Fri. Mar 13th, 2026

Sacramento, CA — Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen has introduced AB 2727, co-sponsored by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, to reform California’s elderly parole program following recent cases that have raised concerns about how the law applies to individuals convicted of violent sexual offenses against children.

AB 2727 permanently excludes individuals convicted of the most serious sexual offenses from eligibility for elderly parole, including:

  • Aggravated sexual assault of a child
  • Forcible lewd acts on a child
  • Sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 years old or younger
  • One Strike sexual offenses involving multiple victims

For other aggravated sexual offenses, the bill establishes a higher eligibility threshold so parole may only be considered if an individual is at least 75 years old and has served a minimum of 30 years in prison. Under current law, incarcerated individuals may qualify for elderly parole after reaching 50 years of age and serving 20 years.

“When someone commits violent sexual crimes, especially against children, the consequences must reflect the seriousness of that harm,” said Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen. “AB 2727 ensures that individuals convicted of the most serious sexual offenses are not eligible for elderly parole and that others face a much higher threshold before they can be considered for release.”

“I refuse to accept a reality in which the heinousness of the crime no longer matters, and the victims no longer matter,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Not every crime and not every criminal is the same and we cannot continue to allow our criminal justice system to be a one-size-fits-all system that erases accountability and ignores the victims.”

“Recent changes to elder parole laws break our promise to victims and endanger our most vulnerable—our children,” said Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho. “AB 2727 is an important step toward preventing dangerous inmates from receiving unearned and undeserved early prison release -our community deserves better.”

AB 2727 will be considered during the 2026 legislative session.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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