Bill Commons

CA AB 596

dead

Elections: ballot disclosures.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 596 pass?

No. CA AB 596 did not pass — it was defeated or died in the legislative process (2025-09-13). Latest recorded action (2025-09-13): Motion to reconsider made by Assembly Member Ortega.

What is CA AB 596 about?

Under existing law, the ballot label for a statewide measure contains a condensed version of the ballot title and summary prepared by the Attorney General, including a fiscal impact summary prepared by the Legislative Analyst, followed by a listing of the names of the measure's supporters and opponents. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to create an internet website or to use other available technology to consolidate information about each state ballot measure, including a list of the top 10 contributors supporting or opposing a measure, if compiled by the Fair Political Practices Commission. This bill would require the 3 largest contributors of $100,000 or more to all committees that paid for the circulation of a statewide initiative or statewide referendum measure to also be printed on the ballot immediately following the names of the measure's supporters and opponents. The Secretary of State would be required to make a copy of the top contributors available for public examination prior to printing that information on ballots, and voters would be authorized to seek a writ of mandate requiring the identified contributors to be amended or deleted. The bill would specify words and phrases that may be left out of a top contributor's name in order to shorten the name when printed on the ballot. The bill would apply its provisions only to proposed statewide initiative or statewide referendum measures for which the Attorney General delivers a circulating title and summary to the proponents on or after January 1, 2026. To the extent the bill would increase the duties of county elections officials relative to examining initiative and referendum petitions and printing ballots, it would impose a state-mandated local program. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Who sponsors CA AB 596?

Ortega is the primary sponsor of CA AB 596.

Description

Under existing law, the ballot label for a statewide measure contains a condensed version of the ballot title and summary prepared by the Attorney General, including a fiscal impact summary prepared by the Legislative Analyst, followed by a listing of the names of the measure's supporters and opponents. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to create an internet website or to use other available technology to consolidate information about each state ballot measure, including a list of the top 10 contributors supporting or opposing a measure, if compiled by the Fair Political Practices Commission. This bill would require the 3 largest contributors of $100,000 or more to all committees that paid for the circulation of a statewide initiative or statewide referendum measure to also be printed on the ballot immediately following the names of the measure's supporters and opponents. The Secretary of State would be required to make a copy of the top contributors available for public examination prior to printing that information on ballots, and voters would be authorized to seek a writ of mandate requiring the identified contributors to be amended or deleted. The bill would specify words and phrases that may be left out of a top contributor's name in order to shorten the name when printed on the ballot. The bill would apply its provisions only to proposed statewide initiative or statewide referendum measures for which the Attorney General delivers a circulating title and summary to the proponents on or after January 1, 2026. To the extent the bill would increase the duties of county elections officials relative to examining initiative and referendum petitions and printing ballots, it would impose a state-mandated local program. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Introduced
2025-03-10
Latest action
2025-09-13 — Motion to reconsider made by Assembly Member Ortega.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Ortegaauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-13

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-02-14

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

  3. 2025-02-24

    Referred to Com. on L. & E.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-03-10

    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

  5. 2025-03-11

    Re-referred to Com. on L. & E.

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-03-19

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 19). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  7. 2025-04-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (April 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  8. 2025-04-24

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  9. 2025-04-28

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 63. Noes 10. Page 1317.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  10. 2025-04-29

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  11. 2025-05-28

    Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

    referral-committee

  12. 2025-06-11

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 11).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  13. 2025-06-12

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  14. 2025-06-23

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

    committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  15. 2025-06-24

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  16. 2025-09-09

    Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

    referral-committee

  17. 2025-09-09

    Joint Rules 61 and 62(a) suspended. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 2731.)

  18. 2025-09-09

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

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

  19. 2025-09-09

    Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(C).

    referral-committee

  20. 2025-09-09

    Joint Rule 61(a)(13) suspended. (Ayes 28. Noes 8. Page 2568.)

  21. 2025-09-10

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (September 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  22. 2025-09-11

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 4. Noes 2.) (September 11).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  23. 2025-09-12

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  24. 2025-09-12

    Senate Rule 29 suspended. (Page 2961.)

  25. 2025-09-12

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 26. Noes 9. Page 3004.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  26. 2025-09-13

    Assembly refused to concur in Senate amendments. (Ayes 37. Noes 22. Page 3513.)

    committee-failure

  27. 2025-09-13

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  28. 2025-09-13

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 3477.)

  29. 2025-09-13

    Joint Rules 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)

  30. 2025-09-13

    Motion to reconsider made by Assembly Member Ortega.

Versions

  • 02/13/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-13Compare
  • 03/10/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-10Compare
  • 06/12/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-12Compare
  • 09/09/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-09Compare
  • AB596Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-03-19 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Ortega: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Flora: other

  • Do pass.

    2025-04-23 · pass · 11-2

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Ta: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Sanchez: other
    • Dixon: other

  • AB 596 McKinnor Assembly Third Reading

    2025-04-28 · pass · 63-10

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Tangipa: no
    • Castillo: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Jeff Gonzalez: no
    • Hoover: no
    • Gallagher: no
    • Hadwick: no
    • Ta: no
    • Lackey: no
    • Sanchez: other
    • Flora: other
    • Blanca Rubio: other
    • Patterson: other
    • Solache: other
    • Ellis: other

  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-06-11 · pass · 5-0

    Member-level votes (5)
    • Laird: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Durazo: yes

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-09-10 · pass · 4-1

    Member-level votes (5)
    • Limón: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Choi: no

  • Do pass

    2025-09-11 · pass · 4-2

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Seyarto: no
    • Dahle: no
    • Grayson: other

  • 2nd Reading AB596 Ortega By Cervantes

    2025-09-12 · pass · 26-9

    Member-level votes (40)
    • McGuire: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Strickland: no
    • Cabaldon: no
    • Seyarto: no
    • Niello: no
    • Jones: no
    • Ochoa Bogh: no
    • Grove: no
    • Dahle: no
    • Alvarado-Gil: no
    • Weber Pierson: other
    • Choi: other
    • Valladares: other
    • Pérez: other
    • Gonzalez: other

  • AB 596 ORTEGA Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-13 · fail · 37-22

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Johnson: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Ávila Farías: no
    • Jeff Gonzalez: no
    • Castillo: no
    • Alanis: no
    • Wallis: no
    • Patterson: no
    • Ta: no
    • Hoover: no
    • Gallagher: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Ellis: no
    • Davies: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Pellerin: no
    • Hadwick: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Lackey: no
    • Sanchez: no
    • Chen: no
    • Flora: no
    • Mark González: other
    • Quirk-Silva: other
    • Gipson: other
    • Addis: other
    • Carrillo: other
    • Soria: other
    • Michelle Rodriguez: other
    • Berman: other
    • Valencia: other
    • Wicks: other
    • Bennett: other
    • Papan: other
    • Pacheco: other
    • Alvarez: other
    • Nguyen: other
    • Solache: other
    • Blanca Rubio: other
    • Petrie-Norris: other
    • Gabriel: other
    • Irwin: other
    • Patel: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB596

Attribution

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

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

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