Bill > AB820

This bill adds Section 50206 to the California Health and Safety Code to prevent local government and law enforcement employees from transporting and abandoning homeless individuals in different jurisdictions without first securing appropriate shelter or housing. The bill defines key terms such as "homeless individual" (anyone lacking a fixed, regular residence or living in temporary accommodations), "shelter" (which includes emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing), and "law enforcement agency" (police departments, sheriff's offices, district attorneys, and probation departments). Under the proposed law, government employees are prohibited from transporting and dropping off homeless people in a different jurisdiction unless they first coordinate shelter or long-term housing with the entity that will provide it. If a local government or law enforcement agency violates these provisions, they would be subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 for each violation. The bill explicitly states that these regulations apply to all California cities, including charter cities, as a matter of statewide concern. The goal is to prevent the practice of moving homeless individuals from one jurisdiction to another without providing them with meaningful support or housing assistance.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB820