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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Senate Bill

SB 1278: Elderly Parole Program.

In committee Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 1278 is a senate bill introduced in the California Senate on February 20, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Elderly Parole Program. Primary sponsor: Roger Niello (R), Brian Jones (R). It lists 5 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (April 22, 2026): April 21 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 3. Noes 2. Page 3984.) Reconsideration granted.

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 establishes the Elderly Parole Program for the purpose of reviewing the parole suitability of inmates who are 50 years of age or older and who have served a minimum of 20 years of continuous incarceration on their sentence. Existing law requires the Board of Parole Hearings, when considering the release of qualifying inmates, to give special consideration to whether certain criteria have reduced the elderly inmate’s risk for future violence. Existing law excludes various persons from these provisions, including, among others, persons convicted of serious felonies, persons convicted of first-degree murder of a peace officer, or persons sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

This bill would additionally exclude, among others, persons receiving an enhancement to their sentence for committing certain sexual offenses including, among others, rape, sodomy, or lewd and lascivious acts, and habitual sex offenders. The bill would specify that these exclusions apply to all persons incarcerated as of January 1, 2027, regardless of the person’s previous eligibility for parole or the status of any parole petition filed prior to that date.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1 · Republican 6

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Roger NielloPrimary sponsorRepublicanSenate6
Brian JonesPrimary sponsorRepublicanSenate40
Rosilicie Ochoa BoghCo-sponsorRepublicanSenate19
Josh HooverCo-sponsorRepublicanAssembly7
Maggy KrellCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly6
Tom LackeyCo-sponsorRepublicanAssembly34
Suzette Martinez ValladaresCo-sponsorRepublicanSenate23

“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. April 21 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 3. Noes 2. Page 3984.) Reconsideration granted.
  2. Set for hearing April 21.
  3. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
  4. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
  5. Referred to Com. on RLS.
  6. Read first time.
  7. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
  8. Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page