestic violence, as specified.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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