AB 922 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

University of California: employees, volunteers, and contractors: background checks.

Summary
(1) Existing law requires a fingerprint-based criminal history information check that is required pursuant to any statute to be requested from the Department of Justice. When a government agency or other entity requests such a criminal history check for purposes of employment, licensing, or certification, existing law requires the Department of Justice to disseminate specified information in response to the request, including information regarding convictions and arrests for which the applicant is presently awaiting trial. The California Constitution provides that the University of California constitutes a public trust administered by the Regents of the University of California, a corporation in the form of a board, with full powers of organization and government, subject to legislative control only for specified purposes, including, among others, as may be necessary to ensure the security of its funds. This bill would expressly authorize the University of California to require background checks, to be completed by the Department of Justice as specified, during the final stages of the recruitment process for prospective staff employees, contractors, and volunteers. (2) Existing law requires the Department of Justice to provide subsequent state or federal arrest or disposition notification to authorized entities to assist in, among other things, fulfilling employment, licensing, or certification duties. Existing law requires an entity, other than a law enforcement agency, as defined, to enter into a contract with the Department of Justice in order to receive notification of subsequent state or federal arrests or dispositions for licensing, employment, or certification purposes. This bill would require the University of California to immediately notify the Department of Justice to terminate the notification for an individual who is no longer in a position that permits such notification. The bill would require the University of California to verify, at least every 6 months, that each individual whose notification has not been terminated remains in a position with the University of California. The bill would require the University of California to immediately inform the Department of Justice if it receives an arrest notification for an unknown individual or for an individual whose notification requests have been terminated.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Aug 2025
Assembly Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 19, 2025 Last action Aug 29, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

05/01/25 - Amended Assembly 05/19/25 - Amended Assembly · 5 edits · May 19, 2025
MODERATE
The bill was fundamentally restructured from a mandate requiring UC to conduct background checks into an authorization allowing UC to continue its existing background check practices for positions it designates as 'Critical Positions.' A new legislative findings section explains that the US Department of Justice grace period UC currently relies on for federal criminal history checks expires January 1, 2027, so express statutory authorization is needed to maintain access. The change shifts the bill from imposing new obligations on UC to simply preserving its current authority.
Scope change
The bill shifted from mandating new background check requirements for UC to authorizing UC's existing practices. The scope of covered individuals expanded to explicitly include contractors, and the legal basis moved from a statutory mandate to preserving access to US DOJ criminal history data before the current grace period expires in 2027.
SCOPE

A new Section 1 containing legislative findings and declarations was added, explaining that UC already requires background checks for Critical Positions after conditional offers, that this act does not change existing UC policies, and that the US DOJ grace period for UC's 'State Employee applicant type' expires January 1, 2027.

Covered individuals expanded from 'prospective employee or volunteer' to 'prospective staff employee, contractor, or volunteer,' explicitly adding contractors and clarifying the employee category as 'staff employee.'

REQUIREMENT

The core obligation changed from mandatory ('shall require') to permissive ('may require'), shifting the bill from imposing a new requirement on UC to authorizing an existing practice.

DEFINITION

The findings section introduces UC's own definition of 'Critical Positions' from its Personnel Policies for Staff Members: positions with sensitive administrative, programmatic, or managerial duties that could potentially cause human, financial, or property loss or other significant risk to the university.

TECHNICAL

Terminology changed from 'application process' to 'recruitment process' in describing when background checks occur.

Floor votes · Assembly May 23, 2025

How they voted

700
Passed · 9 other
Total votes 79
May 23, 2025
D Democratic60
53 Yea 7
88% Yea
R Republican19
17 Yea 2
89% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
18
Key actions
9
Committee
9
Amendments
5
Aug 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
In committee: Held under submission.
upper
Aug 18, 2025
Committee
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
upper
Jul 9, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
upper
Jul 8, 2025
Introduced
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 8).
upper
Jun 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
upper
Jun 4, 2025
Committee
Referred to Coms. on ED. and PUB. S.
upper
May 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 70. Noes 0. Page 1654.)
lower
May 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading.
lower
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
lower
May 5, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
lower
May 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read second time and amended.
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Introduced
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 29).
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Committee
Referred to Coms. on HIGHER ED. and PUB. S.
lower
Feb 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Joshua Hoover
Joshua Hoover
RRepublican
CA
7