republic-os/legislation/us/states/ca/20172018/sb-285.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Public employers: union organizing."
description: "Existing law prohibits using state funds to reimburse a state contractor for any costs incurred to assist, promote, or deter union organizing. Existing law prohibits a public employer receiving state funds from using those funds to assist, promote, or deter union organizing. Existing law defines public employers and public agencies with reference to provisions authorizing public employees to join organizations for purposes of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20172018"
identifier: "SB 285"
citation: "California SB 285 (20172018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Public employers: union organizing."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Atkins"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 27
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2017-02-09"
last_action: "2017-10-07"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/92504db5-ec65-4b71-b734-d307bcff88c8"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB285"
source_hash: "d04c5e73760a86e2d138cdce4ba6d40f64f206141e00fc0ffa99011416c62e54"
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 285 (20172018) — Public employers: union organizing.

Existing law prohibits using state funds to reimburse a state contractor for any costs incurred to assist, promote, or deter union organizing. Existing law prohibits a public employer receiving state funds from using those funds to assist, promote, or deter union organizing. Existing law defines public employers and public agencies with reference to provisions authorizing public employees to join organizations for purposes of negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment.

## Version chain

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

1. **02/09/17 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB285&version=20170SB28599INT)
2. **03/14/17 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB285&version=20170SB28598AMD)
3. **10/07/17 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB285&version=20170SB28596CHP)
4. **SB285** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB285)
5. **08/25/17 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB285&version=20170SB28597ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **5–1** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Atkins — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2017-02-09** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-10** From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 12.
- **2017-02-23** Referred to Com. on RLS. `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-14** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. `reading-2, referral-committee, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1`
- **2017-03-23** Re-referred to Com. on P.E. & R. `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-29** Set for hearing April 24.
- **2017-04-25** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 3. Noes 1. Page 829.) (April 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2017-05-01** Set for hearing May 8.
- **2017-05-03** May 8 hearing postponed by committee.
- **2017-05-04** Set for hearing May 15.
- **2017-05-08** From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8. `committee-passage, reading-2`
- **2017-05-09** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2017-05-15** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 10. Page 1066.) Ordered to the Assembly. `reading-3, passage, reading-1`
- **2017-05-16** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2017-05-26** Referred to Com. on P.E., R., & S.S. `referral-committee`
- **2017-06-21** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (June 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2017-07-19** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 4.) (July 19). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2017-07-20** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2017-08-24** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 52. Noes 19. Page 2763.) Ordered to the Senate. `reading-3, passage, reading-1`
- **2017-08-24** In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
- **2017-08-30** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
- **2017-09-07** Returned by the Governor at the request of the Senate.
- **2017-09-07** Held at desk.
- **2017-09-11** Ordered to enrgrossing and enrolling.
- **2017-09-15** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
- **2017-10-07** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2017-10-07** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 567, Statutes of 2017.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/92504db5-ec65-4b71-b734-d307bcff88c8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).