Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateCaliforniaIntroduced
AB 2018: Missing persons: DNA testing.
James Ramos
AB 2018 status: Introduced — Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar (updated Jun 30, 2026).
Source
LegiScan
Confidence
High
Analysis basis
LegiScan full bill text
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
66OUT OF 100
Score:66/100 civic fit
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 55/100
Constitutionality85%
Bipartisan90%
Public opinion80%
Bill summary
Existing law requires the Department of Justice to develop a DNA database for all cases involving the report of an unidentified deceased person or a high-risk missing person and provides for the collection of DNA samples from unidentified deceased persons and from potential sources for comparison, as specified. Existing law requires that the database be funded by a $2 increase on death certificates issued by a local government agency or by the State of California. Existing law specifies the p...
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Mixed / Neutral
50%
Benefits
- Maintains established funding stream via death certificate fees
- Provides resources for lab infrastructure
- Authorizes cost retention for administrative overhead
Risks
- Increases compliance costs for county coroners
- Imposes potential administrative burdens on death certificate issuance
- Creates future financial liability for potential civil litigation
Society
Positive outlook
70%
Benefits
- Alleviates trauma by accelerating identification of loved ones
- Formalizes voluntary consent process for family donors
- Protects families' rights to request data destruction
Risks
- Expands criteria for long-term retention of private genetic data
- Creates concerns regarding the misuse of familial DNA
- Limits individual legal recourse due to state employee immunity
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
65%
Benefits
- Establishes clear standards for forensic evidence preservation
- Creates misdemeanor penalties for unauthorized data disclosure
- Requires DOJ to develop standard release forms for transparency
Risks
- Grants absolute immunity to state employees for data breaches
- Classifies database security structures as confidential
- Limits civil discovery in DNA mishandling cases
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
80%
Benefits
- Standardizes collection procedures across all CA coroners
- Increases likelihood of identifying incomplete human remains
- Enhances interoperability with federal CODIS database
Risks
- Potential for administrative backlog during transition periods
- Reliance on local coroner compliance for sample submission
- Risk of contamination in long-term storage of samples
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
LegiScan
Official bill text or data from LegiScan.
Confidence
High
Information is complete and verified.
Analysis basis
LegiScan full bill text
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
Grants state employees absolute immunity from civil liability for unauthorized disclosures, potentially restricting legal recourse for families.
Analysis scope
Does not specify the exact technological standard for 'genetic markers' beyond current forensic capability.
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedCurrent
- CommitteeUpcoming
- Chamber votesUpcoming
- Final agreementUpcoming
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
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06
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