California Equal Shared Parenting Act.
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AB 1978 — California Equal Shared Parenting Act.
Last action — Referred to Com. on JUD.
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 Assembly
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4Passed Senate
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 13, 2026. 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.
Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.
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.
Summary
Existing law provides that it is the public policy of this state to ensure that children have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents have ended their relationship, and to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of child rearing in order to effect this policy, except where the contact would not be in the best interest of the child, as specified. Existing law provides for proceedings to determine the custody of a child, and establishes a presumption, affecting the burden of proof, that joint custody is in the best interest of a minor child, as specified. This bill would, for child custody proceedings filed on or after January 1, 2027, establish a rebuttable presumption that equal parenting time is in the best interest of the child if (1) both parents are found fit, willing, and able to parent and (2) both parents reside within 25 miles of the child's primary school or educational institution. The bill would authorize the court to deny equal parenting time if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that shared parenting time is not in the interest of the child due to circumstances that are detrimental to the child, including, but not limited to, a history of substantiated domestic abuse. The bill would require any decision to deny equal parenting time to be substantiated in writing and specify the evidence relied upon.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
1 added · 1 removedPlain-language change summary
The latest version of Bill AB 1978 has had some text removed, specifically a section that was previously included but is no longer needed. Additionally, new lines have been added that clarify the bill's intent and provide more details on its implementation. These changes matter because they help ensure that the bill is clearer and more focused, making it easier for everyone to understand how it will affect the community.
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View plain text versions (2)
- Introduced 02/13/26 - Introduced Current pdf February 13, 2026
- AB1978 View text html
Action History
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Referred to Com. on JUD.
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From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
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Read first time. To print.
Sponsors
- Natasha Johnson · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on
Sponsors (1)
- Johnson, Natasha Republican
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.
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does AB 1978 do?
- Existing law provides that it is the public policy of this state to ensure that children have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents have ended their relationship, and to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of child rearing in order to effect this policy, except where the contact would not be in the best interest of the child, as specified. Existing law provides for proceedings to determine the custody of a child, and establishes a presumption, affecting the burden of proof, that joint custody is in the best interest of a minor child, as specified. This bill would, for child custody proceedings filed on or after January 1, 2027, establish a rebuttable presumption that equal parenting time is in the best interest of the child if (1) both parents are found fit, willing, and able to parent and (2) both parents reside within 25 miles of the child's primary school or educational institution. The bill would authorize the court to deny equal parenting time if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that shared parenting time is not in the interest of the child due to circumstances that are detrimental to the child, including, but not limited to, a history of substantiated domestic abuse. The bill would require any decision to deny equal parenting time to be substantiated in writing and specify the evidence relied upon.
- Who sponsors AB 1978?
- AB 1978 is sponsored by Johnson, Natasha (Republican).
- What is the current status of AB 1978?
- This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
- Where can I track AB 1978?
- Track AB 1978 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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