California 20252026 Regular Session Status: To Executive 1 D cosponsors

SB 239 — Crimes: criminal threats.

Last action — Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 30, 2025. It awaits signature.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 64% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Moderate

How often bills like it became law.

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 9 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill allows harsher sentences for threats against elections officials.

This legislation expands the existing law on criminal threats to include elections officials as individuals whose safety can be considered for harsher sentencing. The goal is to ensure that willful threats against these officials are treated with greater seriousness in court.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This means that threats against elections workers will be treated more seriously, potentially leading to harsher penalties for offenders.

Summary

Existing law makes it a crime to willfully threaten to commit a crime that will result in death or great bodily injury to another person, as specified. Under existing law, this crime is punishable as a misdemeanor or by imprisonment in state prison as a felony. Existing law, for the purposes of sentencing for a felony violation of these provisions, authorizes the court to consider, as a factor in aggravation, that the defendant willfully threatened to commit a crime that would result in the death or great bodily injury of a state constitutional officer, a Member of the Legislature, or a judge or court commissioner, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize the court to consider, as a factor in aggravation, that the defendant willfully threatened to commit a crime that would result in the death or great bodily injury of an elections official of a city, county, city and county, or public district, or an elected local agency official, as specified.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

  2. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  3. From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.)

  4. From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  5. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d).

  6. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

  8. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  9. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 13).

  10. Assembly Rule 63 suspended.

  11. August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

  12. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  13. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 30).

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

  15. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

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

  17. Referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  18. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  19. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 11. Page 3306.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  20. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  21. Ordered to second reading.

  22. From inactive file on motion of Senator Arreguín.

  23. Ordered to inactive file on request of Senator Arreguín.

  24. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  25. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 10. Noes 1. Page 1026.) (May 6).

  26. Set for hearing May 6.

  27. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  28. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 636.) (April 2).

  29. Set for hearing April 2.

  30. Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and JUD.

  31. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 2.

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

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on · 11 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 121 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Unfinished Business SB239 Arreguín Concurrence

Passed 40 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 6000
Republican 9000
Democratic 25000
Total 40000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Allen — Yea
Gonzalez — Yea
Ochoa Bogh — Yea
Pérez — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Weber Pierson — Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Arreguín, Jesse Democratic Yea
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Blakespear, Catherine S. Democratic Yea
Cabaldon, Christopher Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Cortese, Dave Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
McNerney, Jerry Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Richardson, Laura Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Alvarado-Gil, Marie Republican Yea
Choi, Steven S. Republican Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Yea
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Yea
Valladares, Suzette Martinez Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SB 239 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Pacheco

Passed 78 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 17001
Democratic 54000
Unaffiliated 7000
Total 78001
% of votes cast 99%0%0%1%
How each member voted (79)
Member Party Vote
Patterson — Yea
Ávila Farías — Yea
Rivas — Yea
Carrillo — Yea
Fong — Yea
Garcia — Yea
Lowenthal — Yea
Addis, Dawn Democratic Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Ahrens, Patrick Democratic Yea
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bains, Jasmeet Democratic Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bennett, Steve Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Boerner, Tasha Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Caloza, Jessica Democratic Yea
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Elhawary, Sade Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
González, Mark Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Harabedian, John Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Krell, Maggy Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Ortega, Liz Democratic Yea
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Papan, Diane Democratic Yea
Patel, Darshana R. Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Ransom, Rhodesia Democratic Yea
Rodriguez, Celeste Democratic Yea
Rodriguez, Michelle Democratic Yea
Rogers, Chris Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Yea
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Schultz, Nick Democratic Yea
Sharp-Collins, LaShae Democratic Yea
Solache, Jr., José Luis Democratic Yea
Soria, Esmeralda Democratic Yea
Stefani, Catherine Democratic Yea
Valencia, Avelino Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Yea
Zbur, Rick Chavez Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Castillo, Leticia Republican Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Not Voting
Davies, Laurie Republican Yea
DeMaio, Carl Republican Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Yea
Ellis, Stan Republican Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Gonzalez, Jeff Republican Yea
Hadwick, Heather Republican Yea
Hoover, Josh Republican Yea
Johnson, Natasha Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea
Macedo, Alexandra Republican Yea
Sanchez, Kate Republican Yea
Ta, Tri Republican Yea
Tangipa, David J. Republican Yea
Wallis, Greg Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 15 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 11000
Republican 4000
Total 15000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Caloza, Jessica Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
González, Mark Democratic Yea
Krell, Maggy Democratic Yea
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Sharp-Collins, LaShae Democratic Yea
Solache, Jr., José Luis Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Yea
Hoover, Josh Republican Yea
Ta, Tri Republican Yea
Tangipa, David J. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Committee vote — Committee CX18 — Committee vote

Passed 9 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 7000
Republican 2000
Total 9000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (9)
Member Party Vote
González, Mark Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Harabedian, John Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Schultz, Nick Democratic Yea
Sharp-Collins, LaShae Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea

Official roll call →

3rd Reading

Passed 29 Yea · 11 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 29100
Republican 01000
Total 291100
% of votes cast 73%28%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Arreguín, Jesse Democratic Yea
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Blakespear, Catherine S. Democratic Yea
Cabaldon, Christopher Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Nay
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Cortese, Dave Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
McNerney, Jerry Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Pérez, Sasha Renée Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Richardson, Laura Democratic Yea
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Alvarado-Gil, Marie Republican Nay
Choi, Steven S. Republican Nay
Dahle, Megan Republican Nay
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay
Niello, Roger W. Republican Nay
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Nay
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Nay
Strickland, Tony Republican Nay
Valladares, Suzette Martinez Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass

Passed 10 Yea · 1 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 10001
Republican 0101
Total 10102
% of votes cast 77%8%0%15%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Arreguín, Jesse Democratic Yea
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Not Voting
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Nay
Valladares, Suzette Martinez Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary]

Passed 5 Yea · 2 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 5000
Republican 0200
Total 5200
% of votes cast 71%29%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Arreguín, Jesse Democratic Yea
Cabaldon, Christopher Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Choi, Steven S. Republican Nay
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety elections technology
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 239 do?
Existing law makes it a crime to willfully threaten to commit a crime that will result in death or great bodily injury to another person, as specified. Under existing law, this crime is punishable as a misdemeanor or by imprisonment in state prison as a felony. Existing law, for the purposes of sentencing for a felony violation of these provisions, authorizes the court to consider, as a factor in aggravation, that the defendant willfully threatened to commit a crime that would result in the death or great bodily injury of a state constitutional officer, a Member of the Legislature, or a judge or court commissioner, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize the court to consider, as a factor in aggravation, that the defendant willfully threatened to commit a crime that would result in the death or great bodily injury of an elections official of a city, county, city and county, or public district, or an elected local agency official, as specified.
Who sponsors SB 239?
SB 239 is sponsored by Arreguín, Jesse (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 239?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 30, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track SB 239?
Track SB 239 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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