California 2021-2022 Regular Session Status: In Committee 1 R cosponsors

AB 618 — Payment options for criminal fines and fees.

Last action — From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

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

This bill died with 2021-2022 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Existing law requires a court to charge various fines, fees, penalties, and assessments for criminal defendants, including fines assessed as a penalty for a crime, restitution fines, and fees for the support and maintenance of the courts, as specified. Existing law permits a judgment against a criminal defendant that orders the defendant to pay a fine, other than a restitution fine or order, to also direct that the defendant be imprisoned until the fine is satisfied, as specified. Existing law authorizes a court to sentence a person convicted of an infraction to perform community service in lieu of the total fine, as defined, that would otherwise be imposed, upon a showing that payment of the total fine would pose a hardship on the defendant or the person's family. This bill would require the court to offer a payment plan to a criminal defendant who has been assessed fines, fees, penalties, and assessments in an amount over $500, other than a restitution order payable to the victim, resulting from a criminal prosecution on or after January 1, 2022, and would authorize the court to offer a payment plan under those circumstances to a defendant who has been assessed fines, fees, penalties, and assessments of $500 or less. The bill would require the court to allow a defendant to pay those fines, fees, penalties, and assessments with a credit card, as specified. The bill would specify that these provisions do not prohibit a court from converting a fine to jail time or community service, or otherwise limit the court's ability to consider a defendant's ability to pay without undue hardship. The bill would require the Judicial Council to adopt Rules of Court to implement these provisions.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.

  3. In committee: Held under submission.

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

  5. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  6. Read second time and amended.

  7. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 27).

  8. Referred to Com. on JUD.

  9. From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

  10. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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.

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Votes

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 9 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 5001
Republican 2001
Unaffiliated 2000
Total 9002
% of votes cast 82%0%0%18%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Eggman — Yea
Min — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Not Voting
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Not Voting
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Yea

Official roll call →

AB 618 Bauer-Kahan Assembly Third Reading

Passed 79 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 47000
Republican 13000
Unaffiliated 19001
Total 79001
% of votes cast 99%0%0%1%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Villapudua — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Ting — Yea
Wood — Yea
Low — Yea
Holden — Yea
Mathis — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Essayli — Not Voting
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Yea
Luz Rivas — Yea
Vince Fong — Yea
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Addis, Dawn Democratic Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bains, Jasmeet Democratic Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bennett, Steve Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Boerner, Tasha Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Carrillo, Juan Democratic Yea
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Yea
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Ortega, Liz Democratic Yea
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Papan, Diane Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Yea
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Soria, Esmeralda Democratic Yea
Valencia, Avelino Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Yea
Zbur, Rick Chavez Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Davies, Laurie Republican Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Yea
Hoover, Josh Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea
Patterson, Joe Republican Yea
Sanchez, Kate Republican Yea
Ta, Tri Republican Yea
Wallis, Greg Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended.

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 9001
Unaffiliated 2001
Republican 0003
Total 11005
% of votes cast 69%0%0%31%
How each member voted (16)
Member Party Vote
Holden — Yea
Mathis — Not Voting
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
Ortega, Liz Democratic Yea
Papan, Diane Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Not Voting
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Not Voting
Dixon, Diane Republican Not Voting
Sanchez, Kate Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

Passed 15 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 8000
Unaffiliated 4000
Republican 3000
Total 15000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Mathis — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Wood — Yea
Villapudua — Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bennett, Steve Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Yea
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Davies, Laurie Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 2000
Unaffiliated 7000
Democratic 2000
Total 11000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Maienschein — Yea
Chau — Yea
Holden — Yea
Kiley — Yea
Chiu — Yea
Lorena Gonzalez — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Davies, Laurie Republican Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety labor
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 618 do?
Existing law requires a court to charge various fines, fees, penalties, and assessments for criminal defendants, including fines assessed as a penalty for a crime, restitution fines, and fees for the support and maintenance of the courts, as specified. Existing law permits a judgment against a criminal defendant that orders the defendant to pay a fine, other than a restitution fine or order, to also direct that the defendant be imprisoned until the fine is satisfied, as specified. Existing law authorizes a court to sentence a person convicted of an infraction to perform community service in lieu of the total fine, as defined, that would otherwise be imposed, upon a showing that payment of the total fine would pose a hardship on the defendant or the person's family. This bill would require the court to offer a payment plan to a criminal defendant who has been assessed fines, fees, penalties, and assessments in an amount over $500, other than a restitution order payable to the victim, resulting from a criminal prosecution on or after January 1, 2022, and would authorize the court to offer a payment plan under those circumstances to a defendant who has been assessed fines, fees, penalties, and assessments of $500 or less. The bill would require the court to allow a defendant to pay those fines, fees, penalties, and assessments with a credit card, as specified. The bill would specify that these provisions do not prohibit a court from converting a fine to jail time or community service, or otherwise limit the court's ability to consider a defendant's ability to pay without undue hardship. The bill would require the Judicial Council to adopt Rules of Court to implement these provisions.
Who sponsors AB 618?
AB 618 is sponsored by Choi, Steven S. (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 618?
This bill died with 2021-2022 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track AB 618?
Track AB 618 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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