AB 2283
State Public Guardian.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Appropriations
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Bill overview
This bill creates a State Public Guardian position to assist California counties in providing guardianship and conservatorship services to vulnerable adults. The State Public Guardian would offer guidance, technical assistance, and training materials to local public guardians and conservators, ensuring compliance with state and federal laws. It aims to address the increasing need for these services due to California’s aging population and the challenges faced by local public guardianship programs.
Key provisions
- Establishes a State Public Guardian position within the Judicial Council State Department of Social Services.
- Requires the State Public Guardian to provide guidance and technical assistance to local public guardians and conservators.
- Mandates the provision of training materials and support for continuing education.
- Directs the State Public Guardian to review existing policies and recommend statutory changes.
- Requires the development of a standardized referral form for public guardianship and conservatorship requests.
- Authorizes the State Public Guardian to explore a standardized reporting system to identify caseload management gaps.
- Limits the State Public Guardian’s role to supporting local guardianships and conservatorships, excluding those for individuals with severe disabilities under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.
- Requires appropriation by the Legislature to fund the position and its activities.
Who is affected
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AB2283:v98#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
| Amended IN Assembly March 25, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2283
| Introduced by Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez |
| February 19, 2026 |
An act to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2960) to Part 5 of Division 4 of the Probate Code, relating to public guardians.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2283, as amended, Jeff Gonzalez. State Public Guardian.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Social Services in the California Health and Human Services Agency.
Existing law authorizes the public guardian, a county position, to apply for appointment as guardian or conservator of the person, estate, or both, of any person domiciled in the county requiring a guardian or conservator if there is no one else who is qualified and willing to act and whose appointment would be in the best interest of the person, or if there is an imminent threat to a person’s health or safety or the person’s estate. The public guardian is required to apply for appointment if ordered by the court.
This bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Judicial Council State Department of Social Services to establish the position of the State Public Guardian to assist counties with performing their duties as a public guardian or public conservator. The bill would require the State Public Guardian to perform specified duties, including, among other things, providing guidance and technical assistance to local public guardians and public conservators to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal laws and promoting access to training materials necessary to perform the duties of a public guardian or public conservator, including materials required for compliance with continuing education requirements. The bill would limit the duties of the State Public Guardian to support of public guardianships and public conservatorships under the Probate Code and, to the extent possible, not those conservatorships for persons with a grave disability pursuant to the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Public guardians and public conservators are a critical component to ensuring those who are unable to provide for their basic needs or financial affairs and are without an available family member, friend, or other relationship are given the advocacy to protect their interests and manage their care.
(b) Public guardians and public conservators are facing overwhelming caseloads with limited support from local governments and without guidance from the state.
(c) The need for public guardians and public conservators is likely to grow as California’s aging population increases and as older Californians face increasing isolation.
SEC. 2.
Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2960) is added to Part 5 of Division 4 of the Probate Code, to read:
CHAPTER 6. State Public Guardian
2960.
(a) The Judicial Council State Department of Social Services shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, establish a full-time position known as the State Public Guardian.
(b) The State Public Guardian shall report to the Judicial Council. department. The State Public Guardian shall assist counties with performing their duties as a public guardian or public conservator.
(c) The duties of the State Public Guardian shall include the following:
(1) Provide guidance and technical assistance to local public guardians and public conservators to ensure compliance with state and federal laws related to guardianship and conservatorship.
(2) Promote access to training materials necessary to perform the duties of a public guardian or public conservator, including those materials required for compliance with continuing education requirements as set forth in Section 2923.
(3) Review existing policies related to probate guardianship and conservatorship and provide recommendations to the Legislature for statutory changes.
(4) In consultation with the State Department of Social Services, develop Develop a standardized referral form for use by individuals and agencies to submit to their local public guardian or public conservator to request the initiation of a public guardianship or public conservatorship.
(5) Explore the development of a single standardized reporting system to identify gaps in caseload management and provide recommendations to the Judicial Council to address the needs of local public guardians and public conservators.
(d) (1) The duties of the State Public Guardian described in subdivision (c) shall be limited to the support of implementation and execution of the duties of local public guardians and public conservators pursuant to the Probate Code.
(2) To the extent possible, the State Public Conservator shall not provide support with conservatorships for persons with a grave disability pursuant to the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, as described in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.