In the wake of potential abuse cases (including that of Britney Spears), California’s conservatorship framework is just one step away from being significantly reformed. Assembly Bill 1194 by Assemblymember Low (D – Silicon Valley) and Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) cleared its final hurdles in the California Legislature today. The bill now heads to the Governor, who has until October 10 to sign it into law or veto.

“Conservatorship is arguably the most consequential civil restriction in California’s legal system. Acting in what it deems as the conservatee’s ‘best interest,’ a court can deprive a person of fundamental rights: managing property, spending money, handling their own medical affairs, and even making everyday decisions about what to eat or who to spend time with. Recognizing such life-altering controls should be imposed only when absolutely necessary, AB 1194 provides a conservatee with the right to choose a lawyer they prefer and requires that the attorney act as a zealous, independent advocate pursuing the least restrictive alternative on their client’s behalf.”

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Ben Allen represents the 26th State Senate District, which consists of the Hollywood, Westside, and South Bay communities of Los Angeles County, and serves as Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the Joint Committee on the Arts.