Indigent defense.

Legislative status

1. Introduced
2. In Committee
3. Reported by Committee
4. Floor Vote Scheduled
5. Passed One Chamber
6. Passed Both Chambers
7. Adopted

Summary

This concurrent resolution declares that public defenders are essential to due process and that chronic underfunding harms the justice system. It calls on the state to develop statewide approaches that use data, improve staffing levels, and create funding parity between defense and prosecution. The measure affects public defender offices, indigent defendants, and the counties that fund them.

AI-generated summary — may be incomplete or inaccurate. Verify against the official bill text.

Vote

Adopted and to Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 0. Page 5353.) · Aug 13, 2026

Hearings

• Public Safety Committee Hearing
  Public Safety · Apr 21, 2026
• Public Safety
  Public Safety · Apr 21, 2026

History

1. May 13, 2026From committee: Ordered to third reading.
2. May 5, 2026In Senate. To Com. on RLS.
3. May 4, 2026Coauthors revised.
4. May 4, 2026Adopted and to Senate. (Page 4906.)
5. Apr 23, 2026Ordered to third reading.
6. Apr 23, 2026From Consent Calendar.
7. Apr 22, 2026From committee: Be adopted. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 21).
8. Mar 16, 2026Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
9. Mar 11, 2026From printer.
10. Mar 10, 2026Introduced. To print.

Sponsors

• Ash Kalra (D) · sponsor
• Addis
• Aguiar-Curry
• Ahrens
• Alvarez
• Ávila Farías
• Bains
• Bauer-Kahan
• Berman
• Blanca Rubio
• Boerner
• Bonta
• Bryan
• Calderon
• Carrillo
• Castillo
• Celeste Rodriguez
• Connolly
• Davies
• Dixon
• Elhawary
• Ellis
• Flora
• Fong
• Gabriel

And 42 more cosponsors.

Bill text

Opens the legislature’s own copy.

Similar bills in other states

Loading the map of where bills like this one were filed.

Topics

Share