--- type: "Bill" title: "Controlled substances: punishment." description: "Existing law makes it a crime to possess specified controlled substances, a controlled substance analog, or drug paraphernalia. Existing law provides that it is not a crime for a person who experiences a drug-related overdose and who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance, or any other person who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for the person experiencing a drug-related overdose, to be under the influence of, or to possess for personal use, a controlled substance, controlled substance analog, or drug paraphernalia, under certain circumstances related to a drug-related overdose that prompted seeking medical assistance if that person does not obstruct medical or law enforcement personnel." jurisdiction: "us/states/ca" legislature: "California Legislature" session: "20232024" identifier: "SB 250" citation: "California SB 250 (20232024)" classification: ["bill"] subjects: ["Controlled substances", "punishment"] status: "enacted" primary_sponsors: ["Umberg"] version_count: 8 action_count: 25 vote_count: 5 first_action: "2023-01-26" last_action: "2023-07-21" source: "openstates" source_identifier: "ocd-bill/37945229-0fac-42fd-9b5b-235a8df091b5" source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250" source_hash: "937d54619ce5d52a2489fb3e9ce32071bc5403846117ef52da67e0b1b9c3fe36" 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 250 (20232024) — Controlled substances: punishment. Existing law makes it a crime to possess specified controlled substances, a controlled substance analog, or drug paraphernalia. Existing law provides that it is not a crime for a person who experiences a drug-related overdose and who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance, or any other person who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for the person experiencing a drug-related overdose, to be under the influence of, or to possess for personal use, a controlled substance, controlled substance analog, or drug paraphernalia, under certain circumstances related to a drug-related overdose that prompted seeking medical assistance if that person does not obstruct medical or law enforcement personnel. ## Version chain The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment. 1. **01/26/23 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250&version=20230SB25099INT) 2. **02/28/23 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250&version=20230SB25098AMD) 3. **03/09/23 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250&version=20230SB25097AMD) 4. **06/05/23 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250&version=20230SB25096AMD) 5. **06/14/23 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250&version=20230SB25095AMD) 6. **07/21/23 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250&version=20230SB25093CHP) 7. **SB250** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250) 8. **07/07/23 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB250&version=20230SB25094ENR) ## Votes - Special Consent — **40–0** (pass) · upper - SB 250 Umberg Consent Calendar Second Day — **71–0** (pass) · lower - Do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. — **8–0** (pass) · lower - Do pass and be ordered to the Consent Calendar — **5–0** (pass) · upper - 3rd Reading — **40–0** (pass) · upper ## Sponsors - Umberg — primary (person) ## Timeline The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote. - **2023-01-26** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1` - **2023-01-27** From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 26. - **2023-02-09** Referred to Com. on RLS. `referral-committee` - **2023-02-28** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee` - **2023-03-08** Re-referred to Com. on PUB S. `referral-committee` - **2023-03-09** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB S. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee` - **2023-03-30** Set for hearing April 25. - **2023-04-26** From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 901.) (April 25). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable` - **2023-04-27** Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-1, reading-2` - **2023-05-01** From consent calendar on motion of Senator Umberg. - **2023-05-01** Ordered to third reading. - **2023-05-22** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 1205.) Ordered to the Assembly. `passage, reading-1, reading-3` - **2023-05-23** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1` - **2023-05-26** Referred to Com. on PUB. S. `referral-committee` - **2023-06-05** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee` - **2023-06-13** From committee: Do pass as amended. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 13). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable` - **2023-06-14** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2` - **2023-06-15** Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-1, reading-2` - **2023-06-22** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 2351.) Ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-1, reading-3` - **2023-06-22** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending. - **2023-07-05** Ordered to special consent calendar. - **2023-07-06** Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 1916.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. `amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable` - **2023-07-11** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m. - **2023-07-21** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature` - **2023-07-21** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 106, Statutes of 2023. `became-law` ## Source OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/37945229-0fac-42fd-9b5b-235a8df091b5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).