AB 62

  • California Assembly Bill
  • 2025-2026 Regular Session
  • Introduced in Assembly
  • Passed Assembly May 29, 2025
  • Passed Senate Sep 08, 2025
  • Governor

Civil Rights Department: racially motivated eminent domain.

Abstract

Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2030, the Racial Equity Commission within the Office of Planning and Research and requires the commission to develop resources, best practices, and tools for advancing racial equity by, among other things, developing a statewide Racial Equity Framework that includes methodologies and tools that can be employed to advance racial equity and address structural racism in California. Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, establishes the Civil Rights Department and sets forth its powers and duties, including, among others, receiving, investigating, and prosecuting complaints alleging violations of civil rights, as specified. This bill would require the Civil Rights Department (department) , to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, review, investigate, and make certain determinations regarding applications from persons who claim they are the dispossessed owner, as defined, of property taken as a result of racially motivated eminent domain. The bill would define "racially motivated eminent domain" to mean when the state, county, city, city and county, district, or other political subdivision of the state acquires private property for public use and does not distribute just compensation to the owner at the time of the taking, and the taking, or the failure to provide just compensation, was due, in whole or in part, to the owner's ethnicity or race. Upon a determination that providing property or just compensation is warranted, as provided, the bill would require the department to certify that the dispossessed owner is entitled to the return of the taken property, as specified, or other publicly held property, as defined, of equal value, or financial compensation, as specified. Upon a determination that the dispossessed owner is entitled to other publicly held property of equal value, the bill would require the department to solicit and select, as specified, a list of recommendations of publicly held properties that are suitable as compensation, as provided. Upon a rejection of the determination of the department by the state or local agency that took property by racially motivated eminent domain, the bill would authorize the dispossessed owner, as specified, to bring an action to challenge the taking or the amount of compensation, as provided. Upon a determination that an applicant is not a dispossessed owner or issuing property or just compensation is not warranted, the bill would require the department to notify the applicant of its finding and provide an appeal process, as specified. The bill would require the department to prioritize processing applications for claims made by the individual or individuals who held legal title to the affected property at the time of its taking, as specified. The bill would make every finding, decision, determination, or other official act of the department subject to judicial review. Existing law generally prohibits state agencies from employing in-house counsel to act on behalf of the agency or its employees in specified judicial or administrative adjudicative proceedings, but exempts specified agencies from this provision. This bill would exempt the Civil Rights Department from that provision, as specified. This bill would make related findings and declarations, including those related to a gift of public funds.

Bill Sponsors (12)

Votes


Actions


Oct 13, 2025

Assembly

Vetoed by Governor.

Assembly

Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

Sep 16, 2025

California State Legislature

Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

Sep 09, 2025

Assembly

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 66. Noes 4. Page 3101.).

Sep 08, 2025

Assembly

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

Senate

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 7. Page 2616.).

Sep 02, 2025

Senate

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

Aug 29, 2025

Senate

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).

Senate

Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

Aug 25, 2025

Senate

In committee: Referred to suspense file.

  • Referral-Committee
suspense file.

Aug 18, 2025

Senate

(Ayes 27. Noes 0. Page 2169.)

Senate

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Amendment-Introduction
  • Amendment-Passage
  • Reading-1
  • Reading-2
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Aug 07, 2025

Senate

In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

Jul 16, 2025

Senate

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Committee-Passage
  • Committee-Passage-Favorable
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Jun 11, 2025

Senate

Referred to Com. on JUD.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on JUD.

May 29, 2025

Senate

In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

Assembly

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 57. Noes 4. Page 1778.)

May 27, 2025

Assembly

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

May 23, 2025

Assembly

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 23).

May 07, 2025

Assembly

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  • Referral-Committee
APPR. suspense file. APPR

Apr 30, 2025

Assembly

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Committee-Passage
  • Committee-Passage-Favorable
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Feb 25, 2025

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on JUD.

Feb 24, 2025

Assembly

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.

Assembly

Referred to Com. on JUD.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on JUD.

Dec 03, 2024

Assembly

From printer. May be heard in committee January 2.

Dec 02, 2024

Assembly

Read first time. To print.

Bill Text

Bill Text Versions Format
AB62 HTML
12/02/24 - Introduced PDF
02/24/25 - Amended Assembly PDF
08/18/25 - Amended Senate PDF
08/29/25 - Amended Senate PDF
09/11/25 - Enrolled PDF

Related Documents

Document Format
04/24/25- Assembly Judiciary PDF
05/05/25- Assembly Appropriations PDF
05/28/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS PDF
07/11/25- Senate Judiciary PDF
08/22/25- Senate Appropriations PDF
08/29/25- Senate Appropriations PDF
09/02/25- Sen. Floor Analyses PDF
09/09/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS PDF
10/23/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS PDF

Sources

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