California Assembly Bill 475
Session 20252026
Prisons and jails: employment of inmates.
Active
Failed in Assembly on Feb 2, 2026
Origin Chamber
Assembly
Type
Bill
Bill Number
475
State
California
Session
20252026
checkPassed on March 25, 2025
Motion Text
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Assembly Roll Call Votes
Summary
Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to require each able-bodied inmate, including a condemned inmate, to work as prescribed by CDCR regulations. Existing CDCR regulations require each inmate to participate in 8 hours a day of programming, including labor, education, counseling, physical fitness, and other programs, 5 days per week. Under existing CDCR regulations, an inmate who fails to participate as required is subject to a loss of privileges, including the earning of good conduct credit.
Existing law also authorizes a board of supervisors or city council, through an order, to require all persons confined in a county or city jail, industrial farm, or road camp, as specified, to perform labor on the public works or ways in the county or city, respectively, and to engage in the prevention and suppression of forest, brush, and grass fires upon lands within the county or city, respectively.
This bill would no longer require CDCR to require each able-bodied inmate to work and, instead, would require CDCR to develop a voluntary work program and to prescribe rules and regulations regarding voluntary work assignments for CDCR inmates, including the wages for work assignments, and would require wages for work assignments in county and city jail programs to be set by local ordinance. The bill would, on and after January 1, 2027, prohibit CDCR from requiring incarcerated persons, except as specified, to work. By requiring local authorities to pass a local ordinance to set compensation for county and city jail programs, this bill would create 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
02/10/25 - Introduced
February 10, 2025
03/10/25 - Amended Assembly
March 10, 2025
03/24/25- Assembly Public Safety
March 24, 2025
04/21/25- Assembly Appropriations
April 21, 2025
Sort by most recent
02/02/2026
Assembly
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
01/31/2026
Assembly
Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
05/23/2025
Assembly
In committee: Held under submission.
04/23/2025
Assembly
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
03/26/2025
Assembly
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
03/11/2025
Assembly
Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
03/10/2025
Assembly
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
02/24/2025
Assembly
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
02/11/2025
Assembly
From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.
02/10/2025
Assembly
Read first time. To print.
Sources
Record Created
Feb 12, 2025 4:02:10 PM
Record Updated
Feb 3, 2026 8:32:30 AM