Attorneys.

In Section 6090.9(i), the phrase 'consistent with standards applied under Section 1102.5 of the Labor Code' was removed from the definition of retaliation. This decouples the attorney-specific whistleblower provision from the general labor code whistleblower standards, giving courts independent discretion to define what constitutes retaliation in the legal profession context rather than requiring alignment with existing Section 1102.5 case law.

Subdivision (h) of the whistleblower protection section was rewritten. The old version stated that protections were 'in addition to' Labor Code 1102.5 and directed courts to construe the section consistently with that statute. The new version instead explicitly lists who is protected: employees, former employees, applicants, independent contractors, vendors, clients, and any person with a professional relationship to an attorney or law firm, provided the information is disclosed in good faith. The court-construction language was folded into subdivision (g).

In Section 5(e)(1), the word 'Notwithstanding' was removed from the beginning of the sentence establishing the $25,000 civil penalty per violation. The old text read 'Notwithstanding In addition to subdivisions (a) and (c)' (which itself appeared to be a drafting error with both words present). The new text reads simply 'In addition to subdivisions (a) and (c),' making the civil penalty clearly cumulative rather than overriding other remedies.

A stray word 'misconduct.' was inserted after 'Labor Code.' in subdivision (i), creating a grammatical error: 'consistent with standards applied under Section 1102.5 of the Labor Code. misconduct. Retaliation in violation...' This appears to be an unintentional insertion.

Page numbering was corrected from 96 to 95 throughout, line numbers were resequenced to reflect content shifts, and the legislative counsel's digest had a sentence about federal statutes reordered within the document flow.

Section 6153(e)(1) changed from 'Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (c)' to 'In addition to subdivisions (a) and (c),' making the $25,000 per-violation civil penalty cumulative with criminal penalties and private civil damages rather than replacing them. This means a capping or running violator could now face both the $25,000 civil penalty AND statutory damages of $5,000 to $100,000 per violation (or treble actual damages) AND criminal fines/imprisonment.

The fiscal committee determination changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now has a state or local fiscal impact that requires fiscal committee review and approval.

Multiple typographical errors were corrected throughout: duplicate words ('employer employer,' 'regulation. regulation,' 'including, including'), a garbled sentence in Section 6090.9(h) ('Protection extends The protection provided' simplified), and a stray empty subdivision marker in Section 6153.

The amendment to Civil Code Section 1670.8.5 was removed entirely. That provision would have prohibited any contract for a consumer service by a licensee regulated by any licensing board from limiting the consumer's ability to file a complaint or participate in an investigation. This was a broad change affecting all licensed professions, not just attorneys.

The whistleblower protection provision (Section 6090.9) was expanded so that retaliation by a 'law firm' or 'attorney' acting on their behalf is now explicitly covered, not just an 'employer.' The scope of protected disclosures was also narrowed slightly to violations of rules 'governing the conduct of attorneys' rather than any state or federal statute, rule, or regulation.

New Section 5 amends Business and Professions Code Section 6153 to add: (1) enhanced criminal penalties for capping/running violations - second or subsequent convictions now carry state prison terms of two, three, or four years in addition to county jail; (2) a private right of action with statutory damages ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per violation (or three times actual damages, whichever is larger), plus attorney's fees and injunctive relief; (3) a civil penalty of $25,000 per violation enforceable by the Attorney General, city attorney, or county counsel; (4) each client retained and claim filed in connection with capping/running constitutes a separate violation.

Assembly Members Dixon and Kalra were added as coauthors. The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes.' Minor wording clarifications were made throughout (e.g., 'the Supreme Court of California' instead of 'the Supreme Court').

Added Section 6090.9 to the Business and Professions Code establishing whistleblower protections for the legal profession, prohibiting retaliation against anyone who discloses in good faith information about violations of the State Bar Act, Rules of Professional Conduct, or state/federal law. Aligns with Labor Code Section 1102.5 and extends to employees, former employees, applicants, contractors, vendors, and clients.

The original Civil Code Section 1670.8.5 amendment (expanding consumer complaint rights from 'that licensee' to 'any licensee') was retained but renumbered and moved to the end of the bill as the final section, reflecting its reduced relative importance in the expanded package.

Added Section 6149.6 requiring attorneys to use a separate written contract for any loan or financial assistance to a client, specifying total amount financed, repayment terms, all fees, and potential conflicts of interest. Prohibits charging interest on loans or advanced funds, requires a minimum five-business-day cooling-off period, and prohibits conditioning legal strategy or settlement decisions on loan acceptance or repayment.

Added Section 6149.6(f) establishing a civil penalty of $15,000 per offense for violations of the attorney-client loan requirements, in addition to State Bar discipline and injunctive relief.

Added Section 6152.5 requiring the State Bar to enact summarily disbarment procedures for any licensee convicted of a felony under Section 6152 (capping or running) or a misdemeanor under that section where the court finds the licensee acted knowingly and for financial gain. The Supreme Court must order disbarment and the State Bar is prohibited from negotiating alternative discipline such as reproval, suspension, diversion, or probation.