Assembly BillVetoedBusiness and Professions
AB 742: Department of Consumer Affairs: licensing: applicants who are descendants of slaves.
What AB 742 does, verified March 9, 2026
The bill would expedite the licensure process for applicants who are descendants of American slaves. This would be done by requiring the state's licensing boards to expedite the process once a certification process for descendants of American slaves is implemented. The provisions would only be operative if a specific measure establishing the bureau for descendants of American slavery is enacted. The licensure provisions would be repealed after 4 years or on January 1, 2032, whichever is earlier.
Bill journey
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✓First Chamber FloorComplete
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5GovernorCurrent
6ChapteredPending
Last action: Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. (2026-01-22)Alert me
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| Jan. 22, 2026 | Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. |
| Jan. 22, 2026 | Stricken from file. |
| Oct. 13, 2025 | Consideration of Governor's veto pending. |
| Oct. 13, 2025 | Vetoed by Governor. |
| Sep. 22, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. |
Latest bill textEnrolled version, September 12, 2025 · 511 words
| Enrolled September 12, 2025 |
| Passed IN Senate September 09, 2025 |
| Passed IN Assembly September 10, 2025 |
| Amended IN Senate July 02, 2025 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 13, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 742
| Introduced by Assembly Member Elhawary (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Bonta, Bryan, Gipson, Jackson, McKinnor, Sharp-Collins, and Wilson) (Principal coauthors: Senators Richardson, Smallwood-Cuevas, and Weber Pierson) (Coauthor: Assembly Member Lowenthal) |
February 18, 2025 |
An act to add and repeal Section 115.7 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions and vocations.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 742, Elhawary. Department of Consumer Affairs: licensing: applicants who are descendants of slaves.
Existing law establishes the Department of Consumer Affairs, which is composed of specified boards that license and regulate various professions. Existing law requires those boards to expedite the licensure process for an applicant who holds a current license in another jurisdiction in the same profession or vocation and supplies evidence that they are married to or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders.
This bill would require those boards to expedite applications for applicants seeking licensure who are descendants of American slaves once a process to certify descendants of American slaves is implemented, as specified.
This bill would make these provisions operative only if SB 518 of the 2025–26 Regular Session is enacted establishing the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, and would make these provisions operative when the certification process is implemented pursuant to that measure. The bill would repeal these provisions 4 years from the date on which they become operative or on January 1, 2032, whichever is earlier.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 115.7 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:115.7.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, once the process to certify descendants of American slaves is implemented by the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 15210) of Part 6 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code that confirms an individual’s status as a descendant of an American slave, each board shall expedite applications for applicants seeking licensure who are descendants of American slaves.(b) This section shall become operative on the date that the certification process for the descendants of American Slaves is implemented by the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 15210) of Part 6 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(c) This section shall remain in effect only for four years from the date on which this section became operative, or until January 1, 2032, whichever is earlier, and as of that date is repealed.
(d) This section shall become operative only if Senate Bill 518 of the 2025–26 Regular Session is enacted establishing the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery.
Text of AB 742 as enrolled, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions