republic-os/legislation/us/states/ca/20132014/ab-1843.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Child custody evaluations: confidentiality."
description: "(1) Existing law authorizes a court, in any contested child custody or visitation rights proceeding, to appoint a child custody evaluator to conduct a child custody evaluation, as specified, if the court determines it is in the best interests of the child. Existing law requires the child custody evaluator, if directed by the court, to file a written confidential report on his or her evaluation at least 10 days before any hearing regarding the custody of the child with the clerk of the court, as specified. Existing law requires this report to be served on the parties or their attorneys, and any other counsel appointed for the child. Existing law otherwise prohibits the disclosure of the report, except in certain probate guardianship proceedings, as specified."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20132014"
identifier: "AB 1843"
citation: "California AB 1843 (20132014)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Child custody evaluations: confidentiality."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Jones"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 22
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2014-02-18"
last_action: "2014-08-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/521e41fc-549c-4026-9910-f4a5620ad7d0"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1843"
source_hash: "b7a251f687fa6700f22ea1c023d5c5b1b9b5c6cc7e03ac2d250463efa90a14ae"
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 1843 (20132014) — Child custody evaluations: confidentiality.

(1) Existing law authorizes a court, in any contested child custody or visitation rights proceeding, to appoint a child custody evaluator to conduct a child custody evaluation, as specified, if the court determines it is in the best interests of the child. Existing law requires the child custody evaluator, if directed by the court, to file a written confidential report on his or her evaluation at least 10 days before any hearing regarding the custody of the child with the clerk of the court, as specified. Existing law requires this report to be served on the parties or their attorneys, and any other counsel appointed for the child. Existing law otherwise prohibits the disclosure of the report, except in certain probate guardianship proceedings, as specified.

## Version chain

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

1. **02/18/14 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1843&version=20130AB184399INT)
2. **03/28/14 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1843&version=20130AB184398AMD)
3. **06/09/14 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1843&version=20130AB184397AMD)
4. **07/01/14 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1843&version=20130AB184396AMD)
5. **08/25/14 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1843&version=20130AB184394CHP)
6. **AB1843** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1843)
7. **08/13/14 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1843&version=20130AB184395ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass, to Consent Calendar. — **10–0** (pass) · lower
- AB 1843 JONES Concurrence in Senate Amendments — **79–0** (pass) · lower
- AB 1843 JONES Consent Calendar Second Day — **75–0** (pass) · lower
- Consent Calendar 2nd — **34–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended, but re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations Recommend Consent. — **7–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jones — primary (person)
- Gordon — author (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2014-02-18** Read first time. To print. `reading-1`
- **2014-02-19** From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.
- **2014-03-28** Referred to Com. on JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2014-03-28** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended. `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-1`
- **2014-04-01** Re-referred to Com. on JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2014-04-22** In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- **2014-04-29** From committee: Do pass. To consent calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 29). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2014-04-30** Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2014-05-05** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 4765.) `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2014-05-05** In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2014-05-15** Referred to Com. on JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2014-06-09** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD. `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2014-06-30** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: to consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 24). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2014-07-01** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2014-08-04** From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar. `committee-passage`
- **2014-08-05** Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2014-08-07** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 34. Noes 0. Page 4376.). `reading-3, reading-1, passage`
- **2014-08-07** In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after August 9 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.
- **2014-08-11** Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 5959.). `committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage`
- **2014-08-15** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
- **2014-08-25** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2014-08-25** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 283, Statutes of 2014.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/521e41fc-549c-4026-9910-f4a5620ad7d0`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).