California · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB1136 Employment: immigration and work authorization.

Direction

Immigration enforcement sanctuary policiesAI label

Restricts immigration enforcement model confidence 80%

Requires employers to provide unpaid leave, reinstatement, and rehire rights for employees facing immigration proceedings or work authorization issues, and prohibits discharge solely for pending proceedings (if work-authorized), so less immigration enforcement by private actors and reduced practical

Each public or private employer shall not discipline, discharge, or discriminate against any employee because of national origin or immigration status, or solely because the employee is subject to immigration or deportation proceedings, except as required to comply with the law.

✓ Quote verified word for word in the bill text

Immigration enforcement otherAI label

Restricts immigration enforcement model confidence 70%

Mandates unpaid leave for immigration-related appointments or detention, plus reinstatement/rehire rights tied to work authorization for affected employees, limiting employer responses to immigration status changes.

Upon request, each employee shall be released by their employer for up to five unpaid working days within a 12-month period... in order to attend appointments, interviews, adjudications, legal proceedings, detainment, or any other meeting at which the employee’s presence is required concerning the employee’s immigration status, work authorization, visa status, or any other immigration-related matter.

⚠ Quote could not be matched to the bill text: treat this label with caution

Filed (completed)
Committee (completed)
Passed one chamber (completed)
Passed both (completed)
Governor
Law

Status: Vetoed

Last action: 2026-01-22: Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
Filed: 2025-02-20
Sponsor: Liz Ortega D, Mike Gipson D + 4 cosponsors (4 D)

Read official text (Enrolled)Legislature page LegiScan

Why the model tagged it this way: The bill addresses immigration enforcement by restricting employer actions against employees involved in immigration proceedings or lacking temporary work authorization, via mandated leave, reinstatement, rehire preferences, and anti-discrimination rules; no other listed topics are substantively addressed.

Related bills

AB1655 CalWORKs: temporary absence: immigration detention.Restricts immigration enforcement Law
AB1807 Immigration enforcement: use of state-owned property.Restricts immigration enforcement Restricts immigration enforcement Law
AB1994 Defending Immigrant Victims Act.Restricts immigration enforcement No change to immigration enforcement Law
SB1194 Immigration Legal Fellowship Project.Restricts immigration enforcement No change to immigration enforcement Vetoed

Hearings and calendar

2025-04-02 13:30 · Hearing · Assembly Labor And Employment Hearing State Capitol, Room 447
2025-04-23 09:00 · Hearing · Assembly Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 1100
2025-05-23 00:00 · Hearing · Assembly Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 1100
2025-07-09 09:30 · Hearing · Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 2200
2025-07-15 09:30 · Hearing · Senate Judiciary Hearing State Capitol, Room 112
2025-08-18 10:00 · Hearing · Senate Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 2200
2025-08-25 10:00 · Hearing · Senate Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 2200
2025-08-29 00:00 · Hearing · Senate Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 2200

Votes

Date	Chamber	Motion	Yea-Nay
2025-04-02	A	Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]	6-0	Passed
2025-05-23	A	Do pass	12-0	Passed
2025-06-03	A	AB 1136 Ortega Assembly Third Reading	68-2	Passed
2025-07-09	S	Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]	4-1	Passed
2025-07-15	S	Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]	11-2	Passed
2025-08-25	S	Placed on suspense file	6-0	Passed
2025-08-29	S	Do pass	5-2	Passed
2025-09-04	S	Assembly 3rd Reading AB1136 Ortega et al. By Durazo	29-10	Passed
2025-09-10	A	With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in	5-0	Passed
2025-09-11	A	AB 1136 Ortega Concurrence in Senate Amendments	57-13	Passed

Text versions

Introduced 2025-02-20
Amended 2025-06-23
Amended 2025-06-30
Amended 2025-07-17
Amended 2025-08-19
Enrolled 2025-09-15

History (33 actions)

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-01-22	A	Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
2025-10-13	A	Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-10-13	A	Vetoed by Governor.
2025-09-23		Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
2025-09-11	A	Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 57. Noes 13. Page 3335.).
2025-09-10	A	From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (September 10).
2025-09-09	A	Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 3061.)
2025-09-04	A	Re-referred to Com. on L. & E. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.
2025-09-04	A	In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-04	S	Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 10. Page 2517.).
2025-08-29	S	Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29	S	From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).
2025-08-25	S	In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-08-19	S	From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-08-13	S	In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-07-17	S	Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-16	S	From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (July 15).
2025-07-09	S	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-06-30	S	From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-06-25	S	Re-referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD.
2025-06-24	S	Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-06-24	S	Withdrawn from committee.
2025-06-23	S	From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-06-18	S	Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-06-04	S	In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-03	A	Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 68. Noes 2. Page 1990.)
2025-05-27	A	Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23	A	From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-04-23	A	In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-04-03	A	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 2). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-10	A	Referred to Com. on L. & E.
2025-02-21	A	From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2025-02-20	A	Read first time. To print.