Bill Commons

CA SB 73

enacted

Elections.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 73 pass?

Yes. CA SB 73 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-05-27): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 10, Statutes of 2026.

What is CA SB 73 about?

(1) Existing state and federal law provides for the enforcement of laws related to elections. This bill would prohibit a peace officer from interfering with the administration of an election, as specified. This bill would authorize certain persons to enforce those prohibitions by filing a civil action, as specified. This bill would also prohibit any individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as specified, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of rosters, combined rosters, or voter lists unless authorized by a court order or to investigate certain types of voting fraud. The bill would additionally require the Attorney General to provide guidance and information regarding how to respond to requests by law enforcement, as defined, to access areas where ballots are present. (2) Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voter's prior signatures, and it also provides a mechanism by which a voter can verify their signature and cure this defect. Existing law provides that the processing of vote by mail ballots is open to the public and permits specified persons and organizations to observe this processing. This bill would prohibit a vote by mail observer from challenging a signature on a vote by mail ballot that has been verified by the voter. (3) Under existing law, it is a crime for a person in possession of a firearm, a uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel, or any person wearing the uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the appropriate elections official. It is also a crime for a person to hire or arrange for such a person to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the elections official. This bill would authorize the Secretary of State or Attorney General to object to authorization provided by the appropriate elections official, in which case the person stationed or posted at the polling place, or the person who hired or arranged for such a person to be stationed or posted at the polling place, is guilty of a crime. By expanding the scope of these crimes, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law authorizes the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and any local elections official in the county in which the act occurs, to bring a civil action against an individual, business, or other legal entity that commits any specified act of tampering with a voting system or voting equipment before, during, or after an election. This bill would additionally authorize the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and the appropriate local elections official to bring a civil action against a person, business, or entity that takes a package containing ballots from the custody of an elections official. (5) Existing law makes it a crime for an individual to undertake a number of enumerated actions that would result in interference with an election, including displaying a container for the purpose of collecting ballots with the intent to deceive a voter into casting a ballot in an unofficial ballot box. This bill would also make it a crime to take a package containing voted ballots out of the custody of an elections official. By expanding the scope of this crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) Existing law requires the elections official of any county or city using a voting system to inspect the machines or devices at least once every 2 years. This bill would prohibit an individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as defined, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of certified voting technology unless authorized by a court order. To the extent this bill would establish new procedures for the conduct of elections, it would create a state-mandated local program. (7) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Who sponsors CA SB 73?

Cervantes is the primary sponsor of CA SB 73, joined by 7 cosponsors.

Description

(1) Existing state and federal law provides for the enforcement of laws related to elections. This bill would prohibit a peace officer from interfering with the administration of an election, as specified. This bill would authorize certain persons to enforce those prohibitions by filing a civil action, as specified. This bill would also prohibit any individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as specified, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of rosters, combined rosters, or voter lists unless authorized by a court order or to investigate certain types of voting fraud. The bill would additionally require the Attorney General to provide guidance and information regarding how to respond to requests by law enforcement, as defined, to access areas where ballots are present. (2) Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voter's prior signatures, and it also provides a mechanism by which a voter can verify their signature and cure this defect. Existing law provides that the processing of vote by mail ballots is open to the public and permits specified persons and organizations to observe this processing. This bill would prohibit a vote by mail observer from challenging a signature on a vote by mail ballot that has been verified by the voter. (3) Under existing law, it is a crime for a person in possession of a firearm, a uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel, or any person wearing the uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the appropriate elections official. It is also a crime for a person to hire or arrange for such a person to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the elections official. This bill would authorize the Secretary of State or Attorney General to object to authorization provided by the appropriate elections official, in which case the person stationed or posted at the polling place, or the person who hired or arranged for such a person to be stationed or posted at the polling place, is guilty of a crime. By expanding the scope of these crimes, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law authorizes the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and any local elections official in the county in which the act occurs, to bring a civil action against an individual, business, or other legal entity that commits any specified act of tampering with a voting system or voting equipment before, during, or after an election. This bill would additionally authorize the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and the appropriate local elections official to bring a civil action against a person, business, or entity that takes a package containing ballots from the custody of an elections official. (5) Existing law makes it a crime for an individual to undertake a number of enumerated actions that would result in interference with an election, including displaying a container for the purpose of collecting ballots with the intent to deceive a voter into casting a ballot in an unofficial ballot box. This bill would also make it a crime to take a package containing voted ballots out of the custody of an elections official. By expanding the scope of this crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) Existing law requires the elections official of any county or city using a voting system to inspect the machines or devices at least once every 2 years. This bill would prohibit an individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as defined, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of certified voting technology unless authorized by a court order. To the extent this bill would establish new procedures for the conduct of elections, it would create a state-mandated local program. (7) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Introduced
2025-01-15
Latest action
2026-05-27 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 10, Statutes of 2026.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Cervantesauthor
  • Umbergauthor
  • Pellerinprincipal coauthor
  • Wienercoauthor
  • Addiscoauthor
  • Bennettcoauthor
  • Elhawarycoauthor
  • Jacksoncoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-05-27

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 10, Statutes of 2026.

    became-law

  2. 2026-05-27

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2026-05-26

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  4. 2026-05-26

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 8. Page 4439.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

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

  5. 2026-05-22

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. 2026-05-22

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 57. Noes 19. Page 5251.) Ordered to the Senate.

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

  7. 2026-05-18

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  8. 2026-05-18

    Read third time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3

  9. 2026-05-14

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  10. 2026-05-13

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 13).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  11. 2026-05-11

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  12. 2026-05-07

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (May 6).

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

  13. 2026-05-07

    Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Ayes 52. Noes 16. Page 4947.)

  14. 2026-05-06

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (May 6). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

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

  15. 2026-04-30

    Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Ayes 45. Noes 15. Page 4873.)

  16. 2026-04-27

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

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

  17. 2026-04-27

    Referred to Coms. on ELECTIONS and PUB. S.

    referral-committee

  18. 2026-01-27

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  19. 2026-01-27

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 3296.) Ordered to the Assembly.

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

  20. 2026-01-22

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 3268.) (January 22).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  21. 2026-01-22

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  22. 2026-01-21

    Set for hearing January 22.

  23. 2026-01-20

    January 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  24. 2026-01-14

    Set for hearing January 20.

  25. 2026-01-13

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 3212.) (January 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  26. 2026-01-07

    Set for hearing January 13.

  27. 2026-01-05

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

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

  28. 2026-01-05

    Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

    referral-committee

  29. 2026-01-05

    Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

    referral-committee

  30. 2026-01-05

    Withdrawn from committee.

    withdrawal

  31. 2025-03-13

    March 19 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author.

  32. 2025-03-07

    Set for hearing March 19.

  33. 2025-02-26

    March 5 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  34. 2025-02-25

    Set for hearing March 5.

  35. 2025-01-29

    Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and HOUSING.

    referral-committee

  36. 2025-01-16

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 15.

  37. 2025-01-15

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

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

Versions

  • 01/15/25 - Introduced — 2025-01-15Compare
  • 01/05/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-01-05Compare
  • 04/27/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-04-27Compare
  • 05/11/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-05-11Compare
  • 05/18/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-05-18Compare
  • 05/26/26 - Enrolled — 2026-05-26Compare
  • 05/27/26 - Chaptered — 2026-05-27Compare
  • SB73Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

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

    2026-01-13 · pass · 4-1

    Member-level votes (5)
    • Durazo: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Choi: no

  • Placed on suspense file

    2026-01-20 · pass · 7-0

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

  • Do pass

    2026-01-22 · pass · 5-2

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

  • 3rd Reading (Urgency Clause)

    2026-01-27 · pass · 30-10

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

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

    2026-05-06 · pass · 6-1

    Member-level votes (8)
    • Stefani: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Gallagher: no
    • Johnson: other

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

    2026-05-06 · pass · 7-1

    Member-level votes (9)
    • Ramos: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Lackey: no
    • Alanis: other

  • Do pass.

    2026-05-13 · pass · 11-3

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Ellis: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Ta: no
    • Hoover: other

  • SB 73 Cervantes Third Reading Urgency By Pellerin

    2026-05-22 · pass · 57-19

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

  • Unfinished Business SB73 Cervantes et al. Urgency Clause Concurrence

    2026-05-26 · pass · 29-8

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

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB73

Attribution

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

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