Amended  IN  Assembly  March 19, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2683

Introduced by Assembly Member Ransom

February 20, 2026

An act relating to crimes. An act to amend Section 273a of, and to add Section 12022.56 to, the Penal Code, relating to crimes.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2683, as amended, Ransom. Crimes against minors. Crimes: child endangerment.
Existing law makes it unlawful, under circumstances or conditions likely to produce great bodily harm or death, to willfully cause or permit a child to suffer, or to inflict thereon unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or, having the care or custody of a child, to willfully cause or permit the person or health of that child to be injured, or to willfully cause or permit that child to be placed in a situation where their person or health may be endangered and a violation of these provisions punishable as a misdemeanor or felony.
This bill would make any adult who solicits or recruits a minor to commit a felony guilty of child endangerment pursuant to the provisions above and would, in addition and consecutive to any other punishment, make a violation punishable as a sentence enhancement in the state prison for 2, 4, or 6 years. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law defines murder as the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, except as specified, with malice aforethought. Existing law punishes a person guilty of first-degree murder by death, imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole, or imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 25 years to life, and of 2nd-degree murder by imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 15 years to life. Existing law requires a person who personally uses a firearm to commit, among other certain specified felonies, murder to be punished by an additional and consecutive term of imprisonment in the state prison for 25 years to life if the person discharged the firearm and proximately caused great bodily injury or death.
This bill would impose a sentence enchantment for murder, consisting of an additional and consecutive term of imprisonment in the state prison of an unspecified period of time, if the murder victim is a minor and the murder occurred in a location where at least one other minor was present. The bill would make the enhancement extend the date of parole eligibility for a person who has been given an indeterminate sentence. By creating a new sentence enhancement, the 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.

Existing law, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, provides that the intent and purpose of the act is to protect children from abuse and neglect, and requires all persons participating in the investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect to consider the needs of the child victim.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the criminal exploitation of minors and endangering of children.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NOYES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 273a of the Penal Code is amended to read:

273a.
 (a) Any person who, under circumstances or conditions likely to produce great bodily harm or death, willfully causes or permits any child to suffer, or inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or having the care or custody of any child, willfully causes or permits the person or health of that child to be injured, or willfully causes or permits that child to be placed in a situation where his or her their person or health is endangered, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison for two, four, or six years.
(b) Any person who, under circumstances or conditions other than those likely to produce great bodily harm or death, willfully causes or permits any child to suffer, or inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or having the care or custody of any child, willfully causes or permits the person or health of that child to be injured, or willfully causes or permits that child to be placed in a situation where his or her their person or health may be endangered, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(c) If a person is convicted of violating this section and probation is granted, the court shall require the following minimum conditions of probation:
(1) A mandatory minimum period of probation of 48 months.
(2) A criminal court protective order protecting the victim from further acts of violence or threats, and, if appropriate, residence exclusion or stay-away conditions.
(3) (A) Successful completion of no less than one year of a child abuser’s treatment counseling program approved by the probation department. The defendant shall be ordered to begin participation in the program immediately upon the grant of probation. The counseling program shall meet the criteria specified in Section 273.1. The defendant shall produce documentation of program enrollment to the court within 30 days of enrollment, along with quarterly progress reports.
(B) The terms of probation for offenders shall not be lifted until all reasonable fees due to the counseling program have been paid in full, but in no case shall probation be extended beyond the term provided in subdivision (a) of Section 1203.1. If the court finds that the defendant does not have the ability to pay the fees based on the defendant’s changed circumstances, the court may reduce or waive the fees.
(4) If the offense was committed while the defendant was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the defendant shall abstain from the use of drugs or alcohol during the period of probation and shall be subject to random drug testing by his or her their probation officer.
(5) The court may waive any of the above minimum conditions of probation upon a finding that the condition would not be in the best interests of justice. The court shall state on the record its reasons for any waiver.
(d) Any adult who solicits or recruits a minor to commit a felony is guilty of child endangerment pursuant to subdivision (a) and shall, in addition and consecutive to any other punishment, be punished by an additional term in the state prison for two, four, or six years.

SEC. 2.

 Section 12022.56 is added to the Penal Code, to read:

12022.56.
 Notwithstanding any other law, a person who, in the commission of murder pursuant to Section 187, murders a victim who is a minor in a location where at least one other minor was present, shall be punished by an additional and consecutive term of imprisonment in the state prison for ____ years. The enhancement shall extend the date of parole eligibility for a person who has been given an indeterminate sentence.

SEC. 3.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the criminal exploitation of minors and endangering of children.