republic-os/legislation/us/states/ca/20012002/ab-538.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Adoption."
description: "Adoption."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20012002"
identifier: "AB 538"
citation: "California AB 538 (20012002)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Adoption."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cardoza"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 26
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2001-02-21"
last_action: "2001-09-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dcc80095-7e1f-45cb-8568-d97768761674"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538"
source_hash: "f9f0003f718955da131a1d5f0d1c1de5022dc059a4af787a6753f3958d032f7d"
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 AB 538 (20012002) — Adoption.

## Version chain

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

1. **02/21/01 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538&version=20010AB53899INT)
2. **04/16/01 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538&version=20010AB53898AMD)
3. **04/24/01 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538&version=20010AB53897AMD)
4. **05/31/01 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538&version=20010AB53896AMD)
5. **07/18/01 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538&version=20010AB53895AMD)
6. **08/22/01 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538&version=20010AB53894AMD)
7. **09/27/01 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538&version=20010AB53892CHP)
8. **AB538** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538)
9. **08/30/01 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200120020AB538&version=20010AB53893ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations. — **pass** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. — **pass** (pass) · upper
- Special Consent #26 AB538 Cardoza — **pass** (pass) · upper
- Do pass, to Consent Calendar. — **pass** (pass) · lower
- AB 538 Cardoza Special Consent Calendar 2nd Day Regular Session — **pass** (pass) · lower
- AB 538 Cardoza Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session — **pass** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Cardoza — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2001-09-27** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 353, Statutes of 2001.
- **2001-09-26** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2001-09-07** Enrolled and to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
- **2001-08-30** Senate amendments concurred in. To enrollment. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 3308.) `committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage`
- **2001-08-28** In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after August 30 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.
- **2001-08-27** Read third time, passed, and to Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2450.) `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2001-08-22** Read second time, amended, and to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1, amendment-passage`
- **2001-08-21** From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and be amended. `amendment-passage, committee-passage`
- **2001-07-18** Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Standing Committee on Appropriations. `reading-2, reading-1, referral-committee, amendment-passage`
- **2001-07-17** From committee: Amend, do pass as amended, and re-refer to Standing Committee on Appropriations (Ayes 7. Noes 0.). `amendment-introduction, referral-committee, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2001-06-25** In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- **2001-05-31** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Standing Committee on Judiciary. `reading-1, referral-committee, reading-2, amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2001-05-31** Referred to Standing Committee on Judiciary. `referral-committee`
- **2001-05-17** In Senate. Read first time. To Standing Committee on Rules for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2001-05-17** Read third time, passed, and to Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 1687.) `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2001-05-14** Read second time. To Consent Calendar. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2001-05-10** From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (May 9). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2001-04-25** Re-referred to Standing Committee on Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2001-04-24** Read second time and amended. `reading-2, amendment-passage, reading-1`
- **2001-04-23** From committee: Amend, do pass as amended, and re-refer to Standing Committee on Appropriations (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 17). `amendment-introduction, referral-committee, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2001-04-17** Re-referred to Standing Committee on Judiciary. `referral-committee`
- **2001-04-16** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Standing Committee on Judiciary Read second time and amended. Joint Rule 62(a), file notice waived. (Page 1005.). `reading-2, referral-committee, reading-1, amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2001-04-03** In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- **2001-03-15** Referred to Standing Committee on Judiciary. `referral-committee`
- **2001-02-22** From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
- **2001-02-21** Read first time. To print. `reading-1`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dcc80095-7e1f-45cb-8568-d97768761674`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).