The Unclaimed Property Law provides that all tangible personal property located in this state, and, subject to specified conditions, all intangible personal property held for the owner by any government or governmental subdivision or agency, that has remained unclaimed by the owner for more than 3 years escheats to the state. Under existing law, a person who claims to have been the owner, as defined, of property paid or delivered to the Controller under that law may file a claim to the property or to the net proceeds from its sale. Existing law requires to Controller to consider each claim, as specified, to determine if the claimant is the owner.
California AB 1637 (20192020) — Unclaimed Property Law.
The Unclaimed Property Law provides that all tangible personal property located in this state, and, subject to specified conditions, all intangible personal property held for the owner by any government or governmental subdivision or agency, that has remained unclaimed by the owner for more than 3 years escheats to the state. Under existing law, a person who claims to have been the owner, as defined, of property paid or delivered to the Controller under that law may file a claim to the property or to the net proceeds from its sale. Existing law requires to Controller to consider each claim, as specified, to determine if the claimant is the owner.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
AB 1637 Smith Consent Calendar Second Day — 78–0 (pass) · lower
Do pass — 7–0 (pass) · upper
Do pass. To Consent Calendar. — 12–0 (pass) · lower
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar — 9–0 (pass) · upper
Placed on suspense file — 7–0 (pass) · upper
Special Consent AB1637 Smith et al. — 40–0 (pass) · upper
Sponsors
Smith — primary (person)
Wilk — coauthor (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2019-02-22 Introduced. To print. introduction
2019-02-23 From printer. May be heard in committee March 25.
2019-02-25 Read first time. reading-1
2019-03-18 Referred to Com. on JUD. referral-committee
2019-03-20 In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
2019-04-09 From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 9). committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage
2019-04-10 Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar. reading-1, reading-2
2019-04-22 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1260.) passage, reading-3, reading-1
2019-04-23 In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. reading-1
2019-05-01 Referred to Coms. on JUD. and APPR. referral-committee
2019-06-04 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 4). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee
2019-06-24 In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file. referral-committee
2019-08-30 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 30). committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage
2019-08-30 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-1, reading-2
2019-09-04 Ordered to special consent calendar.
2019-09-09 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2715.). passage, reading-3, reading-1
2019-09-09 In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling. committee-passage
2019-09-18 Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
2019-09-20 Approved by the Governor. executive-signature
2019-09-20 Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 320, Statutes of 2019.
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/012be981-b050-426a-9a67-e00950a7b8f3. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).