CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
99
Introduced by Senator Gonzalez
February 20, 2026
An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 18720.45 of, and to add and repeal Section 1025 of, the Government Code, relating to state employment.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
(1) Existing law makes a person ineligible to hold office or employment of any kind with the state, or any county, city, district, or other political or governmental unit of the state, if the person has by oath bound themselves to support, maintain, or further the military or political activities or policies of a foreign government, as specified, or to obey the orders or directions of any foreign government or its officials.
Existing law disqualifies a public employee, as defined, from any public employment for 5 years if the employee is convicted of any felony involving accepting or giving, or offering to give, a bribe, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any of those crimes arising directly out of their official duties.
This bill would disqualify from employment with the state a person who has been employed by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the period beginning January 20, 2025, and ending January 20, 2029 from state employment.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on the effective date of a final judicial determination made by the United States Supreme Court or the California Supreme Court that the above-referenced provisions of this bill, or its application, either in whole or in part, is enjoined, found unconstitutional, or held invalid for any reason, and, as of that date, would repeal those provisions.
(2) Existing law, the State Civil Service Act, requires that the employment procedures of each state agency conform to the federal and state laws governing employment practices, including the use of employment forms, and establishes the Department of Human Resources as responsible for the collection and review of all employment forms used by state agencies for civil service employment and for the development of standard employment forms for general use by all state agencies.
Existing law requires employment forms used by a state agency to require a person applying for employment to disclose whether the person has entered into an agreement with the state regarding previous employment and that prohibits that person from seeking or accepting any subsequent employment with the state.
If the bill’s provisions are repealed, as specified above, this bill would, instead, require employment forms used by the state to require a person applying for employment to disclose whether the person has ever been employed by the United States Department of Homeland Security, or any of its component agencies, and if so, those specific agencies and dates of employment.
(3) The bill would make the provisions of the act severable.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1025 is added to the Government Code, to read:
1025.
(a) A person is ineligible for appointment to, or employment in, any civil service or exempt position with the state if the person has been employed by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the period beginning January 20, 2025, and ending January 20, 2029.
(b) This section shall become inoperative on the effective date of a final judicial determination made by the United States Supreme Court or the California Supreme Court that Section 1 of the act that added this section, or its application, either in whole or in part, is enjoined, found unconstitutional, or held invalid for any reason, and as of that date this section is repealed.
SEC. 2.
Section 18720.45 of the Government Code is amended to read:
18720.45.
(a) Employment forms used by a state agency shall require a person applying for employment to disclose whether the person has entered into an agreement with the state regarding any previous employment with the state that prohibits that person from seeking or accepting any subsequent employment with the state.
(b) This section shall become inoperative pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1025, which specifies the inoperation date as the effective date of a final judicial determination made by the United States Supreme Court or the California Supreme Court that Section 1 of the act that added this subdivision, or its application, either in whole or in part, is enjoined, found unconstitutional, or held invalid for any reason, and as of that date this section is repealed.
SEC. 3.
Section 18720.45 is added to the Government Code, to read:
18720.45.
(a) Employment forms used by a state agency shall require a person applying for employment to disclose the following:
(1) Whether the person has entered into an agreement with the state regarding any previous employment with the state that prohibits that person from seeking or accepting any subsequent employment with the state.
(2) Whether the person has ever been employed by the United States Department of Homeland Security, or any of its component agencies, and, if so, the specific agency or agencies and dates of employment.
(b) This section shall become operative on the effective date of a final judicial determination made by the United States Supreme Court or the California Supreme Court that Section 1 of the act that added this section, or its application, either in whole or in part, is enjoined, found unconstitutional, or held invalid for any reason.
SEC. 4.
The provisions of this act are severable. If any provision of this act or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.