AB 2134: City council members: absences without permission.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law provides that if a city council member is absent without permission from all regular city council meetings for a specified number of days from the last regular meeting they attended, their office becomes vacant and shall be filled as any other vacancy.

This bill would require a city to establish a process for a city council member to notify the city clerk or other designated official in writing that they are taking parental leave, as defined, for 12 workweeks or longer if the city council member’s city provides a parental leave period longer than 12 workweeks for their employees. The bill would exclude parental leave from counting toward the number of allowed absences allotted to each council member. The bill would prohibit the process from requiring a council member to make the declaration at a public hearing.

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.

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.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 5

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 24, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 123, Statutes of 2026.
2. August 24, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. August 10, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1 p.m.
4. August 3, 2026Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 6033.).
5. July 2, 2026In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. July 2, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 5187.).
7. June 25, 2026Read second time and amended. Ordered to consent calendar.
8. June 24, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 23).
9. June 10, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
10. June 4, 2026From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
11. May 20, 2026Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and JUD.
12. May 12, 2026In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.