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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Senate Bill

SB 61: Private works of improvement: retention payments.

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

SB 61 is a senate bill introduced in the California Senate on January 9, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Private works of improvement: retention payments. Primary sponsor: Dave Cortese (D). Most recent recorded action (July 14, 2025): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 49, 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 generally governs retention payments withheld with respect to a contract for a private work of improvement, including by requiring an owner that withholds a retention from a direct contractor to, within 45 days after completion of the work of improvement, pay the retention to the contractor.

With respect to a contract for a private work of improvement, this bill would limit the amount of a retention payment by, among other things, prohibiting a retention payment withheld from a payment by an owner from the direct contractor, by the direct contractor from any subcontractor, and by a subcontractor from any subcontractor thereunder, from exceeding 5% of the payment, subject to certain exceptions. The bill would require a court to award reasonable attorney’s fees to the prevailing party in any action to enforce these provisions.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Dave CortesePrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate15

“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 49, Statutes of 2025.
  2. Approved by the Governor.
  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11:15 a.m.
  4. In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
  5. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 2247.) Ordered to the Senate.
  6. Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.
  7. From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 17).
  8. Referred to Com. on JUD.
  9. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
  10. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 887.) Ordered to the Assembly.
  11. Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.
  12. From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 705.) (April 8).

Sources

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