California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill
AB 2126: Community care facilities: criminal background exemptions.
In committee Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
AB 2126 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 18, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Community care facilities: criminal background exemptions. Primary sponsor: Sade Elhawary (D). Most recent recorded action (May 14, 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 State Department of Social Services to license and regulate community care facilities, residential care facilities for persons with chronic, life-threatening illness, residential care facilities for the elderly, and childcare centers. Existing law requires the department to obtain a criminal record for all applicants for licenses for these facilities and services and specified other employees and officers of these facilities. Existing law requires the department to issue an exemption from disqualification to certain applicants who have been convicted of an offense, if the individual’s state and federal criminal history information independently supports a reasonable belief that the applicant is of present good character necessary to justify the granting of an exemption, as specified. Existing law authorizes the department to use its discretion in evaluating a an individual for the purposes of making an exemption decision, as necessary to protect the health and safety of a child.
This bill would require the department to issue an exemption from disqualification for current or former foster youth who have been convicted of certain offenses that occurred prior to the individual reaching 21 years of age and the youth will be employed in a peer support capacity and not a caregiving capacity and would not require any additional evidentiary showing.
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: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
- From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
- Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
- Read second time and amended.
- From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 14).
- Referred to Coms. on HUM. S. and PUB. S.
- From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.
- Read first time. To print.