CA AB 238

enacted

Mortgage forbearance: state of emergency: wildfire.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 238 pass?

Yes. CA AB 238 has been enacted into law as of 2025-09-22. Latest recorded action (2025-09-22): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 128, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 238 about?

Existing law requires a mortgage servicer to comply with applicable federal guidance regarding borrower options following a forbearance relating to the COVID-19 emergency. This bill would authorize a borrower who is experiencing financial hardship that prevents the borrower from making timely payments on a specified residential mortgage loan due directly to the wildfire disaster described in the proclamation of a state of emergency issued by Governor Gavin Newsom on January 7, 2025, or the federally declared disaster, declared on January 8, 2025, related to the Eaton Wildfire, the Palisades Fire, and the Straight-line Winds, to request forbearance on their residential mortgage loan, as prescribed. The bill would limit eligibility for that forbearance to loans that are secured by residential real property improved by 4 or fewer residential units. The bill would require the borrower to affirm that they are experiencing a financial hardship due to the wildfire disaster. Because the bill would expand the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would, except as specified, require a mortgage servicer to offer mortgage payment forbearance of a period of up to an initial 90 days, which shall be extended at the request of the borrower in 90-day increments, up to a maximum forbearance period of 12 months. The bill would also prohibit a mortgage servicer from assessing any late fees to the borrower's account or charging a default rate of interest during the forbearance period. The bill would provide that the forbearance period includes any period of forbearance related to the wildfire disaster that a mortgage servicer has provided to a borrower before the effective date of these provisions. The bill would require a mortgage servicer to report the credit obligations of borrowers under a disaster-related forbearance plan in compliance with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. For accounts granted disaster-related mortgage payment relief, the bill would prohibit mortgage servicers from furnishing information during the forbearance period indicating that the payments are in forbearance and would require them to report the credit obligation or account as current or delinquent, as specified. The bill would prohibit a mortgage servicer from initiating any judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure process, moving for a foreclosure judgment or order of sale, or executing a foreclosure-related eviction or foreclosure during the period of forbearance. This bill would require the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation to post specified information on its website including links to the provisions of servicing guidelines pertaining to disaster-related forbearance relief for federally backed loans and a dedicated telephone number for borrowers seeking assistance. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Who sponsors CA AB 238?

Harabedian is the primary sponsor of CA AB 238, joined by 12 cosponsors.

Description

Introduced: 2025-03-14
Latest action: 2025-09-22 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 128, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type: bill
Last updated: —

Subjects

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

2025-01-13
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
2025-01-14
From printer. May be heard in committee February 13.
2025-02-18
Referred to Coms. on B.&F. and JUD.
referral-committee
2025-02-20
Re-referred to Coms. on JUD. and B.&F. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.
referral-committee
2025-02-24
Re-referred to Coms. on B.&F. and JUD. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.
referral-committee
2025-02-24
(Pending re-refer to Com. on JUD.)
referral-committee
2025-02-24
Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Page 440.)
2025-02-26
Coauthors revised.
2025-03-03
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 3). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-03-04
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (March 4). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-03-14
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-17
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
referral-committee
2025-03-19
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (March 19).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-03-19
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-03-20
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-04-02
Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-04-07
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 70. Noes 0. Page 1030.).
amendment-passage,passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-04-07
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2025-05-07
Referred to Coms. on B. & F.I. and JUD.
referral-committee
2025-06-03
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. & F.I.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-06-18
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-06-25
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2025-06-26
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-07-10
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-07-14
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 14).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-07-15
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-02
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2390.).
amendment-passage,passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-09-02
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-03
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 2855.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-09-04
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
executive-receipt
2025-09-22
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2025-09-22
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 128, Statutes of 2025.
became-law

Versions

01/13/25 - Introduced — 2025-01-13Compare
03/14/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-14Compare
04/02/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-02Compare
06/03/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-03Compare
06/26/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-26Compare
07/10/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-10Compare
09/04/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-04Compare
09/22/25 - Chaptered — 2025-09-22Compare
AB238Compare
(document, no version)Compare

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Votes

Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
2025-03-03 · pass · 6-0
Member-level votes (9)
- Fong: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Soria: yes
- Krell: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Dixon: other
- Schiavo: other
- Chen: other
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-03-04 · pass · 11-0
Member-level votes (12)
- Bryan: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Essayli: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Papan: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Chen: other
Do pass.
2025-03-19 · pass · 13-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Mark González: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Hart: yes
- Solache: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Ta: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Fong: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Hadwick: other
- Dixon: other
AB 238 Harabedian Third Reading Urgency
2025-04-07 · pass · 70-0
Member-level votes (79)
- Carrillo: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Haney: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Hart: yes
- Davies: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Fong: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Krell: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Chen: yes
- Papan: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Addis: yes
- Solache: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Patel: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Flora: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Bains: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Soria: yes
- Ward: yes
- Berman: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Calderon: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Wallis: other
- Gallagher: other
- Hadwick: other
- Castillo: other
- Ta: other
- Jeff Gonzalez: other
- Sanchez: other
- Lee: other
- Bauer-Kahan: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
2025-06-18 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Richardson: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Limón: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Niello: yes
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-06-24 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Niello: yes
- Laird: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Stern: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Allen: yes
- Valladares: other
Do pass
2025-07-14 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Cabaldon: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Seyarto: yes
3rd Reading AB238 Harabedian et al. By Grayson Urgency Clause
2025-09-02 · pass · 40-0
Member-level votes (40)
- Alvarado-Gil: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Ochoa Bogh: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Laird: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Jones: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Choi: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Becker: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Niello: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Grove: yes
- Allen: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Stern: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Limón: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
AB 238 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
2025-09-03 · pass · 77-0
Member-level votes (79)
- Pacheco: yes
- Flora: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Lee: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Berman: yes
- Davies: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Bains: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Krell: yes
- Chen: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Addis: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Haney: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Solache: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Patel: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Hart: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Ward: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Soria: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Ta: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Papan: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Fong: yes
- Hadwick: other
- Gallagher: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB238

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

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