POLISCOPE
Back to feed
Part ofHealthcare Facilities →
AB 2598CALIFORNIASession 20252026
Recently Updated

AB 2598 requires hospitals and nursing homes to notify next of kin of patient deaths or face $50,000 in penalties

Original title: Health care facilities: notification of next of kin.

August 30, 2026

Healthcare FacilitiesPatient RightsNext of Kin NotificationCivil PenaltiesHealthcarefacilitiesnotificationofnextofkin

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Where This Stands

Currently Unknown. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Last action
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.May 6, 2026

Version history & redline

3 versions on file

Official version history is partial: 3 linked texts are unavailable or incomplete. Source links remain available below.

Comparing 02/20/26 - Introduced → 04/09/26 - Amended Assembly
removed addedOfficial text

The text diff for this stage has not been computed yet.

pdf extract failed: Invalid PDF structure.

Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

The Frame

What this does

This bill creates new legal obligations and financial liabilities for healthcare facilities to ensure families are informed of a patient's death, providing a clear timeline and penalty structure for non-compliance.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

General acute care hospitals

These facilities must implement new notification procedures and face potential civil penalties for non-compliance.

Skilled nursing facilities

These facilities must comply with new notification requirements or face financial penalties.

County public administrators

They receive notifications from facilities when a patient dies without known next of kin.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 30, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

AB 2598 mandates that s and skilled nursing facilities make a reasonable attempt to notify a deceased patient's next of kin, or face daily civil penalties of $200 up to a $50,000 cap. The bill also establishes a similar penalty structure for failing to notify the county when no next of kin is known.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a patient opt out of having their family notified?
Yes, if the patient provides written instructions to the hospital or facility prior to their death stating they do not want their next of kin notified.
What happens if a facility fails to notify the county public administrator?
The facility is liable for a civil penalty of up to $200 per day, starting from the 5th business day after the death, up to a maximum of $50,000.
How can a facility challenge a penalty?
A can request a hearing to dispute the penalty within 10 working days of receiving the penalty notification.

Why It Matters

This bill creates new legal obligations and financial liabilities for healthcare facilities to ensure families are informed of a patient's death, providing a clear timeline and penalty structure for non-compliance.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Shift to Mandatory Notification

The bill moves from a system focused primarily on notifying public administrators to one that prioritizes active attempts to contact family members.

General acute care hospitalsSkilled nursing facilities

Connected Entities

organizationPublic Administrator“County official responsible for managing estates when no next of kin is availabl”Map →
organizationGeneral acute care hospital“A type of health facility subject to the new notification requirements.”Map →
organizationSkilled nursing facility“A type of health facility subject to the new notification requirements.”Map →
organizationState Department of Public Health“The state agency responsible for regulating health facilities and assessing civi”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record