CA AB 251
enactedElders and dependent adults: abuse or neglect.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 251 pass?
Yes. CA AB 251 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2025-10-07): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 433, Statutes of 2025.
What is CA AB 251 about?
Existing law, the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, provides for the award of attorney's fees and costs to, and the recovery of damages by, a plaintiff when it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is liable for physical abuse or neglect, and the defendant has also been found guilty of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice in the commission of that abuse. This bill would authorize a court to apply a preponderance of the evidence standard to any claim brought against a residential care facility for the elderly, an adult community care facility, or a skilled nursing facility, except as specified, for remedies sought pursuant to the above provisions, upon circumstances in which spoliation of evidence, as defined, has been committed by the defendant, as specified. The bill would make this provision inoperative if there is a final judicial determination in any action by any party, or a final determination by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that the state is required by state or federal law or regulation to provide reimbursement under the Medi-Cal program to those facilities for costs associated with this bill and the Legislature does not appropriate sufficient funds to pay for those costs. The bill would make conforming changes to a related provision.
Who sponsors CA AB 251?
Kalra is the primary sponsor of CA AB 251.
Description
Existing law, the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, provides for the award of attorney's fees and costs to, and the recovery of damages by, a plaintiff when it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is liable for physical abuse or neglect, and the defendant has also been found guilty of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice in the commission of that abuse. This bill would authorize a court to apply a preponderance of the evidence standard to any claim brought against a residential care facility for the elderly, an adult community care facility, or a skilled nursing facility, except as specified, for remedies sought pursuant to the above provisions, upon circumstances in which spoliation of evidence, as defined, has been committed by the defendant, as specified. The bill would make this provision inoperative if there is a final judicial determination in any action by any party, or a final determination by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that the state is required by state or federal law or regulation to provide reimbursement under the Medi-Cal program to those facilities for costs associated with this bill and the Legislature does not appropriate sufficient funds to pay for those costs. The bill would make conforming changes to a related provision.
- Introduced
- 2025-03-19
- Latest action
- 2025-10-07 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 433, Statutes of 2025.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Kalraauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2025-10-07
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 433, Statutes of 2025.
became-law
2025-10-07
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2025-09-15
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m.
executive-receipt
2025-09-08
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 10. Page 3023.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-09-04
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-04
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 7. Page 2515.).
passage,reading-1,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
2025-06-30
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-06-23
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-06-17
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-05-07
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and APPR.
referral-committee
2025-04-02
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2025-04-01
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 57. Noes 8.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-04-01
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 57. Noes 8. Page 959.)
2025-03-27
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-03-26
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (March 25).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-03-20
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2025-03-19
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
2025-02-10
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2025-01-16
From printer. May be heard in committee February 15.
2025-01-15
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
Documents
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Votes
Do pass.
2025-03-25 · pass · 8-2
Member-level votes (12)
- Zbur: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Papan: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Essayli: no
- Dixon: no
- Sanchez: other
- Pacheco: other
AB 251 Kalra Assembly Third Reading
2025-04-01 · pass · 57-8
Member-level votes (80)
- Haney: yes
- Patel: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Papan: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Fong: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Bains: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Krell: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Hart: yes
- Soria: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Solache: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Addis: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Lee: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Ward: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Berman: yes
- Chen: no
- Tangipa: no
- Hadwick: no
- Wallis: no
- Essayli: no
- Gallagher: no
- DeMaio: no
- Ellis: no
- Hoover: other
- Jeff Gonzalez: other
- Alvarez: other
- Wicks: other
- Sanchez: other
- Dixon: other
- Macedo: other
- Lackey: other
- Patterson: other
- Sharp-Collins: other
- Ta: other
- Castillo: other
- Davies: other
- Michelle Rodriguez: other
- Flora: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-06-17 · pass · 10-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Caballero: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Allen: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Laird: yes
- Stern: yes
- Valladares: other
- Niello: other
- Ashby: other
Placed on suspense file
2025-06-30 · pass · 6-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Cabaldon: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Dahle: other
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 AB251 Kalra By Wahab
2025-09-04 · pass · 29-7
Member-level votes (40)
- Stern: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Laird: yes
- Limón: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Allen: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Becker: yes
- Grove: no
- Jones: no
- Alvarado-Gil: no
- Dahle: no
- Seyarto: no
- Strickland: no
- Choi: no
- Niello: other
- Reyes: other
- Ochoa Bogh: other
- Valladares: other
AB 251 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
2025-09-08 · pass · 60-10
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
- Pacheco: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Lee: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Sharp-Collins: 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
- Tangipa: no
- Gallagher: no
- Chen: no
- Ellis: no
- Wallis: no
- Patterson: no
- DeMaio: no
- Hoover: other
- Nguyen: other
- Lackey: other
- Jeff Gonzalez: other
- Sanchez: other
- Castillo: other
- Macedo: other
- Davies: other
- Flora: 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
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