CA AB 1961
enactedCivil actions: protective orders: workplace violence.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
Subscribe in a feed reader. The feed covers recorded actions from the last 30 days; Bill Commons may record an action after it happened at the legislature.
Quick answers
Did CA AB 1961 pass?
Yes. CA AB 1961 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-30): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 910, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 1961 about?
Existing law authorizes an employer or collective bargaining representative of an employee who has suffered harassment, unlawful violence, or a credible threat of violence from any individual, to seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of the employee and, at the discretion of the court, any number of other employees at the workplace or at other workplaces of the employer. Existing law authorizes one or more representative parties to bring suit for the benefit of a class of parties if the question is one of a common or general interest, of many persons, or when the parties are numerous, and it is impracticable to bring them all before the court. This bill would authorize an employer to seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at the employer's workplace or a location at which a group of employees perform their primary job duties if harassment, unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence is directed at that workplace or location. The bill would not require an employer to name any individual employee as a protected party if the employer seeks a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at the employer's workplace or a location at which a group of employees perform their primary job duties. This bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before January 1, 2028, to adopt or modify its forms, as specified. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure proposed by AB 2179 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2179 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure proposed by AB 1753 to be operative only if (1) this bill and AB 1753 are both enacted, (2) AB 2179 is not enacted or as enacted does not amend Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and (3) this bill is enacted last.
Who sponsors CA AB 1961?
Ahrens is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1961.
Description
Existing law authorizes an employer or collective bargaining representative of an employee who has suffered harassment, unlawful violence, or a credible threat of violence from any individual, to seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of the employee and, at the discretion of the court, any number of other employees at the workplace or at other workplaces of the employer. Existing law authorizes one or more representative parties to bring suit for the benefit of a class of parties if the question is one of a common or general interest, of many persons, or when the parties are numerous, and it is impracticable to bring them all before the court. This bill would authorize an employer to seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at the employer's workplace or a location at which a group of employees perform their primary job duties if harassment, unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence is directed at that workplace or location. The bill would not require an employer to name any individual employee as a protected party if the employer seeks a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at the employer's workplace or a location at which a group of employees perform their primary job duties. This bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before January 1, 2028, to adopt or modify its forms, as specified. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure proposed by AB 2179 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2179 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure proposed by AB 1753 to be operative only if (1) this bill and AB 1753 are both enacted, (2) AB 2179 is not enacted or as enacted does not amend Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and (3) this bill is enacted last.
- Introduced
- 2026-03-27
- Latest action
- 2026-09-30 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 910, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Ahrensauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-30
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 910, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-30
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-03
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-26
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0.).
2026-08-26
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 6574.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-25
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-25
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0.).
2026-08-24
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-08-21
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-13
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-13
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-06-29
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-06-18
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-17
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 16).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-06-03
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-05-21
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-05-21
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 5210.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-18
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-05-14
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-04-29
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-04-20
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
referral-committee
2026-04-16
Read second time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-04-15
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 14).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-04-09
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-04-06
Re-referred to Com. on L. & E.
referral-committee
2026-03-27
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. & E. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-03-16
Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and JUD.
referral-committee
2026-02-14
From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
2026-02-13
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
- 02/13/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-13Compare
- 03/27/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-03-27Compare
- 04/16/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-04-16Compare
- 06/18/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-06-18Compare
- 08/21/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-08-21Compare
- 08/30/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-30Compare
- 09/30/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-30Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
- AB1961Compare
Documents
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- text/html
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
Votes
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-04-08 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Chen: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Lee: yes
- Ward: yes
Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-04-14 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (12)
- Zbur: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Papan: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Sanchez: yes
Do pass.
2026-05-14 · pass · 15-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Dixon: yes
- Krell: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ta: yes
- Fong: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Solache: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Mark González: yes
AB 1961 Ahrens Assembly Third Reading
2026-05-21 · pass · 73-0
Member-level votes (80)
- Ta: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Soria: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Berman: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Papan: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Haney: yes
- Solache: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Patel: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Davies: yes
- Lee: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Krell: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Bains: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Fong: yes
- Addis: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Ward: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Hart: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Gallagher: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Flora: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Ramos: other
- Garcia: other
- Lackey: other
- Arambula: other
- Hoover: other
- Chen: other
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-06-16 · pass · 11-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Wahab: yes
- Allen: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Stern: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Niello: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Laird: yes
- Ashby: other
- Weber Pierson: other
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 2026-10-01T22:22:03.828657Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
Session-wide evidence can include changes to other bills:
Use this data
Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=CA&identifier=AB 1961. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.
Known limitations
- Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
- Committee referrals are not yet captured.
- Some documents have no extracted text yet, so version comparison may be limited.
See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.