Bill Commons

CA AB 515

enacted

Trial: statement of decision.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did CA AB 515 pass?

Yes. CA AB 515 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2025-10-10): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 559, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 515 about?

In a trial by a superior court of a question of fact, existing law requires the court to issue a statement of decision explaining the factual and legal basis for its decision upon the request of any party appearing at the trial made either within 10 days after the court announces a tentative decision, or, for a trial concluded in one calendar day or in less than 8 hours over multiple days, before the matter is submitted for decision. Existing law requires the statement of decision to be in writing, unless the parties agree otherwise, except that for a trial concluded in one calendar day or in less than 8 hours over multiple days, the statement of decision may be made orally in the presence of the parties. This bill would instead require a request for a statement of decision in all trials by court to be made in writing, or orally if there is an official record of the proceeding being transcribed, before the matter is submitted for decision. The bill would require the statement of decision to be served on all parties who appeared at the trial. The bill would authorize a court to issue a written statement of decision without a request from a party, and would authorize the court to order a party or parties to prepare a draft statement of decision. The bill would permit a party to make objections to a statement of decision, as specified. The bill would require the Judicial Council to adopt or amend all rules of court necessary to implement these provisions, and to prepare a form that a party may use to request a statement of decision, as specified. Existing law requires the court clerk to enter the court's judgment in a trial by the court immediately upon the filing of the court's decision in the trial. This bill would extend that deadline and instead require the clerk to enter judgment within 30 days after the filing of the court's decision, or, if a statement of decision was requested, within 30 days after the statement of decision becomes final. The bill's provisions would become operative on January 1, 2027.

Who sponsors CA AB 515?

Pacheco is the primary sponsor of CA AB 515.

Description

In a trial by a superior court of a question of fact, existing law requires the court to issue a statement of decision explaining the factual and legal basis for its decision upon the request of any party appearing at the trial made either within 10 days after the court announces a tentative decision, or, for a trial concluded in one calendar day or in less than 8 hours over multiple days, before the matter is submitted for decision. Existing law requires the statement of decision to be in writing, unless the parties agree otherwise, except that for a trial concluded in one calendar day or in less than 8 hours over multiple days, the statement of decision may be made orally in the presence of the parties. This bill would instead require a request for a statement of decision in all trials by court to be made in writing, or orally if there is an official record of the proceeding being transcribed, before the matter is submitted for decision. The bill would require the statement of decision to be served on all parties who appeared at the trial. The bill would authorize a court to issue a written statement of decision without a request from a party, and would authorize the court to order a party or parties to prepare a draft statement of decision. The bill would permit a party to make objections to a statement of decision, as specified. The bill would require the Judicial Council to adopt or amend all rules of court necessary to implement these provisions, and to prepare a form that a party may use to request a statement of decision, as specified. Existing law requires the court clerk to enter the court's judgment in a trial by the court immediately upon the filing of the court's decision in the trial. This bill would extend that deadline and instead require the clerk to enter judgment within 30 days after the filing of the court's decision, or, if a statement of decision was requested, within 30 days after the statement of decision becomes final. The bill's provisions would become operative on January 1, 2027.

Introduced
2025-03-13
Latest action
2025-10-10 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 559, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Pachecoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2025-10-10

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 559, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

  2. 2025-10-10

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2025-09-22

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

    executive-receipt

  4. 2025-09-10

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3195.).

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

  5. 2025-09-09

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-09

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2747.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  7. 2025-09-03

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  8. 2025-09-02

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  9. 2025-08-21

    From Consent Calendar.

  10. 2025-08-21

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  11. 2025-08-20

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

    reading-1,reading-2

  12. 2025-08-19

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.

    committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  13. 2025-07-16

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  14. 2025-07-03

    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

  15. 2025-05-14

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  16. 2025-05-01

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  17. 2025-05-01

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1386.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  18. 2025-04-24

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

    reading-1,reading-2

  19. 2025-04-23

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  20. 2025-04-08

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  21. 2025-03-17

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  22. 2025-03-13

    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

  23. 2025-03-13

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  24. 2025-02-11

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.

  25. 2025-02-10

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

Versions

  • 02/10/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-10Compare
  • 03/13/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-13Compare
  • 07/03/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-03Compare
  • 09/02/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-02Compare
  • 09/12/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-12Compare
  • 10/10/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-10Compare
  • AB515Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

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

    2025-04-08 · pass · 12-0

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Dixon: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Stefani: yes

  • Do pass. To Consent Calendar.

    2025-04-23 · pass · 15-0

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

  • AB 515 Pacheco Consent Calendar Second Day

    2025-05-01 · pass · 76-0

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

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

    2025-07-15 · pass · 13-0

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

  • 3rd Reading AB515 Pacheco By Umberg

    2025-09-09 · pass · 40-0

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

  • AB 515 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-11 · pass · 78-0

    Member-level votes (80)
    • 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
    • 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
    • Flora: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Tangipa: other
    • Addis: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB515

Attribution

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

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