Bill Commons

CA AB 2259

in committee

Prisons: mental health.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did CA AB 2259 pass?

Not yet. CA AB 2259 is in committee and has not come to a final vote. Latest recorded action (2026-05-14): In committee: Held under submission.

What is CA AB 2259 about?

Existing law authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish and maintain classes for incarcerated persons utilizing institutional personnel or entering into an agreement with the governing board of a school district or private school. Existing law requires the department to develop and implement a plan to obtain additional rehabilitation and treatment services for incarcerated persons and parolees. Existing law requires that plan to include, among other things, filling vacant state staff positions that provide direct and indirect rehabilitation services, or obtaining services from local governments and contractors to assist with treatment for parolees and incarcerated persons. This bill would require the department to establish a 3-year pilot program at 2 institutions that would provide access to specified mental health therapy for certain incarcerated persons not classified by the department to receive mental health treatment from the institution. The bill would require communications during therapy sessions, as specified, between the incarcerated person and assigned therapist to be confidential. The bill would require the California Correctional Health Care Services to be the custodian of records for treatment records generated under this pilot program. The bill would require the department to report certain information to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, from March 1, 2028, to March 1, 2031. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Who sponsors CA AB 2259?

Ransom is the primary sponsor of CA AB 2259.

Description

Existing law authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish and maintain classes for incarcerated persons utilizing institutional personnel or entering into an agreement with the governing board of a school district or private school. Existing law requires the department to develop and implement a plan to obtain additional rehabilitation and treatment services for incarcerated persons and parolees. Existing law requires that plan to include, among other things, filling vacant state staff positions that provide direct and indirect rehabilitation services, or obtaining services from local governments and contractors to assist with treatment for parolees and incarcerated persons. This bill would require the department to establish a 3-year pilot program at 2 institutions that would provide access to specified mental health therapy for certain incarcerated persons not classified by the department to receive mental health treatment from the institution. The bill would require communications during therapy sessions, as specified, between the incarcerated person and assigned therapist to be confidential. The bill would require the California Correctional Health Care Services to be the custodian of records for treatment records generated under this pilot program. The bill would require the department to report certain information to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, from March 1, 2028, to March 1, 2031. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Introduced
—
Latest action
2026-05-14 — In committee: Held under submission.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Ransomauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-05-14

    In committee: Held under submission.

  2. 2026-04-22

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

    referral-committee

  3. 2026-03-25

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  4. 2026-03-09

    Referred to Com. on PUB. S.

    referral-committee

  5. 2026-02-20

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

  6. 2026-02-19

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-03-24 · pass · 8-0

    Member-level votes (9)
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Haney: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2259

Attribution

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

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