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Home/Bills/SB 251California · 2025–2026 Regular Session
Senate BillChaptered/Signed

SB 251: Claims against the state: appropriation.

California · Senate · 2025–2026 Regular Session · last verified December 13, 2025

What SB 251 does, verified December 13, 2025

The bill would appropriate $1,221,491.30 from the general fund to the attorney general for the payment of claims, settlements, or judgments against the state arising from three specified actions. This appropriation would be made to address urgent financial obligations. The bill declares that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute, allowing for swift action to resolve outstanding claims.

Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
✓Second ChamberComplete
✓GovernorComplete
6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 90, Statutes of 2025. (2025-07-17)Alert me
Recent actions24 total · showing 5
Jul. 30, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 90, Statutes of 2025.
Jul. 30, 2025Approved by the Governor.
Jul. 25, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.
Jul. 17, 2025Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 2593.) Ordered to the Senate.
Jul. 17, 2025In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
Full action history, 19 earlier actionsConnect Plus
Latest bill textChaptered version, July 30, 2025 · 459 words

Senate Bill No. 251
CHAPTER 90

An act relating to the payment of claims against the state, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

[ Approved by Governor July 30, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State July 30, 2025. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 251, Caballero. Claims against the state: appropriation.
Under existing law, if sufficient appropriations are not available for the payment of certain claims, settlements, or judgments, the Attorney General is required to report the claims, settlements, and judgments to the chairperson of either the Senate Committee on Appropriations or the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, who is then required to cause introduction of legislation appropriating the funds necessary for payment.
This bill would appropriate $1,221,491.30 from the General Fund to the Attorney General for the payment of claims, settlements, or judgments against the state arising from 3 specified actions.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: YES Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

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


SECTION 1.

(a) The sum of one million two hundred twenty-one thousand four hundred ninety-one dollars and thirty cents ($1,221,491.30) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Attorney General to be allocated in accordance with the following schedule:
(1) The sum of six hundred seventeen thousand two hundred seventy-seven dollars and eighty-one cents ($617,277.81) for the payment of claims, settlements, or judgments against the state arising from First Amendment Coalition v. Bonta (San Francisco Superior Court Case No. CFP-19-516545).
(2) The sum of two hundred forty-four thousand three hundred ninety-nine dollars and seventy-six cents ($244,399.76) for the payment of claims, settlements, or judgments against the state arising from Linton v. Bonta (United States District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:18-cv-07653-JD).
(3) The sum of three hundred fifty-nine thousand eight hundred thirteen dollars and seventy-three cents ($359,813.73) for the payment of claims, settlements, or judgments against the state arising from X Corp. v. Bonta (United States District Court, Eastern District of California, No. 2:23-cv-01939-WBS-AC).
(b) Any funds appropriated in excess of the amounts actually required for the payment of these claims, settlements, or judgments shall revert to the General Fund within 45 days after final payment is made.

SEC. 2.

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order to pay judgment and settlement claims against the state and end hardship to claimants as quickly as possible, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.
Text of SB 251 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions
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