SB485 - County public defender: appointment.

Enrolled September 16, 2025 Passed IN Senate September 11, 2025 Passed IN Assembly September 09, 2025 Amended IN Assembly September 04, 2025 Amended IN Senate April 07, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 485 Introduced by Senator Reyes February 19, 2025 An act to amend Section 27703 of the Government Code, relating to local government. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 485, Reyes. County public defender: appointment. Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors of a county to establish the office of public defender for the county. Existing law requires that a public defender of the county serve at the board of supervisors’ will if the public defender is to be appointed. This bill would instead only allow the board of supervisors to remove an appointed public defender from office by a 3 / 5 vote for neglect of duty, malfeasance or misconduct in office, or other good cause. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 27703 of the Government Code is amended to read: 27703. (a) If the public defender of a county is to be appointed, they shall be appointed by the board of supervisors. The public defender of two or more counties shall be appointed by the boards of supervisors of those counties. (b) A public defender appointed pursuant to subdivision (a) may be removed from office by the board of supervisors by a three-fifths vote for neglect of duty, malfeasance or misconduct in office, or other good cause. (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that this section shall not be construed to exempt a public defender from a county’s established performance evaluation process for appointed department heads. SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.