Bill Commons

CA AB 1524

enacted

Courts: fees.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did CA AB 1524 pass?

Yes. CA AB 1524 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2025-10-03): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 306, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 1524 about?

Existing law, the Uniform Civil Fees and Standard Fee Schedule Act of 2005, establishes a set fee schedule for courts to implement for, among other things, filings, service, and changes of venue. Existing law authorizes the court to charge a reasonable fee that does not exceed the costs of providing the service or product, if the Judicial Council approves the fee, as specified. The bill would instead prohibit the court from charging a fee that exceeds the cost to the court of providing the service or product. The bill would require any fee not explicitly authorized by statute or rule to be approved by the Judicial Council. The bill would also require the Judicial Council, by December 1, 2027, to report to the Legislature, as specified, regarding each fee charged by a superior court in the 2026–27 fiscal year for which the revenue collected by and distributed to the court as a result of the fee exceeds the court's cost of providing the service or product. The bill would also require the Judicial Council, by December 1, 2028, and December 1, 2029, to report certain data to the Legislature, as specified, regarding the 2027–28 and 2028–29 fiscal years, respectively. Existing law authorizes trial court records to be created, maintained, and preserved in any form of communication or representation, including paper, optical, electronic, magnetic, micrographic, or photographic media or other technology. Existing law requires those court records be made reasonably accessible to the public for viewing and duplication, with a reasonable provision controlling for the costs of duplication, as specified. This bill would require court records maintained in electronic form to be viewable at the court and be available for duplication at a cost, as specified. The bill would allow a member of the public to request to view or duplicate accessible records, on the premises of the court and with the requester's equipment in a manner that does not make physical contact with the record, without being charged any fees or costs to reproduce the record, unless reproduction would result in, among other things, damage to the record or unauthorized access to the court's computer systems or networks, as specified. The bill would authorize the court to impose reasonable limits on the use of the requester's equipment that are necessary to protect the safety of the records or prevent the copying of the records from being an unreasonable burden, as specified.

Who sponsors CA AB 1524?

Committee on Judiciary is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1524.

Description

Existing law, the Uniform Civil Fees and Standard Fee Schedule Act of 2005, establishes a set fee schedule for courts to implement for, among other things, filings, service, and changes of venue. Existing law authorizes the court to charge a reasonable fee that does not exceed the costs of providing the service or product, if the Judicial Council approves the fee, as specified. The bill would instead prohibit the court from charging a fee that exceeds the cost to the court of providing the service or product. The bill would require any fee not explicitly authorized by statute or rule to be approved by the Judicial Council. The bill would also require the Judicial Council, by December 1, 2027, to report to the Legislature, as specified, regarding each fee charged by a superior court in the 2026–27 fiscal year for which the revenue collected by and distributed to the court as a result of the fee exceeds the court's cost of providing the service or product. The bill would also require the Judicial Council, by December 1, 2028, and December 1, 2029, to report certain data to the Legislature, as specified, regarding the 2027–28 and 2028–29 fiscal years, respectively. Existing law authorizes trial court records to be created, maintained, and preserved in any form of communication or representation, including paper, optical, electronic, magnetic, micrographic, or photographic media or other technology. Existing law requires those court records be made reasonably accessible to the public for viewing and duplication, with a reasonable provision controlling for the costs of duplication, as specified. This bill would require court records maintained in electronic form to be viewable at the court and be available for duplication at a cost, as specified. The bill would allow a member of the public to request to view or duplicate accessible records, on the premises of the court and with the requester's equipment in a manner that does not make physical contact with the record, without being charged any fees or costs to reproduce the record, unless reproduction would result in, among other things, damage to the record or unauthorized access to the court's computer systems or networks, as specified. The bill would authorize the court to impose reasonable limits on the use of the requester's equipment that are necessary to protect the safety of the records or prevent the copying of the records from being an unreasonable burden, as specified.

Introduced
2025-04-22
Latest action
2025-10-03 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 306, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Committee on Judiciaryauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2025-10-03

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 306, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

  2. 2025-10-03

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2025-09-24

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  4. 2025-09-12

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3422.).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  5. 2025-09-12

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-11

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2932.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  7. 2025-09-09

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  8. 2025-09-02

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  9. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage

  10. 2025-08-29

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  11. 2025-07-14

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  12. 2025-07-02

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  13. 2025-06-19

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  14. 2025-06-11

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  15. 2025-06-03

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  16. 2025-06-02

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1894.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  17. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  18. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  19. 2025-05-14

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  20. 2025-04-24

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    referral-committee

  21. 2025-04-23

    Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  22. 2025-04-22

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 22).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  23. 2025-03-24

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  24. 2025-03-19

    From printer. May be heard in committee April 18.

  25. 2025-03-18

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

Versions

  • 03/18/25 - Introduced — 2025-03-18Compare
  • 04/23/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-23Compare
  • 06/19/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-19Compare
  • 08/29/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-08-29Compare
  • 09/16/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-16Compare
  • 10/03/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-03Compare
  • AB1524Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-04-22 · pass · 12-0

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Kalra: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Bryan: yes

  • Do pass.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Sanchez: other

  • AB 1524 Judiciary Assembly Third Reading By KALRA

    2025-06-03 · pass · 79-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Rivas: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Bains: yes

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-07-01 · pass · 13-0

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Niello: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Ashby: yes

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-07-14 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Seyarto: yes

  • Do pass as amended

    2025-08-29 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes

  • Special Consent AB1524 JUD.

    2025-09-11 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Valladares: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Alvarado-Gil: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Wahab: yes

  • AB 1524 JUD. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA

    2025-09-13 · pass · 79-0

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Addis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Flora: other

Related bills

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Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1524

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