WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

AB 741

Relating to: personal hygiene products for inmates of state correctional institutions and county jails and houses of correction and making an appropriation. (FE)

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Margaret Arney and 18 co-sponsors

AB 741 requires CASA programs to run state and federal background checks and DOJ monitoring via the Child Abuse Central Index, boosting safety but adding admin work and costs.

Read first time and referred to Committee on Corrections
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · AB 741

AB 741 (Ransom) — Department of Justice: child abuse reporting (CASA background checks)

Status: Chaptered — Approved by Governor Oct 11, 2025 (Chapter 619, Statutes of 2025).
Primary change: Amends Penal Code § 11105.04.

Purpose / Intent

To strengthen background screening and ongoing monitoring of Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) employees and volunteers by (1) requiring state and federal criminal history background checks and (2) adding continuing monitoring and notification duties tied to the Child Abuse Central Index maintained by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Key provisions

  • Amends Penal Code section 11105.04 to require a designated CASA program to submit fingerprint images and related information for employment and volunteer candidates for the purpose of conducting both state and federal criminal history background checks (pursuant to subdivision (u) of § 11105).
  • Requires that, when requesting state-level criminal offender record information, the CASA program also request subsequent arrest notification for all candidates (per § 11105.2).
  • Directs DOJ to monitor the Child Abuse Central Index and notify the CASA program if a record of a child abuse investigation involving a CASA employee or volunteer is subsequently added to the index.
  • Imposes CASA program obligations to manage notifications:
    • Immediately notify DOJ to terminate notification for any individual who is no longer in an authorized CASA position; DOJ must terminate notification upon receipt of that request.
    • Verify at least every six months that each individual for whom notification remains active is still in an authorized position.
    • Immediately inform DOJ if a subsequent notification is received for an individual unknown to the CASA program or for whom notification had been terminated.
  • DOJ must provide a combined state- and federal-level response as specified in subdivision (p) of § 11105.
  • Fee provisions:
    • DOJ continues to charge a fee sufficient to cover the cost of processing federal-level criminal offender record requests and does not charge for state-level criminal offender record information.
    • DOJ may increase its fee for CASA employment/volunteer candidates to cover the cost of processing subsequent Child Abuse Central Index notifications.
  • Definitions/clarification:
    • A “designated CASA program” is a local CASA program as described in the Welfare & Institutions Code.
    • There is only one designated CASA program per California county.

Who is affected

  • CASA programs (local court-appointed special advocate programs) — new procedural and record‑keeping responsibilities (six‑month verifications, termination requests).
  • CASA applicants, employees, and volunteers — subject to state and federal criminal history checks and ongoing monitoring tied to the Child Abuse Central Index.
  • Department of Justice — expanded monitoring and notification duties; administrative/processing workload tied to subsequent notifications.
  • Potential indirect effects on counties and courts that oversee CASA programs.

Fiscal and implementation notes

  • The bill was referred to and reviewed by fiscal committees (fiscal committee: YES). It contains no separate appropriation language.
  • DOJ is authorized to recover costs for federal checks and may raise fees for CASA candidate processing to cover costs of subsequent notifications, which offsets administrative expenses.
  • The statute was chaptered on Oct 11, 2025 (Chapter 619, Statutes of 2025). Unless the bill specifies otherwise, new statutes generally take effect on January 1 following enactment.

Legislative history (selected)

  • Introduced: Feb 18, 2025.
  • Passed both houses with majority votes (Assembly and Senate actions documented); enrolled and presented to the Governor Sept–Oct 2025.
  • Governor approved and chaptered Oct 11, 2025.

Practical impact (neutral summary)

AB 741 expands background check scope for CASA programs (adds federal checks) and creates an ongoing monitoring/notification system between DOJ and CASA programs tied to the Child Abuse Central Index. The measure aims to improve child safety oversight of CASA personnel but creates additional administrative tasks for CASA programs and DOJ. DOJ may recoup related processing costs via fees charged for federal checks and by increasing fees for CASA candidate processing to cover subsequent notification costs.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.