Last Update: 5/16/19 –  In Assembly Appropriations committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

About the Bill: Existing law places county jails under the jurisdiction of the sheriff for the confinement of persons sentenced to imprisonment for the conviction of a crime. Existing law gives an inmate who is pregnant in a local detention facility the right to summon and receive the services of a physician or surgeon to determine if the inmate is pregnant and to receive medical services. Existing law requires the Board of State and Community Corrections to establish minimum standards for local correctional facilities to require that inmates who are received by the facility while they are pregnant are provided a balanced, nutritious diet approved by a doctor, prenatal and postpartum information and healthcare, information pertaining to childbirth education and infant care, and a dental cleaning. Existing law requires that these standards also prohibit the restraining of an inmate known to be pregnant or in recovery after delivery, except as specified.

This bill would require an inmate of a county jail who is identified as possibly pregnant during an intake health examination to be scheduled for laboratory work to verify pregnancy within 3 business days of arrival at the jail. The bill would require an inmate who is confirmed to be pregnant to be scheduled for an obstetrics examination within 7 days. The bill would require pregnant inmates to be scheduled for prenatal care visits, as specified. The bill would require pregnant inmates to be provided specified prenatal services and a referral to a medical social worker. The bill would require inmates to be given access to community-based programs serving pregnant, birthing, or lactating inmates. The bill would allow a pregnant inmate to elect to have a support person present during childbirth. The bill would require an inmate to be provided with a postpartum examination one week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks postpartum. By imposing new duties on county jails, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

AB 732 – Introduced by Assembly Member Bonta with Coauthors Assembly Members Limón and Weber and Senator Mitchell.

AB 732 – Full Bill Text