republic-os/legislation/us/states/ca/20172018/sb-838.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Corporate records: articles of incorporation: blockchain technology."
description: "Existing law authorizes and regulates the formation and operation of a corporation, social purpose corporation, nonprofit public benefit corporation, nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, or nonprofit religious corporation, including, but not limited to, the adoption and contents of corporate articles of incorporation."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20172018"
identifier: "SB 838"
citation: "California SB 838 (20172018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Corporate records: articles of incorporation: blockchain technology."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hertzberg"]
version_count: 10
action_count: 27
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2018-01-09"
last_action: "2018-09-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4d812e07-2939-4a7b-b7b6-1cb4624ca1cf"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838"
source_hash: "6391cb3c3f3eb4c5ccd0f72748d061ed5c4840cddf134adef1f9e21e3b5e5ff9"
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 838 (20172018) — Corporate records: articles of incorporation: blockchain technology.

Existing law authorizes and regulates the formation and operation of a corporation, social purpose corporation, nonprofit public benefit corporation, nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, or nonprofit religious corporation, including, but not limited to, the adoption and contents of corporate articles of incorporation.

## Version chain

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

1. **01/09/18 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83899INT)
2. **03/22/18 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83898AMD)
3. **04/10/18 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83897AMD)
4. **04/25/18 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83896AMD)
5. **05/10/18 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83895AMD)
6. **06/14/18 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83894AMD)
7. **08/06/18 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83893AMD)
8. **09/28/18 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83891CHP)
9. **SB838** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838)
10. **09/06/18 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB838&version=20170SB83892ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass as amended. — **10–0** (pass) · lower
- Unfinished Business SB838 Hertzberg Concurrence — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection] — **11–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] — **6–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended — **7–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- SB 838 Hertzberg Senate Third Reading By CALDERON — **80–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Hertzberg — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2018-01-09** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2018-01-10** From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 9.
- **2018-01-16** Referred to Com. on RLS. `referral-committee`
- **2018-03-22** 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`
- **2018-04-04** Re-referred to Coms. on B. & F.I. and JUD. `referral-committee`
- **2018-04-06** Set for hearing April 18.
- **2018-04-10** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B. & F.I. `reading-2, referral-committee, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1`
- **2018-04-19** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 4744.) (April 18). Re-referred to Com. on JUD. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2018-04-25** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD. `reading-2, referral-committee, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1`
- **2018-04-27** Set for hearing May 8.
- **2018-05-09** From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4997.) (May 8). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2018-05-10** Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, amendment-passage, reading-2`
- **2018-05-17** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5087.) Ordered to the Assembly. `reading-3, passage, reading-1`
- **2018-05-17** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2018-05-31** Referred to Coms. on B. & F. and P. & C.P. `referral-committee`
- **2018-06-14** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B. & F. `reading-2, referral-committee, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1`
- **2018-06-19** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P. `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2018-07-05** From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 3). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2018-08-06** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `reading-1, amendment-passage, reading-2`
- **2018-08-07** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2018-08-30** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 6955.) Ordered to the Senate. `reading-3, passage, reading-1`
- **2018-08-30** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2018-08-31** Ordered to special consent calendar.
- **2018-08-31** Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 6116.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. `committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage`
- **2018-09-11** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
- **2018-09-28** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2018-09-28** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 889, Statutes of 2018.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4d812e07-2939-4a7b-b7b6-1cb4624ca1cf`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).