SB-398
Government Operations

Election crimes: payment based on voting or voter registration.

Engrossed
CA
2025-2026 Regular Session
0
0
Track

Key Takeaways

  • Criminalizes paying or offering valuable incentives to induce voting or voter registration in California.
  • Imposes penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and three years imprisonment for violations.
  • Includes lottery tickets and prize drawings as prohibited forms of voter inducement.
  • Exempts legitimate activities like providing transportation to polling places and time off for voting.

Summary

Senator Umberg's elections integrity measure would establish criminal penalties for offering financial or prize-based incentives to induce voting or voter registration in California. The legislation creates a new offense for knowingly providing or promising money or other valuable consideration, including lottery entries, contingent on a person's voting status or registration.

The bill outlines specific exemptions to preserve legitimate voter assistance activities, including transportation to polling places, government-provided compensation, and employer-granted voting leave. Violations would be punishable by fines up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both. The measure explicitly defines "valuable consideration" to encompass both direct payments and indirect benefits like contest entries or prize drawings.

While creating this new criminal offense requires involvement from local law enforcement agencies, the bill stipulates that local jurisdictions will not receive state reimbursement for associated costs, as the changes fall under established exemptions for new crime definitions in the California Constitution. The provisions would take effect immediately upon enactment, requiring political organizations, voter outreach groups, and law enforcement to adapt their practices accordingly.

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety
Next Step
Assembly Committee
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety
Hearing scheduled for , State Capitol, Room 126
Assembly Elections Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Elections Hearing
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate 3rd Reading SB398 Umberg et al
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Do pass
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Placed on suspense file
Senate Public Safety Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Public Safety Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
Introduced
Senate Floor
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Contacts

Profile
Tom LackeyR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
James RamosD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Tom UmbergD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Josh BeckerD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Matt HaneyD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 11 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 3
Select All Legislators
Profile
Tom LackeyR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
James RamosD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Tom UmbergD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Josh BeckerD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Matt HaneyD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Juan AlanisR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Stephanie NguyenD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Mark GonzalezD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
John HarabedianD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Nick SchultzD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
LaShae Sharp-CollinsD
Assemblymember
Committee Member

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Tom Umberg
Tom UmbergD
California State Senator
Co-Author
Josh Becker
Josh BeckerD
California State Senator
40% progression
Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (5/29/2025)

Latest Voting History

July 2, 2025
PASS
Assembly Committee
Assembly Elections Hearing
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
7007PASS

Key Takeaways

  • Criminalizes paying or offering valuable incentives to induce voting or voter registration in California.
  • Imposes penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and three years imprisonment for violations.
  • Includes lottery tickets and prize drawings as prohibited forms of voter inducement.
  • Exempts legitimate activities like providing transportation to polling places and time off for voting.

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Tom Umberg
Tom UmbergD
California State Senator
Co-Author
Josh Becker
Josh BeckerD
California State Senator

Summary

Senator Umberg's elections integrity measure would establish criminal penalties for offering financial or prize-based incentives to induce voting or voter registration in California. The legislation creates a new offense for knowingly providing or promising money or other valuable consideration, including lottery entries, contingent on a person's voting status or registration.

The bill outlines specific exemptions to preserve legitimate voter assistance activities, including transportation to polling places, government-provided compensation, and employer-granted voting leave. Violations would be punishable by fines up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both. The measure explicitly defines "valuable consideration" to encompass both direct payments and indirect benefits like contest entries or prize drawings.

While creating this new criminal offense requires involvement from local law enforcement agencies, the bill stipulates that local jurisdictions will not receive state reimbursement for associated costs, as the changes fall under established exemptions for new crime definitions in the California Constitution. The provisions would take effect immediately upon enactment, requiring political organizations, voter outreach groups, and law enforcement to adapt their practices accordingly.

40% progression
Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (5/29/2025)

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety
Next Step
Assembly Committee
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety
Hearing scheduled for , State Capitol, Room 126
Assembly Elections Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Elections Hearing
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate 3rd Reading SB398 Umberg et al
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Do pass
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Placed on suspense file
Senate Public Safety Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Public Safety Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
Introduced
Senate Floor
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Latest Voting History

July 2, 2025
PASS
Assembly Committee
Assembly Elections Hearing
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
7007PASS

Contacts

Profile
Tom LackeyR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
James RamosD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Tom UmbergD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Josh BeckerD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Matt HaneyD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 11 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 3
Select All Legislators
Profile
Tom LackeyR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
James RamosD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Tom UmbergD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Josh BeckerD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Matt HaneyD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Juan AlanisR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Stephanie NguyenD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Mark GonzalezD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
John HarabedianD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Nick SchultzD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
LaShae Sharp-CollinsD
Assemblymember
Committee Member