Assemblymember Sade Elhawary Introduces AB 2318 to Protect Access to Lifesaving Care

SACRAMENTO - The Office of Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-57), in collaboration with Voters of Tomorrow California, has introduced new legislation aimed at establishing clear accountability standards for law enforcement's management of emergency medical access.

AB 2318 seeks to amend Section 832.11 of the California Penal Code to require law enforcement officers to facilitate timely access to emergency medical care once a scene is secure. The bill establishes clear protocols for officers, accountability measures when care is denied or delayed, and training requirements to prevent avoidable injury or death while an individual is under law enforcement control.

"Far too many individuals have died at the hands of ICE in this year alone. We saw what happened to Renee Nicole Good and how medical treatment was consistently denied for no logical reason. This bill is a critical step in increasing transparency regarding access to medical treatment at the scene of incidents, while making it easier for medical professionals to provide lifesaving interventions," said Assemblymember Sade Elhawary.

"No one should die because bureaucracy, confusion, or hesitation prevented medical care," said Aashi Jhawer, co-executive director of VOT CA. "Existing law governs medical professionals, but it does not hold law enforcement accountable when access to lifesaving treatment is unnecessarily delayed. This legislation will save lives. Public safety must mean protecting life - and this bill serves as California's opportunity to set a national precedent of just that."

"Renee Good's killing was a sobering moment of reckoning for America. It exposed not only the fear and harm that current immigration enforcement practices have inflicted on our communities, but also a profound failure of our system," said Dzian Tran, co-executive director of VOT CA. "For critical moments, Renee Good did not receive medical attention. That must never happen again. It is time for states to act and to send a message that no authority operating on our soil can deny lifesaving care with impunity."

Learn more about AB 2318 here.

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Assemblymember Sade Elhawary represents the 57th Assembly District, including the communities of Exposition Park, South Los Angeles, and Downtown Los Angeles, within Los Angeles County. Website of Assemblymember Sade Elhawary: https://a57.asmdc.org/