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AB 2631CALIFORNIASession 20252026
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AB 2631 expands privacy protections for First Amendment-protected activities against out-of-state and federal warrants

Original title: Criminal procedure: prohibited violations.

August 30, 2026

Criminal ProcedureFirst AmendmentPrivacyLaw EnforcementData PrivacyCriminalprocedureprohibitedviolations

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Where This Stands

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

Last action
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.May 6, 2026

Version history & redline

4 versions on file

Official version history is partial: 4 linked texts are unavailable or incomplete. Source links remain available below.

Comparing 03/19/26 - Amended Assembly → 04/06/26 - Amended Assembly
removed addedOfficial text

The text diff for this stage has not been computed yet.

pdf extract failed: Invalid PDF structure.

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

The Frame

What this does

This bill limits the ability of law enforcement agencies outside of California or federal authorities to access private user data held by California-based companies when the investigation targets constitutionally protected speech or assembly.

Who is mentioned in the record

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

California corporations

These entities are prohibited from producing records in response to certain federal or out-of-state warrants related to First Amendment-protected activities.

Law enforcement agencies

Federal and out-of-state agencies face new restrictions on obtaining records from California-based corporations for investigations involving First Amendment activities.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 30, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

AB 2631 prohibits California corporations from producing records in response to federal or out-of-state warrants if the investigation involves activities protected by the First Amendment. This measure expands the existing definition of 's' to include the exercise of constitutional free speech, assembly, and association rights.

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

This bill limits the ability of law enforcement agencies outside of California or federal authorities to access private user data held by California-based companies when the investigation targets constitutionally protected speech or assembly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 'prohibited violation' under this bill?
It is a category of investigation for which California law restricts the issuance of warrants and the production of records. AB 2631 adds any activity protected by the First Amendment to this definition.
Does this bill affect federal investigations?
Yes, the bill expands the prohibition on California corporations producing records to include federal court orders, provided the investigation relates to a .

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 shift100% confidence

Expansion of Privacy Shield

The bill marks a shift by extending California's privacy protections from only out-of-state warrants to include federal court orders.

AB 2631

Connected Entities

otherFirst Amendment“The constitutional rights being added to the definition of prohibited violations”Map →
locationCalifornia“The jurisdiction where the law applies.”Map →
organizationCalifornia corporation“Entities prohibited from producing records related to prohibited violations.”Map →
otherFirst Amendment to the United States Constitution“The constitutional rights now included under the definition of prohibited violat”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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