County detention: commissary.

Senator Becker's legislation mandates free hygiene products for indigent individuals in California county jails and juvenile facilities, while prohibiting facilities from using these items as disciplinary tools or allowing debt to accumulate for their provision.

The bill establishes specific criteria for identifying eligible recipients, defining an indigent status as having $25 or less in a facility trust account over seven days. Covered hygiene items include soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, menstrual products, deodorant, lotion, disinfectant wipes, and single-bladed razors. The measure requires facilities to provide these items upon request and prohibits denying access as punishment or using them as behavioral incentives.

Under the legislation, county detention facilities must discharge any existing hygiene product debt, including associated fees and interest, accrued prior to January 1, 2026. The bill creates parallel requirements for both adult and juvenile facilities through additions to the Penal Code and Welfare and Institutions Code. Local agencies may receive state reimbursement for costs associated with implementing these changes, subject to review by the Commission on State Mandates.