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AB-1896 • 2026

Public employment: disqualifications.

Public employment: disqualifications.

Crime Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Mark González (A) , Rivas
Last action
2026-04-22
Official status
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how disqualification will be enforced or what exceptions might apply.

Public Employment: Disqualifications

This bill disqualifies people from becoming peace officers or getting public jobs if they worked for an entity that does immigration enforcement between January 20, 2025 and January 20, 2029.

What This Bill Does

  • Disqualifies a person from being a peace officer if they were previously employed by an entity engaged in immigration enforcement during the period beginning January 20, 2025, and ending January 20, 2029.
  • Adds this requirement as part of the minimum standards that all peace officers must meet.
  • Gives CalHR or other hiring authorities permission to not consider someone for a job if they worked in immigration enforcement during the same period.
  • Makes it so people who worked in immigration enforcement cannot get public jobs with cities, counties, districts, or any state agencies from January 20, 2025 to January 20, 2029.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to become peace officers or get public jobs in California.
  • Local government agencies that hire people for public jobs.

Terms To Know

Immigration enforcement
The process of enforcing laws related to immigration, such as checking if someone is allowed to be in the country legally.
Peace officer
A person who works for law enforcement and has special powers to enforce laws and maintain public safety.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone worked in immigration enforcement before January 20, 2025 or after January 20, 2029.
  • It is unclear how this will affect people who are already working as peace officers and had previous employment in immigration enforcement.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-22 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  2. 2026-04-15 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  3. 2026-04-14 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.

  4. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  5. 2026-03-23 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on P. E. & R. and PUB. S.

  6. 2026-02-13 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

  7. 2026-02-12 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1896, as amended, Mark González.
Public employment: disqualifications.
Existing law contains numerous provisions governing the qualifications, standards, and training of peace officers. Existing law specifies circumstances that disqualify a person from holding office or being employed as a peace officer, including, among other things, having been convicted of a felony.
This
bill
bill, the GTFO Act,
would disqualify a person from being a peace officer
if
because
they were previously employed by an entity that engages in immigration
enforcement, as defined, during the period beginning January 20, 2025, and ending January 20, 2029, except as specified.
Existing law requires each class of peace officers to meet minimum standards, including good moral character and being free from any physical, emotional, or mental condition, such as bias against race or ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.
This bill would add to these minimum standards the requirement that a person has not been previously employed by an entity that engages in immigration enforcement, as defined, during the period beginning January 20, 2025, and ending January 20, 2029, except as specified.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) or a designated appointing power to refuse to examine or, after examination, to refuse to declare as eligible, or to withhold or withdraw from
certification, prior to appointment, anyone who meets certain criteria, such as a person who has misrepresented themselves during the application process.
This bill would add to these criteria a person who was previously employed by an entity that engages in immigration enforcement, as defined, during the period beginning January 20, 2025, and ending January 20, 2029, except as specified.
Existing law makes a person ineligible to hold office or employment of any kind with the state, or any county, city, district, or other political or governmental unit of the state, if the person has by oath bound themselves to support, maintain, or further the military or political activities or policies of a foreign government, as specified, or to obey the orders or directions of any foreign government or its officials.
This bill would make a person ineligible to hold public employment,
including employment with a city, county, district, or any other public agency of the state,
if
because
the person was previously employed by an entity that engages in immigration enforcement, as defined, during the period beginning January 20, 2025, and ending January 20, 2029, except as specified.
By increasing the duties of local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would make the provisions of the act severable.
The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

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