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SB-521 • 2026

Public employment: disqualification.

Public employment: disqualification.

Crime Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Gonzalez
Last action
2025-07-30
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 92, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary and digest do not provide details on how the law will be enforced or what support systems will be put in place for affected individuals.

Public Employment: Disqualification for Certain Crimes

This law expands the list of felonies that disqualify public employees from future employment to include any felony involving a conflict of interest and applies this rule to city managers and city attorneys, including those working under contract.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the list of felonies that disqualify a person from public employment to include any felony involving a conflict of interest.
  • Disqualifies city managers and city attorneys, including those working under contract with cities, if they commit certain crimes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public employees
  • City managers and city attorneys

Terms To Know

Felony
A serious crime that can lead to a prison sentence of more than one year.
Conflict of interest
When someone's personal interests might affect their job duties in a way that is not fair or honest.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact consequences for people who commit these crimes but are not public employees.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced and what support systems will be put in place to help affected individuals.

Bill History

  1. 2025-07-30 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 92, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-07-30 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-07-18 California Legislative Information

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

  4. 2025-07-14 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-07-14 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 2539.) Ordered to the Senate.

  6. 2025-07-03 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  7. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (July 2).

  8. 2025-06-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  9. 2025-06-25 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  10. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on P. E. & R.

  11. 2025-05-08 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  12. 2025-05-08 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 1050.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  13. 2025-05-06 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  14. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar.

  15. 2025-04-29 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 5.

  16. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  17. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 870.) (April 23).

  18. 2025-04-04 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 23.

  19. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

  20. 2025-03-26 California Legislative Information

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

  21. 2025-02-26 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  22. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.

  23. 2025-02-19 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 521, Gonzalez.
Public employment: disqualification.
Existing law disqualifies a public employee, as defined, from any public employment for 5 years if the employee is convicted of any felony involving accepting or giving, or offering to give, a bribe, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any of those crimes arising directly out of their official duties.
This bill would expand that provision to include any felony involving a conflict of interest. The bill would also disqualify a city manager or city attorney, as defined, including
an individual acting under contract with the city for those services, who is convicted of any of the above-described felonies, from any future public employment in an equivalent role.
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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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