Bill Commons

CA AB 2605

enacted

State Public Defender: county public defenders: data collection.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did CA AB 2605 pass?

Yes. CA AB 2605 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-27): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 629, Statutes of 2026.

What is CA AB 2605 about?

Under existing law, the board of supervisors of any county may establish the office of public defender for the county and authorize reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements with boards of supervisors of other counties authorizing their respective public defenders to enter into reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements, or authorize reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements with the State Public Defender, if the public defender of the county is unable to perform public defender duties because of, among other reasons, lack of personnel, lack of expertise, or lack of other resources by the local office. Existing law, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, requires the State Public Defender, in consultation with the California Public Defenders Association and other subject matter experts, to undertake a study to assess appropriate workloads for public defenders and indigent defense attorneys and to submit a report with their findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2024. This bill would require the board of supervisors of each county to specify a contact person with the applicable oversight and to collect specified information on public defense services provided in the county, and report that data to the Office of the State Public Defender every 2 years beginning on January 1, 2029. Because the bill would require local officials to perform additional duties, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Office of the State Public Defender to create and post on its internet website a summary report on public defense services, as specified. The bill would make its provisions operative upon appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Who sponsors CA AB 2605?

Arambula is the primary sponsor of CA AB 2605, joined by 2 cosponsors.

Description

Under existing law, the board of supervisors of any county may establish the office of public defender for the county and authorize reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements with boards of supervisors of other counties authorizing their respective public defenders to enter into reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements, or authorize reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements with the State Public Defender, if the public defender of the county is unable to perform public defender duties because of, among other reasons, lack of personnel, lack of expertise, or lack of other resources by the local office. Existing law, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, requires the State Public Defender, in consultation with the California Public Defenders Association and other subject matter experts, to undertake a study to assess appropriate workloads for public defenders and indigent defense attorneys and to submit a report with their findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2024. This bill would require the board of supervisors of each county to specify a contact person with the applicable oversight and to collect specified information on public defense services provided in the county, and report that data to the Office of the State Public Defender every 2 years beginning on January 1, 2029. Because the bill would require local officials to perform additional duties, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Office of the State Public Defender to create and post on its internet website a summary report on public defense services, as specified. The bill would make its provisions operative upon appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Introduced
2026-03-19
Latest action
2026-09-27 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 629, Statutes of 2026.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Arambulaauthor
  • Schultzcoauthor
  • Arreguíncoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-09-27

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 629, Statutes of 2026.

    became-law

  2. 2026-09-27

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2026-09-03

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  4. 2026-08-26

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  5. 2026-08-26

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0.).

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

  6. 2026-08-26

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  7. 2026-08-26

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 6651.).

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

  8. 2026-08-13

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  9. 2026-08-13

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  10. 2026-08-03

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  11. 2026-07-02

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  12. 2026-07-01

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 30).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  13. 2026-06-17

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

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

  14. 2026-06-10

    Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and PUB. S.

    referral-committee

  15. 2026-05-28

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  16. 2026-05-27

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  17. 2026-05-27

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 5485.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  18. 2026-05-19

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  19. 2026-05-18

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  20. 2026-05-14

    Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 5030.)

  21. 2026-05-14

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 14).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage

  22. 2026-05-13

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

    referral-committee

  23. 2026-04-22

    Coauthors revised.

  24. 2026-04-22

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  25. 2026-04-16

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

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

  26. 2026-04-09

    Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

    referral-committee

  27. 2026-04-08

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  28. 2026-03-23

    Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

    referral-committee

  29. 2026-03-19

    Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and PUB. S.

    referral-committee

  30. 2026-03-19

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  31. 2026-02-21

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  32. 2026-02-20

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

Versions

  • 02/20/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-20Compare
  • 03/19/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-03-19Compare
  • 04/08/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-04-08Compare
  • 05/18/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-05-18Compare
  • 07/02/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-07-02Compare
  • 08/30/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-30Compare
  • 09/27/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-27Compare
  • AB2605Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

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

    2026-04-15 · pass · 10-0

    Member-level votes (10)
    • Wilson: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Ta: yes
  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-04-21 · pass · 9-0

    Member-level votes (9)
    • Ramos: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Haney: yes
  • Do pass as amended.

    2026-05-14 · pass · 11-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Krell: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Tangipa: other
    • Ta: other
    • Dixon: other
    • Hoover: other
  • AB 2605 Arambula Assembly Third Reading

    2026-05-28 · pass · 79-0

    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
    • Tangipa: 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
  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]

    2026-06-17 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Ashby: other
  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-06-30 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (6)
    • Cortese: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Seyarto: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-30T01:26:33.363335Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Session-wide evidence can include changes to other bills:

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