{"id":6312,"date":"2026-04-16T02:02:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T02:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conservative-politics.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/16\/calif-bill-nicknamed-stop-nick-shirley-act-advances-raises-free-speech-concerns-one-america-news-network\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T02:02:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T02:02:47","slug":"calif-bill-nicknamed-stop-nick-shirley-act-advances-raises-free-speech-concerns-one-america-news-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/conservative-politics.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/16\/calif-bill-nicknamed-stop-nick-shirley-act-advances-raises-free-speech-concerns-one-america-news-network\/","title":{"rendered":"Calif. bill nicknamed \u2018Stop Nick Shirley Act\u2019 advances, raises free speech concerns \u2013 One America News Network"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Republican Assembly member Carl DeMaio speaks during a meeting of the California State Assembly at the California State Capitol on August 21, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

OAN Staff\u00a0Lillian Mann<\/a>
12:28 PM \u2013 Wednesday, April 15, 2026<\/p>\n

A new bill introduced earlier this year\u2014California Assembly Bill 2624 (AB 2624), dubbed the \u201cStop Nick Shirley Act\u201d\u2014has sparked debate, with opponents arguing it could limit the ability of citizen journalists to record in public, according to a state press release.<\/p>\n

The bill, which recently passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee, advanced after a 40-minute video by 24-year-old independent journalist Nick Shirley on alleged hospice fraud in California.<\/p>\n

The video gained 42 million views on the platform X, and has since been highly debated by the public, scrutinizing California\u2019s federally funded Medicare programs. Subsequent investigations found that a single program is responsible for approximately $6 billion in fraud annually.<\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udea8 Here is the full 40 minutes of my crew and I exposing California fraud, Minnesota was big but California is even bigger\u2026 We uncovered over $170,000,000 in fraud as these fraudsters live in luxury with no consequences. Like it and share it, the fraud must STOP.<\/p>\n

We ALL work\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/7nWX9jL6NI<\/a><\/p>\n


\n\u00a0\u2014 Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) March 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Prior to the committee\u2019s approval, Shirley argued that if passed, the bill would \u201ccriminalize investigative journalism.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe enemy truly is within,\u201d Shirley stated. \u201cWhen our politicians would rather protect fraudsters and illegal migrants, it\u2019s time for us to stand up or face mass oppression from the traitors who \u2018rule\u2019 over us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

According to the bill, a provider could bring a claim in court seeking at least $4,000 in damages from those who violated the proposed law, according to The New York Post<\/em>. <\/p>\n

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Furthermore, criminal penalties could be enforced, with violators facing up to a $10,000 fine or up to one year in a county prison. If sharing the information results in bodily harm, the penalties could jump to a $50,000 fine and felony imprisonment. <\/p>\n

State Assembly member Carl DeMaio (R-Calif.) criticized those supporting a bill he has dubbed the \u201cStop Nick Shirley Act,\u201d citing concerns over its potential impact on free speech. DeMaio warned that AB 2624 would prohibit the release of investigative videos and impose penalties on those seeking to expose fraud.<\/p>\n

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\u201cCalifornia Democrats are trying to intimidate citizen watchdog journalists and protect waste and fraud happening in far-Left-wing NGOs,\u201d DeMaio said. \u201cInstead of fixing the fraud problems being uncovered, Sacramento politicians are trying to shut down the people exposing them.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Calif.), who authored the bill, said it aims to strengthen privacy protections for immigrant service providers. Writing on X, she said the measure \u201cdoesn\u2019t stop journalism or fraud investigations; it stops bad-faith actors from doxxing workers serving immigrants with proven intent to threaten or incite violence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Bonta opposed DeMaio\u2019s thoughts at a hearing in early April, insisting that providers must primarily show evidence that they were being threatened, adding that a journalist asking questions would not count.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIndividuals who provide immigrant support services including legal aid, humanitarian relief, case management, and advocacy are facing targeted harassment. This is not hypothetical,\u201d Bonta stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program allows participants to keep their home and work addresses out of public records, giving them a critical layer of protection and privacy in an environment where their personal safety is increasingly at risk,\u201d said Bonta.<\/p>\n

DeMaio\u2019s press statement argued, \u201cAB 2624 would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence \u2014 even if it captures misconduct in plain view \u2014 and threatens journalists with massive financial penalties.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIf this bill becomes law, the message is clear to every journalist in California: expose corruption and you will be punished. AB 2624 is an unconstitutional direct attack on transparency and the First Amendment \u2013 and it needs to be defeated,\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n

The bill is now awaiting its next committee hearing after Democrats voted to advance it. California lawmakers have until the end of August to send the measure to the governor.<\/p>\n

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