Bill Commons

CA AB 1261

enacted

Immigration: immigrant youth: access to legal counsel.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 1261 pass?

Yes. CA AB 1261 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-12. 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

  1. 2025-02-21

    Introduced. To print.

    introduction

  2. 2025-02-22

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

  3. 2025-02-24

    Read first time.

    reading-1

  4. 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

  5. 2025-03-24

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-03-25

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  7. 2025-04-01

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  8. 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

  9. 2025-04-23

    Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  10. 2025-04-24

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    referral-committee

  11. 2025-05-07

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  12. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  13. 2025-05-23

    Coauthors revised.

  14. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  15. 2025-06-03

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 63. Noes 8. Page 1991.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  16. 2025-06-04

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  17. 2025-06-18

    Referred to Coms. on JUD. and HUMAN S.

    referral-committee

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 2025-08-18

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  21. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  22. 2025-08-29

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  23. 2025-09-05

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  24. 2025-09-08

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  25. 2025-09-09

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 8. Page 2738.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  26. 2025-09-09

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  27. 2025-09-10

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 63. Noes 10. Page 3203.).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  28. 2025-09-22

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  29. 2025-10-12

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  30. 2025-10-12

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 665, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

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

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

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1261

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

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