California Senate Bill 641
Session 20252026
Department of Consumer Affairs and Department of Real Estate: states of emergency: waivers and exemptions.
Active
Vetoed by Governor on Oct 13, 2025
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
641
State
California
Session
20252026
Gonzalez
Principal Coauthor
Rubio
Coauthor
Motion Text
Unfinished Business SB641 Ashby et al. Urgency Clause Concurrence
Senate Roll Call Votes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Other
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Summary
Existing law establishes in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency the Department of Real Estate to license and regulate real estate licensees, and the Department of Consumer Affairs, which is composed of various boards that license and regulate various businesses and professions.
This bill would authorize the Department of Real Estate and boards under the jurisdiction of the Department of Consumer Affairs to waive the application of certain provisions of the licensure requirements that the board or department is charged with enforcing for licensees and applicants who reside in or whose primary place of business is in a location damaged by a natural disaster for which a state of emergency is proclaimed by the Governor, as specified, or for which an emergency or major disaster is declared by the President of the United States, including certain examination, fee, and continuing education requirements. The bill would require a board to notify the director of the Department of Consumer Affairs in writing of any waiver approved by that board, and would prohibit the waiver from taking effect for a period of 5 business days after the director receives the notification from the board. The bill would authorize the director to approve or disapprove a waiver within the 5 business days described above, and require the director to notify the board of any decision to approve or disapprove a waiver within those 5 business days. The bill would prohibit a waiver from taking effect if the director disapproves the waiver, and require a waiver that is approved by the director, or that fails to be approved or disapproved by the director within the 5 business days described above, to take effect the following day. The bill would require the Department of Consumer Affairs to, among other things, post each waiver that takes effect on its website.
The bill would exempt the above-described licensees of boards from, among other requirements, the payment of duplicate license fees. The bill would require all applicants and licensees of the boards under the Department of Consumer Affairs to provide the board with an email address. The bill would prohibit a contractor licensed pursuant to the Contractors State License Law from engaging in debris removal unless the contractor has one of specified license qualifications or has been authorized by the registrar of contractors during a declared state of emergency or for a declared disaster area due to a natural disaster. The bill would require a licensee authorized to perform debris removal to pass an approved hazardous substance certification examination, and comply with certain occupational safety and health requirements concerning hazardous waste operations and emergency response, as specified. The bill would require the Real Estate Commissioner, immediately upon the declaration of a natural disaster for which a state of emergency, emergency, or major disaster is proclaimed or declared as described above, to determine the nature and scope of any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent practices, as specified, and provide specified notice to the public regarding those practices. The bill would authorize the commissioner to suspend or revoke a real estate license if the licensee, until one year following the declaration of a natural disaster for which a state of emergency, emergency, or major disaster is proclaimed or declared as described above, makes an unsolicited offer to an owner of real property to purchase or acquire an interest in the real property, when that property is located in an area included in a declared federal, state, or local emergency or disaster, for an amount less than the fair market value, as defined, of the property or interest of the property, as specified.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
02/20/25 - Introduced
February 20, 2025
04/09/25 - Amended Senate
April 9, 2025
09/02/25 - Amended Assembly
September 2, 2025
09/04/25 - Amended Assembly
September 4, 2025
09/18/25 - Enrolled
September 18, 2025
04/03/25- Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development
April 3, 2025
04/25/25- Senate Public Safety
April 25, 2025
05/09/25- Senate Appropriations
May 9, 2025
05/26/25- Sen. Floor Analyses
May 26, 2025
07/03/25- Assembly Business and Professions
July 3, 2025
08/18/25- Assembly Appropriations
August 18, 2025
09/03/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS
September 3, 2025
09/05/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS
September 5, 2025
09/12/25- Sen. Floor Analyses
September 12, 2025
10/17/25- Sen. Floor Analyses
October 17, 2025
Sort by most recent
10/13/2025
Senate
In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
10/13/2025
Senate
Vetoed by the Governor.
09/23/2025
California State Legislature
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
09/13/2025
Senate
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
09/12/2025
Senate
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
09/12/2025
Assembly
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3394.) Ordered to the Senate.
09/04/2025
Assembly
Ordered to third reading.
09/04/2025
Assembly
Read third time and amended.
09/03/2025
Assembly
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
09/02/2025
Assembly
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
08/29/2025
Assembly
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 29).
08/20/2025
Assembly
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
07/08/2025
Assembly
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
06/09/2025
Assembly
Referred to Com. on B. & P.
06/04/2025
Assembly
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
06/03/2025
Senate
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1453.) Ordered to the Assembly.
05/29/2025
Senate
Ordered to third reading.
05/29/2025
Senate
From special consent calendar on motion of Senator Ashby.
05/27/2025
Senate
Ordered to special consent calendar.
05/23/2025
Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
05/23/2025
Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1207.) (May 23).
05/16/2025
Senate
Set for hearing May 23.
05/12/2025
Senate
May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
05/02/2025
Senate
Set for hearing May 12.
04/30/2025
Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 945.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
04/11/2025
Senate
Set for hearing April 29.
04/09/2025
Senate
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
04/08/2025
Senate
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 680.) (April 7).
03/18/2025
Senate
Set for hearing April 7.
03/05/2025
Senate
Referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and PUB. S.
02/21/2025
Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
02/20/2025
Senate
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Sources
Record Created
Feb 21, 2025 5:54:55 AM
Record Updated
Oct 18, 2025 8:47:46 AM