CA AB 2039
enactedAttorneys.
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 2039 pass?
Yes. CA AB 2039 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-27): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 574, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 2039 about?
The State Bar Act provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California (State Bar) , a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. Existing law authorizes the board of trustees, with the approval of the Supreme Court, to formulate and enforce rules of professional conduct for all licensees of the State Bar. Existing provisions of the Labor Code prohibit an employer from making, adopting, or enforcing any rule, regulation or policy preventing an employee from disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency, to a person with authority over the employee, or to another employee who has authority to investigate, discover, or correct the violation or noncompliance, if the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses a violation of state or federal statute, or a violation of or noncompliance with a local, state, or federal rule or regulation. This bill would add provisions to the State Bar Act that would prohibit an employer, law firm, attorney, or any person acting on their behalf from retaliating against an individual for disclosing information in good faith, or because the employer, law firm, or attorney believes the individual disclosed or may disclose information in good faith, where the individual has reasonable cause to believe that the information reveals a violation of the State Bar Act, the California Rules of Professional Conduct, or any other state or federal statute, rule, or regulation governing the conduct of attorneys. Existing law requires certain contracts between an attorney and client to comply with specified requirements, including requiring contracts to represent a client on a contingency fee basis to be in writing and include the contingency fee rate and specified other information. This bill would require an attorney entering into a loan or financial assistance arrangement with a client to have a separate written contract that contains the total amount financed, repayment terms and contingencies, and all fees, costs, and charges. The bill would prohibit an attorney from charging the client interest on any loan or funds. The bill would make a violation of those requirements subject to a civil penalty of $15,000 per offense or injunctive relief, and subject to discipline by the State Bar. Existing law makes it unlawful for any person to act as a runner or capper for any attorneys or to solicit any business for attorneys, as specified. Existing law makes a violation of those provisions a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified, and also authorizes a person to bring a civil action for specified remedies for a violation of those provisions. Existing law authorizes the Supreme Court to disbar, including to summarily disbar, or suspend an attorney for specified acts, including conviction of a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. This bill would also make a violation of the provisions prohibiting capping or running subject to a civil penalty of $25,000 for each violation. The bill would require the State Bar to enact summarily disbarment procedures for any licensee for a felony conviction of the provisions prohibiting capping or running or a misdemeanor conviction under those provisions where the court finds, or the record establishes, that the licensee acted knowingly and for financial gain.
Who sponsors CA AB 2039?
Zbur is the primary sponsor of CA AB 2039, joined by 2 cosponsors.
Description
The State Bar Act provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California (State Bar) , a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. Existing law authorizes the board of trustees, with the approval of the Supreme Court, to formulate and enforce rules of professional conduct for all licensees of the State Bar. Existing provisions of the Labor Code prohibit an employer from making, adopting, or enforcing any rule, regulation or policy preventing an employee from disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency, to a person with authority over the employee, or to another employee who has authority to investigate, discover, or correct the violation or noncompliance, if the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses a violation of state or federal statute, or a violation of or noncompliance with a local, state, or federal rule or regulation. This bill would add provisions to the State Bar Act that would prohibit an employer, law firm, attorney, or any person acting on their behalf from retaliating against an individual for disclosing information in good faith, or because the employer, law firm, or attorney believes the individual disclosed or may disclose information in good faith, where the individual has reasonable cause to believe that the information reveals a violation of the State Bar Act, the California Rules of Professional Conduct, or any other state or federal statute, rule, or regulation governing the conduct of attorneys. Existing law requires certain contracts between an attorney and client to comply with specified requirements, including requiring contracts to represent a client on a contingency fee basis to be in writing and include the contingency fee rate and specified other information. This bill would require an attorney entering into a loan or financial assistance arrangement with a client to have a separate written contract that contains the total amount financed, repayment terms and contingencies, and all fees, costs, and charges. The bill would prohibit an attorney from charging the client interest on any loan or funds. The bill would make a violation of those requirements subject to a civil penalty of $15,000 per offense or injunctive relief, and subject to discipline by the State Bar. Existing law makes it unlawful for any person to act as a runner or capper for any attorneys or to solicit any business for attorneys, as specified. Existing law makes a violation of those provisions a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified, and also authorizes a person to bring a civil action for specified remedies for a violation of those provisions. Existing law authorizes the Supreme Court to disbar, including to summarily disbar, or suspend an attorney for specified acts, including conviction of a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. This bill would also make a violation of the provisions prohibiting capping or running subject to a civil penalty of $25,000 for each violation. The bill would require the State Bar to enact summarily disbarment procedures for any licensee for a felony conviction of the provisions prohibiting capping or running or a misdemeanor conviction under those provisions where the court finds, or the record establishes, that the licensee acted knowingly and for financial gain.
- Introduced
- 2026-03-16
- Latest action
- 2026-09-27 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 574, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Zburauthor
- Dixoncoauthor
- Kalracoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-27
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 574, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-27
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 6576.).
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 39. Noes 0.).
2026-08-17
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-08-13
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
2026-08-13
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2026-08-03
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2026-06-25
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-24
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 23).
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 5217.)
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
2026-04-22
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-03-26
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-03-26
Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.
referral-committee
2026-03-25
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-03-24
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 24).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage
2026-03-17
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-03-16
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-03-09
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-02-18
From printer. May be heard in committee March 20.
2026-02-17
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
- 02/17/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-17Compare
- 03/16/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-03-16Compare
- 03/25/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-03-25Compare
- 06/25/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-06-25Compare
- 08/13/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-08-13Compare
- 08/30/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-30Compare
- 09/27/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-27Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
- AB2039Compare
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 as amended.
2026-03-24 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (12)
- Zbur: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Papan: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Bryan: 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 2039 Zbur 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]
2026-06-23 · pass · 13-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Ashby: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Stern: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Laird: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Allen: yes
- Niello: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-30T22:05:18.987837Z
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 2039. 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.