Civil appeals: stay of enforcement.

Assembly Member Ávila Farías proposes modifications to California's civil appeals process to prevent automatic stays of court orders that address violations of state voting rights and districting laws. The legislation creates exceptions to the standard practice of staying trial court proceedings when appeals are filed in cases involving the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 and the FAIR MAPS Act of 2023.

Under the proposed changes, court orders finding violations of at-large voting methods or election district boundaries would remain enforceable during appeals unless the trial court specifically orders otherwise. The Attorney General and Secretary of State may jointly certify that staying enforcement serves voting rights purposes or is necessary for orderly election administration. Parties found in violation must reimburse county election officials for costs incurred from implementing court-ordered changes during appeals.

The bill applies only to legal actions filed after January 1, 2026, and maintains appellate courts' existing authority to issue stays or writs of supersedeas. These provisions aim to address what the bill's findings describe as irreparable harms that occur when elections proceed under systems that dilute minority votes or employ improper district boundaries.