CA AB 540
enactedCivil actions and attorneys.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 540 pass?
Yes. CA AB 540 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-18): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 263, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 540 about?
(1) Existing law, the State Bar Act, requires the certification of lawyer referral services by the State Bar of California, as specified, and imposes a civil penalty and damages that are recovered in a civil action for a violation of these requirements, as specified. The act excludes certain entities from being considered a lawyer referral service for these purposes. This bill would additionally exclude from being considered a lawyer referral service an individual attorney or a group of individual attorneys practicing together who are actively representing clients for whom they are personally providing legal services, and, incidental to that active representation, refer a potential client to another attorney under specified circumstances. (2) Existing law establishes various requirements and deadlines for the filing and service of prescribed motions in civil actions, including a motion for summary judgment and a motion for judgment on the pleadings, as specified. A notice of motion for summary judgment or motion for judgment on the pleadings must be served on all other parties to the action at least 81 days before the time appointed for hearing, except when the notice is served by facsimile transmission, express mail, or another method of delivery providing for overnight delivery, in which case the required 81-day period of notice must be increased by 2 court days. For prescribed motions other than a motion for summary judgment or a motion for judgment on the pleadings, as specified, existing law requires a notice of such motion to be provided at least 16 court days before the hearing, except when the notice is served by facsimile transmission, express mail, or another method of delivery providing for overnight delivery, in which case the required 16-day period of notice before the hearing must be increased by 2 calendar days. Existing law authorizes the service of documents in a civil action by electronic means pursuant to rules adopted by the Judicial Council, as specified. This bill would clarify that service of a notice of motion described above by electronic service is not among the methods of service requiring an increase to the period of notice. The bill would also make conforming changes. The bill would establish a procedure and timeline to allow a party or non-party in a civil action, upon stipulation, to screen their sensitive medical and personal records for privacy and relevance before the records are provided to a subpoenaing party, as specified.
Who sponsors CA AB 540?
Connolly is the primary sponsor of CA AB 540.
Description
(1) Existing law, the State Bar Act, requires the certification of lawyer referral services by the State Bar of California, as specified, and imposes a civil penalty and damages that are recovered in a civil action for a violation of these requirements, as specified. The act excludes certain entities from being considered a lawyer referral service for these purposes. This bill would additionally exclude from being considered a lawyer referral service an individual attorney or a group of individual attorneys practicing together who are actively representing clients for whom they are personally providing legal services, and, incidental to that active representation, refer a potential client to another attorney under specified circumstances. (2) Existing law establishes various requirements and deadlines for the filing and service of prescribed motions in civil actions, including a motion for summary judgment and a motion for judgment on the pleadings, as specified. A notice of motion for summary judgment or motion for judgment on the pleadings must be served on all other parties to the action at least 81 days before the time appointed for hearing, except when the notice is served by facsimile transmission, express mail, or another method of delivery providing for overnight delivery, in which case the required 81-day period of notice must be increased by 2 court days. For prescribed motions other than a motion for summary judgment or a motion for judgment on the pleadings, as specified, existing law requires a notice of such motion to be provided at least 16 court days before the hearing, except when the notice is served by facsimile transmission, express mail, or another method of delivery providing for overnight delivery, in which case the required 16-day period of notice before the hearing must be increased by 2 calendar days. Existing law authorizes the service of documents in a civil action by electronic means pursuant to rules adopted by the Judicial Council, as specified. This bill would clarify that service of a notice of motion described above by electronic service is not among the methods of service requiring an increase to the period of notice. The bill would also make conforming changes. The bill would establish a procedure and timeline to allow a party or non-party in a civil action, upon stipulation, to screen their sensitive medical and personal records for privacy and relevance before the records are provided to a subpoenaing party, as specified.
- Introduced
- —
- Latest action
- 2026-09-18 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 263, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Connollyauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-18
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 263, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-18
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-09
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-30
Re-referred to Com. on JUD. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.
2026-08-30
Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended.
2026-08-30
From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (August 30).
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-30
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6897.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-30
Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 6844.)
2026-08-28
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-28
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-26
From committee: That the measure be returned to Senate Floor for consideration. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (August 26)
committee-passage
2026-08-24
From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on JUD. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10 (b). (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-08-24
Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10 (b).
referral-committee
2026-08-24
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-21
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-11
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-10
Ordered to second reading.
reading-1,reading-2
2026-08-10
From inactive file.
2025-09-08
Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Laird.
2025-07-07
From Consent Calendar.
2025-07-07
Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-3
2025-07-03
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
reading-1,reading-2
2025-07-02
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-05-07
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2025-04-02
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2025-04-01
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-04-01
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 962.)
2025-03-27
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
reading-1,reading-2
2025-03-26
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 25).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-02-24
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2025-02-12
From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.
2025-02-11
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
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Votes
Do pass. To Consent Calendar.
2025-03-25 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (12)
- Zbur: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Essayli: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Papan: yes
- Bryan: yes
AB 540 Connolly Consent Calendar Second Day
2025-04-01 · pass · 76-0
Member-level votes (80)
- Haney: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Patel: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Chen: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Papan: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Fong: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Lee: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Bains: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Ta: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Krell: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Hart: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Soria: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Gallagher: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Solache: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Addis: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Essayli: yes
- Flora: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Ward: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Berman: yes
- Davies: other
- Alvarez: other
- Bennett: other
- Wicks: other
Do pass and be ordered to the Consent Calendar
2025-07-01 · pass · 13-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Niello: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Stern: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Laird: yes
- Allen: yes
- Ashby: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-21T02:53:48.612860Z
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