California 20252026 Regular Session Status: Introduced 1 D cosponsors

AB 2126 — Community care facilities: criminal background exemptions.

Last action — In committee: Held under submission.

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  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 18, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Stalled 28% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 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

The bill allows certain foster youth to bypass disqualification for criminal convictions when seeking peer support roles.

This bill mandates that the State Department of Social Services grant exemptions from criminal disqualification for current or former foster youth employed in peer support roles, irrespective of certain past offenses. This aims to support their employment without requiring additional evidence of good character.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This bill may provide more job opportunities for former foster youth seeking to work in peer support roles.

Summary

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to license and regulate community care facilities, residential care facilities for persons with chronic, life-threatening illness, residential care facilities for the elderly, and childcare centers. Existing law requires the department to obtain a criminal record for all applicants for licenses for these facilities and services and specified other employees and officers of these facilities. Existing law requires the department to issue an exemption from disqualification to certain applicants who have been convicted of an offense, if the individual's state and federal criminal history information independently supports a reasonable belief that the applicant is of present good character necessary to justify the granting of an exemption, as specified. Existing law authorizes the department to use its discretion in evaluating a an individual for the purposes of making an exemption decision, as necessary to protect the health and safety of a child. This bill would require the department to issue an exemption from disqualification for current or former foster youth who have been convicted of certain offenses that occurred prior to the individual reaching 21 years of age and the youth will be employed in a peer support capacity and not a caregiving capacity and would not require any additional evidentiary showing.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. In committee: Held under submission.

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

  3. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  5. Read second time and amended.

  6. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 14).

  7. Referred to Coms. on HUM. S. and PUB. S.

  8. From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.

  9. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on · 1 voted No

Sponsors (1)

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.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 7 Yea · 1 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 7000
Republican 0101
Total 7101
% of votes cast 78%11%0%11%
How each member voted (9)
Member Party Vote
González, Mark Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Harabedian, John Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Schultz, Nick Democratic Yea
Sharp-Collins, LaShae Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Nay
Lackey, Tom Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

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

Passed 7 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 5000
Republican 2000
Total 7000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Elhawary, Sade Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Yea
Solache, Jr., José Luis Democratic Yea
Castillo, Leticia Republican Yea
Tangipa, David J. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 2126 do?
Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to license and regulate community care facilities, residential care facilities for persons with chronic, life-threatening illness, residential care facilities for the elderly, and childcare centers. Existing law requires the department to obtain a criminal record for all applicants for licenses for these facilities and services and specified other employees and officers of these facilities. Existing law requires the department to issue an exemption from disqualification to certain applicants who have been convicted of an offense, if the individual's state and federal criminal history information independently supports a reasonable belief that the applicant is of present good character necessary to justify the granting of an exemption, as specified. Existing law authorizes the department to use its discretion in evaluating a an individual for the purposes of making an exemption decision, as necessary to protect the health and safety of a child. This bill would require the department to issue an exemption from disqualification for current or former foster youth who have been convicted of certain offenses that occurred prior to the individual reaching 21 years of age and the youth will be employed in a peer support capacity and not a caregiving capacity and would not require any additional evidentiary showing.
Who sponsors AB 2126?
AB 2126 is sponsored by Elhawary, Sade (Democratic).
What is the current status of AB 2126?
This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 18, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track AB 2126?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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