Full Breakdown
California Senate Rejects Amendment to Bar Convicted Child Sex Offenders from Public Office
8/26/2026, 10:04:24 PM
Legislative Vote on AB 2691
The California Senate voted along party lines to reject Republican Sen. Suzette Valladares’ amendment to Assemblywoman Dawn Addis’ AB 2691. The amendment would have expanded the bill’s disqualification provision to include all tiers of sex-offender registration, effectively barring anyone convicted of sexual abuse of a minor from holding elected positions such as school board seats. Senate Democrats upheld the version that limits the ban to Tier 3 offenders only.
Background on Eligibility Rules
Current California law permits individuals whose convictions place them in Tier 1 or Tier 2 of the sex-offender registry—requiring ten or twenty years of registration before possible removal—to run for public office. The original intent of AB 2691 was to add sexual assault and human trafficking convictions to the list of felonies that disqualify candidates, but amendments earlier this summer narrowed the scope, sparing lower-tier offenders.
Official Statements & Responses
Democratic committee chair Sen. Scott Wiener argued that extending the ban to all three registry tiers would be “overbroad,” emphasizing that the registry “is not punishment” but a law-enforcement tool to monitor potential risk.
Criticism & Opposition
Sen. “Right now in California, someone convicted of sexually abusing a child can still sit on your school board. That's not a loophole. That's a choice. And in my perspective, and most, that's wrong,” — Republican Sen. Suzette Valladares
Data & Statistics
- The Senate vote was strictly partisan, with all Democratic senators opposing the amendment and all Republican senators supporting it.
- Under the bill’s current language, only Tier 3 offenders—those requiring lifetime registration—are barred from office.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Right now in California, someone convicted of sexually abusing a child can still sit on your school board. That's not a loophole. That's a choice. And in my perspective, and most, that's wrong,” — Republican Sen. Suzette Valladares
- “Sex offender registry is not punishment,” — Sen. Scott Wiener, the Democratic chair of the committee that considered the bill
