Assembly Public Safety committee advances measures on ketamine transport, judicial threats, survivor relief, prison work and other reforms

The Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety voted Wednesday to advance multiple bills to the Appropriations Committee after hearings that combined technical fixes, contested policy choices and extended public testimony.

Among the measures the committee moved were AB 837 (Davies), a narrow expansion targeting persons who transport ketamine into California for illegal distribution; AB 352 (Pacheco), creating an aggravating factor for criminal threats against judges and court commissioners; AB 938 (Bonta), expanding vacatur and an affirmative defense for survivors of human trafficking and severe domestic or sexual violence; AB 475 (Wilson), requiring work assignments for incarcerated individuals be voluntary; AB 704 (Lowenthal), allowing certain young-adult convictions to be sealed and destroyed; AB 812 (Lowenthal), creating a pathway for resentencing recommendations for incarcerated firefighters; AB 701 (Ortega), directing a statewide study of segregated confinement; AB 800 (Ortega), seeking to limit prison visiting-room food prices; and AB 572 (Kalra), which would require disclosure and limits on use of family statements after a person is killed or seriously injured by law enforcement. Most measures were approved "passed as amended to the Appropriations Committee" on party-line and mixed votes recorded on the roll calls.

Why this matters

Committee members framed the package as a mix of public-safety initiatives and criminal-justice reforms. Supporters argued the bills either close legal loopholes (AB 837), protect public officials (AB 352) or remove collateral barriers for people harmed by violence (AB 938, AB 704). Opponents—ranging from public-defense offices and civil-rights groups to county district attorneys, police associations and some private vendors—raised concerns about unintended consequences: worsening public-health outcomes, prosecutorial discovery burdens, victims’ interests in prosecutions, the economic viability of vendor programs, and preservation of investigatory tools in officer-involved incidents.

Key measures and committee debate

AB 837 (Davies) — ketamine transport Assemblymember Sharon Davies presented AB 837 as a narrowly tailored bill to close a 1991 statutory gap allowing nonmedical persons to transport ketamine into California and to give courts discretion under Penal Code section 1170 for sentencing. Davies said she would accept committee amendments and that "the amendments agreed to by the chair ... limits the bill to just the trafficker. We do not touch the seller or the buyer." Robert Brown of the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office testified for the California District Attorneys Association in support, calling ketamine a powerful anesthetic and warning against it becoming an alternative to fentanyl.

Opponents included Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal (USC) and representatives of Drug Policy Alliance and public-defender offices, who testified that increased criminal penalties historically have little effect on supply and can increase harms and reduce access to health services. Dr. Bluthenthal testified, "increased penalties do more harm than good and in fact there's little evidence of positive outcomes but well documented evidence of bad outcomes." The committee voted to pass AB 837 as amended to Appropriations.

AB 352 (Pacheco) — threats against judges Assemblymember Alex Pacheco said AB 352 would add a sentencing aggravator when threats are directed at judges or court commissioners, allowing judges to impose up to three years for felony criminal threats when appropriate and reinforcing protections for the judiciary. Cliff Costa of the California Judges Association described a documented rise in threats, citing courthouse shutdowns and bomb threats.

Opposition from ACLU California Action’s legislative attorney argued the bill was unnecessary because Penal Code section 422 (criminal threats) and the existing aggravating-factor framework already enable prosecutors and courts to account for threats to the judiciary. The author and supporters responded that the change would give courts explicit authority to consider threats outside the courtroom and would include tribal judges. The committee passed AB 352 as amended to Appropriations.

AB 938 (Bonta) — vacatur and affirmative defense for survivors Assemblymember Mia Bonta described AB 938 as expanding vacatur and an affirmative defense for survivors of human trafficking, intimate-partner violence and sexual violence, allowing vacatur and defense relief for all offenses except murder (with narrow exceptions). The measure would let survivors petition to vacate convictions or assert an affirmative defense if they can show by a preponderance that coercion tied to trafficking or abuse caused the offense, and the court finds vacatur is in the interest of justice. Bonta said the bill reflects other states’ approaches and emphasized the high burdens and judicial discretion built into the process.

Jamie Beck, an attorney who has represented nearly 100 survivors in vacatur cases, and survivor Susan Bustamante testified in support. Bustamante told the committee she had not been allowed to put her years of abuse before the court when criminally charged in the 1980s and described the lifelong consequences of a conviction.

Opponents—including the California District Attorneys Association, the Riverside Sheriffs Association and the California Police Chiefs Association—argued that expanding vacatur to violent offenses risks erasing records that are relevant to public safety and victim interests, and requested judicial discretion to consider public-safety impacts. The author and supporters emphasized the bill’s "best interest of justice" safety valve and judges’ retained sentencing discretion. The committee voted to pass AB 938 as amended to Appropriations.

AB 475 (Wilson) — voluntary work assignments in state prisons Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (sponsoring language attributed to the California Legislative Black Caucus priority) introduced AB 475 as a measure requiring work assignments for incarcerated people to be voluntary, paired with a companion constitutional amendment (ACA 6) to remove language authorizing slavery and involuntary servitude from the state constitution. Proponents framed the bill as restoring bodily autonomy and improving rehabilitative outcomes by allowing people to choose education and programs instead of mandatory forced labor.

Supporters included formerly incarcerated witnesses and civil-rights and reentry organizations; several witnesses described mandatory assignments that interfered with education or family needs. No formal opposition letters were on file in committee, but some members raised questions grounded in voters' recent ballot choices and concerns about specifics of compensation or discipline. The chair recommended aye and the measure was moved to Appropriations; the roll indicated some members were recorded as "no" or "not voting," and the item was left on call for final tallying.

AB 704 (Lowenthal) — sealing and destruction of certain convictions for ages 18–25 Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi Lowenthal presented AB 704 to allow people convicted of low-level offenses between ages 18 and 25 to petition to seal and destroy records after a waiting period, rather than rely solely on expungement. Supporters said the change addresses the gap created by internet-accessible records and developmental science showing late adolescents have diminished culpability.

Opponents—led in testimony by the California District Attorneys Association and the California Police Chiefs Association—expressed concerns about Brady and impeachment obligations to disclose prior convictions for witness impeachment, though the author and supporters (including Californians for Safety and Justice) said existing case law treats expunged and diverted records similarly for impeachment and that courts retain discretion. The committee passed AB 704 as amended to Appropriations.

AB 812 (Lowenthal) — resentencing recommendations for incarcerated firefighters AB 812 would create a formal process for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and other authorized entities to recommend incarcerated individuals who serve on conservation fire crews for resentencing consideration. Supporters, including formerly incarcerated firefighters and public-defender advocates, said the program rewards service, supports reentry and reduces recidivism.

The California District Attorneys Association and Crime Victims United testified in respectful opposition, citing concerns about notice to victims and the suitability of an automatic referral pathway. Supporters countered that the bill does not automatically shorten sentences; it simply permits judges to consider recommendations and retains judicial discretion. The committee passed AB 812 as amended to Appropriations.

AB 701 (Ortega) — statewide study of segregated confinement Assemblymember Blanca Ortega said AB 701 would require a one‑time comprehensive study and reporting on the use of segregated confinement (solitary) across CDCR, private detention centers and local jails for a specified nine‑month period in 2026, including start and end times, stated basis and outcomes, and would create monthly data reporting to the Legislature and a final report by November 1, 2026. Ortega cited the United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules and Disability Rights California testified in support, describing disproportionate harm to people with disabilities and people of color.

Some committee members suggested extending the data period to a full calendar year; others raised concerns about too-broad definitions. The committee recommended an aye and moved AB 701 to Appropriations.

AB 800 (Ortega) — prison visiting-room food prices AB 800 would require prices for food sold in prison visiting areas to be aligned with local market retail prices in surrounding communities. Supporters—family members of incarcerated people and advocates—testified that families face high transportation and lodging costs for long visits and that in‑house prices for vending items can be two to three times community prices, creating a barrier to visits that research links to recidivism reduction.

Opposition came principally from Business Enterprise Program (BEP) vendors who operate visiting-room concessions through the California Department of Rehabilitation. Blind vendors and BEP representatives warned the bill, as drafted, could undercut the program’s financial viability and its employment outcomes for people who are blind or have other disabilities; they requested amendments to preserve the BEP mission and account for wholesale, distribution and operational costs. The author said she would continue to work with vendors on language. The committee moved the measure as amended to Appropriations; the roll was left on call while members finalized some votes.

AB 572 (Kalra) — post‑incident family interviews after officer‑involved deaths or serious injury Assemblymember Ash Kalra presented AB 572 to require that, before law-enforcement interviews with family members after an incident in which a person is killed or seriously injured by a peace officer, investigators clearly notify the family about the victim’s status (alive, deceased, critical) and inform them of the nature of the contact and their rights. The bill would also limit use of statements taken from family members in specific ways and require certain disclosures so that families are not misled while vulnerable.

Family members who had lost loved ones to police shootings described being told misleading or partial information and being questioned without knowing a relative was dead. Jim Shoman, father of a shooting victim, testified about being taken to a station and later told that his daughter had died after he had been extensively questioned.

Opposition from district attorneys, police unions and narcotics officers argued the bill could chill investigations, interfere with witness interviews, and risk revealing investigatory strategies or creating Miranda‑style confusion for grieving relatives. The author said she would work with stakeholders on narrow language and the committee moved AB 572 as amended to Appropriations.

Chair’s summary and next steps

Chair Nick Schultz and the panel recommended "aye" votes on the measures with a number of members urging ongoing technical work with opposing stakeholders. Several bills advanced as amended to the Appropriations Committee; several were left on call while members completed final roll calls. Where the committee accepted amendments or technical changes, authors and staff indicated they would continue to negotiate language before later fiscal and floor votes.

What to watch

- Appropriations committee analyses and possible fiscal amendments (several measures were moved to Appropriations). - Ongoing negotiations on AB 800 (visiting-room pricing) and AB 572 (family interview disclosures), where authors signaled additional fixes to address vendor and investigatory concerns, respectively. - AB 938 (vacatur/affirmative defense) and AB 475 (voluntary work) as they progress toward floor debate—both touch on contested balances between victim interests, public safety and restorative approaches.

Speakers quoted in this summary came from the committee hearing record and are identified below in the article metadata. The committee’s transcript record was the primary source for vote actions and speaker remarks.