CA SB281

Requires courts to read immigration consequences advisement verbatim to defendants before accepting guilty or nolo contendere pleas, warning that non-citizens may face deportation, exclusion from admission, or denial of naturalization

Clarifies the advisement language to specify "not a citizen of the United States" rather than previous phrasing

Defendants may request additional time to consider their plea after receiving the immigration advisement

Courts must vacate judgments and allow plea withdrawal if the required advisement was not given (for pleas after January 1, 1978) and the defendant demonstrates potential immigration consequences

Explicitly states that failure to provide the verbatim advisement for pleas accepted before January 1, 2026 does not automatically require vacating the judgment or invalidate prior convictions