Validations.

The California Senate Committee on Local Government proposes legislation to validate the organization, boundaries, acts, proceedings, and bonds of state and local government entities through the Third Validating Act of 2025. The measure confirms the legal standing of existing public bodies, from state departments to special districts, along with their established boundaries and prior administrative actions.

The bill validates all previous decisions related to annexations, mergers, dissolutions and other boundary changes made by public entities. It also affirms the legitimacy of bonds and other financial instruments issued by these bodies for public purposes. The validation extends to bonds already issued as well as those authorized but not yet delivered, establishing them as legally binding obligations.

While comprehensive in scope, the bill includes key limitations. It does not validate any matters currently under legal challenge or previously ruled illegal, nor does it extend to contracts between public bodies and the federal government. The measure provides a six-month window after enactment for contesting validated actions, after which they become legally incontestable unless barred by existing statutes of limitations. For boundary changes to affect taxation, public bodies must still file required documentation under existing law.