Existing law prohibits credibly impersonating a peace officer, firefighter, or employee of a public utility, state or local government agency, or search and rescue team, as specified. Existing law also prohibits willfully and credibly impersonating a peace officer, firefighter, or employee of a public utility, state or local government agency, or search and rescue team through or on an internet website, or by other electronic means, for the purposes of defrauding another. A violation of these prohibitions is punishable as a misdemeanor.
This bill would extend these offenses to include willfully and credibly impersonating any of those entities through any means for the purpose of defrauding another. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would require personnel of a law enforcement agency operating in California to visibly display identification that includes either a name or badge number to the public when performing their duties. The bill would exempt personnel operating undercover from these provisions. The bill would make a violation of these provisions a misdemeanor. The bill would define personnel of a law enforcement agency as any officer of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency or any person acting on behalf of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency. By creating a new crime and imposing duties on local law enforcement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would also authorize law enforcement to request an alleged government employee to present identification when there is probable cause or reasonable suspicion of a crime, including, but not limited to, impersonating a peace officer, firefighter, employee of a public utility or government agency, or member of a search and rescue team, or when there is a legitimate safety concern.
Existing law, the Bail Fugitive Recovery Persons Act, regulates bail fugitive recovery agents, defined as a person given written authorization by the bail or depositor of bail and contracted to investigate, surveil, locate, and arrest a bail fugitive and any person employed to assist the bail or depositor of bail to investigate, surveil, locate, and arrest a bail fugitive.
This bill would prohibit a person authorized to apprehend a bail fugitive from using that position for the purposes of immigration enforcement and would require a person authorized to apprehend a bail fugitive to keep a defendant's immigration status confidential, as specified.
This bill would declare these provisions are severable.
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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Statutes affected:
03/26/25 - Amended Senate: 2085 INS, 2085 INS
06/23/25 - Amended Assembly: 1299.07 PEN, 1299.07 PEN, 2085 INS