Last Updated October 1, 2026
State Legislation
September 30 was the last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills. The Legislature is now in recess until December 7.
The following bills have recently been signed into law:
AB 282: makes it a felony to seize ballots, election records, or certified voting technology before election results are certified. Took effect immediately upon signing on September 19 as urgency statute.
AB 502: makes various modifications to an existing law that prohibits the distribution of certain campaign advertisements and other election communications that contain media that has been digitally altered in a deceptive way. Took effect immediately upon signing on September 19 as urgency statute.
AB 775: requires officials to report behested payments on a quarterly basis directly to the FPPC using its online system or to a local filing officer. Expands what is required to be included in a report, and required subsequent reporting at $1,000 after the initial report is filed for a source.
AB 1130: allows administrative, civil, or criminal penalties to be imposed against a person who is paid by a campaign committee to post online political content in support of or in opposition to a candidate or measure if the person fails to include the required disclaimer that the person is being paid.
AB 1664: requires local agencies and elections officials to notify the Secretary of State (SOS) and Attorney General (AG) of any warrant, subpoena, or active law enforcement investigation pertaining to the search, seizure, or retention of election records or certified voting technology. Took effect immediately upon signing on September 19 as urgency statute.
AB 1789: requires candidates and committee treasurers to take training classes related to their obligations under the Political Reform Act, beginning in 2029.
AB 1853: limits what a candidate can include in their statement in the voter information guide.
AB 2255: requires candidates to provide additional details about campaign expenditures exceeding $20,000 made to a single person during times when the candidate is not appearing on the ballot or running for reelection to the same office.
AB 2413: prohibits certain large-format public advertisements from being published or displayed using public money if the advertisement features a photograph of an elected official affiliated with the agency that paid for the ad.
AB 2592: prohibits a person who has been convicted of a crime of public corruption from serving as a lobbyist for 12 years following the date of the conviction, even if the person has been pardoned. Transfers lobbyist ethics training to the FPPC in 2029.
AB 2691: prohibits a person who has been convicted of a felony involving human trafficking or sexual assault from being eligible to be elected to any state or local elective office.
SB 259: makes it a felony for a person with authority to direct a person subject to their supervision or authority to interfere with the delivery or return of a vote by mail (VBM) ballot. Makes it a misdemeanor for a person who has charge of a VBM ballot to interfere with its delivery to a voter. Took effect immediately upon signing on September 19 as urgency statute.
SB 401: allows the FPPC to extend any filing deadline under the Political Reform Act for an individual who lives in an area impacted by an emergency situation that is likely to affect the individual’s ability to timely file.
SB 884: extends the time vote by mail (VBM) drop off locations are open and modifies the type and range of prohibited activities near a polling location for elections held or proclaimed in 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029. Took effect immediately upon signing on September 19 as urgency statute.
SB 900: changes the disclaimers required on campaign advertisements to make them shorter and take up less space, including for those on billboards.
SB 1369: requires a person who is being paid to gather signatures to qualify an initiative, referendum, or recall for the ballot to disclose orally to potential signers that they are being paid.
SB 1418: makes it a crime to take specified election materials or voting technology from the custody of election officials. Expands the types of materials required for preservation if an election contest or criminal proceeding is ongoing. Took effect immediately upon signing on September 19 as urgency statute.
SB 1432: increases the minimum text size of the required statement on an invitation where officials attending will receive a gift from 8-point to 10-point Roman boldface type. Requires judicial candidates file their 501s with SOS.
The following bills were vetoed by the Governor:
AB 1116: would have permitted a person who does not have a state ID card or driver’s license, but is qualified to register to vote, to register to vote electronically. The Governor vetoed the bill due to the bill costs not having been included in the Budget Act.
AB 1562: would have authorized a county to adopt a system in which individuals are randomly selected to serve as precinct board members. The Governor vetoed it due to his concern that the bill could inadvertently redirect resources away from local election officials administering elections, since such a system would require a tremendous amount of staff and financial resources.