CA AB 1838
enactedPublic contracts: local agencies: responsive bidders.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 1838 pass?
Yes. CA AB 1838 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-27): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 551, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 1838 about?
Existing law governs the procurement process for contracts of specified public entities. Existing law requires a local agency that requires that contracts be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder meeting, or making a good faith effort to meet, participation goals for minority, women, or disabled veteran business enterprises to provide in the general conditions under which bids will be received that any person making a bid or offer to perform a contract shall include specified information in that bid or offer. This bill would require a contractor, as a condition of submitting a bid to a local agency for a public works contract, to fully disclose any history of wage and hour violations, as specified, and provide supporting documentation, as described. The bill would authorize a contractor that fails to provide the required disclosures and supporting materials to be disqualified from the bid. The bill would require a local agency to establish a process for a contractor to appeal their bid disqualification, as specified. By requiring local agencies to establish a bid disqualification appeal process, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would exempt public works contracts covered by a project labor agreement, and projects where local agencies require contractors to prequalify as a condition of bidding. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Who sponsors CA AB 1838?
Berman is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1838.
Description
Existing law governs the procurement process for contracts of specified public entities. Existing law requires a local agency that requires that contracts be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder meeting, or making a good faith effort to meet, participation goals for minority, women, or disabled veteran business enterprises to provide in the general conditions under which bids will be received that any person making a bid or offer to perform a contract shall include specified information in that bid or offer. This bill would require a contractor, as a condition of submitting a bid to a local agency for a public works contract, to fully disclose any history of wage and hour violations, as specified, and provide supporting documentation, as described. The bill would authorize a contractor that fails to provide the required disclosures and supporting materials to be disqualified from the bid. The bill would require a local agency to establish a process for a contractor to appeal their bid disqualification, as specified. By requiring local agencies to establish a bid disqualification appeal process, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would exempt public works contracts covered by a project labor agreement, and projects where local agencies require contractors to prequalify as a condition of bidding. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
- Introduced
- 2026-06-03
- Latest action
- 2026-09-27 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 551, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Bermanauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-27
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 551, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-27
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-04
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-27
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 64. Noes 8.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-27
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-27
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 64. Noes 8. Page 6687.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-26
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 9.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-13
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-13
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (August 13).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-06-29
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-06-17
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-11
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-10
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on L., P.E. & R. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (June 10).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-06-03
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-05-06
Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and L., P.E. & R.
referral-committee
2026-04-20
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-04-20
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 62. Noes 7. Page 4722.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-04-06
Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Page 4490.)
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-03-23
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-03-19
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 18).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-02-23
Referred to Com. on L. & E.
referral-committee
2026-02-12
From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.
2026-02-11
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
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Votes
Do pass.
2026-03-18 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Lee: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Chen: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Ortega: yes
AB 1838 Berman Assembly Third Reading
2026-04-20 · pass · 62-7
Member-level votes (80)
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Bains: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Lee: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Addis: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Soria: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Chen: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Berman: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Haney: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Solache: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Fong: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Krell: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Davies: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Papan: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Hart: yes
- Patel: yes
- Macedo: no
- Gallagher: no
- Dixon: no
- Hadwick: no
- DeMaio: no
- Tangipa: no
- Sanchez: no
- Bonta: other
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Hoover: other
- Ellis: other
- Castillo: other
- Johnson: other
- Flora: other
- Patterson: other
- Ward: other
- Lackey: other
- Ta: other
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Labor, Public Employment and Retirement ]
2026-06-10 · pass · 5-2
Member-level votes (7)
- Arreguín: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Laird: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Choi: no
- Seyarto: no
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-06-17 · pass · 4-1
Member-level votes (5)
- Durazo: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Laird: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Strickland: no
Placed on suspense file
2026-06-29 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Cervantes: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Grayson: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-30T17:58:38.519960Z
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