Gov. on Sept. 29, 2026, signed two bills that create a Civil Detainees’ Bill of Rights and make California’s detention-facility inspections permanent, the attorney general’s office said.
SB 942, authored by Sen. and sponsored by Attorney General , formally codifies a Civil Detainees’ Bill of Rights; the attorney general’s office said the law guarantees detainees basic protections including medical care, clean drinking water, adequate food, sanitation, religious practice, communication with loved ones and access to legal counsel, and it allows facilities to be held accountable when those rights are violated.
SB 1399, authored by Sen. and co-sponsored by Immigrant Defense Advocates, removes AB 103’s July 1, 2027, expiration so the California Department of Justice must continue inspecting immigration detention facilities and reporting its findings to the Legislature and the public, the office said.
The attorney general’s office said DOJ’s inspections and five prior reports exposed worsening conditions at California detention facilities; the office said that included overcrowded intake and strained access to medical care, food, water and hygiene.
“Since taking office, the Trump Administration has waged a campaign of terror against immigrant communities,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the office’s statement; he added the laws will protect detainees’ health, safety and dignity.
Practical effect: detainees now have rights written into state law and state oversight of detention conditions will continue past 2027; the attorney general’s office said DOJ will keep documenting facility conditions and reporting them to the Legislature and the public.
The attorney general’s office also noted Bonta’s recent related actions, including filing amicus briefs opposing no-bond and poor-confinement policies, sending letters about dangerous conditions at specific facilities and releasing DOJ’s fifth report on detention conditions.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Rob Bonta
Attorney General · Democrat
Named 3 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Anna Caballero
State Senator · Democrat
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Maria Elena Durazo
State Senator · Democrat
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
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