Bail Consumer Protection Act.
AB 1927
California Bills
20250AB__192795AMD INTRODUCED 2026-02-13 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-03-16 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-04-06 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-05-18 AMENDED_SENATE 2026-06-25 2025 AB AMD Introduced by Assembly Member Krell LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Krell
An act to add
Section 538j to the Penal Code, relating to bail. bail Bail Consumer Protection Act. Existing law generally regulates the business of insurance in the state, including the conduct of insurance licensees, and provides for the issuance of bail licenses under the jurisdiction of the Insurance Commissioner. Existing regulations generally prohibit the solicitation of bail except after a bona fide request for bail services has been received from the arrestee or from another specified person.
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to impersonate certain personnel, including a law enforcement officer or an officer or member of a fire department, with the intent of fraudulently impersonating such a person, or of fraudulently inducing the belief that they are such a person. This bill, the Bail Consumer Protection Act, would make it a misdemeanor for any person to willfully impersonate, or falsely hold themselves out to be, a licensed bail agent, and while doing so solicits or attempts to solicit bail from any individual. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. MAJORITY NO YES YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Bail Consumer Protection Act. <caml:Num>SEC. 2.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:PEN:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'PART'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'2.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'TITLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'10.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'1.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'5.6.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SPREAD||commencingWith: 1299.30" xlink:type="locator">Article 5.6 (commencing with
Section 1299.30) is added to
Chapter of Title of Part of the <caml:DocName>Penal Code</caml:DocName>, to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawHeading id="id_EB3E0FA1-86C6-470B-957A-1569A6C25F67" type="ARTICLE"><caml:Num>5.6.</caml:Num><caml:LawHeadingVersion id="id_F35ED780-A03E-44C1-9D38-04A95B0EE494"><caml:LawHeadingText>Bail Consumer Protection</caml:LawHeadingText></caml:LawHeadingVersion><caml:LawSection id="id_4DE20FF1-82B7-42DA-81C7-499F4A139FC3"><caml:Num>1299.30.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_360BB37C-D6B1-4C01-A891-6F23D78E3F69"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>For purposes of this article, the following
definitions apply:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Arrested individual” means a person who has been taken into custody by a law enforcement agency on suspicion of committing a criminal offense.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Bail agent” means any person licensed or required to be licensed under
Chapter 7 (commencing with
Section 1800) of Part of Division of the Insurance Code to engage in the business of bail for the release of persons from custody, including any licensed or unlicensed person or entity acting at the direction or on behalf of a bail agent.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Family member” means a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or other person related by blood, marriage, or adoption to the arrested individual, or any person identified in public records or arrest notifications as a known emergency contact or cohabitant of the arrested individual.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Impersonator” means any person or entity impersonating a bail agent or government law enforcement agency for the purpose of engaging in the unauthorized solicitation of bail as defined in subdivision (f).</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Known contact” means any person identified in the arrested individual’s booking records, emergency contact information, or other publicly available arrest-related data as a potential point of contact for the arrested individual.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(f)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Unauthorized solicitation of bail” means any telephone call, text, email, or other form of communication to an arrestee, an arrestee’s family, or adult personal contacts initiated by a bail agent or impersonator to solicit the purchase of bail where the recipient has not previously requested bail services.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection><caml:LawSection id="id_50823166-B35D-4047-A354-7F579F8D2BF5"><caml:Num>1299.31.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_5242A059-7D69-426E-A84A-5CF7E5632C17"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>A bail agent or impersonator shall not engage in unauthorized solicitation of bail to any family member or known contact of an arrested individual for the purpose of engaging the recipient in bail bond services related to a person that has been arrested.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Subdivision (
a) applies regardless of whether the bail agent or impersonator obtained the personal information of the family member or known contact from public records, arrest booking information, or any other source. Subdivision (
a) does not apply to either of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Communication to any family member or known contact in response to a voluntary inquiry or bona fide request for bail bond services initiated by the same family member or known contact.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Communications through written advertisements or publicly accessible websites, if the communications do not target specific family members or known contacts without consent.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>(1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>A first violation of this
section shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each unauthorized solicitation of bail.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>A second or subsequent violation shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each unauthorized solicitation of bail.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The Attorney General or any public prosecutor may investigate complaints, impose penalties, and seek injunctive relief for violations of this section.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:LawHeading></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_E92E7B68-5DF9-4481-BAB7-8BA61DB6BB4F"><caml:Num>SEC. 3.</caml:Num><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The provisions of this act are severable.
If any provision of this act or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:BillSection>"?>
SEC.
Section 538j is added to the Penal Code , to read: 538j. (
a) Any person who willfully impersonates, or falsely holds themselves out to be, a licensed bail agent, and while doing so solicits or attempts to solicit bail from any individual, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine. (
b) For purposes of this section, the following apply: (1) “Licensed bail agent” means a person licensed pursuant to
Chapter 7 (commencing with
Section 1800) of Part of Division of the Insurance Code. (2) “Solicit” includes, but is not limited to, phone calls, robocalls, text messages, emails, and in-person communications. (
c) The penalties provided in this
section are cumulative and do not restrict the application of any other law, including any criminal penalties that may be imposed for any theft or for a violation of
Chapter 7 (commencing with
Section 1800) of Part of Division of the Insurance Code.
SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section of
Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of