Incarcerated persons: communications.
This means families of incarcerated individuals will have better access to communicate with their loved ones through electronic messaging.
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SB 498 — Incarcerated persons: communications.
Last action — August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.
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1Introduced
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2In Committee
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3Passed Senate
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4Passed Assembly
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced February 19, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
LowHow often bills like it became law.
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Introduced
Current position in the legislative process.
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1 sponsor
1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 5 recorded votes so far.
Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.
In plain language
This bill requires electronic messaging services for inmates and protects their communication rights.
The bill mandates that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provide electronic messaging services to inmates, alongside existing voice communication services. It also prevents staff from disconnecting calls based solely on their duration when inmates are using allowed devices.
What this means for you
- Families: This means families of incarcerated individuals will have better access to communicate with their loved ones through electronic messaging.
Summary
Under existing law, a person sentenced to imprisonment in state prison or in a county jail for a felony offense, as specified, may, during that period of confinement, be deprived only of those rights as are reasonably related to legitimate penological interests. Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide inmates with accessible, functional voice communication services free of charge to the person initiating and the person receiving the communication. This bill would additionally require the department to provide inmates electronic messaging services as described above. The bill would prohibit staff at a department facility, if an incarcerated individual is authorized to possess and use a tablet or other device for voice communications, from disconnecting any communications conducted by the individual on the device based solely on the duration of the call.
Bill Text
- Amended 04/06/26 - Amended Assembly Current pdf April 06, 2026
- Amended 05/23/25 - Amended Senate pdf May 23, 2025
- Introduced 02/19/25 - Introduced pdf February 19, 2025
- SB498 View text html
Action History
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August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
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June 24 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
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From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
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Coauthors revised.
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From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
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Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
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In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
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Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1504.) Ordered to the Assembly.
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Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
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Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
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From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1202.) (May 23).
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Set for hearing May 23.
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April 7 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
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Set for hearing April 7.
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From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 533.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
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Set for hearing March 25.
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Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
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From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.
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Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Sponsors
- Josh Becker · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on
Sponsors (1)
- Becker, Josh Democratic
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (121)
121 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 121 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| % of votes cast | 78% | 0% | 0% | 22% |
How each member voted (9)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Haney, Matt | Democratic | Yea |
| Harabedian, John | Democratic | Yea |
| Hart, Gregg | Democratic | Yea |
| Nguyen, Stephanie | Democratic | Yea |
| Ramos, James C. | Democratic | Yea |
| Schultz, Nick | Democratic | Yea |
| Sharp-Collins, LaShae | Democratic | Yea |
| Alanis, Juan | Republican | Not Voting |
| Lackey, Tom | Republican | Not Voting |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 29 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 39 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 98% | 0% | 0% | 3% |
How each member voted (40)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 86% | 0% | 0% | 14% |
How each member voted (7)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Cabaldon, Christopher | Democratic | Yea |
| Caballero, Anna M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Grayson, Timothy S. | Democratic | Yea |
| Richardson, Laura | Democratic | Yea |
| Wahab, Aisha | Democratic | Yea |
| Dahle, Megan | Republican | Not Voting |
| Seyarto, Kelly | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (7)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Cabaldon, Christopher | Democratic | Yea |
| Caballero, Anna M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Grayson, Timothy S. | Democratic | Yea |
| Richardson, Laura | Democratic | Yea |
| Wahab, Aisha | Democratic | Yea |
| Dahle, Megan | Republican | Yea |
| Seyarto, Kelly | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 83% | 0% | 0% | 17% |
How each member voted (6)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Arreguín, Jesse | Democratic | Yea |
| Caballero, Anna M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Gonzalez, Lena A. | Democratic | Yea |
| Pérez, Sasha Renée | Democratic | Yea |
| Wiener, Scott D. | Democratic | Yea |
| Seyarto, Kelly | Republican | Not Voting |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 498 do?
- Under existing law, a person sentenced to imprisonment in state prison or in a county jail for a felony offense, as specified, may, during that period of confinement, be deprived only of those rights as are reasonably related to legitimate penological interests. Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide inmates with accessible, functional voice communication services free of charge to the person initiating and the person receiving the communication. This bill would additionally require the department to provide inmates electronic messaging services as described above. The bill would prohibit staff at a department facility, if an incarcerated individual is authorized to possess and use a tablet or other device for voice communications, from disconnecting any communications conducted by the individual on the device based solely on the duration of the call.
- Who sponsors SB 498?
- SB 498 is sponsored by Becker, Josh (Democratic).
- What is the current status of SB 498?
- This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced February 19, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
- Where can I track SB 498?
- Track SB 498 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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