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SB-47 • 2026

February 2025 bar exam: audit.

February 2025 bar exam: audit.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Umberg
Last action
2025-10-01
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 209, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact timing and details of how the audit will be conducted are not specified in the provided official summary.

Audit for February 2025 Bar Exam

The law requires the California State Auditor to review how the February 2025 bar exam was run and share the results with certain groups.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the California State Auditor to conduct an audit of the February 2025 bar exam.
  • Needs the State Bar of California to provide funding for this audit.
  • Tells the auditor to submit their findings as soon as possible to the board of trustees, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and certain committees.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The California State Auditor
  • State Bar of California
  • Board of Trustees
  • Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
  • Assembly and Senate Committees on Judiciary

Terms To Know

bar exam
A test that people must pass to become lawyers in a state.
State Bar
An organization that oversees and regulates lawyers in California.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how the audit will be conducted or what exactly it will look for.
  • The bill does not say when the results of the audit must be shared, only as soon as possible.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 209, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-22 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.

  4. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2878.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Urgency clause adopted.

  6. 2025-09-10 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. 2025-09-10 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3167.) Ordered to the Senate.

  8. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  9. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  10. 2025-07-03 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  11. 2025-07-03 California Legislative Information

    Action rescinded whereby bill was read a third time, passed, and ordered to the Senate.

  12. 2025-07-01 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Held at Desk.

  13. 2025-06-30 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to the Assembly.

  14. 2025-06-30 California Legislative Information

    Withdrawn from engrossing and enrolling.

  15. 2025-06-27 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  16. 2025-06-27 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 2345.) Ordered to the Senate.

  17. 2025-06-25 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  18. 2025-06-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24).

  19. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

  20. 2025-05-28 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  21. 2025-05-28 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1269.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  22. 2025-05-08 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  23. 2025-05-07 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0. Page 1026.) (May 6).

  24. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  25. 2025-04-04 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 6.

  26. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  27. 2025-03-26 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  28. 2025-01-29 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  29. 2025-01-06 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  30. 2024-12-13 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 12.

  31. 2024-12-12 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 47, Umberg.
February 2025 bar exam: audit.
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 sets forth the requirements for a license to practice law in California, including passing the general bar examination. The act requires the board of trustees to contract with the California State Auditor every 2 years to conduct a performance audit of the State Bar’s operations.
This bill would require the California State Auditor to conduct an audit of the February 2025 bar exam, as specified, and to submit the audit as soon as possible to the board of trustees, the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, and to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Judiciary. The bill would require the State Bar to provide the California State Auditor with the funding necessary to cover the costs of the audit.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF