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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill

AB 78: Attorney’s fees: book accounts.

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 78 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on December 18, 2024. According to its official title, it concerns: Attorney’s fees: book accounts. Primary sponsor: Phillip Chen (R). Most recent recorded action (July 14, 2025): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 28, 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.

Under existing law, in any action on a contract based on a book account, as defined, that does not provide for attorney’s fees and costs, the prevailing party on the contract is entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, and the court is required to fix the attorney’s fees in an amount that does not exceed the lesser of $960 for book accounts that are maintained for personal, family, or household purposes of a natural person, and $1,200 for book accounts that are maintained for all other purposes, or 25% of the principal obligation owing on the contract, as applicable.

This bill would increase these maximum attorney’s fees to an amount not to exceed the lesser of $1,200 for book accounts that are maintained for personal, family, or household purposes of a natural person, and $1,600 for book accounts that are maintained for all other purposes, or 25% of the principal obligation owing on the contract, as applicable.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Republican 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Phillip ChenPrimary sponsorRepublicanAssembly59

“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 28, Statutes of 2025.
  2. Approved by the Governor.
  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.
  4. In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
  5. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 0. Page 1931.).
  6. Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
  7. From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24).
  8. Referred to Com. on JUD.
  9. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
  10. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 572.)
  11. Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
  12. From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 4).

Sources

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