Bill Commons

CA SB 873

enacted

Courthouses: privilege from civil arrest.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 873 pass?

Yes. CA SB 873 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-29): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 753, Statutes of 2026.

What is CA SB 873 about?

Existing law prohibits a person from being subject to civil arrest in a courthouse while attending a court proceeding or having legal business in a courthouse, except pursuant to a valid judicial warrant. Existing law confers specified powers to judicial officers, including to preserve and enforce order in the officer's immediate presence and in proceedings before the officer, to compel obedience to the officer's lawful orders, and to prohibit activities that threaten access to courthouses and court proceedings, including protecting the privilege from civil arrest at courthouses and court proceedings. This bill would prohibit a person from being subject to civil arrest while traveling to, while present at, or while traveling from a courthouse for any lawful activity, as defined. The bill would authorize a court to issue appropriate judicial orders to protect the privilege from civil arrest. Under the bill, a civil arrest in violation of these provisions or the common law privilege against civil arrest would constitute false imprisonment or false arrest if the person was going to, remaining at, or returning from court for any lawful activity, and each person in violation of these provisions or who assists in the violation of these provisions would be liable for civil damages for the tort of false imprisonment or false arrest, including actual damages and statutory damages of $10,000. The bill would authorize a party in a successful action to recover court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. The bill would exempt a court, judicial officer, or court personnel acting lawfully pursuant to their duty to maintain safety and order in the courts from any action or proceeding pursuant to these provisions. This bill would require, when court security personnel are aware that any representative of a law enforcement agency, while acting in an official capacity, enters a courthouse, that court security personnel request the law enforcement representative or representatives identify themselves and state their specific law enforcement purposes and intended enforcement action to be taken, and request from the law enforcement representative or representatives a copy of a valid judicial warrant concerning the intended enforcement action to be taken. The bill would require, if court security personnel are aware there is an attorney representing a person named in the judicial warrant in any capacity, that court security personnel request the law enforcement representative to afford the attorney the right to review the warrant. This bill would require the Judicial Council to annually prepare a report compiling statistics, aggregated by county, of information related to civil arrests, as specified. The bill would require the Judicial Council to publicly post the report on its public internet website. This bill would also make related findings and declarations and specify that the provisions of this act are severable.

Who sponsors CA SB 873?

Reyes is the primary sponsor of CA SB 873, joined by 8 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law prohibits a person from being subject to civil arrest in a courthouse while attending a court proceeding or having legal business in a courthouse, except pursuant to a valid judicial warrant. Existing law confers specified powers to judicial officers, including to preserve and enforce order in the officer's immediate presence and in proceedings before the officer, to compel obedience to the officer's lawful orders, and to prohibit activities that threaten access to courthouses and court proceedings, including protecting the privilege from civil arrest at courthouses and court proceedings. This bill would prohibit a person from being subject to civil arrest while traveling to, while present at, or while traveling from a courthouse for any lawful activity, as defined. The bill would authorize a court to issue appropriate judicial orders to protect the privilege from civil arrest. Under the bill, a civil arrest in violation of these provisions or the common law privilege against civil arrest would constitute false imprisonment or false arrest if the person was going to, remaining at, or returning from court for any lawful activity, and each person in violation of these provisions or who assists in the violation of these provisions would be liable for civil damages for the tort of false imprisonment or false arrest, including actual damages and statutory damages of $10,000. The bill would authorize a party in a successful action to recover court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. The bill would exempt a court, judicial officer, or court personnel acting lawfully pursuant to their duty to maintain safety and order in the courts from any action or proceeding pursuant to these provisions. This bill would require, when court security personnel are aware that any representative of a law enforcement agency, while acting in an official capacity, enters a courthouse, that court security personnel request the law enforcement representative or representatives identify themselves and state their specific law enforcement purposes and intended enforcement action to be taken, and request from the law enforcement representative or representatives a copy of a valid judicial warrant concerning the intended enforcement action to be taken. The bill would require, if court security personnel are aware there is an attorney representing a person named in the judicial warrant in any capacity, that court security personnel request the law enforcement representative to afford the attorney the right to review the warrant. This bill would require the Judicial Council to annually prepare a report compiling statistics, aggregated by county, of information related to civil arrests, as specified. The bill would require the Judicial Council to publicly post the report on its public internet website. This bill would also make related findings and declarations and specify that the provisions of this act are severable.

Introduced
2026-01-06
Latest action
2026-09-29 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 753, Statutes of 2026.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Reyesauthor
  • Umbergauthor
  • Durazocoauthor
  • Gonzalezcoauthor
  • : Zburcoauthor
  • Kalracoauthor
  • Addiscoauthor
  • Papancoauthor
  • Zburcoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-09-29

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 753, Statutes of 2026.

    became-law

  2. 2026-09-29

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2026-09-04

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

    executive-receipt

  4. 2026-08-28

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

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

  5. 2026-08-25

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  6. 2026-08-25

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. 2026-08-25

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 58. Noes 17. Page 6527.) Ordered to the Senate.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  8. 2026-08-20

    Read third time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3

  9. 2026-08-20

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  10. 2026-08-13

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  11. 2026-08-13

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 13).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  12. 2026-08-13

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended.

  13. 2026-08-05

    August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

  14. 2026-06-23

    Coauthors revised.

  15. 2026-06-23

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  16. 2026-06-15

    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

  17. 2026-06-08

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  18. 2026-05-26

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  19. 2026-05-26

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 7. Page 4442.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  20. 2026-05-22

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  21. 2026-05-21

    Ordered to second reading.

    reading-1,reading-2

  22. 2026-05-21

    Read third time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3

  23. 2026-05-14

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  24. 2026-05-14

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 4255.) (May 14).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  25. 2026-05-08

    Set for hearing May 14.

  26. 2026-05-04

    May 4 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  27. 2026-04-24

    Set for hearing May 4.

  28. 2026-04-22

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 3976.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  29. 2026-04-14

    Set for hearing April 21.

  30. 2026-04-08

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  31. 2026-03-25

    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

  32. 2026-02-11

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

    referral-committee

  33. 2026-01-07

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

  34. 2026-01-06

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

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

Versions

  • 01/06/26 - Introduced — 2026-01-06Compare
  • 03/25/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-03-25Compare
  • 05/21/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-05-21Compare
  • 06/15/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-06-15Compare
  • 08/20/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-08-20Compare
  • 08/31/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-31Compare
  • 09/29/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-29Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare
  • SB873Compare

Documents

Votes

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

    2026-04-21 · pass · 11-2

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

  • Placed on suspense file

    2026-05-04 · pass · 7-0

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

  • Do pass

    2026-05-14 · pass · 5-2

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

  • 3rd Reading SB873 Reyes et al.

    2026-05-26 · pass · 29-7

    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
    • Valladares: no
    • Seyarto: no
    • Jones: no
    • Choi: no
    • Alvarado-Gil: no
    • Grove: no
    • Ochoa Bogh: no
    • Strickland: other
    • Dahle: other
    • Niello: other
    • Gonzalez: other

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

    2026-06-23 · pass · 9-3

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

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB873

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-10-01T14:22:33.041986Z

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