California · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB1194 Immigration Legal Fellowship Project.

Direction

Immigration enforcement sanctuary policiesAI label

Restricts immigration enforcement model confidence 80%

Establishes a state-funded fellowship project to expand access to immigration legal services including removal defense, so more legal representation for immigrants facing enforcement actions.

The Immigration Legal Fellowship Project is hereby established within the State Department of Social Services for the purpose of expanding access to high-quality immigration legal services, including, but not limited to, removal defense, in rural and underserved regions of California.

✓ Quote verified word for word in the bill text

Immigration enforcement otherAI label

No change to immigration enforcement model confidence 70%

Creates a grant program for legal fellowships providing representation in removal proceedings and affirmative immigration relief, increasing access to immigration legal services without directly altering enforcement mechanisms.

The department shall administer the project to support legal fellowships for qualified individuals who provide immigration legal services pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, representation in removal proceedings, affirmative immigration relief, and related legal services provided pursuant to this chapter.

✓ Quote verified word for word in the bill text

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

Status: Vetoed

Last action: 2026-09-27: In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
Filed: 2026-02-19
Sponsor: Anna Caballero D + 5 cosponsors (5 D)

Read official text (Enrolled)Legislature page LegiScan

Why the model tagged it this way: The bill creates a state program to fund legal fellowships and expand immigration legal services (including removal defense), which indirectly limits the practical effect of immigration enforcement by increasing representation for affected individuals; this fits the 'restricts' axis for sanctuary-policies as it reduces effective enforcement scope via legal aid, with no direct changes to cooperation, detainers, E-Verify, or other enforcement tools.

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
SB1323 Health care providers: patient access: immigration enforcement.Restricts immigration enforcement No change to immigration enforcement Law

Hearings and calendar

2026-04-14 13:30 · Hearing · Senate Judiciary Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 2100
2026-04-20 15:00 · Hearing · Senate Human Services Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 2200
2026-05-04 10:00 · Hearing · Senate Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 2200
2026-05-14 00:00 · Hearing · Senate Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 2200
2026-06-16 13:30 · Hearing · Assembly Human Services Hearing State Capitol, Room 437
2026-06-23 09:00 · Hearing · Assembly Judiciary Hearing State Capitol, Room 437
2026-08-05 09:00 · Hearing · Assembly Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 1100
2026-08-13 00:00 · Hearing · Assembly Appropriations Hearing 1021 O Street, Room 1100

Votes

Date	Chamber	Motion	Yea-Nay
2026-04-14	S	Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Human Services]	11-1	Passed
2026-04-20	S	Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]	3-1	Passed
2026-05-04	S	Placed on suspense file	7-0	Passed
2026-05-14	S	Do pass	5-2	Passed
2026-05-19	S	Senate 3rd Reading SB1194 Caballero et al	30-9	Passed
2026-06-16	A	Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]	6-1	Passed
2026-06-23	A	Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]	9-3	Passed
2026-08-13	A	Do pass	11-3	Passed
2026-08-19	A	SB 1194 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Bonta	59-12	Passed

Text versions

Introduced 2026-02-19
Amended 2026-03-24
Enrolled 2026-08-20

History (31 actions)

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-09-27	S	In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2026-09-27	S	Vetoed by the Governor.
2026-08-24		Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2026-08-19	S	In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2026-08-19	A	Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 59. Noes 12. Page 6266.) Ordered to the Senate.
2026-08-13	A	Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-08-13	A	From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (August 13).
2026-08-13	A	Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
2026-08-05	A	August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
2026-06-23	A	Coauthors revised.
2026-06-23	A	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-06-17	A	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (June 16). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2026-06-01	A	Referred to Coms. on HUM. S. and JUD.
2026-05-20	A	In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2026-05-19	S	Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 4355.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2026-05-14	S	Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-05-14	S	From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 4268.) (May 14).
2026-05-08	S	Set for hearing May 14.
2026-05-04	S	May 4 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2026-04-24	S	Set for hearing May 4.
2026-04-21	S	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 3. Noes 1. Page 3955.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-15	S	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HUMAN S. (Ayes 11. Noes 1. Page 3869.) (April 14). Re-referred to Com. on HUMAN S.
2026-04-10	S	Set for hearing April 20 in HUMAN S. pending receipt.
2026-04-09	S	Set for hearing April 14.
2026-04-08	S	Re-referred to Coms. on JUD. and HUMAN S.
2026-04-08	S	Withdrawn from committee.
2026-04-08	S	Re-referred to Coms. on HUMAN S. and JUD.
2026-03-24	S	From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2026-03-04	S	Referred to Com. on RLS.
2026-02-20	S	From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.
2026-02-19	S	Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.