California 20252026 Regular Session Status: Introduced 1 D cosponsors

AB 1963 — Hiring of real property: portable screening reports: disclosure of application materials.

Last action — In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

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

This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

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.

Summary

Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of residential tenancies, including imposing specified requirements on a security for a rental agreement for residential property. Existing law defines security as any payment, fee, deposit, or charge that is imposed to reimburse the landlord for costs associated with processing a new tenant or that is imposed as an advance payment of rent, used for any purpose, as provided. Existing law authorizes a landlord, or the landlord's agent, who receives a request to rent a residential property from an applicant to charge that applicant an application screening fee to cover the costs of obtaining information about the applicant, as provided. Existing law authorizes a landlord to accept a reusable tenant screening report, as provided, and prohibits the landlord from charging the applicant specified fees, including an application screening fee, if the landlord accepts the reusable tenant screening report. Existing law defines a reusable tenant screening report as a consumer report that, among other things, was prepared within the previous 30 days by a consumer reporting agency at the request and expense of the applicant and is available to the landlord at no cost to access or use. Existing law defines "unfair competition" to include any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising and subjects a person who engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage in unfair competition to various remedies and penalties. This bill would repeal the provisions authorizing a landlord to accept reusable tenant screening reports and would, instead, require a landlord to accept from a prospective tenant a portable screening report prepared by a tenant screening company approved by the Department of Housing and Community Development, as provided. The bill would define various terms for these purposes, including defining a "portable screening report" as a consumer report prepared by a tenant screening company that, among other things, is dated within 45 days before submission to the landlord and costs the prospective tenant no more than $45. The bill would prohibit a landlord from, among other things, charging the prospective tenant specified fees associated with processing the rental application, including an application fee, or requiring the prospective tenant to undergo or pay for an additional background check, credit check, or tenant screening, if the prospective tenant provides a portable screening report under these provisions. The bill would require a landlord to advise a prospective tenant in an advertisement for a dwelling unit and before accepting any application materials for a dwelling unit on certain obligations of the landlord regarding portable screening reports. If the landlord rejects an application after reviewing the portable screening report provided by the tenant under these provisions, the bill would require a landlord to provide the prospective tenant with the specific reasons for rejection in writing, as provided. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to post on its internet website information for prospective tenants about these provisions. This bill would also require a landlord to provide in writing a complete and itemized disclosure of all application requirements to the prospective tenant before accepting any application materials. The bill would require that the disclosure, among other things, be provided in a clear, plain-language, and standardized format, as prescribed by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The bill would prohibit a landlord from adding, modifying, or requesting additional application requirements from a prospective tenant, except as provided, and prohibit a landlord from denying an application based a prospective tenant's failure to provide an application requirement that was not disclosed. The bill would specify that a violation of these provisions is an act of unfair competition, as described above. This bill would make a landlord who violates either of the above-described provisions liable to a prospective tenant in a civil action, as provided. The bill would require a prospective tenant to provide a landlord with an opportunity to cure the violation before bringing a civil action, as provided. The bill would additionally authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action to seek specified remedies based on violations of its provisions. The bill would provide that these remedies are in addition to any other remedies. This bill would declare that its provisions are severable.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  2. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  4. Referred to Coms. on JUD. and H. & C.D.

  5. From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

  6. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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

Subjects

housing
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 1963 do?
Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of residential tenancies, including imposing specified requirements on a security for a rental agreement for residential property. Existing law defines security as any payment, fee, deposit, or charge that is imposed to reimburse the landlord for costs associated with processing a new tenant or that is imposed as an advance payment of rent, used for any purpose, as provided. Existing law authorizes a landlord, or the landlord's agent, who receives a request to rent a residential property from an applicant to charge that applicant an application screening fee to cover the costs of obtaining information about the applicant, as provided. Existing law authorizes a landlord to accept a reusable tenant screening report, as provided, and prohibits the landlord from charging the applicant specified fees, including an application screening fee, if the landlord accepts the reusable tenant screening report. Existing law defines a reusable tenant screening report as a consumer report that, among other things, was prepared within the previous 30 days by a consumer reporting agency at the request and expense of the applicant and is available to the landlord at no cost to access or use. Existing law defines "unfair competition" to include any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising and subjects a person who engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage in unfair competition to various remedies and penalties. This bill would repeal the provisions authorizing a landlord to accept reusable tenant screening reports and would, instead, require a landlord to accept from a prospective tenant a portable screening report prepared by a tenant screening company approved by the Department of Housing and Community Development, as provided. The bill would define various terms for these purposes, including defining a "portable screening report" as a consumer report prepared by a tenant screening company that, among other things, is dated within 45 days before submission to the landlord and costs the prospective tenant no more than $45. The bill would prohibit a landlord from, among other things, charging the prospective tenant specified fees associated with processing the rental application, including an application fee, or requiring the prospective tenant to undergo or pay for an additional background check, credit check, or tenant screening, if the prospective tenant provides a portable screening report under these provisions. The bill would require a landlord to advise a prospective tenant in an advertisement for a dwelling unit and before accepting any application materials for a dwelling unit on certain obligations of the landlord regarding portable screening reports. If the landlord rejects an application after reviewing the portable screening report provided by the tenant under these provisions, the bill would require a landlord to provide the prospective tenant with the specific reasons for rejection in writing, as provided. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to post on its internet website information for prospective tenants about these provisions. This bill would also require a landlord to provide in writing a complete and itemized disclosure of all application requirements to the prospective tenant before accepting any application materials. The bill would require that the disclosure, among other things, be provided in a clear, plain-language, and standardized format, as prescribed by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The bill would prohibit a landlord from adding, modifying, or requesting additional application requirements from a prospective tenant, except as provided, and prohibit a landlord from denying an application based a prospective tenant's failure to provide an application requirement that was not disclosed. The bill would specify that a violation of these provisions is an act of unfair competition, as described above. This bill would make a landlord who violates either of the above-described provisions liable to a prospective tenant in a civil action, as provided. The bill would require a prospective tenant to provide a landlord with an opportunity to cure the violation before bringing a civil action, as provided. The bill would additionally authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action to seek specified remedies based on violations of its provisions. The bill would provide that these remedies are in addition to any other remedies. This bill would declare that its provisions are severable.
Who sponsors AB 1963?
AB 1963 is sponsored by McKinnor, Tina (Democratic).
What is the current status of AB 1963?
This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track AB 1963?
Track AB 1963 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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