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SB-286 • 2026

Elderly Parole Program.

Elderly Parole Program.

Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Jones
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on the impact or number of inmates affected by this bill.

Elderly Parole Program Changes

This law changes the Elderly Parole Program by adding more types of criminals who cannot be considered for parole.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds people convicted of first-degree murder to a list of those not eligible for parole under the Elderly Parole Program.
  • Includes individuals with certain sexual offense enhancements in the list of ineligible inmates.
  • Excludes habitual sex offenders from being reviewed by the Elderly Parole Program.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People over 50 years old who have been in prison for at least 20 years and are currently eligible or were previously considered for parole.
  • The Board of Parole Hearings which reviews inmates' suitability for release.

Terms To Know

Elderly Parole Program
A program that looks at whether older prisoners should be allowed to leave prison early.
Enhancement
An additional punishment added to a sentence for certain crimes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone becomes eligible after January 1, 2026.
  • It is unclear how many people will be affected by these changes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

  3. 2025-05-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  4. 2025-04-28 California Legislative Information

    April 28 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  5. 2025-04-17 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 28.

  6. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

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

  7. 2025-04-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 709.) (April 8).

  8. 2025-03-27 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 8.

  9. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  10. 2025-02-19 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  11. 2025-02-07 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 9.

  12. 2025-02-06 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 286, as amended, Jones.
Elderly Parole Program.
Existing law establishes the Elderly Parole Program for the purpose of reviewing the parole suitability of inmates who are 50 years of age or older and who have served a minimum of 20 years of continuous incarceration on their sentence. Existing law requires the Board of Parole Hearings, when considering the release of qualifying inmates, to give special consideration to whether certain criteria have reduced the elderly inmate’s risk for future violence. Existing law excludes various persons from these provisions, including, among others, persons convicted of serious felonies, persons convicted of first-degree murder of a peace officer, or persons sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
This bill would additionally exclude, among others,
persons convicted of first-degree murder,
persons receiving an enhancement to their sentence for committing certain sexual offenses including, among others, rape, sodomy, or lewd and lascivious acts, and habitual sex offenders. The bill would specify that these exclusions apply to all persons incarcerated as of January 1, 2026, regardless of the person’s previous eligibility for parole or the status of any parole petition filed prior to that date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF