AB 1011

AB1011:v98#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1011

An act to amend Sections 1192.7, 2933.3, 2933.3 and 4019.2 of the Penal Code, relating to crimes.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1011, as amended, Hoover. Crimes: child abuse and neglect: serious felony. sentence credits.

Existing law prohibits plea bargaining in a case in which a serious felony is charged and imposes a 5-year enhancement for conviction of a serious felony if the person has previously been convicted of a serious felony. Existing law makes a felony in which the defendant personally inflicts great bodily injury on a person a serious felony.

Existing law makes it a crime for a person who has the care or custody of a child to willfully cause or permit the person or health of that child to be injured or willfully cause or permit that child to be placed in a situation where the child’s health may be endangered, as specified. Existing law imposes a 4-year enhancement on a person who violates that provision and who willfully causes or permits a child to suffer, inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or injury that results in death, or, having the care or custody of a child, willfully causes or permits that child to be injured or harmed, as specified, and that injury or harm results in death.

Existing law requires a person who, having the care or custody of a child who is under 8 years of age, assaults the child by means of force that to a reasonable person would be likely to produce great bodily injury, resulting in the child’s death, to be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for 25 years to life.

This bill, Ryla’s Law, would make the child abuse crimes described above serious felonies for the above-specified purposes. By expanding the scope of an enhancement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Under existing law, a prisoner can reduce their term of imprisonment by earning credit for, among other things, continuous incarceration, good behavior, and participation in approved rehabilitative programming. The California Constitution grants to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the sole authority to award credits for good behavior and approved rehabilitative or educational achievements. Existing law prohibits a prisoner convicted of specified felony offenses from earning credit if the prisoner previously has been convicted of one of those felony offenses 2 or more times and has served 2 or more separate prior prison terms.

Existing law makes an inmate of a state prison, or of a county jail, who has completed training for assignment to a correctional institution as an inmate firefighter, or who is assigned to a correctional institution as an inmate firefighter, eligible to earn 2 days of credit for every one day served in that assignment or after completing that training.

This bill bill, Ryla’s Law, would make a person convicted of specific child abuse crimes ineligible to earn 2 days of credit for every one day served as an inmate firefighter or after completing inmate firefighting training. By reducing the amount of credits an inmate sentenced to county jail can earn, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.

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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as Ryla’s Law.

SEC. 2.Section 1192.7 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

1192.7.

(a)(1)It is the intent of the Legislature that district attorneys prosecute violent sex crimes under statutes that provide sentencing under a “one strike,” “three strikes,” or habitual sex offender statute instead of engaging in plea bargaining over those offenses.

(2)Plea bargaining in any case in which the indictment or information charges any serious felony, any felony in which it is alleged that a firearm was personally used by the defendant, or any offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, or any other intoxicating substance, or any combination thereof, is prohibited, unless there is insufficient evidence to prove the people’s case, or testimony of a material witness cannot be obtained, or a reduction or dismissal would not result in a substantial change in sentence.

(3)If the indictment or information charges the defendant with a violent sex crime, as listed in subdivision (c) of Section 667.61, that could be prosecuted under Sections 269, 288.7, subdivisions (b) through (i) of Section 667, Section 667.61, or 667.71, plea bargaining is prohibited unless there is insufficient evidence to prove the people’s case, or testimony of a material witness cannot be obtained, or a reduction or dismissal would not result in a substantial change in sentence. At the time of presenting the agreement to the court, the district attorney shall state on the record why a sentence under one of those sections was not sought.

(b)As used in this section, “plea bargaining” means any bargaining, negotiation, or discussion between a criminal defendant, or their counsel, and a prosecuting attorney or judge, whereby the defendant agrees to plead guilty or nolo contendere, in exchange for any promises, commitments, concessions, assurances, or consideration by the prosecuting attorney or judge relating to any charge against the defendant or to the sentencing of the defendant.

(c)As used in this section, “serious felony” means any of the following:

(1)Murder or voluntary manslaughter; (2) mayhem; (3) rape; (4) sodomy by force, violence, duress, menace, threat of great bodily injury, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person; (5) oral copulation by force, violence, duress, menace, threat of great bodily injury, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person; (6) lewd or lascivious act on a child under 14 years of age; (7) any felony punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison for life; (8) any felony in which the defendant personally inflicts great bodily injury on any person, other than an accomplice, or any felony in which the defendant personally uses a firearm; (9) attempted murder; (10) assault with intent to commit rape or robbery; (11) assault with a deadly weapon or instrument on a peace officer; (12) assault by a life prisoner on a noninmate; (13) assault with a deadly weapon by an inmate; (14) arson; (15) exploding a destructive device or any explosive with intent to injure; (16) exploding a destructive device or any explosive causing bodily injury, great bodily injury, or mayhem; (17) exploding a destructive device or any explosive with intent to murder; (18) any burglary of the first degree; (19) robbery or bank robbery; (20) kidnapping; (21) holding of a hostage by a person confined in a state prison; (22) attempt to commit a felony punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison for life; (23) any felony in which the defendant personally used a dangerous or deadly weapon; (24) selling, furnishing, administering, giving, or offering to sell, furnish, administer, or give to a minor any heroin, cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP), or any methamphetamine-related drug, as described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 11055 of the Health and Safety Code, or any of the precursors of methamphetamines, as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 11055 or subdivision (a) of Section 11100 of the Health and Safety Code; (25) any violation of subdivision (a) of Section 289 where the act is accomplished against the victim’s will by force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person; (26) grand theft involving a firearm; (27) carjacking; (28) any felony offense, which would also constitute a felony violation of Section 186.22; (29) assault with the intent to commit mayhem, rape, sodomy, or oral copulation, in violation of Section 220; (30) throwing acid or flammable substances, in violation of Section 244; (31) assault with a deadly weapon, firearm, machinegun, assault weapon, or semiautomatic firearm or assault on a peace officer or firefighter, in violation of Section 245; (32) assault with a deadly weapon against a public transit employee, custodial officer, or school employee, in violation of Section 245.2, 245.3, or 245.5; (33) discharge of a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, vehicle, or aircraft, in violation of Section 246; (34) commission of rape or sexual penetration in concert with another person, in violation of Section 264.1; (35) continuous sexual abuse of a child, in violation of Section 288.5; (36) shooting from a vehicle, in violation of subdivision (c) or (d) of Section 26100; (37) intimidation of victims or witnesses, in violation of Section 136.1; (38) criminal threats, in violation of Section 422; (39) any attempt to commit a crime listed in this subdivision other than an assault; (40) any violation of Section 12022.53; (41) a violation of subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 11418; (42) human trafficking of a minor, in violation of subdivision (c) of Section 236.1, except, with respect to a violation of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 236.1, where the person who committed the offense was a victim of human trafficking, as described in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 236.1, at the time of the offense; (43) a violation of Section 273a for which an enhancement was imposed pursuant to Section 12022.95; (44) a violation of subdivision (a) of Section 273ab; and (45) a conspiracy to commit an offense described in this subdivision.

(d)As used in this section, “bank robbery” means to take or attempt to take, by force or violence, or by intimidation from the person or presence of another any property or money or any other thing of value belonging to, or in the care, custody, control, management, or possession of, any bank, credit union, or any savings and loan association.

As used in this subdivision, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1)“Bank” means any member of the Federal Reserve System, and any bank, banking association, trust company, savings bank, or other banking institution organized or operating under the laws of the United States, and any bank the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

(2)“Savings and loan association” means any federal savings and loan association and any “insured institution” as defined in Section 401 of the National Housing Act, as amended, and any federal credit union as defined in Section 2 of the Federal Credit Union Act.

(3)“Credit union” means any federal credit union and any state-chartered credit union the accounts of which are insured by the Administrator of the National Credit Union administration.

(e)The provisions of this section shall not be amended by the Legislature except by statute passed in each house by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, or by a statute that becomes effective only when approved by the electors.

SEC. 3.SEC. 2.

Section 2933.3 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

2933.3.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, an inmate assigned to a conservation camp by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, who is eligible to earn one day of credit for every one day of incarceration pursuant to Section 2933 shall instead earn two days of credit for every one day of service. The enhanced credit authorized pursuant to this subdivision shall only apply to those prisoners eligible after January 1, 2003.

(b) Notwithstanding any other law, an inmate who has completed training for assignment to a conservation camp or to a correctional institution as an inmate firefighter or who is assigned to a correctional institution as an inmate firefighter and who is eligible to earn one day of credit for every one day of incarceration pursuant to Section 2933 shall instead earn two days of credit for every one day served in that assignment or after completing that training.

(c) In addition to credits granted pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b), inmates who have successfully completed training for firefighter assignments shall receive a credit reduction from their term of confinement pursuant to regulations adopted by the secretary.

(d) The credits authorized in subdivisions (b) and (c) shall only apply to inmates who are eligible after July 1, 2009.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, a person convicted of a violation of Section 273a and subject to the punishment described in Section 12022.95 or convicted of a violation of subdivision (a) of Section 273ab is not eligible for the credits authorized in this section.

SEC. 4.SEC. 3.

Section 4019.2 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

4019.2.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, an inmate sentenced to county jail assigned to a conservation camp by a sheriff and who is eligible to earn one day of credit for every one day of incarceration pursuant to Section 4019 shall instead earn two days of credit for every one day of service.

(b) Notwithstanding any other law, an inmate who has completed training for assignment to a conservation camp or to a state or county facility as an inmate firefighter or who is assigned to a county or state correctional institution as an inmate firefighter and who is eligible to earn one day of credit for every one day of incarceration pursuant to Section 4019 shall instead earn two days of credit for every one day served in that assignment or after completing that training.

(c) In addition to credits granted pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b), inmates who have successfully completed training for firefighter assignments shall receive a credit reduction from their term of confinement.

(d) The credits authorized in subdivisions (b) and (c) shall only apply to inmates who are eligible after October 1, 2011.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, a person convicted of a violation of Section 273a and subject to the punishment described in Section 12022.95 or convicted of a violation of subdivision (a) of Section 273ab is not eligible for the credits authorized in this section.

SEC. 5.SEC. 4.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.