Bill Commons

CA SB 259

enacted

Elections: vote by mail ballots.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 259 pass?

Yes. CA SB 259 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-19): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 331, Statutes of 2026.

What is CA SB 259 about?

Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for any person having charge of a completed vote by mail ballot to interfere with a ballot's return to the local elections official. This bill would additionally make it a misdemeanor for any person having charge of a vote by mail ballot to interfere, as defined, with a ballot's delivery to a voter. The bill would make it a felony for a person with authority to direct one or more persons subject to their supervision or authority to interfere with a ballot's return to the local elections official or delivery to a voter. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Who sponsors CA SB 259?

Wahab is the primary sponsor of CA SB 259, joined by 5 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for any person having charge of a completed vote by mail ballot to interfere with a ballot's return to the local elections official. This bill would additionally make it a misdemeanor for any person having charge of a vote by mail ballot to interfere, as defined, with a ballot's delivery to a voter. The bill would make it a felony for a person with authority to direct one or more persons subject to their supervision or authority to interfere with a ballot's return to the local elections official or delivery to a voter. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Introduced
2025-02-03
Latest action
2026-09-19 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 331, Statutes of 2026.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Wahabauthor
  • Lowenthalprincipal coauthor
  • Connollycoauthor
  • Garciacoauthor
  • Haneycoauthor
  • Kalracoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-09-19

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 331, Statutes of 2026.

    became-law

  2. 2026-09-19

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2026-08-30

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 6 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  4. 2026-08-30

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 10.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

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

  5. 2026-08-30

    Urgency clause adopted.

    amendment-passage,passage

  6. 2026-08-28

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. 2026-08-28

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

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

  8. 2026-08-28

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 59. Noes 16. Page 6778.) Ordered to the Senate.

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

  9. 2026-08-27

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (August 27).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  10. 2026-08-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  11. 2026-08-25

    Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.

  12. 2026-08-25

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 2.) (August 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  13. 2026-08-25

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ELECTIONS. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (August 25). Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS.

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

  14. 2026-08-24

    Assembly Rule 56 suspended.

  15. 2026-08-24

    Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.

  16. 2026-08-24

    Re-referred to Coms. on PUB. S., ELECTIONS, and APPR. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.

    referral-committee

  17. 2026-08-20

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  18. 2026-08-20

    Read third time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3

  19. 2026-08-19

    From inactive file.

  20. 2026-08-19

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  21. 2026-08-18

    Notice of intention to remove from inactive file given by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry.

  22. 2025-09-12

    Ordered to inactive file on request of Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry.

  23. 2025-09-09

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  24. 2025-09-09

    Read third time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3

  25. 2025-09-09

    Joint Rule 61(a)(13) suspended. (Ayes 60. Noes 20. Page 3128.)

  26. 2025-09-05

    Read third time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3

  27. 2025-09-05

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  28. 2025-07-17

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  29. 2025-07-16

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (July 15).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  30. 2025-07-10

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  31. 2025-07-02

    July 8 hearing postponed by committee.

  32. 2025-06-25

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 4.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  33. 2025-06-19

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

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

  34. 2025-06-13

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

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

  35. 2025-06-05

    Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  36. 2025-05-28

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  37. 2025-05-28

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 1295.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  38. 2025-04-24

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.

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

  39. 2025-04-23

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1. Page 833.) (April 22).

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

  40. 2025-04-08

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  41. 2025-04-04

    Set for hearing April 22.

  42. 2025-04-02

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  43. 2025-03-24

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

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

  44. 2025-02-14

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

    referral-committee

  45. 2025-02-04

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 6.

  46. 2025-02-03

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

Versions

  • 02/03/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-03Compare
  • 03/24/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-03-24Compare
  • 04/08/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-04-08Compare
  • 04/24/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-04-24Compare
  • 06/13/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-06-13Compare
  • 06/19/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-06-19Compare
  • 07/10/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-07-10Compare
  • 09/05/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-09-05Compare
  • 09/09/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-09-09Compare
  • 08/20/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-08-20Compare
  • 08/30/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-30Compare
  • SB259Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass as amended

    2025-04-22 · pass · 11-1

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

  • 3rd Reading

    2025-05-28 · pass · 30-9

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

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

    2025-06-24 · pass · 10-4

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Ward: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • DeMaio: no
    • Patterson: no
    • Hoover: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Petrie-Norris: other

  • Do pass.

    2025-07-15 · pass · 8-3

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

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB259

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-22T00:47:41.374905Z

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