The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Justice

Feb 11, 2026 - …Suggesting State May Want to Examine Its Regulatory Fee Structure, Particularly Given Limited General Fund Capacity for Ongoing Commitments. The inconsistencies in how the state supports current firearm workload and the changing legal landscape suggests the state may want to examine its regulatory fee structure to more consistently determine what regulatory and enforcement activities should be supported by regulatory fees versus the General Fund.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5118

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - Receiver Examining Pay Increases as Part of Action Plan. Given the importance of non ‑compensation factors in determining vacancy rates, it is unclear what level of pay increase would be needed to meaningfully improve recruitment and retention for mental health positions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134