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SB-938 • 2026

Peace officers: qualifications.

Peace officers: qualifications.

Crime Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Menjivar
Last action
2026-04-23
Official status
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about exceptions to the new rules or exact costs for local agencies.

Peace Officers: Qualifications

This law changes who can become a peace officer in California by adding new rules about past employment with federal immigration enforcement agencies.

What This Bill Does

  • Disqualifies someone from becoming a peace officer if they were employed as an immigration enforcement officer for a federal agency after January 20, 2025.
  • Allows people who had such jobs to apply to become peace officers only after waiting at least 10 years since leaving that job.
  • Requires local law enforcement agencies to follow these new rules and may need extra help from the state if this causes them problems.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to become peace officers in California
  • Local law enforcement agencies

Terms To Know

Immigration Enforcement Officer
A person working for a federal agency whose job is to enforce immigration laws.
State-Mandated Local Program
When the state requires local agencies to do something, and might need to help them with costs or resources.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify exactly how much it will cost local law enforcement agencies.
  • It is unclear if there are specific exceptions to the new rules about becoming a peace officer after working in immigration enforcement.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-23 California Legislative Information

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

  2. 2026-04-22 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 21).

  3. 2026-04-10 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 21.

  4. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  5. 2026-03-25 California Legislative Information

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

  6. 2026-02-11 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  7. 2026-01-30 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 1.

  8. 2026-01-29 California Legislative Information

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

Official Summary Text

SB 938, as amended, Menjivar.
Peace officers: qualifications.
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 would disqualify a person from being a peace officer if they were previously employed
by an entity that assists in
as a sworn law enforcement officer by a federal agency engaged in immigration enforcement and personally assisted with
immigration enforcement, as defined, after January 20, 2025, except as specified. The bill would authorize a person to
apply for eligibility as a peace officer only after a minimum cooling-off period of 10 years from the date of separation from prior the federal immigration enforcement agency. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on local law enforcement agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
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

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF