Senate BillChaptered/SignedGovernment
SB 521: Public employment: disqualification.
What SB 521 does, verified December 7, 2025
The bill aims to expand the disqualification period for public employees convicted of certain felonies. A public employee will be disqualified from any public employment for 5 years if they are convicted of a felony involving accepting or giving a bribe, embezzlement, extortion, theft, perjury, or conspiracy related to their official duties. Additionally, this bill disqualifies city managers or city attorneys, including those working under contract, from equivalent roles if they are convicted of these felonies. The bill applies to all cities, including charter cities, as it addresses a matter of statewide concern.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 92, Statutes of 2025. (2025-07-14)Alert me
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| Jul. 30, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 92, Statutes of 2025. |
| Jul. 30, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Jul. 18, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m. |
| Jul. 14, 2025 | Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 2539.) Ordered to the Senate. |
| Jul. 14, 2025 | In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, July 30, 2025 · 559 words
Senate Bill No. 521
CHAPTER 92
An act to amend Section 1021.5 of, and to add Section 1021.6 to, the Government Code, relating to public employment.
[ Approved by Governor July 30, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State July 30, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 521, Gonzalez. Public employment: disqualification.
Existing law disqualifies a public employee, as defined, from any public employment for 5 years if the employee is convicted of any felony involving accepting or giving, or offering to give, a bribe, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any of those crimes arising directly out of their official duties.
This bill would expand that provision to include any felony involving a conflict of interest. The bill would also disqualify a city manager or city attorney, as defined, including an individual acting under contract with the city for those services, who is convicted of any of the above-described felonies, from any future public employment in an equivalent role.
The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1021.5 of the Government Code is amended to read:1021.5.
(a) If a public employee is convicted of any felony involving accepting or giving, or offering to give, any bribe, conflict of interest, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any of those crimes arising directly out of their official duties as a public employee, the public employee shall be disqualified for five years from any public employment, including, but not limited to, employment with a city, county, district, or any other public agency of the state.(b) The five-year disqualification period described in subdivision (a) shall begin on the later of either of the following:
(1) The date of final conviction.
(2) The date on which the public employee is released from any incarceration.
(c) For purposes of this section, “public employee” means any person employed at will for the purposes of providing services to an elected public officer who takes public office, or is reelected to public office, on or after January 1, 2013.
SEC. 2.
Section 1021.6 is added to the Government Code, to read:1021.6.
(a) A city manager or city attorney, including an individual acting under contract with the city for those services, who is convicted of any felony set forth in Section 1021.5, shall be disqualified from any future public employment in an equivalent role.(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “City attorney” means any person employed pursuant to Section 41801 on or after January 1, 2026.
(2) “City manager” means any person employed pursuant to Section 34851 on or after January 1, 2026.
SEC. 3.
The Legislature finds and declares that the integrity of public employees is a matter of statewide concern and is not a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, Sections 1 and 2 of this act, which amend Section 1021.5 of, and add Section 1021.6 to, the Government Code apply to all cities, including charter cities.Text of SB 521 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions