CA AB 789
enactedPolitical Reform Act of 1974: security expenses.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
Quick answers
Did CA AB 789 pass?
Yes. CA AB 789 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-11. Latest recorded action (2025-10-11): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 621, Statutes of 2025.
What is CA AB 789 about?
The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates the use of campaign funds held by candidates for elective office, elected officers, and campaign committees. The act authorizes a candidate or elected officer to use campaign funds to pay or reimburse the state for the reasonable costs of installing and monitoring a home or office electronic security system or for another tangible item related to security, and for the reasonable costs of providing personal security to a candidate, elected officer, or the immediate family or staff of a candidate or elected officer, provided that the threat or potential threat to safety arises from the candidate's or elected officer's activities, duties, or status as a candidate or elected officer or from staff's position as staff of the candidate or elected officer. The act permits a candidate or elected officer to expend a maximum of $10,000 of campaign funds for these purposes during their lifetime. This bill would eliminate that monetary cap until January 1, 2029. Beginning January 1, 2029, the bill would instead permit a candidate or elected officer to expend a maximum of $10,000 of campaign funds for these purposes per calendar year. Existing law exempts payments to a relative, within the third degree of consanguinity, of a candidate or elected officer from the definition of "security expenses." This bill would instead exempt payments to the candidate's or elected officer's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin or the spouse of any such person from the definition of "security expenses." This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 89517.5 of the Government Code proposed by AB 808, to be operative only if this bill and AB 808 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Who sponsors CA AB 789?
Bonta is the primary sponsor of CA AB 789, joined by 2 cosponsors.
Description
The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates the use of campaign funds held by candidates for elective office, elected officers, and campaign committees. The act authorizes a candidate or elected officer to use campaign funds to pay or reimburse the state for the reasonable costs of installing and monitoring a home or office electronic security system or for another tangible item related to security, and for the reasonable costs of providing personal security to a candidate, elected officer, or the immediate family or staff of a candidate or elected officer, provided that the threat or potential threat to safety arises from the candidate's or elected officer's activities, duties, or status as a candidate or elected officer or from staff's position as staff of the candidate or elected officer. The act permits a candidate or elected officer to expend a maximum of $10,000 of campaign funds for these purposes during their lifetime. This bill would eliminate that monetary cap until January 1, 2029. Beginning January 1, 2029, the bill would instead permit a candidate or elected officer to expend a maximum of $10,000 of campaign funds for these purposes per calendar year. Existing law exempts payments to a relative, within the third degree of consanguinity, of a candidate or elected officer from the definition of "security expenses." This bill would instead exempt payments to the candidate's or elected officer's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin or the spouse of any such person from the definition of "security expenses." This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 89517.5 of the Government Code proposed by AB 808, to be operative only if this bill and AB 808 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
- Introduced
- 2025-03-17
- Latest action
- 2025-10-11 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 621, Statutes of 2025.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Bontaauthor
- Rivasprincipal coauthor
- Ashbycoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2025-02-18
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
2025-02-19
From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.
2025-03-17
Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
referral-committee
2025-03-17
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-18
Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
referral-committee
2025-04-02
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 1).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-04-03
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-04-21
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 59. Noes 4. Page 1170.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-04-21
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2025-05-07
Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
referral-committee
2025-06-23
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-06-24
Withdrawn from committee.
withdrawal
2025-06-24
Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
referral-committee
2025-06-25
Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
referral-committee
2025-07-08
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-07-15
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (July 15).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-07-16
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-08-25
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-08-26
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-03
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-04
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-12
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 4. Page 2985.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-09-12
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-13
Joint Rules 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)
2025-09-13
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 65. Noes 6. Page 3465.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-09-24
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
executive-receipt
2025-10-11
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2025-10-11
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 621, Statutes of 2025.
became-law
Versions
- 02/18/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-18Compare
- 03/17/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-17Compare
- 06/23/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-23Compare
- 07/08/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-08Compare
- 08/25/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-08-25Compare
- 09/03/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-03Compare
- 09/16/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-16Compare
- 10/11/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-11Compare
- AB789Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
Documents
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Votes
Do pass.
2025-04-01 · pass · 13-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Patel: yes
- Addis: yes
- Krell: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Flora: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Chen: other
- Sanchez: other
AB 789 Bonta Assembly Third Reading
2025-04-21 · pass · 59-4
Member-level votes (79)
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Berman: yes
- Solache: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Davies: yes
- Fong: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Haney: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Lee: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Addis: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Ward: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Hart: yes
- Patel: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Bains: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Krell: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- DeMaio: no
- Macedo: no
- Tangipa: no
- Ellis: no
- Hoover: other
- Castillo: other
- Patterson: other
- Chen: other
- Flora: other
- Sharp-Collins: other
- Papan: other
- Gallagher: other
- Dixon: other
- Hadwick: other
- Lackey: other
- Sanchez: other
- Soria: other
- Jeff Gonzalez: other
- Ta: other
- Ramos: other
Do pass
2025-07-15 · pass · 4-0
Member-level votes (5)
- Limón: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Allen: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Choi: other
3rd Reading AB789 Bonta et al. By Cabaldon
2025-09-12 · pass · 31-4
Member-level votes (40)
- McGuire: yes
- Becker: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Laird: yes
- Alvarado-Gil: yes
- Stern: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Allen: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Limón: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Grove: no
- Niello: no
- Jones: no
- Seyarto: no
- Choi: other
- Valladares: other
- Ochoa Bogh: other
- Dahle: other
- Gonzalez: other
AB 789 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
2025-09-13 · pass · 65-6
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
- Calderon: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Bains: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Soria: 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
- Patterson: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Hoover: 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
- Davies: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Patel: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Flora: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Johnson: no
- Dixon: no
- Tangipa: no
- Jeff Gonzalez: no
- Macedo: no
- DeMaio: no
- Michelle Rodriguez: other
- Hadwick: other
- Krell: other
- Lackey: other
- Chen: other
- Castillo: other
- Ellis: other
- Wallis: other
- Ta: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
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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