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<ns0:Description>
<ns0:Id>20250AB__223097AMD</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>97</ns0:VersionNum>
<ns0:History>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-19</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-23</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-04-07</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>2230</ns0:MeasureNum>
<ns0:MeasureState>AMD</ns0:MeasureState>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Ávila Farías</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Ávila Farías</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
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<ns0:Title>An act to amend Section 18544 of the Elections Code, and to add Section 1596.7997 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to immigration.</ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>immigration</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Immigration enforcement: polling places and child daycare facilities.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Under existing law, it is a crime, punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony, for a person in possession of a firearm, a peace officer, private guard, or security personnel, or any person wearing the uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the appropriate elections official.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would make that crime a felony, punishable by a fine up to $10,000 and imprisonment for 2, 3, or 5 years. The bill would also expand the crime to apply to any person who displays a uniform or other clothing or insignia that reasonably conveys an association with any local, state, or federal law enforcement agency. The bill would create an exception for a peace officer who is responding to a presently occurring violent crime, responding to
an immediate threat to the life or health of others at the polling place, or casting a vote. The bill would prohibit an elections official from authorizing any agency or officer responsible for immigration enforcement or federal law enforcement to be stationed or posted in the immediate vicinity of a polling place. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law, the California Child Day Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of child daycare facilities, including daycare centers and daycare homes, by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law requires the licensee or administrator of a licensed child daycare facility, as applicable, to report to the State Department of Social Services and Attorney General any requests for information or access to the facility by an officer or employee of a law enforcement agency for the purpose of immigration enforcement.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would, except as required by state or federal law, prohibit immigration enforcement personnel from being stationed within 100 feet of the entrance of a licensed child daycare facility, except if the immigration enforcement personnel is doing tasks related to the immigration enforcement personnel’s own children. The bill would make a violation of this provision by an immigration enforcement personnel a felony, punishable
by a fine up to $10,000 and imprisonment for 2, 3, or 5 years. The bill would, except as required by state or federal law or as required to administer a state or federally supported early care and learning program, prohibit employees of a licensed child daycare facility from allowing an officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement to enter a nonpublic area without being presented with a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena or a court order. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that the provisions of this bill are severable.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would
provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.</html:p>
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<ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:MeasureIndicators>
<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
<ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
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<ns0:Bill id="bill">
<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_8C21C5BF-8B9C-4777-9875-3C6B245FF698">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Since 2025, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have terrorized California residents, United States citizens, and noncitizens alike through untargeted arrests and brutality based on nothing more than subjects’ racial appearances, languages spoken, means of earning a living, and expression protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
California is home to more than 10,000,000 immigrants, most of whom are naturalized United States citizens and are eligible to
vote in all elections.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Law enforcement activities, including immigration enforcement, in schools and childcare facilities have traumatized children and dissuaded hundreds of thousands of Hispanic and Asian children from attending school or utilizing childcare facilities.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Political provocateurs, including advisors to the President of the United States, have suggested that United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers surround voting centers and polling locations in order to intimidate immigrants and others from exercising their constitutional right to vote.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Ensuring that childcare facilities are safe and free from violence, and that all eligible voters have the opportunity to participate in
elections free from intimidation and violence, are matters of statewide concern.
</html:p>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_29885404-1C47-47A4-8EB8-363B7FD54FF0">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 18544 of the
<ns0:DocName>Elections Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>18544.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Any person in possession of a firearm, any uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel, or any person who is wearing or displaying a uniform or other clothing or insignia that reasonably conveys an association with any local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, guard, or security personnel, who is stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without written authorization of the appropriate city or county elections official, is guilty of a felony, punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for two, three, or five years.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
This section does not apply to any of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An unarmed uniformed guard or security personnel who is at the polling place to cast a vote.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A peace officer who is doing any of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Responding to a presently occurring violent crime.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Responding to an immediate threat to the life or health of others at the polling place.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(C)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Casting a vote.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A private guard or security personnel hired or arranged for by a city or county elections official.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A private guard or security personnel hired or arranged for by the owner or manager of the facility or property in which the polling place is located if the guard or security personnel is not hired or arranged solely for the day on which an election is held.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An elections official shall not authorize any agency or officer responsible for immigration enforcement or federal law enforcement to be stationed or posted in the immediate vicinity of a polling place. An authorization issued by an elections official in violation of this section is null and void, and the existence of an unlawful authorization is not a defense to a criminal charge brought pursuant to this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Notwithstanding Section 18546, for purposes of this section “immediate vicinity” includes a
building in which a polling place is situated, and 100 feet from any entrance or exit to the building, a parking facility for the building, and the ingress or egress for a vehicle to the parking facility.
</html:p>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_73A5E576-D56A-4F7D-8F7D-2F66CC7121BE">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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Section 1596.7997 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Health and Safety Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Fragment>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_3CBBF355-14E4-4F49-B204-AF4F55DEE7AE">
<ns0:Num>1596.7997.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_D7161EF9-10DC-4F24-9A50-7F7F9671A3BD">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Except as required by state or federal law, immigration enforcement personnel shall not be stationed within 100 feet of the entrance of a licensed child daycare facility, except if the immigration enforcement personnel is doing tasks related to
the immigration enforcement personnel’s own children.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Except as required by state or federal law or as required to administer a state or federally supported early care and learning program, employees of a licensed child daycare facility shall not allow an officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement to enter a nonpublic area of a licensed child daycare facility without being presented with a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena, or a court order. Any employee of a licensed child daycare facility shall, to the extent practicable, request a valid identification from an officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement seeking to enter a nonpublic area of a licensed child daycare facility. This subdivision shall not be construed to limit a licensed child daycare facility’s or employee’s right to consult with counsel or challenge the validity of a warrant, subpoena, or court order in a court of competent jurisdiction.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An immigration enforcement personnel who violates subdivision (a) is guilty of a felony, punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for two, three, or five years.
</html:p>
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</ns0:Fragment>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_574EF338-6D93-4DFE-8868-06C4C341F805">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</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>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:BillSection>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_830ADF00-D2D5-4C87-B162-97BFE380A677">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 5.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII
<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
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 Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII
<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
B of the California Constitution.
</html:p>
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