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AB-484 • 2026

California bar examination.

California bar examination.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Dixon
Last action
2025-10-01
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 155, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the report should be written or what it must include, leaving some aspects of the requirements unclear.

California Bar Exam Report Requirement

This law requires the Committee of Bar Examiners to report on whether using a uniform bar exam would be more efficient and lower costs, then removes this requirement in 2030.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Committee of Bar Examiners to write a report about adopting a uniform bar exam.
  • The report must tell if a uniform exam is better for administration efficiency and cost reduction.
  • Sends the report to several important people and groups, like the board of trustees and judges.
  • Removes this reporting requirement on January 1, 2030.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Committee of Bar Examiners
  • People who want to become lawyers in California

Terms To Know

Committee of Bar Examiners
A group that makes sure people are ready to be lawyers by giving them tests.
Uniform bar exam
A standard test used in many states for becoming a lawyer.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the report should be written or what it must include.
  • It is unclear if adopting a uniform bar exam will actually reduce costs and improve efficiency.
  • After January 1, 2030, there are no more requirements for this kind of report.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 155, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-24 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-13 California Legislative Information

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 3502.).

  5. 2025-09-13 California Legislative Information

    Joint Rules 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)

  6. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  7. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2883.).

  8. 2025-07-10 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  9. 2025-07-10 California Legislative Information

    From Consent Calendar.

  10. 2025-07-03 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to consent calendar.

  11. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1).

  12. 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.

  13. 2025-05-07 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

  14. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  15. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 1176.)

  16. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

  17. 2025-04-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 8).

  18. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  19. 2025-04-01 California Legislative Information

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

  20. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  21. 2025-03-20 California Legislative Information

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

  22. 2025-03-13 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  23. 2025-03-03 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

  24. 2025-02-11 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.

  25. 2025-02-10 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 484, Dixon.
California bar examination.
The State Bar Act provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California, a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. Existing law authorizes the board of trustees to establish an examining committee, also known as the Committee of Bar Examiners, and requires an applicant for a license to practice law to pass the general bar examination, known as the California bar examination, given by the examining committee. Existing law prohibits the examining committee from altering the bar examination in a manner that requires the substantial modification of the training or preparation required for passage of the examination, except after giving 2 years’ notice of that change.
This bill would require the Committee of Bar Examiners to provide a report to the board of trustees, the Chief Justice of the California
Supreme Court, and to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Judiciary on whether adopting a uniform bar examination would be more efficient to administer and lower the cost of administration for the State Bar and examinees. The bill would repeal those provisions on January 1, 2030.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF