Bill Commons

CA AB 62

vetoed

Civil Rights Department: racially motivated eminent domain.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 62 pass?

No. CA AB 62 passed the legislature but was vetoed on 2026-01-22. Latest recorded action (2026-01-22): Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.

What is CA AB 62 about?

Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2030, the Racial Equity Commission within the Office of Planning and Research and requires the commission to develop resources, best practices, and tools for advancing racial equity by, among other things, developing a statewide Racial Equity Framework that includes methodologies and tools that can be employed to advance racial equity and address structural racism in California. Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, establishes the Civil Rights Department and sets forth its powers and duties, including, among others, receiving, investigating, and prosecuting complaints alleging violations of civil rights, as specified. This bill would require the Civil Rights Department (department) , to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, review, investigate, and make certain determinations regarding applications from persons who claim they are the dispossessed owner, as defined, of property taken as a result of racially motivated eminent domain. The bill would define "racially motivated eminent domain" to mean when the state, county, city, city and county, district, or other political subdivision of the state acquires private property for public use and does not distribute just compensation to the owner at the time of the taking, and the taking, or the failure to provide just compensation, was due, in whole or in part, to the owner's ethnicity or race. Upon a determination that providing property or just compensation is warranted, as provided, the bill would require the department to certify that the dispossessed owner is entitled to the return of the taken property, as specified, or other publicly held property, as defined, of equal value, or financial compensation, as specified. Upon a determination that the dispossessed owner is entitled to other publicly held property of equal value, the bill would require the department to solicit and select, as specified, a list of recommendations of publicly held properties that are suitable as compensation, as provided. Upon a rejection of the determination of the department by the state or local agency that took property by racially motivated eminent domain, the bill would authorize the dispossessed owner, as specified, to bring an action to challenge the taking or the amount of compensation, as provided. Upon a determination that an applicant is not a dispossessed owner or issuing property or just compensation is not warranted, the bill would require the department to notify the applicant of its finding and provide an appeal process, as specified. The bill would require the department to prioritize processing applications for claims made by the individual or individuals who held legal title to the affected property at the time of its taking, as specified. The bill would make every finding, decision, determination, or other official act of the department subject to judicial review. Existing law generally prohibits state agencies from employing in-house counsel to act on behalf of the agency or its employees in specified judicial or administrative adjudicative proceedings, but exempts specified agencies from this provision. This bill would exempt the Civil Rights Department from that provision, as specified. This bill would make related findings and declarations, including those related to a gift of public funds.

Who sponsors CA AB 62?

McKinnor is the primary sponsor of CA AB 62, joined by 11 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2030, the Racial Equity Commission within the Office of Planning and Research and requires the commission to develop resources, best practices, and tools for advancing racial equity by, among other things, developing a statewide Racial Equity Framework that includes methodologies and tools that can be employed to advance racial equity and address structural racism in California. Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, establishes the Civil Rights Department and sets forth its powers and duties, including, among others, receiving, investigating, and prosecuting complaints alleging violations of civil rights, as specified. This bill would require the Civil Rights Department (department) , to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, review, investigate, and make certain determinations regarding applications from persons who claim they are the dispossessed owner, as defined, of property taken as a result of racially motivated eminent domain. The bill would define "racially motivated eminent domain" to mean when the state, county, city, city and county, district, or other political subdivision of the state acquires private property for public use and does not distribute just compensation to the owner at the time of the taking, and the taking, or the failure to provide just compensation, was due, in whole or in part, to the owner's ethnicity or race. Upon a determination that providing property or just compensation is warranted, as provided, the bill would require the department to certify that the dispossessed owner is entitled to the return of the taken property, as specified, or other publicly held property, as defined, of equal value, or financial compensation, as specified. Upon a determination that the dispossessed owner is entitled to other publicly held property of equal value, the bill would require the department to solicit and select, as specified, a list of recommendations of publicly held properties that are suitable as compensation, as provided. Upon a rejection of the determination of the department by the state or local agency that took property by racially motivated eminent domain, the bill would authorize the dispossessed owner, as specified, to bring an action to challenge the taking or the amount of compensation, as provided. Upon a determination that an applicant is not a dispossessed owner or issuing property or just compensation is not warranted, the bill would require the department to notify the applicant of its finding and provide an appeal process, as specified. The bill would require the department to prioritize processing applications for claims made by the individual or individuals who held legal title to the affected property at the time of its taking, as specified. The bill would make every finding, decision, determination, or other official act of the department subject to judicial review. Existing law generally prohibits state agencies from employing in-house counsel to act on behalf of the agency or its employees in specified judicial or administrative adjudicative proceedings, but exempts specified agencies from this provision. This bill would exempt the Civil Rights Department from that provision, as specified. This bill would make related findings and declarations, including those related to a gift of public funds.

Introduced
2025-02-24
Latest action
2026-01-22 — Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • McKinnorauthor
  • Bontacoauthor
  • Bryancoauthor
  • Elhawarycoauthor
  • Gipsoncoauthor
  • Jacksoncoauthor
  • Ransomcoauthor
  • Sharp-Collinscoauthor
  • Wilsoncoauthor
  • Richardsoncoauthor
  • Smallwood-Cuevascoauthor
  • Weber Piersoncoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2024-12-02

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2024-12-03

    From printer. May be heard in committee January 2.

  3. 2025-02-24

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-02-24

    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

  5. 2025-02-25

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-04-30

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  7. 2025-05-07

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  8. 2025-05-23

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

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  9. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  10. 2025-05-29

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 57. Noes 4. Page 1778.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  11. 2025-05-29

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  12. 2025-06-11

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  13. 2025-07-16

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

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

  14. 2025-08-07

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  15. 2025-08-18

    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

  16. 2025-08-18

    (Ayes 27. Noes 0. Page 2169.)

  17. 2025-08-25

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  18. 2025-08-29

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  19. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage

  20. 2025-09-02

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  21. 2025-09-08

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 7. Page 2616.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  22. 2025-09-08

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  23. 2025-09-09

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 66. Noes 4. Page 3101.).

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

  24. 2025-09-16

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  25. 2025-10-13

    Vetoed by Governor.

    executive-veto

  26. 2025-10-13

    Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

  27. 2026-01-22

    Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.

    veto-override-failure

Versions

  • 12/02/24 - Introduced — 2024-12-02Compare
  • 02/24/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-02-24Compare
  • 08/18/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-08-18Compare
  • 08/29/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-08-29Compare
  • 09/11/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-11Compare
  • AB62Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

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

    2025-04-29 · pass · 9-1

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Macedo: no
    • Dixon: other
    • Bauer-Kahan: other

  • Do pass.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 11-2

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

  • AB 62 McKinnor Assembly Third Reading

    2025-05-29 · pass · 57-4

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

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

    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

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-08-25 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Grayson: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Wahab: other

  • Do pass as amended

    2025-08-29 · pass · 5-2

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

  • 3rd Reading AB62 McKinnor et al. By Smallwood-Cuevas

    2025-09-08 · pass · 30-7

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

  • AB 62 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-09 · pass · 66-4

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

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB62

Attribution

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

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