California 2021-2022 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 6 D · 2 R cosponsors

SB 616 — Child custody: child abuse and safety.

Last action — Ordered to inactive file.

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

This bill died with 2021-2022 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” 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This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis.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 governs the determination of child custody and visitation in contested proceedings. Existing law requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to determine the best interests of the child based on certain factors, including the nature and amount of contact with both parents, and consistent with specified findings, including that the court's primary concern must be to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the child. Existing law prohibits the ordering of family reunification services as part of a child custody or visitation rights proceeding. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to establish judicial training programs with instruction in all aspects of family law for those who perform duties in family law matters and in domestic violence for those who perform duties in domestic violence matters. This bill would specify that prohibited ordered family reunification services include reunification therapy, treatments, programs, workshops, or camps that are predicated on cutting off a child from a parent with whom the child is bonded or to whom the child is attached. The bill would require the Judicial Council's family law training program to be designed to improve the ability of judges and others who perform duties in family law matters to recognize and respond to child abuse, domestic violence, and trauma in all family victims and to make appropriate custody decisions that prioritize child safety and well-being and are culturally responsive. The bill would require the Judicial Council's domestic violence training program to include child abuse, and would include those who perform duties in child custody and visitation matters in the target audience for that training. The bill would require a judge assigned to family law matters involving child custody proceedings, as well as a judge, referee, commissioner, mediator, child custody recommending counselor, and evaluator involved in child custody proceedings, to participate in a program of continuing instruction in domestic violence, including child abuse.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Ordered to inactive file.

  2. From committee: That the Assembly amendments be taken up for consideration. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 5108.)

  3. Set for hearing August 24.

  4. From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on JUD. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 4961.) Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  5. Re-referred to Com. on RLS pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d).

  6. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 5882.) Ordered to the Senate.

  8. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  9. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 28).

  10. Coauthors revised.

  11. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  12. Re-referred to Com. on JUD. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

  13. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  14. Referred to Com. on ED.

  15. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  16. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 1064.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  17. Read second time and amended. Ordered to consent calendar.

  18. From committee: Do pass as amended. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 954.) (April 28).

  19. Set for hearing April 28.

  20. Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  21. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  22. Withdrawn from committee.

  23. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HOUSING.

  24. Referred to Com. on HOUSING.

  25. Joint Rule 55 suspended. (Ayes 32. Noes 4. Page 272.)

  26. (Ayes 32. Noes 4.)

  27. Art. IV. Sec. 8(a) of the Constitution dispensed with.

  28. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 21.

  29. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 11 co-sponsors · 110 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (11)

Not signed on (110)

110 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 110 →

"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

That the Assembly amendments be taken up for consideration

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 4000
Democratic 6000
Republican 1000
Total 11000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Gonzalez — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Borgeas — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SB 616 Rubio Senate Third Reading By RUBIO

Passed 76 Yea · 0 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 38001
Republican 7002
Democratic 31001
Total 76004
% of votes cast 95%0%0%5%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Cooley — Yea
Mathis — Yea
Bigelow — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Mullin — Yea
Holden — Yea
Villapudua — Yea
Salas — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Wood — Yea
Kiley — Yea
Mayes — Yea
Nazarian — Yea
Ting — Yea
Low — Yea
Levine — Yea
O'Donnell — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Daly — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Medina — Yea
Smith — Yea
Cunningham — Yea
Cooper — Yea
Gray — Not Voting
Bloom — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Voepel — Yea
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Yea
Luz Rivas — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Vince Fong — Yea
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin 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
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Not Voting
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie 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
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Not Voting
Choi, Steven S. Republican Not Voting
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Davies, Laurie Republican Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Yea
Valladares, Suzette Martinez Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Consent Calendar SB616

Passed 37 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 23000
Democratic 10003
Republican 4000
Total 37003
% of votes cast 93%0%0%8%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Hertzberg — Yea
Borgeas — Yea
Newman — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Pan — Yea
Bates — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Kamlager — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Gonzalez — Yea
Roth — Yea
Leyva — Yea
Min — Yea
Melendez — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Not Voting
Cortese, Dave Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Not Voting
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Not Voting
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 616 do?
Existing law governs the determination of child custody and visitation in contested proceedings. Existing law requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to determine the best interests of the child based on certain factors, including the nature and amount of contact with both parents, and consistent with specified findings, including that the court's primary concern must be to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the child. Existing law prohibits the ordering of family reunification services as part of a child custody or visitation rights proceeding. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to establish judicial training programs with instruction in all aspects of family law for those who perform duties in family law matters and in domestic violence for those who perform duties in domestic violence matters. This bill would specify that prohibited ordered family reunification services include reunification therapy, treatments, programs, workshops, or camps that are predicated on cutting off a child from a parent with whom the child is bonded or to whom the child is attached. The bill would require the Judicial Council's family law training program to be designed to improve the ability of judges and others who perform duties in family law matters to recognize and respond to child abuse, domestic violence, and trauma in all family victims and to make appropriate custody decisions that prioritize child safety and well-being and are culturally responsive. The bill would require the Judicial Council's domestic violence training program to include child abuse, and would include those who perform duties in child custody and visitation matters in the target audience for that training. The bill would require a judge assigned to family law matters involving child custody proceedings, as well as a judge, referee, commissioner, mediator, child custody recommending counselor, and evaluator involved in child custody proceedings, to participate in a program of continuing instruction in domestic violence, including child abuse.
Who sponsors SB 616?
SB 616 is sponsored by Davies, Laurie (Republican), Haney, Lackey, Tom (Republican), Caballero, Anna M. (Democratic), Min, Portantino, Gipson, Mike A. (Democratic), Rubio, Blanca E. (Democratic), Boerner, Tasha (Democratic), Rubio, Susan (Democratic), Gonzalez, Lena A. (Democratic), and Cristina Garcia.
What is the current status of SB 616?
This bill died with 2021-2022 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” 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 SB 616?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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