CA AB 1261
enactedImmigration: immigrant youth: access to legal counsel.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
Subscribe in a feed reader. The feed covers recorded actions from the last 30 days; Bill Commons may record an action after it happened at the legislature.
Quick answers
Did CA AB 1261 pass?
Yes. CA AB 1261 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2025-10-12): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 665, Statutes of 2025.
What is CA AB 1261 about?
Existing law, subject to available funding, requires the State Department of Social Services to contract with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations to provide legal services to unaccompanied undocumented minors who are transferred to the care and custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and who are present in this state or are residing with a family member or other sponsor. Existing law requires contracts awarded pursuant to the above-described provision to be executed with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations that meet certain requirements, including having experience representing individuals in removal proceedings and asylum applications. This bill would, subject to available funding, provide legal counsel to immigrant youth in the State of California. The bill would define immigrant youth. The bill would require the department to allocate funding for these purposes, and would require the department to consider whether federal funding has been made available and dispersed to organizations or relevant projects in the state in determining the amount and allocation of contracts awarded. The bill would require the department to contract with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations that meet the above-described requirements or an office of the public defender that meets certain requirements. The bill would also authorize the department to fund social work services contracted by qualified nonprofit legal services organizations to assist immigrant youth.
Who sponsors CA AB 1261?
Bonta is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1261, joined by 7 cosponsors.
Description
Existing law, subject to available funding, requires the State Department of Social Services to contract with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations to provide legal services to unaccompanied undocumented minors who are transferred to the care and custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and who are present in this state or are residing with a family member or other sponsor. Existing law requires contracts awarded pursuant to the above-described provision to be executed with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations that meet certain requirements, including having experience representing individuals in removal proceedings and asylum applications. This bill would, subject to available funding, provide legal counsel to immigrant youth in the State of California. The bill would define immigrant youth. The bill would require the department to allocate funding for these purposes, and would require the department to consider whether federal funding has been made available and dispersed to organizations or relevant projects in the state in determining the amount and allocation of contracts awarded. The bill would require the department to contract with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations that meet the above-described requirements or an office of the public defender that meets certain requirements. The bill would also authorize the department to fund social work services contracted by qualified nonprofit legal services organizations to assist immigrant youth.
- Introduced
- 2025-02-21
- Latest action
- 2025-10-12 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 665, Statutes of 2025.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Bontaauthor
- Aguiar-Currycoauthor
- Carrillocoauthor
- Garciacoauthor
- Mark Gonzálezcoauthor
- Ortegacoauthor
- Celeste Rodriguezcoauthor
- Solachecoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2025-10-12
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 665, Statutes of 2025.
became-law
2025-10-12
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2025-09-22
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
executive-receipt
2025-09-10
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 63. Noes 10. Page 3203.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-09-09
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-09
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 8. Page 2738.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-09-08
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
2025-08-29
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-08-29
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-08-18
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-07-08
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-07-02
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HUMAN S. (Ayes 12. Noes 1.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on HUMAN S.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-06-18
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and HUMAN S.
referral-committee
2025-06-04
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2025-06-03
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 63. Noes 8. Page 1991.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-05-27
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-05-23
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 23).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-05-23
Coauthors revised.
2025-05-07
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-04-24
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
referral-committee
2025-04-23
Read second time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-04-22
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 2.) (April 22).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2025-04-01
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-03-25
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2025-03-24
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-24
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2025-02-24
Read first time.
reading-1
2025-02-22
From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-21
Introduced. To print.
introduction
Versions
- 02/21/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-21Compare
- 03/24/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-24Compare
- 04/23/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-23Compare
- 09/05/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-05Compare
- 09/12/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-12Compare
- 10/12/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-12Compare
- AB1261Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
Documents
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- text/html
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
Votes
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-04-22 · pass · 9-2
Member-level votes (12)
- Kalra: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Lee: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Dixon: no
- Sanchez: no
- Macedo: other
Do pass.
2025-05-23 · pass · 11-2
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
- Dixon: no
- Tangipa: no
- Ta: other
- Sanchez: other
AB 1261 Bonta Assembly Third Reading
2025-06-03 · pass · 63-8
Member-level votes (79)
- Berman: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Fong: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Haney: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Soria: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Papan: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Bains: yes
- Addis: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Solache: yes
- Lee: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Patel: yes
- Ward: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Krell: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Gipson: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Hart: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Sanchez: no
- Tangipa: no
- Ellis: no
- Patterson: no
- Gallagher: no
- Lackey: no
- DeMaio: no
- Dixon: no
- Davies: other
- Ta: other
- Hadwick: other
- Castillo: other
- Hoover: other
- Flora: other
- Chen: other
- Macedo: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Human Services]
2025-07-01 · pass · 12-1
Member-level votes (13)
- Durazo: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Stern: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Laird: yes
- Allen: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Niello: no
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-07-07 · pass · 4-0
Member-level votes (5)
- Arreguín: yes
- Limón: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Becker: yes
- Ochoa Bogh: 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
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 AB1261 Bonta et al. By Arreguín
2025-09-09 · pass · 30-8
Member-level votes (40)
- Richardson: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Stern: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Becker: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Laird: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Limón: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Allen: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Niello: no
- Dahle: no
- Grove: no
- Jones: no
- Seyarto: no
- Strickland: no
- Choi: no
- Alvarado-Gil: no
- Ochoa Bogh: other
- Valladares: other
AB 1261 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
2025-09-11 · pass · 63-10
Member-level votes (80)
- Ahrens: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Addis: yes
- Ward: yes
- Haney: yes
- Hart: yes
- Fong: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Bains: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Soria: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Berman: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Papan: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Lee: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Solache: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Zbur: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Krell: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Patel: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Johnson: no
- Dixon: no
- Hadwick: no
- Lackey: no
- Gallagher: no
- Sanchez: no
- Ellis: no
- Flora: no
- Patterson: no
- DeMaio: no
- Hoover: other
- Tangipa: other
- Chen: other
- Castillo: other
- Macedo: other
- Davies: other
- Ta: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
Session-wide evidence can include changes to other bills:
Use this data
Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=CA&identifier=AB 1261. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.
Known limitations
- Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
- Committee referrals are not yet captured.
- Some documents have no extracted text yet, so version comparison may be limited.
See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.