AB 277 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Behavioral health centers, facilities, and programs: background checks.

Summary

Existing law generally provides requirements for the licensing of business establishments. Existing law requires a business that provides services to minors, as defined, to provide written notice to the parent or guardian of a minor participating in the service offered by the business regarding the business' policies relating to criminal background checks for employees, as specified. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to maintain state summary criminal history information, as defined, and to furnish this information as required by statute to specified entities, including a human resource agency or an employer. Under existing law, the disclosure of state summary criminal history information to an unauthorized person is a crime. This bill would require a person who provides behavioral health treatment for a behavioral health center, facility, or program to undergo a background check, as specified. By expanding the scope of the crime of unlawful disclosure of state summary criminal history information, this 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.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Assembly Passage

Jan 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Aug 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

01/05/26 - Amended Assembly → 06/02/26 - Amended Senate · 2 edits · Jun 2, 2026

MINOR

AB 277, as amended in Senate, made two substantive changes to the background check requirement for behavioral health treatment providers: it corrected a cross-reference from subdivision (c) to subdivision (c) (d) of Section 1374.73 of the Health and Safety Code, and it removed the stated purpose clause that described the background check as being 'to identify and exclude a person who has been convicted of a crime involving a minor.' The remaining changes are formatting and procedural (the bill moved from Assembly to Senate).

Scope change

The cross-reference correction from subdivision (c) to subdivision (c) (d) may slightly alter which behavioral health treatment providers are subject to the background check requirement, depending on how those subdivisions differ in defining 'behavioral health treatment.'

DEFINITION

The cross-reference for the definition of 'behavioral health treatment' was changed from subdivision (c) to subdivision (c) (d) of Section 1374.73 of the Health and Safety Code, which likely corrects or expands which category of providers is covered by the background check requirement.

REQUIREMENT

The purpose clause 'to identify and exclude a person who has been convicted of a crime involving a minor' was removed from Section 18980(a). The background check requirement now simply states that the person shall undergo a check pursuant to Penal Code Section 11105.3, without specifying the stated purpose.

02/20/25 - Amended Assembly → 04/22/25 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Apr 22, 2025

MODERATE

The April 2025 amendment dramatically narrowed AB 277 by removing the entire autism behavioral technician certification regime (Welfare and Institutions Code sections 4439, 4439.01, and 4439.02) that would have required DDS to certify qualified autism service providers, professionals, and paraprofessionals who work with minors. The bill now focuses solely on requiring background checks for persons providing behavioral health treatment at centers, facilities, or programs, and adds a new exemption for individuals already holding a valid California state license whose licensure process included a fingerprint-based background check.

SCOPE

Entire Part 1.5 of Division 4.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code (sections 4439, 4439.01, 4439.02) was deleted. This removed the requirement for DDS to establish a certification process for behavioral technicians (qualified autism service providers, professionals, and paraprofessionals), the prohibition on employing uncertified behavioral technicians at developmental centers serving minors, and the detailed fingerprint submission and disclosure procedures.

DEFINITION

All definitions of 'behavioral technician,' 'qualified autism service provider,' 'qualified autism service professional,' and 'qualified autism service paraprofessional' were removed from the bill.

ELIGIBILITY

New subdivision (b) to Section 18980 exempts a person who holds a current and valid license issued by a California state licensing board, provided the licensure process includes a fingerprint-based background check and the license is in good standing. This means already-licensed professionals (e.g., psychologists, therapists, physicians) do not need to undergo a separate background check under this bill.

TECHNICAL

Section 18980 was restructured from a single unnumbered paragraph into subdivisions (a) and (b), with the original background check requirement moved into subdivision (a).

Floor votes · Assembly Jan 26, 2026

How they voted

75–0

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 79

Jan 26, 2026

D Democratic59

56 Yea 3

94% Yea

R Republican20

19 Yea 1

95% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

upper

Aug 3, 2026

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jun 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 2, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

upper

Jun 1, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 1). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

upper

May 6, 2026

Committee

Referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and PUB. S.

upper

Jan 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 3829.)

lower

Jan 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (January 22).

lower

Jan 22, 2026

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

lower

Jan 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (January 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jan 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (January 13). Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Jan 8, 2026

Committee

(Pending re-refer to Com. on HUM. S.)

lower

Jan 8, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Coms. on PUB. S. and HUM. S. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

lower

Jan 6, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.

lower

May 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on HUM. S. and PUB. S.

lower

Jan 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee February 21.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors