Bill Commons

CA AB 7

vetoed

Postsecondary education: admissions preference: descendants of slavery.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 7 pass?

No. CA AB 7 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 7 about?

The California Constitution prohibits the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's public and independent segments of higher education and their respective institutions of higher education. A provision of the act applies to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make the provision applicable. This bill would state that the California State University, the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions may consider providing a preference in admissions to an applicant who is a descendant of slavery, as defined, to the extent it does not conflict with federal law.

Who sponsors CA AB 7?

Bryan is the primary sponsor of CA AB 7, joined by 11 cosponsors.

Description

The California Constitution prohibits the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's public and independent segments of higher education and their respective institutions of higher education. A provision of the act applies to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make the provision applicable. This bill would state that the California State University, the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions may consider providing a preference in admissions to an applicant who is a descendant of slavery, as defined, to the extent it does not conflict with federal law.

Introduced
2025-07-03
Latest action
2026-01-22 — Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
2026-07-09T05:37:05.041940Z

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Bryanauthor
  • Bontaprincipal coauthor
  • Gipsonprincipal coauthor
  • Jacksonprincipal coauthor
  • McKinnorprincipal coauthor
  • Wilsonprincipal coauthor
  • Smallwood-Cuevasprincipal coauthor
  • Weber Piersonprincipal coauthor
  • Elhawarycoauthor
  • Kalracoauthor
  • Sharp-Collinscoauthor
  • Richardsoncoauthor

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. 2025-02-18

    Referred to Coms. on HIGHER ED. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-04-23

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 6. Noes 3.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  5. 2025-04-23

    Coauthors revised.

  6. 2025-04-30

    Coauthors revised.

  7. 2025-04-30

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  8. 2025-05-14

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

    referral-committee

  9. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  10. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  11. 2025-06-03

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 54. Noes 17. Page 1965.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  12. 2025-06-04

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  13. 2025-06-18

    Referred to Coms. on ED. and JUD.

    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 ED.

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

  15. 2025-07-09

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  16. 2025-07-16

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  17. 2025-08-18

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  18. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  19. 2025-08-29

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  20. 2025-09-09

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 2744.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  21. 2025-09-09

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  22. 2025-09-12

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 55. Noes 18. Page 3363.).

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

  23. 2025-09-24

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

    executive-receipt

  24. 2025-10-13

    Vetoed by Governor.

    executive-veto

  25. 2025-10-13

    Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

  26. 2026-01-22

    Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.

    veto-override-failure

Versions

Documents

Votes

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

    2025-04-22 · pass · 6-3

    Member-level votes (10)
    • Boerner: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Patel: other

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

    2025-04-29 · pass · 8-2

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

  • Do pass.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 11-3

    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
    • Ta: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Sanchez: other

  • AB 7 Bryan Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-03 · pass · 54-17

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

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

    2025-07-09 · pass · 5-2

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Laird: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Choi: no
    • Ochoa Bogh: no

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

    2025-07-15 · pass · 11-2

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Caballero: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Valladares: no
    • Niello: no

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-08-18 · pass · 7-0

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

  • Do pass

    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 AB7 Bryan et al. By Richardson

    2025-09-09 · pass · 30-10

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

  • AB 7 Bryan Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-12 · pass · 55-18

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

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB7

Attribution

Data from ca_session_collision_repair/2026-09-02, retrieved 2026-09-03T02:10:57.630031Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

Source and document changesStatus and relationship changes

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