--- type: "Bill" title: "Evidentiary privileges: domestic violence counselor-victim privilege." description: "Existing law relating to legal proceedings generally provides that a person does not have a privilege to refuse to disclose any matter or produce any writing, object, or other thing. However, a victim of domestic violence has a privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent another from disclosing, a confidential communication between the victim and a domestic violence counselor. Existing law requires the domestic violence counselor who received or made a communication subject to this privilege to claim the privilege whenever he or she is present when the communication is sought to be disclosed. Existing law defines \"domestic violence counselor\" to mean a specified person who is employed at a domestic violence victim service organization. Existing law defines \"domestic violence victim service organization\" to mean a nongovernmental organization or entity that provides shelter, programs, or services to victims of domestic violence and their children, as specified." jurisdiction: "us/states/ca" legislature: "California Legislature" session: "20172018" identifier: "SB 331" citation: "California SB 331 (20172018)" classification: ["bill"] subjects: ["Evidentiary privileges: domestic violence counselor-victim privilege."] status: "enacted" primary_sponsors: ["Jackson"] version_count: 5 action_count: 22 vote_count: 2 first_action: "2017-02-13" last_action: "2017-08-07" source: "openstates" source_identifier: "ocd-bill/26b5fc9b-6bb5-4df1-8c59-11ab0654c381" source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB331" source_hash: "178d3684fcf5010896b81e338db4194c11cf969c42060c7d47f62dab22d89f17" 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 331 (20172018) — Evidentiary privileges: domestic violence counselor-victim privilege. Existing law relating to legal proceedings generally provides that a person does not have a privilege to refuse to disclose any matter or produce any writing, object, or other thing. However, a victim of domestic violence has a privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent another from disclosing, a confidential communication between the victim and a domestic violence counselor. Existing law requires the domestic violence counselor who received or made a communication subject to this privilege to claim the privilege whenever he or she is present when the communication is sought to be disclosed. Existing law defines "domestic violence counselor" to mean a specified person who is employed at a domestic violence victim service organization. Existing law defines "domestic violence victim service organization" to mean a nongovernmental organization or entity that provides shelter, programs, or services to victims of domestic violence and their children, as specified. ## Version chain The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment. 1. **02/13/17 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB331&version=20170SB33199INT) 2. **05/15/17 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB331&version=20170SB33198AMD) 3. **08/07/17 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB331&version=20170SB33196CHP) 4. **SB331** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB331) 5. **07/21/17 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB331&version=20170SB33197ENR) ## Votes - Do pass as amended, and be ordered to the Consent Calendar — **7–0** (pass) · upper - SB 331 Jackson Consent Calendar Second Day — **67–0** (pass) · lower ## Sponsors - Jackson — primary (person) ## Timeline The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote. - **2017-02-13** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1` - **2017-02-14** From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 16. - **2017-02-23** Referred to Coms. on PUB. S. and JUD. `referral-committee` - **2017-03-02** Set for hearing March 21. - **2017-03-22** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 430.) (March 21). Re-referred to Com. on JUD. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee` - **2017-04-13** Set for hearing May 2. - **2017-04-27** May 2 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author. - **2017-05-01** Set for hearing May 9. - **2017-05-11** From committee: Do pass as amended. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 1020.) (May 9). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage` - **2017-05-15** Read second time and amended. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-1, amendment-passage, reading-2` - **2017-05-15** Published May 15 at 2 p.m. - **2017-05-22** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 1148.) Ordered to the Assembly. `reading-3, passage, reading-1` - **2017-05-23** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1` - **2017-06-01** Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S. `referral-committee` - **2017-06-13** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 13). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee` - **2017-07-12** From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 11). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage` - **2017-07-13** Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-2, reading-1` - **2017-07-20** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 67. Noes 0. Page 2634.) Ordered to the Senate. `reading-3, passage, reading-1` - **2017-07-20** In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. - **2017-07-28** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 12 p.m. - **2017-08-07** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature` - **2017-08-07** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 178, Statutes of 2017. ## Source OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/26b5fc9b-6bb5-4df1-8c59-11ab0654c381`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).