AB-449 • 2026

Civil Rights Department: antidiscrimination campaigns.

Budget Housing

Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor: Jackson
Last action: 2026-01-22
Official status: Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details about the content of the antidiscrimination campaigns or their exact costs.

Civil Rights Department: Antidiscrimination Campaigns

AB-449 requires the Civil Rights Department to create and run antidiscrimination campaigns using radio, social media, and television if funded by the Legislature.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Civil Rights Department to start antidiscrimination campaigns if given money by the Legislature.
Makes these campaigns happen statewide and in different regions of California.
Uses radio, social media, and television for these campaigns.
Creates a working group to plan how to run these campaigns.
Exempts this working group from having open meetings.

Who It Names or Affects

The Civil Rights Department
People who might face discrimination in California

Terms To Know

Civil Rights Department: A part of the government that works to stop unfair treatment based on race, gender, and other factors.
Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act: A law that says some groups must have open meetings where people can attend and watch.

Limits and Unknowns

The campaigns will only start if the Legislature gives money to the Civil Rights Department.
It is not clear how much these campaigns will cost or what they will say exactly.
Governor vetoed this bill, but lawmakers might try to override it.

Bill History

2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Vetoed by Governor.
2025-09-16 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 64. Noes 5. Page 3106.).
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 2. Page 2603.).
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-07-14 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-19 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.
2025-06-11 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 66. Noes 1. Page 1829.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-03-26 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-10 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-02-07 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 9.
2025-02-06 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 449, Jackson.
Civil Rights Department: antidiscrimination campaigns.
Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, establishes the Civil Rights Department within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and sets forth its powers and duties relating to enforcement of civil rights laws and assistance to communities in resolving disputes, disagreements, or difficulties relating to discriminatory practices.
This bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature and commencing on or before the later of either July 1, 2026, or one year after the date of the appropriation, would require the department to create and implement statewide and regional radio, social media, and television campaigns for
the purposes of discouraging discrimination. The bill would require the department to convene a working group to develop a plan to implement the campaigns above. The bill would exempt the working group from the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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