Bill Text: CA AB1966 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 1966

CA State Legislature page for AB1966

Introduced

Bill Title: Sentencing enhancements: crimes against undocumented individuals.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)

Status: (Introduced) 2026-03-18 - In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. [AB1966 Detail]

Download: California-2025-AB1966-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1966

Introduced by Assembly Members Ramos and Valencia

February 13, 2026

An act to add Section 12022.54 to the Penal Code, relating to crimes.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1966, as introduced, Ramos. Sentencing enhancements: crimes against undocumented individuals.

Existing law generally authorizes a court to, in the furtherance of justice, dismiss a sentencing enhancement, except if dismissal of that enhancement is prohibited by an initiative statute. Existing law provides for various sentencing enhancements, including, among others, enhancements for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony or attempted felony, or for the damaging of property in the commission or attempted commission of a felony.

This bill would require the court to impose an additional and consecutive 2-year term of state imprisonment for individuals convicted of committing a qualifying criminal activity, as specified, against a person who is an undocumented individual. By creating a new sentencing enhancement, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 12022.54 is added to the Penal Code, to read:

12022.54.

(a) A person convicted of committing a qualifying criminal activity against a person who is an undocumented individual shall be punished by an additional and consecutive term of imprisonment in the state prison for two years.

(b) For the purposes of this section, “qualifying criminal activity” has the same meaning as qualifying criminal activity pursuant to Section 101(a)(15)(U)(iii) of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, which includes, but is not limited to, all of the following crimes:

(1) Rape.

(2) Torture.

(3) Human trafficking.

(4) Incest.

(5) Domestic violence.

(6) Sexual assault.

(7) Abusive sexual conduct.

(8) Prostitution.

(9) Sexual exploitation.

(10) Female genital mutilation.

(11) Being held hostage.

(12) Peonage.

(13) Perjury.

(14) Involuntary servitude.

(15) Slavery.

(16) Kidnapping.

(17) Abduction.

(18) Unlawful criminal restraint.

(19) False imprisonment.

(20) Blackmail.

(21) Extortion.

(22) Manslaughter.

(23) Murder.

(24) Felonious assault.

(25) Witness tampering.

(26) Obstruction of justice.

(27) Fraud in foreign labor contracting.

(28) Stalking.

SEC. 2.

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.