Attorneys: discipline: sensitive services.

Crime Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Committee on Judiciary (A) - (Assembly Members Kalra (Chair), Bauer-Kahan, Bryan, Connolly, Harabedian, Pacheco, Papan, Stefani, and Zbur)
Last action: 2025-09-26
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 137, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide a definition for 'sensitive services', leaving it open-ended.

Attorneys: Rules on Sensitive Services

This law changes how the State Bar handles certain actions by attorneys related to sensitive services that are legal in California but might be against the law in other states.

What This Bill Does

Defines 'excluded event' as an action taken based on another state's laws that interferes with a person’s right to receive, provide, recommend, enable, or advocate for sensitive services that would be legal in California.
Specifies that excluded events cannot be used as grounds for disciplinary action against attorneys or applicants.
Requires the State Bar not to use an excluded event as evidence of professional misconduct by an attorney in California.
Prevents the State Bar from denying admission based on an excluded event.

Who It Names or Affects

Attorneys and law students applying for membership with the State Bar of California.
The State Bar of California, which regulates attorneys.

Terms To Know

excluded event: An action taken based on another state’s laws that interferes with a person's right to receive, provide, recommend, enable, or advocate for sensitive services that would be legal in California.
sensitive services: Services related to personal rights and freedoms that might be legal in one state but illegal in another.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify what sensitive services are.
It is unclear how the State Bar will enforce this new rule.

Bill History

2025-09-26 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 137, Statutes of 2025.
2025-09-26 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 62. Noes 15. Page 3209.).
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 2747.).
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-07-10 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (July 8).
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.
2025-05-07 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-04-29 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-04-28 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1321.)
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 22).
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-03-19 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee April 18.
2025-03-18 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1525, Committee on Judiciary.
Attorneys: discipline: sensitive services.
The State Bar Act provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California (State Bar), a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. The act provides for the investigation and discipline of members of the State Bar and authorizes the Supreme Court to suspend or disbar an attorney for specified causes, including for a conviction under the laws of another state or territory of the United States that is deemed a felony. Existing law provides that specified evidence that a licensee of the State Bar committed professional misconduct in another jurisdiction is conclusive evidence that the licensee is culpable of professional misconduct.
This bill would provide that an excluded event shall not be grounds for disciplinary action or require an attorney or applicant to report the excluded event to the State Bar,
supply evidence that an attorney is culpable of professional misconduct in this state, or serve as grounds to deny admission to the State Bar to an applicant. The bill would define “excluded event” to mean certain actions taken when based on the application of another state’s law that interferes with any person’s right to receive, provide, recommend, enable, or advocate for sensitive services, as defined, that would be lawful in this state.

Current Bill Text

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