CaliforniaFuneral decision makers under known domestic violence orders protecting the deceased at death would lose control
Funeral directors and cemetery authorities would pass control of funeral plans to the next eligible relative when they know an order restrained the first decision maker from domestic violence against the deceased at death.
What it does
Funeral directors and cemetery authorities would pass funeral control to the next eligible relative if they know the first decision maker was under a domestic violence restraining order protecting the deceased when the deceased died.
Funeral directors and cemetery authorities would pass funeral control to the next eligible relative if they know a court decision or legally decisive document shows the first person's control would have gone against the deceased's best interests.
Funeral directors and cemetery authorities would face no civil or criminal liability or license discipline for decisions about transfers based on a known domestic violence order protecting the deceased from the decision maker at death or specified best interests evidence.
Argument forIf funeral staff know of the order, the transfer could keep someone restrained for domestic violence against the deceased at death from planning the funeral.
Argument againstIf funeral staff misread a qualifying court decision or will, affected relatives could have less chance to recover damages because staff are shielded from civil liability.
More detail
Funeral directors and cemetery authorities would pass control of the remains to the next eligible relative. This covers a person who would otherwise control the remains when funeral directors or cemetery authorities know that person was under a domestic violence restraining order protecting the deceased. The restraining order must have been in force when the deceased person died.
Funeral directors and cemetery authorities would pass control of the remains to the next eligible relative. This covers people otherwise entitled to control the remains when funeral directors or cemetery authorities know of the required proof. A court decision or a will, agreement, or other document the law treats as decisive must show that giving this person control would have gone against the deceased's best interests.
Funeral directors and cemetery authorities would be protected from civil or criminal liability and license discipline for these decisions. This protection covers decisions under the transfer rules for a known domestic violence order against the person with funeral control that protected the deceased at death, or specified proof about the deceased's best interests.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 30Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 951, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 30Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 15Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 1
- Vote recorded AB 2542 Patterson Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 31Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 7046.).Major
- Aug 19In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB2542 Patterson By Valladares. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 19Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5558.).Passed Senate
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 6Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 6From Consent Calendar.
- Aug 4Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Aug 3From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Jun 25Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jun 24From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 23).Major
- Jun 23
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 9From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- May 6Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Apr 23In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 2542 Patterson Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 23Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 4795.)Passed Assembly
- Apr 16Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Apr 15From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 15).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 24From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 19Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Mar 18From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 9Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
- Feb 20Read first time. To print.Introduced
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