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Home/Bills/AB 2155California · 2025–2026 Regular Session
Assembly BillChaptered/SignedCivil Procedure

AB 2155: Arbitration: validity of agreements to arbitrate.

California · Assembly · 2025–2026 Regular Session · last verified August 20, 2026

What AB 2155 does, verified August 20, 2026

This bill aims to make agreements to submit to arbitration unenforceable if they would not be enforceable under the federal arbitration act. The federal arbitration act already deems arbitration agreements valid, irrevocable, and enforceable, except for certain types of agreements, such as those related to sexual harassment claims. The proposed law would extend this protection to similar agreements, ensuring that they are only enforceable if they meet the requirements set by the federal arbitration act.

Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
✓Second ChamberComplete
✓GovernorComplete
6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 46, Statutes of 2026. (2026-06-30)Alert me
Recent actions15 total · showing 5
Jun. 30, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 46, Statutes of 2026.
Jun. 30, 2026Approved by the Governor.
Jun. 24, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11:30 a.m.
Jun. 18, 2026In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
Jun. 18, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 4859.).
Full action history, 10 earlier actionsConnect Plus
Latest bill textChaptered version, June 30, 2026 · 334 words

Assembly Bill No. 2155
CHAPTER 46

An act to amend Section 1281 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to arbitration.

[ Approved by Governor June 30, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State June 30, 2026. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2155, Aguiar-Curry. Arbitration: validity of agreements to arbitrate.
Existing law provides that written agreements to submit controversies to arbitration are valid and enforceable. Existing federal law, the Federal Arbitration Act, also deems arbitration agreements valid, irrevocable, and enforceable, except for certain specified types of agreements, such as agreements to arbitrate claims of sexual harassment.
This bill would make agreements to submit to arbitration unenforceable where the agreement would not be enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act.
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of this state to ensure that all persons have the full benefit of the rights, forums, and procedures established under state law.
(b) It is the purpose of this act to incorporate into the California Arbitration Act any and all exclusions under the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. Sec. 1 et seq.), including contracts of employment of seamen, railroad employees, or any other class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce, and the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 (9 U.S.C. Sec. 401 et seq.), including claims that relate to a sexual harassment dispute or sexual assault dispute.

SEC. 2.

Section 1281 of the Code of Civil Procedure is amended to read:

1281.

(a) A written agreement to submit to arbitration an existing controversy or a controversy thereafter arising is valid, enforceable and irrevocable, save upon such grounds as exist for the revocation of any contract.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a written agreement to submit to arbitration is not enforceable under this section to the extent the agreement is not enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. Sec. 1 et seq.).

Text of AB 2155 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions
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