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<ns0:Id>20250AB__192797AMD</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>97</ns0:VersionNum>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-13</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-16</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-04-06</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Krell</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Krell</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Article 5.6 (commencing with Section 1299.30) to Chapter 1 of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, relating to bail. </ns0:Title>
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<ns0:Subject>Bail Consumer Protection Act.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill, the Bail Consumer Protection Act, would prohibit a bail agent or impersonator from engaging 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, as specified. The bill would provide that the prohibition does not apply in certain circumstances, including when the
communication to a family member or known contact is in response to a voluntary inquiry or bona fide request for bail bond services initiated by that family member or known contact. The bill would prescribe civil penalties, enforceable by the Attorney General. The bill would additionally make a violation of these provisions an unfair and deceptive trade practice under the Unfair Competition Law and authorize private individuals aggrieved by a violation to bring a civil action for actual damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney’s fees. The bill would define terms for purposes of the act.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
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<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_2EC5CC91-9E83-4AF9-A292-F1A29E5906F1">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Bail Consumer Protection Act.</html:p>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_181F786E-5F1D-4FD1-BEC1-7E7D02C6AB5A">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Article 5.6 (commencing with Section 1299.30) is added to Chapter 1 of Title 10 of Part 2 of the
<ns0:DocName>Penal Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawHeading id="id_EB3E0FA1-86C6-470B-957A-1569A6C25F67" type="ARTICLE">
<ns0:Num>5.6.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:LawHeadingText>Bail Consumer Protection</ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:Num>1299.30.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html: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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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“Bail agent” means any person licensed or required to be licensed under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 1800) of Part 2 of Division 1 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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html: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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
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“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).
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(e)
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“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.
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<html:p>
(f)
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“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.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_50823166-B35D-4047-A354-7F579F8D2BF5">
<ns0:Num>1299.31.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
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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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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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:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html: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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html: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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html: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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html: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.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Attorney General may investigate complaints, impose
penalties, and seek injunctive relief for violations of this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In addition to the penalties provided in this section, a violation of this section shall constitute an unfair and deceptive trade practice under the Unfair Competition Law (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Private individuals aggrieved by a violation of this section may bring a civil action for actual damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney’s fees against the bail agent or impersonator.
</html:p>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_E92E7B68-5DF9-4481-BAB7-8BA61DB6BB4F">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html: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.</html:p>
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