Bill Commons

CA SB 477

enacted

California Fair Employment and Housing Act: enforcement procedures.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 477 pass?

Yes. CA SB 477 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2025-10-03): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 321, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA SB 477 about?

Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) , establishes the Civil Rights Department to enforce civil rights laws with respect to housing and employment and to protect and safeguard the right of all persons to obtain and hold employment without discrimination based upon specified characteristics or status. The FEHA makes certain discriminatory employment and housing practices unlawful, and authorizes a person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful practice to file a verified complaint with the department. The FEHA requires the department to make an investigation in connection with a filed complaint alleging facts sufficient to constitute a violation of the FEHA, and requires the department to endeavor to eliminate the unlawful practice by conference, conciliation, and persuasion. Existing law authorizes a complaint to be filed by an aggrieved person or the department on behalf and as representative of a group or class if the alleged unlawful practice adversely affects, in a similar manner, a group or class of persons of which the aggrieved person is a member. This bill would define the term "group or class complaint" for purposes of the FEHA. Existing law tolls the time for a complainant to file a civil action alleging a violation of specified civil rights provisions commencing with the filing of a complaint with the department until the department files a civil action for the alleged violation or until one year after the department issues written notice that it has closed its investigation without filing a civil action. This bill would additionally toll the time for a complainant to file a civil action if the complainant timely appeals to the department the closure of their complaint until one year after the department issues written notice that it remains closed following the appeal. Existing law authorizes the director to bring a civil action in the name of the department, acting in the public interest, on behalf of an aggrieved person if conference, conciliation, mediation, or persuasion fails to eliminate an unlawful practice. Existing law imposes a deadline of one or 2 years for the department to bring a civil action, as specified. Existing law requires those deadlines to be tolled during a dispute resolution proceeding. This bill would additionally require those deadlines to be tolled pursuant to a written agreement by the complainant and the department, during the pendency of a petition to compel, and for the duration of an appeal to the department for the closure of a complaint. Under existing law, if the department does not file a civil action, the department is required to promptly issue the person claiming to be aggrieved a right-to-sue notice upon request, as specified, or upon completion of its investigation and not later than one year after the filing of the complaint. For a complaint treated as a group or class complaint, existing law requires the department to issue a right-to-sue notice upon completion of its investigation and not later than 2 years after the filing of the complaint. Existing law requires these deadlines to be tolled during a dispute resolution proceeding. Under this bill, if the department determines that an aggrieved person's complaint relates to a complaint filed in the name of the director or a group or class complaint, as specified, the department would be required to issue a right-to-sue notice after the director's or group or class complaint has been fully and finally disposed of and all administrative proceedings, civil actions, appeals, or related proceedings have terminated. The bill would require this deadline and the above-described deadlines relating to issuing a right-to-sue notice to additionally be tolled pursuant to a written agreement by the complainant and the department, during the pendency of a petition to compel, and for the duration of an appeal to the department for the closure of a complaint. Existing law authorizes the department, in the case of failure to eliminate specified violations relating to housing discrimination that have occurred, or that are about to occur, as specified, to bring a civil action in the name of the department. Existing law authorizes the action to be filed in any county where the unlawful practice is alleged to have been committed, the records relevant to that practice are maintained and administered, the aggrieved party would have resided, or the defendant's residence or principal office is located, as specified. This bill would remove the above-described provisions specifying the counties where the civil action may be filed.

Who sponsors CA SB 477?

Blakespear is the primary sponsor of CA SB 477.

Description

Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) , establishes the Civil Rights Department to enforce civil rights laws with respect to housing and employment and to protect and safeguard the right of all persons to obtain and hold employment without discrimination based upon specified characteristics or status. The FEHA makes certain discriminatory employment and housing practices unlawful, and authorizes a person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful practice to file a verified complaint with the department. The FEHA requires the department to make an investigation in connection with a filed complaint alleging facts sufficient to constitute a violation of the FEHA, and requires the department to endeavor to eliminate the unlawful practice by conference, conciliation, and persuasion. Existing law authorizes a complaint to be filed by an aggrieved person or the department on behalf and as representative of a group or class if the alleged unlawful practice adversely affects, in a similar manner, a group or class of persons of which the aggrieved person is a member. This bill would define the term "group or class complaint" for purposes of the FEHA. Existing law tolls the time for a complainant to file a civil action alleging a violation of specified civil rights provisions commencing with the filing of a complaint with the department until the department files a civil action for the alleged violation or until one year after the department issues written notice that it has closed its investigation without filing a civil action. This bill would additionally toll the time for a complainant to file a civil action if the complainant timely appeals to the department the closure of their complaint until one year after the department issues written notice that it remains closed following the appeal. Existing law authorizes the director to bring a civil action in the name of the department, acting in the public interest, on behalf of an aggrieved person if conference, conciliation, mediation, or persuasion fails to eliminate an unlawful practice. Existing law imposes a deadline of one or 2 years for the department to bring a civil action, as specified. Existing law requires those deadlines to be tolled during a dispute resolution proceeding. This bill would additionally require those deadlines to be tolled pursuant to a written agreement by the complainant and the department, during the pendency of a petition to compel, and for the duration of an appeal to the department for the closure of a complaint. Under existing law, if the department does not file a civil action, the department is required to promptly issue the person claiming to be aggrieved a right-to-sue notice upon request, as specified, or upon completion of its investigation and not later than one year after the filing of the complaint. For a complaint treated as a group or class complaint, existing law requires the department to issue a right-to-sue notice upon completion of its investigation and not later than 2 years after the filing of the complaint. Existing law requires these deadlines to be tolled during a dispute resolution proceeding. Under this bill, if the department determines that an aggrieved person's complaint relates to a complaint filed in the name of the director or a group or class complaint, as specified, the department would be required to issue a right-to-sue notice after the director's or group or class complaint has been fully and finally disposed of and all administrative proceedings, civil actions, appeals, or related proceedings have terminated. The bill would require this deadline and the above-described deadlines relating to issuing a right-to-sue notice to additionally be tolled pursuant to a written agreement by the complainant and the department, during the pendency of a petition to compel, and for the duration of an appeal to the department for the closure of a complaint. Existing law authorizes the department, in the case of failure to eliminate specified violations relating to housing discrimination that have occurred, or that are about to occur, as specified, to bring a civil action in the name of the department. Existing law authorizes the action to be filed in any county where the unlawful practice is alleged to have been committed, the records relevant to that practice are maintained and administered, the aggrieved party would have resided, or the defendant's residence or principal office is located, as specified. This bill would remove the above-described provisions specifying the counties where the civil action may be filed.

Introduced
2025-02-19
Latest action
2025-10-03 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 321, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Blakespearauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2025-10-03

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 321, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

  2. 2025-10-03

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2025-09-17

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

    executive-receipt

  4. 2025-09-10

    In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

    committee-passage

  5. 2025-09-09

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 59. Noes 19. Page 3064.) Ordered to the Senate.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  6. 2025-07-03

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  7. 2025-07-02

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 10. Noes 4.) (July 2).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  8. 2025-06-17

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 2.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  9. 2025-06-05

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  10. 2025-05-28

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  11. 2025-05-28

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1290.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  12. 2025-05-23

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  13. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1201.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  14. 2025-05-16

    Set for hearing May 23.

  15. 2025-05-05

    May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  16. 2025-04-25

    Set for hearing May 5.

  17. 2025-04-23

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 835.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  18. 2025-04-04

    Set for hearing April 22.

  19. 2025-04-02

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  20. 2025-03-26

    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

  21. 2025-02-26

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

    referral-committee

  22. 2025-02-20

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.

  23. 2025-02-19

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

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

Versions

  • 02/19/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-19Compare
  • 03/26/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-03-26Compare
  • 09/12/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-12Compare
  • 10/03/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-03Compare
  • SB477Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

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

    2025-04-22 · pass · 11-2

    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
    • Valladares: no
    • Niello: no

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-05-05 · pass · 7-0

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

  • Do pass

    2025-05-23 · pass · 5-1

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

  • 3rd Reading

    2025-05-28 · pass · 28-10

    Member-level votes (40)
    • McNerney: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Blakespear: 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
    • Choi: no
    • Seyarto: no
    • Valladares: no
    • Jones: no
    • Limón: other
    • Reyes: other

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

    2025-06-17 · pass · 9-2

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

  • Do pass.

    2025-07-02 · pass · 10-4

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

  • SB 477 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Bryan

    2025-09-09 · pass · 59-19

    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
    • 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
    • Stefani: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Bryan: 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
    • Rivas: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Johnson: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Jeff Gonzalez: no
    • Castillo: no
    • Alanis: no
    • Wallis: no
    • Patterson: no
    • Hoover: no
    • Gallagher: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Ellis: no
    • Davies: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Hadwick: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Lackey: no
    • Sanchez: no
    • Chen: no
    • Flora: no
    • Bains: other
    • Ta: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB477

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