AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 21, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

96

CHAPTER 56

Statutes of 2019

[ Approved by Governor July 1, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State July 1, 2019. ]

Introduced by Senator Jones

February 15, 2019

An act to amend Section 45 of the Probate Code, relating to estates and trusts.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: no   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law defines “instrument” for purposes of the Probate Code to mean a will, trust, deed, or other writing that designates a beneficiary or makes a donative transfer of property. Existing law, the Trust Law, regulates the creation, modification, and termination of trusts and the administration of trusts by trustees on behalf of beneficiaries.

This bill would revise the definition of instrument under the Probate Code to mean a will, a document establishing or modifying a trust, a deed, or any other writing that designates a beneficiary or makes a donative transfer of property.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 45 of the Probate Code is amended to read:

45.

“Instrument” means a will, a document establishing or modifying a trust, a deed, or any other writing that designates a beneficiary or makes a donative transfer of property.