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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill

AB 521: Contractors State License Board: bond deposits: liability for legal fees and costs.

Enacted Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

AB 521 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 10, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Contractors State License Board: bond deposits: liability for legal fees and costs. . Primary sponsor: Juan Carrillo (D). Most recent recorded action (October 3, 2025): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 265, Statutes of 2025.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

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

Existing law, the Contractors State License Law, establishes the Contractors State License Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the licensure and regulation of contractors. Existing law requires the board, with the approval of the Director of Consumer Affairs, to appoint a registrar of contractors to serve as the executive officer and secretary of the board.

Existing law requires a licensee who is subject to a bonding provision under the law to maintain a bond as executed by an admitted surety insurer or as deposited with the registrar, as specified. Prior existing law authorized certain deposits to be given instead of the bond, as specified. Existing law requires all alternatives in lieu of a bond that had been filed with the registrar to be replaced for a surety bond or the deposit of lawful money or a cashier’s check, as specified, by January 1, 2020. Existing law prohibits the board from charging legal fees against those deposits, as specified.

This bill would exempt the board from liability for legal fees or costs in an action against any deposit described above, regardless of when it was filed with the registrar.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Juan CarrilloPrimary sponsorDemocraticAssembly39

“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. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 265, Statutes of 2025.
  2. Approved by the Governor.
  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  4. In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
  5. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 2250.).
  6. Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
  7. From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.
  8. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
  9. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
  10. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 9). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
  11. Referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and JUD.
  12. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page