California Bill Would Ban Fines, Jail Time for Homeless Acts Related to ‘Basic Survival’

This includes sleeping in public, setting up a tent, or using blankets or pillows, according to the bill.

Homeless people sleep at the entranceway of Sacramento City Hall in Sacramento, Calif., on March 16, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

California legislators are considering a bill to prohibit local and state authorities from imposing penalties—including jail time or fines—on homeless people for acts the bill says are related to survival.

Introduced by state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Democrat from Pasadena, the Homeless Rights Protection Act, Senate Bill 634, is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Local Government on April 23 and the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29.