CA AB 1231
deadCriminal procedure: Safer Communities Through Opportunities Act.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
Quick answers
Did CA AB 1231 pass?
No. CA AB 1231 did not pass — it was defeated or died in the legislative process (2025-09-13). Latest recorded action (2025-09-13): Motion to reconsider made by Assembly Member Elhawary.
What is CA AB 1231 about?
Existing law authorizes a judge in the superior court in which a misdemeanor is being prosecuted to offer misdemeanor diversion to a defendant. Existing law, upon successful completion of the terms, conditions, or programs ordered by the court, makes the arrest upon which the diversion was imposed deemed to have never occurred, except as specified relating to application to be a peace officer. This bill, the Safer Communities Through Opportunities Act, would authorize a court to exercise its discretion to grant pretrial diversion on a felony offense, subject to certain exceptions. The bill would authorize the court to consider information from, among others, the prosecutor and the defense in determining whether or not to grant diversion and would prohibit a court from granting diversion unless it finds that the diversion plan mitigates any unreasonable risk of danger to public safety and that the defendant is likely to benefit from the services provided in the diversion plan. The bill would authorize a court to consider reinstating criminal proceedings in certain circumstances, such as the commission of a misdemeanor committed while the defendant is receiving pretrial diversion services that shows a propensity for violence, among others. The bill would require the court to dismiss the criminal allegations if it finds that the defendant has complied with the terms and conditions during the diversion period. The bill would require the court, if the court reduces the felony to a misdemeanor, to follow existing misdemeanor diversion proceedings.
Who sponsors CA AB 1231?
Elhawary is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1231, joined by 3 cosponsors.
Description
Existing law authorizes a judge in the superior court in which a misdemeanor is being prosecuted to offer misdemeanor diversion to a defendant. Existing law, upon successful completion of the terms, conditions, or programs ordered by the court, makes the arrest upon which the diversion was imposed deemed to have never occurred, except as specified relating to application to be a peace officer. This bill, the Safer Communities Through Opportunities Act, would authorize a court to exercise its discretion to grant pretrial diversion on a felony offense, subject to certain exceptions. The bill would authorize the court to consider information from, among others, the prosecutor and the defense in determining whether or not to grant diversion and would prohibit a court from granting diversion unless it finds that the diversion plan mitigates any unreasonable risk of danger to public safety and that the defendant is likely to benefit from the services provided in the diversion plan. The bill would authorize a court to consider reinstating criminal proceedings in certain circumstances, such as the commission of a misdemeanor committed while the defendant is receiving pretrial diversion services that shows a propensity for violence, among others. The bill would require the court to dismiss the criminal allegations if it finds that the defendant has complied with the terms and conditions during the diversion period. The bill would require the court, if the court reduces the felony to a misdemeanor, to follow existing misdemeanor diversion proceedings.
- Introduced
- 2025-02-21
- Latest action
- 2025-09-13 — Motion to reconsider made by Assembly Member Elhawary.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Elhawaryauthor
- Lowenthalprincipal coauthor
- McKinnorcoauthor
- Smallwood-Cuevascoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2025-02-21
Introduced. To print.
introduction
2025-02-22
From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-24
Read first time.
reading-1
2025-03-10
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
referral-committee
2025-03-24
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-25
Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
referral-committee
2025-04-09
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (April 8).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2025-04-10
Read second time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-04-21
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
referral-committee
2025-04-30
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-05-23
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 23).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage
2025-05-23
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-05-23
Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)
2025-05-27
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-06-02
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 42. Noes 25. Page 1936.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-06-03
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2025-06-11
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
referral-committee
2025-07-01
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-07-15
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-08-18
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-08-29
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-08-29
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage
2025-09-02
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-05
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-08
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-13
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 21. Noes 16. Page 3019.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-09-13
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-13
Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 3484.)
2025-09-13
Motion to reconsider made by Assembly Member Elhawary.
2025-09-13
Joint Rules 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)
2025-09-13
Assembly refused to concur in Senate amendments. (Ayes 34. Noes 27. Page 3497.)
committee-failure
Versions
- 02/21/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-21Compare
- 03/24/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-24Compare
- 04/10/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-10Compare
- 05/23/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-05-23Compare
- 07/01/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-01Compare
- 08/29/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-08-29Compare
- 09/05/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-05Compare
- AB1231Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
Documents
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Votes
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-04-08 · pass · 5-2
Member-level votes (9)
- Mark González: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Haney: yes
- Lackey: no
- Alanis: no
- Ramos: other
- Nguyen: other
Do pass as amended.
2025-05-23 · pass · 11-3
Member-level votes (15)
- Calderon: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Hart: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Solache: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Fong: yes
- Ta: no
- Dixon: no
- Tangipa: no
- Sanchez: other
AB 1231 Elhawary Assembly Third Reading
2025-06-03 · pass · 42-25
Member-level votes (79)
- Addis: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Lee: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Ward: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Fong: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Haney: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Hart: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Berman: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: no
- Gallagher: no
- Irwin: no
- Patterson: no
- Blanca Rubio: no
- Chen: no
- Ellis: no
- Jeff Gonzalez: no
- Pacheco: no
- Dixon: no
- DeMaio: no
- Ávila Farías: no
- Wallis: no
- Tangipa: no
- Davies: no
- Alanis: no
- Macedo: no
- Castillo: no
- Sanchez: no
- Hoover: no
- Lackey: no
- Ta: no
- Flora: no
- Hadwick: no
- Bains: no
- Patel: other
- Petrie-Norris: other
- Ramos: other
- Solache: other
- Soria: other
- Krell: other
- Papan: other
- Schiavo: other
- Stefani: other
- Gabriel: other
- Calderon: other
- Nguyen: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-07-15 · pass · 4-1
Member-level votes (6)
- Pérez: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Seyarto: no
- Caballero: other
Placed on suspense file
2025-08-18 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Richardson: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Grayson: yes
Do pass as amended
2025-08-29 · pass · 5-2
Member-level votes (7)
- Richardson: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Dahle: no
- Seyarto: no
3rd Reading AB1231 Elhawary et al. By Cortese
2025-09-13 · pass · 21-16
Member-level votes (40)
- McGuire: yes
- Becker: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Laird: yes
- Stern: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Allen: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Limón: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Strickland: no
- Cabaldon: no
- Seyarto: no
- Ashby: no
- Niello: no
- Grayson: no
- Rubio: no
- Jones: no
- Hurtado: no
- Archuleta: no
- Grove: no
- Ochoa Bogh: no
- Blakespear: no
- Umberg: no
- Dahle: no
- Alvarado-Gil: no
- Choi: other
- Valladares: other
- Gonzalez: other
AB 1231 ELHAWARY Concurrence in Senate Amendments
2025-09-13 · fail · 34-27
Member-level votes (80)
- Mark González: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Addis: yes
- Ward: yes
- Haney: yes
- Hart: yes
- Fong: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Berman: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Lee: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Zbur: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Johnson: no
- Dixon: no
- Bains: no
- Michelle Rodriguez: no
- Ávila Farías: no
- Jeff Gonzalez: no
- Pacheco: no
- Castillo: no
- Alanis: no
- Wallis: no
- Patterson: no
- Hoover: no
- Nguyen: no
- Gallagher: no
- Macedo: no
- Ellis: no
- Davies: no
- DeMaio: no
- Hadwick: no
- Krell: no
- Irwin: no
- Tangipa: no
- Lackey: no
- Ramos: no
- Sanchez: no
- Chen: no
- Flora: no
- Ahrens: other
- Gipson: other
- Calderon: other
- Carrillo: other
- Soria: other
- Ransom: other
- Valencia: other
- Papan: other
- Schiavo: other
- Boerner: other
- Alvarez: other
- Stefani: other
- Ta: other
- Solache: other
- Blanca Rubio: other
- Petrie-Norris: other
- Gabriel: other
- Muratsuchi: other
- Patel: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
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