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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California SB 747

Civil rights: deprivation of federal constitutional rights, privileges, and immunities.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Cosponsors (36)

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

Under existing law, the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act (act) , if a person or persons, whether or not acting under color of law, interferes or attempts to interfere, by threats, intimidation, or coercion, with the exercise or enjoyment by any individual or individuals of rights secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or of the rights secured by the Constitution or laws of this state, the Attorney General, or any district attorney or city attorney, is authorized to bring a civil action for injunctive and other appropriate equitable relief in the name of the people of the State of California, in order to protect the exercise or enjoyment of the right or rights secured. Under that act, an individual may also institute and prosecute in their own name and on their own behalf a civil action for damages, as described, for any resulting interference or attempt at interference of the individual's exercise or enjoyment of rights secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States or this state. The act authorizes the court to award the petitioner or plaintiff reasonable attorney's fees in addition to any damages, injunction, or other equitable relief awarded in these civil actions (attorney's fees authorization) . Existing federal law provides that every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any state, territory, or the District of Columbia, subjects or causes to be subjected any United States citizen or other person within the jurisdiction to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, is liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except as provided. This bill would also provide that every natural person, as defined, who, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, as defined, subjects or causes to be subjected any citizen of this state or any person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the United States Constitution, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except as specified. The bill would apply the aforementioned attorney's fees authorization, except as specified, to any action brought under these provisions. The bill would authorize a court, in its discretion, to also award costs, except as specified, to the prevailing plaintiff in any action brought under these provisions. This bill would authorize a defendant in an action brought under these provisions to assert and receive the benefit of a defense of absolute or qualified immunity only to the same extent as a person sued under certain federal provisions under like circumstances, as specified, and would specify that nothing in these provisions is to be construed to waive or abrogate any defense of sovereign immunity otherwise available to a party, as specified. The bill would prohibit any civil action brought under these provisions from being commenced later than 2 years after the date that the cause of action accrues. The bill would make its provisions severable. The bill would specify that these provisions apply retroactively to March 1, 2025, as provided. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature in enacting these provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 14, 2026, 12:15 PM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Aug 27, 2026
Senate		Unfinished Business SB747 Wiener et al. Urgency Clause ConcurrencepassSet your home in California to see
Aug 25, 2026
House		SB 747 Wiener Third Reading Urgency By Mark GonzálezpassSet your home in California to see
Aug 13, 2026
House		Do pass as amended.passSet your home in California to see
Jun 9, 2026
House		Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Jan 27, 2026
Senate		3rd Reading SB747 Wiener et al.passSet your home in California to see
Jan 22, 2026
Senate		Do pass as amendedpassSet your home in California to see
Jan 20, 2026
Senate		Placed on suspense filepassSet your home in California to see
Jan 13, 2026
Senate		Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
May 23, 2025
Senate		Do passpassSet your home in California to see
May 19, 2025
Senate		Placed on suspense filepassSet your home in California to see
Apr 29, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Apr 23, 2025
Senate		Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]passSet your home in California to see

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