SB 1143: Children’s advocacy centers: recordings.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law authorizes a county to use a children’s advocacy center to implement a coordinated multidisciplinary response to investigate reports involving child physical or sexual abuse, exploitation, or maltreatment. Existing law requires a county that utilizes a child advocacy center to meet specified standards, including, among other things, that the children’s advocacy center must verify that interviews conducted in the course of investigations are conducted in a forensically sound manner and occur in a child-focused setting designed to provide a safe, comfortable, and dedicated place for children and families. Existing law requires the children’s advocacy center or other identified multidisciplinary team member custodian to ensure that all recordings of child forensic interviews be released only in response to a court order, or, upon request, to law enforcement agencies authorized to investigate child abuse or agencies authorized to prosecute juvenile or criminal conduct described in the forensic interview, or to county counsel evaluating an allegation of child abuse.

Existing law requires files, reports, records, communications, and working papers used or developed in providing services through a children’s advocacy center to be confidential and not public records. Existing law authorizes the members of a multidisciplinary team associated with a children’s advocacy center to share with other multidisciplinary team members any information or records concerning the child and family and the person who is the subject of the investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect for the sole purpose of facilitating a forensic interview, case discussion, or providing services to the child or family, as specified.

This bill would additionally authorize the members of a multidisciplinary team associated with a children’s advocacy center to share with child welfare agencies authorized to investigate child abuse and neglect any information or records, as specified, for the purposes mentioned above.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. June 30, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 55, Statutes of 2026.
2. June 30, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. June 19, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
4. June 16, 2026In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. June 15, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5707.) Ordered to the Senate.
6. June 10, 2026Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.
7. June 9, 2026From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 9).
8. May 26, 2026Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
9. May 19, 2026In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
10. May 18, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 4304.) Ordered to the Assembly.
11. April 15, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
12. April 14, 2026Ordered to second reading.