---
type: "Bill"
title: "Postmortem photographs."
description: "Existing law prohibits making a copy, reproduction, or facsimile of a photograph, negative, or print of the body of a deceased person taken by, or for, the coroner at the scene of death, or in the course of a post mortem examination or autopsy, except for use in a criminal proceeding that relates to the death of that person or by order of the court for good cause, as specified. This provision does not apply to making a copy, reproduction, or facsimile for use in the field of forensic pathology, in medical or scientific education or research, or by any law enforcement agency."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20132014"
identifier: "AB 957"
citation: "California AB 957 (20132014)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Postmortem photographs."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Wagner"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 18
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2013-02-22"
last_action: "2013-07-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/373dca17-3583-4357-957b-42e7c9514876"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB957"
source_hash: "2dea3b8a587acb8fffbd025e845ba143a018e1d2ccaef7a0872e37132b1aaf40"
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 AB 957 (20132014) — Postmortem photographs.

Existing law prohibits making a copy, reproduction, or facsimile of a photograph, negative, or print of the body of a deceased person taken by, or for, the coroner at the scene of death, or in the course of a post mortem examination or autopsy, except for use in a criminal proceeding that relates to the death of that person or by order of the court for good cause, as specified. This provision does not apply to making a copy, reproduction, or facsimile for use in the field of forensic pathology, in medical or scientific education or research, or by any law enforcement agency.

## Version chain

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

1. **02/22/13 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB957&version=20130AB95799INT)
2. **04/16/13 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB957&version=20130AB95798AMD)
3. **06/10/13 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB957&version=20130AB95797AMD)
4. **07/03/13 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB957&version=20130AB95795CHP)
5. **AB957** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB957)
6. **06/25/13 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB957&version=20130AB95796ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. — **6–0** (pass) · upper
- AB 957 WAGNER Concurrence in Senate Amendments — **77–0** (pass) · lower
- AB 957 WAGNER Consent Calendar Second Day — **78–0** (pass) · lower
- Consent Calendar 2nd — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended, to Consent Calendar. — **10–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Wagner — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2013-02-22** Introduced. To print. `introduction`
- **2013-02-24** From printer. May be heard in committee March 26.
- **2013-02-25** Read first time. `reading-1`
- **2013-03-07** Referred to Com. on JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2013-04-15** From committee: Do pass as amended. To consent calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 9). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2013-04-16** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2013-04-17** Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2013-04-22** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1043.) `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2013-04-22** In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2013-05-02** Referred to Com. on JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2013-06-06** From committee: Do pass as amended. To consent calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 4). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2013-06-10** Read second time and amended. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2013-06-13** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 1339.). `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2013-06-13** In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after June 15 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.
- **2013-06-20** Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 2105.). `committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage`
- **2013-06-27** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 12:40 p.m.
- **2013-07-03** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2013-07-03** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 53, Statutes of 2013.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/373dca17-3583-4357-957b-42e7c9514876`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).