SB 477: California Fair Employment and Housing Act: enforcement procedures.

Official summary

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

Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), establishes the Civil Rights Department to enforce civil rights laws with respect to housing and employment and to protect and safeguard the right of all persons to obtain and hold employment without discrimination based upon specified characteristics or status. The FEHA makes certain discriminatory employment and housing practices unlawful, and authorizes a person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful practice to file a verified complaint with the department. The FEHA requires the department to make an investigation in connection with a filed complaint alleging facts sufficient to constitute a violation of the FEHA, and requires the department to endeavor to eliminate the unlawful practice by conference, conciliation, and persuasion. Existing law authorizes a complaint to be filed by an aggrieved person or the department on behalf and as representative of a group or class if the alleged unlawful practice adversely affects, in a similar manner, a group or class of persons of which the aggrieved person is a member.

This bill would define the term “group or class complaint” for purposes of the FEHA.

Existing law tolls the time for a complainant to file a civil action alleging a violation of specified civil rights provisions commencing with the filing of a complaint with the department until the department files a civil action for the alleged violation or until one year after the department issues written notice that it has closed its investigation without filing a civil action.

This bill would additionally toll the time for a complainant to file a civil action if the complainant timely appeals to the department the closure of their complaint until one year after the department issues written notice that it remains closed following the appeal.

Existing law authorizes the director to bring a civil action in the name of the department, acting in the public interest, on behalf of an aggrieved person if conference, conciliation, mediation, or persuasion fails to eliminate an unlawful practice. Existing law imposes a deadline of one or 2 years for the department to bring a civil action, as specified. Existing law requires those deadlines to be tolled during a dispute resolution proceeding.

This bill would additionally require those deadlines to be tolled pursuant to a written agreement by the complainant and the department, during the pendency of a petition to compel, and for the duration of an appeal to the department for the closure of a complaint.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“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. October 3, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 321, Statutes of 2025.
2. October 3, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 17, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
4. September 10, 2025In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. September 9, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 59. Noes 19. Page 3064.) Ordered to the Senate.
6. July 3, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
7. July 2, 2025From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 10. Noes 4.) (July 2).
8. June 17, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 2.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
9. June 5, 2025Referred to Com. on JUD.
10. May 28, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
11. May 28, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1290.) Ordered to the Assembly.
12. May 23, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.