California Juneteenth remains a quasi-optional holiday for a majority of State Employees

AB-2599
Slavery: corporate disclosures.(2025-2026)

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION

ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 2599

Introduced by Assembly Member Bryan
(Principal coauthor: Senator Weber Pierson)

February 20, 2026

An act to add Section 1714.44 to the Civil Code, relating to slavery.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2599, as introduced, Bryan. Slavery: corporate disclosures.

Existing law requires every retail seller and manufacturer doing business in this state and having annual worldwide gross receipts that exceed $100,000,000 to disclose, as specified, its efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from its direct supply chain for tangible goods offered for sale.

This bill would require textile, tobacco, railroad, shipping, rice, sugar, financial, and insurance companies to complete an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, verifying that it has searched through any and all records in its and its related entities’, as defined, possession, control, and knowledge for records that the in-state entity or its related entities bought or sold persons subjected to slavery, used persons subjected to slavery as collateral, provided loans to purchase persons subjected to slavery, insured such transactions or the persons subjected to slavery, or provided related or other services to aid or otherwise facilitate those transactions. The bill would set forth the contents of the affidavit, the timeline and manner of submission, and reporting requirements.

The bill would require an unspecified department to create a public, digital platform by January 3, 2028, that would make available affidavits and reports made pursuant to the bill and disaggregated data, as described. By requiring an affidavit, and thus expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
DIGEST KEY
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: yes

BILL TEXT
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Section 1714.44 is added to the Civil Code, to read:
1714.44. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that the purpose of this section is to promote healing and assist in remedying depressed economic conditions, poverty, unequal educational opportunity, and other legacies of slavery, which will serve to promote the public health, welfare, and safety.
(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Department” means ____
(2) “Financial company” includes, but is not limited to, any bank in which the state deposits public funds and investment managers.
(3) “In-state entities” means a textile, tobacco, railroad, shipping, rice, sugar, financial, or insurance company.
(4) “Related entities” means both of the following:
(A) The in-state entity’s parent entities or subsidiaries that do business within the state.
(B) A predecessor in interest, regardless of whether that predecessor did business in the state.
(c) (1) Every in-state entity shall complete an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, verifying that it has searched through any and all records in its and its related entities’ possession, control, and knowledge for records that the in-state entity or its related entities bought or sold persons subjected to slavery, used persons subjected to slavery as collateral, provided loans to purchase persons subjected to slavery, insured such transactions or the persons subjected to slavery, or provided related or other services to aid or otherwise facilitate those transactions.
(2) The affidavit shall include all of the following:
(A) The names of each slave and slaveholder described in the records.
(B) Evidence of transactions that benefited or otherwise profited from slavery in the United States.
(3) The affidavit shall be submitted to the department pursuant to one of the following dates:
(A) For in-state entities doing business in the state as of January 1, 2027, by July 1, 2027.
(B) For in-state entities commencing business in the state following January 1, 2027, within 60 days of commencement of business within the state.
(4) An in-state entity shall submit an updated affidavit to the department upon the discovery of new reportable information.
(d) The department shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide by January 3, 2028, and annually thereafter, a report to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, regarding affidavits received during the prior calendar year.
(2) Make all reports available to the public upon request.
(3) Create, by January 3, 2028, a public digital platform with all of the following information in an understandable and accessible manner:
(A) A database of all affidavits and reports received, with the ability to view individual affidavits and reports.
(B) All reported information disaggregated based on a variety of data points, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(i) Company type.
(ii) Multiyear review of data.
(iii) Company value.
(iv) Estimated value or revenue gained in the time period of the slavery-related transactions or business.
(C) All reported information and data points in an electronic format for access and use by the public.
(4) Following creation of the database, make affidavits and reports received available on the platform within 30 days of receipt.
(5) Update the platform with information required under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (3) within 30 days that new information and data is available.
(6) Notwithstanding any law, ensure that all affidavits, reports, information, and data remain indefinitely on the digital platform.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.