California 2023-2024 Regular Session Status: Enacted 3 D cosponsors

SB 989 — Domestic violence: deaths.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 654, Statutes of 2024.

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 30, 2024. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom (Democratic) on September 27, 2024.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 76% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    1 primary, 2 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (3 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 10 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.

Summary

(1) Existing law generally prohibits a copy, reproduction, or facsimile of any kind of a photograph, negative, or print, including instant photographs and video recordings, of the body, or any portion of the body, of a deceased person, taken by or for the coroner at the scene of death or in the course of a postmortem examination or autopsy, from being made or disseminated. Existing law authorizes the use of a copy, reproduction, or facsimile described above in specified circumstances, including for use in a potential civil action if the coroner receives written authorization from a legal heir or representative of that person before the civil action is filed or while the action is pending. Existing law requires the identity of the legal heir to be verified by, including other things, a declaration under the penalty of perjury that the individual is a legal heir or representative of the deceased person. This bill would additionally authorize a family member of the deceased, as defined, to provide the coroner with written authorization for use or potential use of a copy, reproduction, or facsimile described above in a civil action or proceeding that relates to the death of that person. The bill would also require the identity of the family member to be verified as described above. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the coroner to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of certain deaths, including all known or suspected homicides, suicides, or accidental poisonings. This bill would specify the above-described suicides to include suicides where the deceased has a history of being victimized by domestic violence. The bill would authorize the coroner, if the circumstances surrounding a death known or suspected as due to suicide afford a reasonable basis to suspect that the death was caused by or related to the domestic violence of another, to conduct the inquiry in consultation with a board-certified forensic pathologist, as specified. (3) Existing law requires a coroner to investigate deaths that occurred under specified conditions, including without medical attendance, to ascertain as many of the facts as possible. Existing law makes willful infliction of corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition on specified persons, such as a spouse, former spouse, or someone with whom an individual has or had a dating relationship, among others, a crime and provides enhanced resources for the prosecution of those crimes. This bill would require law enforcement officers, prior to making findings as to the manner and cause of death of a deceased individual with an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence and under specified conditions, to interview family members of the decedent, as specified. The bill would authorize a law enforcement officer to request a complete autopsy be conducted in a case where they determined the decedent had an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence, as defined, and specified conditions are present, including that the decedent died prematurely. The bill would also require sworn law enforcement personnel investigating a case where the decedent had an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence be current on their training related to domestic violence incidents. By requiring specific investigatory steps be taken by law enforcement agencies, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to implement a course or courses of instruction and guidelines for law enforcement response to domestic violence. Existing law requires the course of basic training to include adequate instruction in specified procedures and techniques, including techniques for handling incidents of domestic violence that minimize the likelihood of injury to the officer and that promote the safety of the victim. Existing law requires the guidelines for law enforcement response to incorporate those procedures and techniques. This bill would require the guidelines for law enforcement under the above-described provisions to include specified indicators of domestic homicide in suspicious death cases and the identification and detection of staged crime scenes. (5) The bill would make findings and declarations relating to these provisions. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 654, Statutes of 2024.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 5613.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. Ordered to special consent calendar.

  6. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 6524.) Ordered to the Senate.

  8. Ordered to third reading.

  9. Read third time and amended.

  10. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  11. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (August 15).

  12. July 2 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

  13. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  14. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  15. Referred to Coms. on PUB. S. and JUD.

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

  17. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 4191.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  18. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  19. Ordered to second reading.

  20. Read third time and amended.

  21. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  22. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 3967.) (May 16).

  23. Set for hearing May 16.

  24. May 13 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.

  25. Set for hearing May 13.

  26. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  27. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 3724.) (April 23).

  28. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  29. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 3637.) (April 16).

  30. Set for hearing April 23 in JUD. pending receipt.

  31. Set for hearing April 16.

  32. Re-referred to Coms. on PUB S. and JUD.

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

  34. Referred to Com. on RLS.

  35. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 1.

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

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 119 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (119)

119 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 119 →

"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

Special Consent SB989 Ashby et al.

Passed 39 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11000
Democratic 22000
Republican 6001
Total 39001
% of votes cast 98%0%0%3%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Roth — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Newman — Yea
Min — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Blakespear, Catherine S. Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Cortese, Dave Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Alvarado-Gil, Marie Republican Not Voting
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Yea
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Yea
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SB 989 Ashby Senate Third Reading By Pellerin

Passed 77 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 45002
Republican 13000
Unaffiliated 19000
Total 77002
% of votes cast 97%0%0%3%
How each member voted (79)
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
Essayli — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Yea
Luz Rivas — 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 Not Voting
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 Not Voting
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.

Passed 14 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 9000
Unaffiliated 2001
Republican 3000
Total 14001
% of votes cast 93%0%0%7%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Villapudua — Yea
Jim Patterson — Not Voting
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Yea
Sanchez, Kate Republican Yea
Ta, Tri Republican Yea

Official roll call →

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

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 8000
Republican 2001
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 11001
% of votes cast 92%0%0%8%
How each member voted (12)
Member Party Vote
Maienschein — Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Yea
Patterson, Joe Republican Not Voting
Sanchez, Kate Republican Yea

Official roll call →

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

Passed 7 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 2000
Unaffiliated 2000
Democratic 3001
Total 7001
% of votes cast 88%0%0%13%
How each member voted (8)
Member Party Vote
Ting — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Not Voting
Zbur, Rick Chavez Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea

Official roll call →

3rd Reading SB989 Ashby et al.

Passed 36 Yea · 0 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9002
Democratic 20002
Republican 7000
Total 36004
% of votes cast 90%0%0%10%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Roth — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Min — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Newman — Not Voting
Dodd — Not Voting
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Not Voting
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Not Voting
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Blakespear, Catherine S. Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Cortese, Dave Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Alvarado-Gil, Marie Republican Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Yea
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Yea
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Yea

Official roll call →

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

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 8000
Unaffiliated 2000
Republican 1000
Total 11000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Min — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 989 do?
(1) Existing law generally prohibits a copy, reproduction, or facsimile of any kind of a photograph, negative, or print, including instant photographs and video recordings, of the body, or any portion of the body, of a deceased person, taken by or for the coroner at the scene of death or in the course of a postmortem examination or autopsy, from being made or disseminated. Existing law authorizes the use of a copy, reproduction, or facsimile described above in specified circumstances, including for use in a potential civil action if the coroner receives written authorization from a legal heir or representative of that person before the civil action is filed or while the action is pending. Existing law requires the identity of the legal heir to be verified by, including other things, a declaration under the penalty of perjury that the individual is a legal heir or representative of the deceased person. This bill would additionally authorize a family member of the deceased, as defined, to provide the coroner with written authorization for use or potential use of a copy, reproduction, or facsimile described above in a civil action or proceeding that relates to the death of that person. The bill would also require the identity of the family member to be verified as described above. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the coroner to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of certain deaths, including all known or suspected homicides, suicides, or accidental poisonings. This bill would specify the above-described suicides to include suicides where the deceased has a history of being victimized by domestic violence. The bill would authorize the coroner, if the circumstances surrounding a death known or suspected as due to suicide afford a reasonable basis to suspect that the death was caused by or related to the domestic violence of another, to conduct the inquiry in consultation with a board-certified forensic pathologist, as specified. (3) Existing law requires a coroner to investigate deaths that occurred under specified conditions, including without medical attendance, to ascertain as many of the facts as possible. Existing law makes willful infliction of corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition on specified persons, such as a spouse, former spouse, or someone with whom an individual has or had a dating relationship, among others, a crime and provides enhanced resources for the prosecution of those crimes. This bill would require law enforcement officers, prior to making findings as to the manner and cause of death of a deceased individual with an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence and under specified conditions, to interview family members of the decedent, as specified. The bill would authorize a law enforcement officer to request a complete autopsy be conducted in a case where they determined the decedent had an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence, as defined, and specified conditions are present, including that the decedent died prematurely. The bill would also require sworn law enforcement personnel investigating a case where the decedent had an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence be current on their training related to domestic violence incidents. By requiring specific investigatory steps be taken by law enforcement agencies, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to implement a course or courses of instruction and guidelines for law enforcement response to domestic violence. Existing law requires the course of basic training to include adequate instruction in specified procedures and techniques, including techniques for handling incidents of domestic violence that minimize the likelihood of injury to the officer and that promote the safety of the victim. Existing law requires the guidelines for law enforcement response to incorporate those procedures and techniques. This bill would require the guidelines for law enforcement under the above-described provisions to include specified indicators of domestic homicide in suspicious death cases and the identification and detection of staged crime scenes. (5) The bill would make findings and declarations relating to these provisions. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Who sponsors SB 989?
SB 989 is sponsored by Ashby, Angelique V. (Democratic), Caballero, Anna M. (Democratic), and Rubio, Susan (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 989?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 30, 2024. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 989?
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