Voter Guide / California Bills

SB 29, explained

Civil actions: decedentâs cause of action.

Active In Floor Process · Author: Laird

In plain English

SB 29 addresses what happens when someone who was injured passes away before their lawsuit ends. It describes who can continue the lawsuit and what types of money damages can be recovered, including compensation for the deceased person's pain and suffering under certain time conditions.

If this passes

What would actually change, according to the bill's official digest. No predictions, no opinions.

A deceased person's right to sue would pass to their successor in interest (a person legally entitled to inherit their claims)
The person handling the estate or the successor in interest could continue a lawsuit the deceased person started
Damages recovered would include losses the deceased person suffered before death, including penalties and punitive damages they would have received if alive
Pain, suffering, or disfigurement damages could be recovered if the case received priority before January 1, 2022, or was filed between January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2026
A plaintiff recovering pain, suffering, or disfigurement damages would be required to submit a copy of the judgment or settlement to the Judicial Council

Who's lobbying this bill

39 organizations reported lobbying activity mentioning this bill. California disclosures don't say which side an organization is on, only that they paid to influence it. Amounts shown are payments to lobbying firms where the filing discloses them.

The Doctors Company

paid to lobbying firms, quarters naming this bill · 9 filings

$273K

United Services Automobile Association (Usaa) And Affiliated Entities

paid to lobbying firms, quarters naming this bill · 3 filings

$255K

Loma Linda University Health

paid to lobbying firms, quarters naming this bill · 5 filings

$255K

What you do with this is up to you. BallotBase doesn't rate, rank, or endorse candidates or measures. Every number on this page comes from official disclosure filings, cited below.

Sources

Bill text and Legislative Counsel's Digest: California Legislative Information (leginfo).
Lobbying activity: quarterly lobbying disclosures (Forms 625/635) filed with the California Secretary of State (Cal-Access).

Explainer text is generated from the official source text above and reviewed for neutrality: it describes only what the text says, in conditional terms, with no evaluations or predictions. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it.

← Back to all bills & measures · Voter Guide home