---
type: "Bill"
title: "Prisons: wireless communication devices."
description: "Existing law prohibits unauthorized communication with inmates in state prison. A person who violates that provision is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law further prohibits a person in a local correctional facility from possessing a wireless communication device, except as specified."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20112012"
identifier: "SB 26"
citation: "California SB 26 (20112012)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Prisons: wireless communication devices."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Padilla"]
version_count: 10
action_count: 34
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2010-12-06"
last_action: "2011-10-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cf07a00e-7990-44c3-84d0-a0187351578a"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26"
source_hash: "bc730f7ea0187cb8a21c6b1890c5b09718c1393a5e75c16478c061ebdc1704be"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California SB 26 (20112012) — Prisons: wireless communication devices.

Existing law prohibits unauthorized communication with inmates in state prison. A person who violates that provision is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law further prohibits a person in a local correctional facility from possessing a wireless communication device, except as specified.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **12/06/10 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2699INT)
2. **02/01/11 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2698AMD)
3. **03/30/11 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2697AMD)
4. **06/14/11 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2696AMD)
5. **07/13/11 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2695AMD)
6. **08/16/11 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2694AMD)
7. **08/31/11 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2693AMD)
8. **10/06/11 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2691CHP)
9. **SB26** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26)
10. **09/12/11 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB26&version=20110SB2692ENR)

## Votes

- SB 26 Padilla Third Reading Urgency By PEREA — **76–0** (pass) · lower
- Unfinished Business SB26 Padilla Urgency Clause Concurrence — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Placed on Appropriations Suspense file. — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations. — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended. — **17–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass. — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. — **7–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Padilla — primary (person)
- Anderson — coauthor (person)
- Bonnie Lowenthal — coauthor (person)
- Calderon — coauthor (person)
- Fuller — coauthor (person)
- Harman — coauthor (person)
- Solorio — coauthor (person)
- Walters — coauthor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2010-12-06** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2010-12-07** From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 6.
- **2011-01-20** Referred to Com. on RLS. `referral-committee`
- **2011-02-01** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. `reading-2, reading-1, committee-passage, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2011-02-10** Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. `referral-committee`
- **2011-03-15** Set for hearing March 22.
- **2011-03-29** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 417.) (March 22). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2011-03-30** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2011-04-01** Set for hearing April 11.
- **2011-04-11** Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- **2011-05-20** Set for hearing May 26.
- **2011-05-26** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 1111.) (May 26). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2011-05-27** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2011-05-31** Ordered to special consent calendar.
- **2011-06-01** From special consent calendar.
- **2011-06-01** Ordered to third reading.
- **2011-06-02** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1278.) Ordered to the Assembly. `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2011-06-02** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2011-06-13** Referred to Com. on PUB. S. `referral-committee`
- **2011-06-14** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. `reading-2, reading-1, committee-passage, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2011-07-12** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 5). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2011-07-13** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2011-08-16** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `reading-2, reading-1, committee-passage, amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2011-08-17** Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. `referral-committee`
- **2011-08-30** From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (August 25). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2011-08-31** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2011-09-01** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2011-09-07** Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 3015.) Ordered to the Senate. `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2011-09-07** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2011-09-08** Urgency clause adopted.
- **2011-09-08** Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2405.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. `committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage`
- **2011-09-14** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11:30 a.m.
- **2011-10-05** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2011-10-06** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 500, Statutes of 2011.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cf07a00e-7990-44c3-84d0-a0187351578a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).