SB 174 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Courts.

SB 174, titled "Budget Act of 2025," is a procedural bill that merely expresses the Legislature's intent to enact future statutory changes related to the Budget Act of 2025. It does not specify any concrete policy changes, budget allocations, or affected parties. The bill serves as a formal statement of future legislative action but contains no substantive provisions or mechanisms. This is a non-fiscal, non-appropriating resolution that sets the stage for later budget-related legislation.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

Assembly Passage

Jun 2026

Signed into Law

Jun 2026

Introduced Jan 23, 2025 Signed Jun 29, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

06/29/26 - Enrolled → SB174 · 1 edit

MINOR

This diff reflects a change in document presentation format rather than substantive policy content. The formal enrolled bill layout (with Senate and Assembly passage lines, Governor's receipt block, and page numbering) has been replaced by a web page rendering that includes navigation menus, search tools, version history, and metadata panels. The underlying legislative text of SB 174 - which extends remote court appearance provisions through January 1, 2032, modifies in-person appearance standards, delays the public lactation room requirement to July 1, 2029, and appropriates $100,000 for lactation room modifications - appears unchanged between the two versions.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from a formal enrolled legislative document (with passage dates, signature blocks, and page numbers) into a web page layout with navigation elements, search functionality, version history sidebar, and metadata panels. No substantive policy language was altered.

01/23/25 - Introduced → 06/26/26 - Amended Assembly · 7 edits · Jun 26, 2026

MODERATE

SB 174 was transformed from a placeholder bill expressing legislative intent into a substantive bill that extends the expiration date of remote court proceedings provisions from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2032 across civil, criminal, and juvenile proceedings. The amendment also raises the threshold for courts to require in-person appearances in civil cases, adds a requirement for courts to state reasons for requiring in-person appearances starting in 2027, extends remote appearance rights to witnesses (not just parties), delays the public lactation room mandate from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2029, and appropriates $100,000 for lactation room modifications.

TIMELINE

Extended the expiration date of all remote court proceedings provisions (civil, criminal, juvenile, involuntary treatment/conservatorship) from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2032, giving courts five additional years to operate under these rules before they would be repealed.

Delayed the deadline for superior courts to provide public access to lactation rooms from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2029, giving courts three additional years to comply.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the standard for requiring in-person appearances in civil cases from 'an in-person appearance would materially assist in the determination' to 'an in-person appearance is necessary to the determination or that remote attendance would materially impair the resolution,' making it harder for courts to order in-person appearances.

Added a requirement that beginning January 1, 2027, courts must provide a specific reason when requiring an in-person appearance, either on the record, in a minute order, or on a Judicial Council form.

SCOPE

Extended remote appearance rights to witnesses in civil cases, not just parties. The original provision only allowed parties to appear remotely; now witnesses may also appear remotely when a party has provided notice of intent to appear remotely.

FISCAL

Appropriated $100,000 from the General Fund to the Judicial Council for purposes of lactation room modifications in courthouses.

Changed the fiscal notes: appropriation changed from 'no' to 'yes' and fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting the new $100,000 appropriation.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 20, 2025 · Assembly Jun 29, 2026

How they voted

28–10

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

Mar 20, 2025

D Democratic30

28 Yea 2

93% Yea

R Republican10

10 Nay

100% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 29, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor.

legislature

Jun 29, 2026

Upper · Passed

Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5068.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

upper

Jun 29, 2026

Introduced

In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

upper

Jun 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 5895.) Ordered to the Senate.

lower

Jun 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on BUDGET.

lower

Mar 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 455.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors