California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill
AB 2661: Search warrants: newborn screening program.
In committee Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
AB 2661 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 20, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Search warrants: newborn screening program. Primary sponsor: Joe Patterson (R). Most recent recorded action (March 16, 2026): Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and PUB. S.
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 Public Health to establish a genetic disease unit to, among other responsibilities, promote a statewide program of information, testing, and counseling services related to genetic diseases, and administer that information, testing, and counseling to each child born in the state, as specified. Existing law requires all information obtained from persons involved in hereditary disorders programs to be held strictly confidential.
Existing law sets forth the grounds and procedures for the issuance of a search warrant and authorizes the issuance of a search warrant upon specified grounds, including that the property or things to be seized consist of an item or constitute evidence that tends to show a felony has been committed or that a particular person has committed a felony.
This bill would authorize the department to release a portion of the newborn blood specimen card taken from a newborn pursuant to a formal request from a coroner to identify unidentified human remains or to law enforcement in response to a search warrant if the objective of the warrant is to obtain the DNA of a missing person suspected to be a victim of homicide, kidnapping, child abuse resulting in death, or manslaughter.
Existing law requires the department, commencing July 1, 2026, to annually generate a report to the Legislature regarding the newborn screening program, including, among other things, the number of new residual screening specimens collected during the previous calendar year.
This bill also would require the report to include the number of requests from a coroner and search warrants received by the department and the number of disclosures granted in response to those requests and warrants.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Republican 1
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Patterson | Primary sponsor | Republican | Assembly | 5 |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and PUB. S.
- From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
- Read first time. To print.