---
type: "Bill"
title: "Elections: voter registration."
description: "(1) Existing law requires elections officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter for each election. Existing law permits a person to apply for permanent vote by mail status while registering to vote, and requires elections officials to include an application for a vote by mail ballot with each voter information guide mailed to voters."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20212022"
identifier: "SB 504"
citation: "California SB 504 (20212022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections: voter registration."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Becker"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 59
vote_count: 13
first_action: "2021-02-17"
last_action: "2022-03-31"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/1a4baffa-fc4e-41a1-8a47-90527943f978"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504"
source_hash: "f6f3db82ecbbf85f8c3b6e39a12b6a1d1d0995ac42ebb85a1f85691041ab87cc"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California SB 504 (20212022) — Elections: voter registration.

(1) Existing law requires elections officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter for each election. Existing law permits a person to apply for permanent vote by mail status while registering to vote, and requires elections officials to include an application for a vote by mail ballot with each voter information guide mailed to voters.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **02/17/21 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504&version=20210SB50499INT)
2. **01/14/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504&version=20210SB50496AMD)
3. **03/21/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504&version=20210SB50495AMD)
4. **03/31/22 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504&version=20210SB50493CHP)
5. **06/16/21 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504&version=20210SB50498AMD)
6. **07/08/21 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504&version=20210SB50497AMD)
7. **SB504** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504)
8. **03/31/22 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB504&version=20210SB50494ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety] — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- SB 504 Becker Third Reading Urgency By Bryan — **58–0** (pass) · lower
- That the Assembly amendments be concurred in — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass — **7–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety] — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- Placed on suspense file — **6–0** (pass) · upper
- SB 504 Becker Third Reading Urgency By Bryan — **62–0** (pass) · lower
- SB 504 Becker Senate Third Reading By Mayes — **74–0** (pass) · lower
- Unfinished Business SB504 Becker Urgency Clause Concurrence — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass. — **16–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Becker — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-02-17** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-18** From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 20.
- **2021-02-22** Art. IV. Sec. 8(a) of the Constitution dispensed with.
- **2021-02-22** (Ayes 32. Noes 4.)
- **2021-02-22** Joint Rule 55 suspended. (Ayes 32. Noes 4. Page 272.)
- **2021-02-25** Referred to Coms. on E. & C.A., PUB. S., and JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-25** Referral to Com. on JUD. rescinded because of the limitations placed on committee hearings due to ongoing health and safety risks of the COVID-19 virus.
- **2021-03-04** Set for hearing March 15.
- **2021-03-15** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 499.) (March 15). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-26** Set for hearing April 20.
- **2021-04-20** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 861.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee`
- **2021-04-21** Set for hearing May 3.
- **2021-05-04** May 3 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.
- **2021-05-14** Set for hearing May 20.
- **2021-05-20** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 1194.) (May 20). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-05-20** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2021-05-24** Ordered to special consent calendar.
- **2021-05-28** From special consent calendar on motion of Senator Becker.
- **2021-05-28** Ordered to third reading.
- **2021-06-03** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1414.) Ordered to the Assembly. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2021-06-03** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2021-06-10** Referred to Coms. on ELECTIONS and PUB. S. `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-16** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2021-06-30** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee`
- **2021-07-08** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2021-07-14** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (July 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee`
- **2021-08-19** August 19 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- **2021-08-26** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (August 26). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-08-30** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2021-09-01** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 2609.) Ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2021-09-01** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2021-09-03** Ordered to the Assembly.
- **2021-09-03** In Assembly. Held at Desk.
- **2021-09-09** Action rescinded whereby the bill was read third time, passed, and ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-09-09** Ordered to inactive file on request of Assembly Member Mayes.
- **2022-01-06** Notice of intention to remove from inactive file given by Assembly Member Megan Dahle.
- **2022-01-10** From inactive file.
- **2022-01-10** Ordered to third reading.
- **2022-01-14** Read third time and amended. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2022-01-14** Ordered to third reading.
- **2022-02-10** Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 58. Noes 0. Page 3527.) Ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2022-02-10** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2022-03-03** Ordered to the Assembly.
- **2022-03-03** In Assembly. Held at Desk.
- **2022-03-17** Action rescinded whereby the bill was read a third time, urgency clause adopted, and passed to the Senate.
- **2022-03-17** Ordered to third reading.
- **2022-03-21** Read third time and amended. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2022-03-21** Ordered to third reading.
- **2022-03-23** Set for hearing March 29 in E. & C.A. pending receipt.
- **2022-03-28** Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 62. Noes 0. Page 4047.) Ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2022-03-28** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2022-03-28** Re-referred to Com. on RLS pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-28** From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 3233.) Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A. `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2022-03-29** From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 3251.) `committee-passage`
- **2022-03-31** Urgency clause adopted.
- **2022-03-31** Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 3280.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. `amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-03-31** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 10:45 a.m.
- **2022-03-31** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2022-03-31** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 14, Statutes of 2022. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/1a4baffa-fc4e-41a1-8a47-90527943f978`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).