California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill
AB 1759: Prisons: classification.
Passed one chamber Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
AB 1759 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 9, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Prisons: classification. Primary sponsor: Sade Elhawary (D). Most recent recorded action (August 13, 2026): In committee: Held under submission.
Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written
Official summary
Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.
Existing law requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to evaluate a person who is newly committed to a state prison and classify incarcerated persons based on the evaluations, and, when reasonable, assign or reassign an incarcerated person to the institution of the appropriate security level and gender population nearest the incarcerated person’s home, unless other classification factors make that placement unreasonable.
This bill would require the department to contract with an independent research entity to conduct a study to reassess the entire security classification system, as specified. The bill would require the study to contain policy recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the classification system, as specified. The bill would require the selected research entity to perform the study according to specified criteria, including, among others, that the entity is governed by the University of California Board of Regents and has demonstrated expertise on Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation policy and data. The bill would require the report to be published on or before January 1, 2030, and would repeal the provisions as of January 1, 2031.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sade Elhawary | Primary sponsor | Democratic | Assembly | 57 |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- In committee: Held under submission.
- In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
- From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
- Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
- In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
- Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 5360.)
- Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
- Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
- From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 14).
- In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
- From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
- Referred to Com. on PUB. S.