State Legislature: nondisclosure agreements.

Crime Education Labor

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Patterson
Last action: 2025-10-01
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 191, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on when the bill will take effect.

Rules About Nondisclosure Agreements in the Legislature

AB-1370 prohibits state lawmakers from making nondisclosure agreements about proposed laws, except for trade secrets and financial information.

What This Bill Does

It stops state lawmakers from creating or asking others to create nondisclosure agreements that cover the drafting, negotiation, or discussion of proposed legislation.
Any such nondisclosure agreement made after this rule starts is not valid if it talks about making or discussing proposed laws.
There's an exception for keeping trade secrets and financial information secret.

Who It Names or Affects

State lawmakers
People who work with state lawmakers

Terms To Know

nondisclosure agreement: A contract that stops people from sharing certain information or secrets.
legislative code of ethics: Rules that state lawmakers and their workers must follow to avoid conflicts of interest.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when it will start.
It only applies to new nondisclosure agreements made after the rule starts, not ones made before.

Bill History

2025-10-01 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 191, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-01 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-22 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3178.).
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2508.).
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
From special consent calendar.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E. & C.A. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
2025-06-23 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-06-18 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and E. & C.A.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 1665.)
2025-05-15 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-05-14 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
2025-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 9).
2025-03-28 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on ELECTIONS and JUD.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
Read first time.
2025-02-22 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1370, Patterson.
State Legislature: nondisclosure agreements.
Existing law, the legislative code of ethics, prohibits Members of the Legislature and legislative employees from having financial conflicts of interest and engaging in activities that are in substantial conflict with their official duties.
This bill would prohibit Members of the Legislature from entering into, or requesting that another party enter into, a nondisclosure agreement relating to the drafting, negotiation, or discussion of proposed legislation. The bill would also make any nondisclosure agreement relating to the drafting, negotiation, or discussion of proposed legislation entered into after the effective date of this bill void and unenforceable. The bill would provide an exception for nondisclosure agreements, or portions thereof, that prevent only the disclosure of trade secrets, financial information, or proprietary information,
as specified. A violation of the legislative code of ethics is punishable as a crime, as specified. By creating a new crime under the act, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

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