CA AB 2598
enactedHealth care facilities: notification of next of kin.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 2598 pass?
Yes. CA AB 2598 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-27): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 627, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 2598 about?
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of these provisions is generally a crime. Under existing law, if a person dies in a hospital, convalescent hospital, or board and care facility without known next of kin, the person in charge of the hospital or facility is required to give immediate notice of that fact to the public administrator of the county in which the hospital or facility is located, and if the person in charge fails to do so, the hospital or facility is liable for the cost of internment, as specified, and specified losses incurred by the estate or beneficiaries as a result of the failure to notify. This bill would instead require the licensee in charge of a general acute care hospital or a skilled nursing facility to make a reasonable attempt to notify any known next of kin, as specified. The bill would state that this requirement is met if a skilled nursing facility notifies the person's resident representative or has the body transferred to a hospital after death, or if the person notified the hospital or facility, prior to death and in writing, that they do not want their known next of kin to be notified of their presence or death. The bill would require, if a reasonable attempt is made or the person expressed a desire that next of kin not be notified, as specified, that the hospital or facility give notice to the public administrator as described above. The bill would make a hospital or facility that fails to notify any known next of kin liable for a continuing civil penalty of $200 per day, up to a maximum of $50,000, measured from the time it would take to make a reasonable attempt to notify the next of kin until the actual knowledge by the next of kin of the decedent's death. The bill would also make a hospital or facility that fails to notify the county public administrator, as specified, liable for a continuing civil penalty of up to $200 per day, up to a maximum of $50,000, measured from the 5th business day following a person's death until the county public administrator is notified. The bill would authorize a licensee that disputes the assessment of a civil penalty to, within 10 working days of the notification of the penalty, request a hearing pursuant to specified law.
Who sponsors CA AB 2598?
Krell is the primary sponsor of CA AB 2598, joined by 3 cosponsors.
Description
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of these provisions is generally a crime. Under existing law, if a person dies in a hospital, convalescent hospital, or board and care facility without known next of kin, the person in charge of the hospital or facility is required to give immediate notice of that fact to the public administrator of the county in which the hospital or facility is located, and if the person in charge fails to do so, the hospital or facility is liable for the cost of internment, as specified, and specified losses incurred by the estate or beneficiaries as a result of the failure to notify. This bill would instead require the licensee in charge of a general acute care hospital or a skilled nursing facility to make a reasonable attempt to notify any known next of kin, as specified. The bill would state that this requirement is met if a skilled nursing facility notifies the person's resident representative or has the body transferred to a hospital after death, or if the person notified the hospital or facility, prior to death and in writing, that they do not want their known next of kin to be notified of their presence or death. The bill would require, if a reasonable attempt is made or the person expressed a desire that next of kin not be notified, as specified, that the hospital or facility give notice to the public administrator as described above. The bill would make a hospital or facility that fails to notify any known next of kin liable for a continuing civil penalty of $200 per day, up to a maximum of $50,000, measured from the time it would take to make a reasonable attempt to notify the next of kin until the actual knowledge by the next of kin of the decedent's death. The bill would also make a hospital or facility that fails to notify the county public administrator, as specified, liable for a continuing civil penalty of up to $200 per day, up to a maximum of $50,000, measured from the 5th business day following a person's death until the county public administrator is notified. The bill would authorize a licensee that disputes the assessment of a civil penalty to, within 10 working days of the notification of the penalty, request a hearing pursuant to specified law.
- Introduced
- 2026-04-08
- Latest action
- 2026-09-27 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 627, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Krellauthor
- Aguiar-Currycoauthor
- Kalracoauthor
- Stefanicoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-27
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 627, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-27
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-10
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 6881.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-28
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
2026-08-24
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-20
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-17
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-13
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (August 13).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage
2026-08-13
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-08-03
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-07-01
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-25
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-16
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-10
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.
referral-committee
2026-05-28
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-05-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 5467.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-18
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-05-14
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 14).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-05-06
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-04-22
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-04-22
Coauthors revised.
2026-04-13
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-04-09
Read second time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-04-08
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 7).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-03-18
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2026-03-09
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.
referral-committee
2026-02-21
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2026-02-20
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
- 02/20/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-20Compare
- 04/09/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-04-09Compare
- 06/16/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-06-16Compare
- 08/13/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-08-13Compare
- 08/20/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-08-20Compare
- 09/03/26 - Enrolled — 2026-09-03Compare
- 09/27/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-27Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
- AB2598Compare
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Votes
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
2026-04-07 · pass · 16-0
Member-level votes (16)
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Chen: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Addis: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Patel: yes
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-04-21 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (12)
- Zbur: yes
- Papan: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Stefani: yes
Do pass.
2026-05-14 · pass · 14-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Dixon: yes
- Krell: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ta: yes
- Fong: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Solache: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Tangipa: other
AB 2598 Krell Assembly Third Reading
2026-05-27 · pass · 78-0
Member-level votes (80)
- Davies: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Addis: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Lee: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Patel: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Solache: yes
- Gallagher: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Papan: yes
- Fong: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bains: yes
- Chen: yes
- Soria: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Hart: yes
- Ward: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Ta: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Flora: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Berman: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Haney: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Krell: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Tangipa: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-06-24 · pass · 11-0
Member-level votes (11)
- Pérez: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Grove: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Menjivar: yes
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-06-30 · pass · 13-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Wahab: yes
- Niello: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Laird: yes
- Stern: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Allen: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Durazo: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-10-01T02:23:12.131791Z
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