Assembly BillFailedHealth and Safety
AB 820: Homelessness: transport.
What AB 820 does, verified February 3, 2026
This bill would prohibit local government or law enforcement employees from transporting and dropping off homeless individuals unless they first coordinate shelter or long-term housing. This is intended to address the issue of homelessness by ensuring individuals are provided with necessary support services. Local governments or law enforcement agencies that violate these provisions could face a $10,000 civil penalty. The bill applies to all cities, including charter cities, as it addresses a matter of statewide concern.
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
2In CommitteeCurrent
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. (2026-02-02)Alert me
Author and sponsors
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| Feb. 02, 2026 | From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. |
| Jan. 31, 2026 | Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution. |
| Apr. 07, 2025 | In committee: Hearing postponed by committee. |
| Mar. 10, 2025 | Referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and JUD. |
| Feb. 20, 2025 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 22. |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, February 19, 2025 · 724 words
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 820
| Introduced by Assembly Member Pellerin |
February 19, 2025 |
An act to add Section 50206 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to homelessness.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 820, as introduced, Pellerin. Homelessness: transport.
Existing law establishes various programs to assist homeless individuals, including the Homeless Emergency Aid Program, the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program, and the Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program.
This bill would prohibit an employee of a local government or law enforcement agency, when acting in their official capacity, from transporting and dropping off, or arranging for or funding the transport and drop off, of a homeless individual within a jurisdiction unless the employee first coordinates shelter or long-term housing for the homeless individual, as defined and specified. This bill would make a local government or law enforcement agency liable for a civil penalty of $10,000 for each violation of these provisions.
The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 50206 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:50206.
(a) For purposes of this section:(1) “Emergency shelter” means housing with minimal supportive services for homeless individuals that is limited to occupancy of six months or less by a homeless individual.
(2) “Homeless individual” means any of the following:
(A) An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
(B) An individual with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including, but not limited to, a car, park, abandoned building, bus station, train station, airport, or camping ground.
(C) An individual living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements, including hotels or motels paid for by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations, congregate shelters, or transitional housing.
(3) “Law enforcement agency” means a police department, sheriff’s department, district attorney, or county probation department.
(4) “Local government” means any city, county, city and county, special district, or other subdivision of the state.
(5) “Permanent supportive housing” means housing for homeless individuals, with no limit on length of stay, and that is linked to onsite or offsite services that assist the supportive housing resident in retaining the housing, improving the person’s health status, and maximizing the person’s ability to live and, when possible, work in the community.
(6) “Shelter” means an emergency shelter, transitional housing, or permanent supportive housing.
(7) “Transitional housing” means housing with supportive services for up to 24 months that is exclusively designated and targeted for recently homeless individuals.
(b) An employee of a local government or law enforcement agency, when acting in their official capacity, shall not transport and drop off a homeless individual on public property, or private property that is accessible to the public, within a different jurisdiction for the purpose of relocating the homeless individual on a permanent or temporary basis, unless the employee first coordinates shelter or long-term housing for the homeless individual with the individual or entity that will provide that shelter or long-term housing.
(c) An employee of a local government or law enforcement agency, when acting in their official capacity, shall not arrange for or fund the transport and drop off a homeless individual on public property, or private property that is accessible to the public, within a different jurisdiction for the purpose of relocating the homeless individual on a permanent or temporary basis, unless the first coordinates shelter or long-term housing for the homeless individual with the individual or entity that will provide that shelter or long-term housing.
(d) A local government or law enforcement agency shall be liable for a civil penalty in the amount of $10,000 for each violation of this section.
(e) The Legislature finds and declares that this section addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, this section applies to all cities, including charter cities.
Text of AB 820 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions