Part ofElections →

AB 2281CALIFORNIASession 20252026

California AB 2281 authorizes election cybersecurity office to consult academic researchers and assess federal funding gaps

Original title: Office of Elections Cybersecurity.

August 30, 2026

Elections Cybersecurity State Government Election Integrity OfficeofElectionsCybersecurity

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Where This Stands

Currently Unknown. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Version history & redline

2 versions on file

Official version history is partial: 2 linked texts are unavailable or incomplete. Source links remain available below.

Comparing AB2281 → 02/19/26 - Introduced

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Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

The Frame

What this does

The bill directly impacts how California manages election security by formalizing academic partnerships and identifying potential state budget requirements to maintain cybersecurity infrastructure previously supported by federal grants.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Office of Elections Cybersecurity

The office is granted new authority to consult with academic researchers and is tasked with conducting a new assessment of state resource needs.

local elections officials

These officials coordinate with the Office of Elections Cybersecurity and are impacted by changes to cybersecurity resource availability.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 30, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill expands the authority of the Office of Elections Cybersecurity to include consultation with academic researchers and mandates an assessment of state resource needs to replace expiring federal election security funding.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does the Office of Elections Cybersecurity currently consult with?

Existing law requires the office to consult with federal, state, and local agencies and private organizations.

What new authority does this bill give the office?

It adds academic researchers to the list of entities the office is authorized to consult with for developing cybersecurity best practices.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Transition from Federal to State Funding

The bill signals a proactive legislative effort to identify and fill potential funding gaps for election security as federal support for these resources expires.

Office of Elections Cybersecurity

Connected Entities

organizationOffice of Elections Cybersecurity“The office within the Secretary of State's office responsible for election cyber”Map →

organizationSecretary of State“The state office housing the Office of Elections Cybersecurity.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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