Assembly BillVetoedPenal
AB 15: Open unsolved homicide: review and reinvestigation.
What AB 15 does, verified March 9, 2026
this bill would require law enforcement agencies to review open unsolved homicides to determine if a reinvestigation would result in new leads. the review would be triggered by a written application from certain individuals, and would only be conducted if the case is at least 3 years old, has been fully investigated, and no suspect has been identified. the bill would allow for only one reinvestigation per case, and would impose a state-mandated local program on local law enforcement agencies. the state would be responsible for reimbursing local agencies for the costs of implementing the new program.
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Last action: Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. (2026-01-22)Alert me
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| Jan. 22, 2026 | Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. |
| Jan. 22, 2026 | Stricken from file. |
| Oct. 11, 2025 | Consideration of Governor's veto pending. |
| Oct. 11, 2025 | Vetoed by Governor. |
| Sep. 16, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. |
Latest bill textEnrolled version, September 11, 2025 · 1,368 words
| Enrolled September 11, 2025 |
| Passed IN Senate September 08, 2025 |
| Passed IN Assembly September 09, 2025 |
| Amended IN Senate July 16, 2025 |
| Amended IN Assembly May 23, 2025 |
| Amended IN Assembly February 24, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 15
| Introduced by Assembly Member Gipson (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alvarez, Bonta, Connolly, Kalra, Lee, and Ortega) |
December 02, 2024 |
An act to add Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 11483) to Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, relating to crimes.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 15, Gipson. Open unsolved homicide: review and reinvestigation.
Existing law defines murder as the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought. Existing law also defines manslaughter as the unlawful killing of a human being without malice, and establishes 3 kinds of manslaughter: voluntary, involuntary, and vehicular.
This bill would require a law enforcement agency to review the casefile regarding an open unsolved homicide upon written application by certain persons to determine if a reinvestigation would result in probative investigative leads, as specified. The bill would define a homicide to include murder and manslaughter and an open unsolved homicide as a homicide committed after January 1, 1990, but no less than 3 years prior to the date of the application for case review, that was investigated by a law enforcement agency, for which all probative investigative leads have been exhausted and for which no suspect has been identified. If the review determines that a reinvestigation would result in probative investigative leads, this bill would require a reinvestigation, as specified. The bill would allow only one reinvestigation from being undertaken at any one time with respect to the same victim.
By imposing new duties on local law enforcement agencies, 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, 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.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 11483) is added to Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, to read:CHAPTER 4. California Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act
11483.
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act.11484.
As used in this chapter, the following definitions apply:(a) “Agency” means a law enforcement entity in California.
(b) “Applicable agency” means a law enforcement agency that is investigating or has investigated the homicide of the victim.
(c) “Designated person” means an immediate family member, or their designated legal representative, who is a member in good standing with the State Bar of California.
(d) “Homicide” means a killing described in Section 187, 189, 191.5, 192, or 192.5.
(e) “Immediate family member” means a parent, parent-in-law, legal guardian, grandparent, grandparent-in-law, sibling, spouse, domestic partner, child, or stepchild of a homicide victim or any person who exercised in loco parentis control over a victim under 18 years of age.
(f) “Open unsolved homicide” means a homicide that meets all of the following requirements:
(1) The homicide was committed more than three years prior to the date of the application for a case review by a designated person under subdivision (c).
(2) The homicide was previously investigated by the applicable agency.
(3) All probative investigative leads have been exhausted.
(4) No suspect has been identified.
(5) The homicide was committed after January 1, 1990.
(g) “Victim” means the person against whom an open unsolved homicide was committed.
11485.
(a) An applicable agency shall review the case file regarding an open unsolved homicide upon written application by a designated person to determine if a reinvestigation would result in probative investigative leads.(b) The case file review may include, but is not limited to, all of the following:
(1) An analysis of the investigative steps or followup steps that may have been missed in the initial investigation.
(2) An assessment of whether witnesses should be interviewed or reinterviewed.
(3) An examination of physical evidence to see if all appropriate forensic testing and analysis was performed in the first instance or if additional testing might produce information relevant to the investigation.
(4) An update of the case file to bring it up to current investigative standards to the extent that doing so may help develop probative leads.
(c) The applicable agency shall confirm receipt of a request made under subdivision (a) in writing and provide notice of the applicant’s rights under this chapter.
(d) Only one case file review shall be undertaken at any one time with respect to the same open unsolved homicide case. If there is more than one investigative agency, each investigative agency shall coordinate its case file review such that there is only one case file review occurring at any given time.
(e) No later than 120 days after the receipt of the written application submitted pursuant to subdivision (a), the applicable agency shall conclude its case file review and reach a conclusion whether a reinvestigation under Section 11487 is warranted.
(f) The agency may extend the time limit in subdivision (e) for a period not to exceed 60 days if the agency makes a finding that the number of case files to be reviewed makes it impracticable to comply with said limit without unreasonably taking resources from other law enforcement activities. For cases for which the time limit in subdivision (e) is extended, the agency shall provide notice and an explanation of its reasoning to the designated person who filed the written application.
11486.
(a) Each agency shall develop a written application for designated persons to request a case file review.(b) Each agency shall assign an individual or department responsible for receiving and processing applications for case file reviews and ensuring that the agency meets all deadlines and obligations within this chapter generated by the application receipt.
11487.
(a) The agency shall conduct a reinvestigation of the open unsolved homicide at issue if the review of the case file required by Section 11485 determines that a reinvestigation of the open unsolved homicide would result in probative investigative leads.(b) A reinvestigation may include analyzing all evidence regarding the open unsolved homicide at issue for the purpose of developing probative investigative leads as to the suspect or suspects.
(c) If there is more than one investigative agency, each investigative agency shall coordinate its reinvestigation such that there is only one reinvestigation occurring at any given time.
11488.
(a) The applicable agency shall provide the designated person who filed the written application with periodic updates during the case file review and reinvestigation.(b) The applicable agency shall provide the designated person who filed the written application a written statement of the agency’s decision on whether or not to engage in a reinvestigation at the conclusion of the case review. The agency may meet with the designated person to explain the agency’s decision.
11489.
(a) If a case file review is completed and a conclusion is reached not to conduct a reinvestigation, no additional case file review shall be undertaken for a period of five years, unless there is newly discovered, materially significant evidence. An agency may continue an investigation absent a designated person’s application for a new case file review.(b) If a reinvestigation is done and a suspect is not identified at its conclusion, no additional case file review or reinvestigation needs to be conducted for a period of five years, unless there is newly discovered, materially significant new evidence.
11490.
Nothing in this chapter shall require an agency to provide information that would endanger the safety of any person, impede an ongoing investigation, violate a court order, or violate a legal obligation regarding privacy.SEC. 2.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.Text of AB 15 as enrolled, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions