Today's agenda,
house by house.

What's in it.

The Assembly and the Senate each publish their own Daily File. Both follow the same shape.

How to read it.

Second reading

A bill that passes committee is read a second time on the floor. It is a formal step with no vote, and the bill then moves to the third reading file.

Third reading

The third reading file lists bills ready for their final vote in that house. Being on the file does not mean a bill will be voted on that day: it waits there until its author takes it up.

Concurrence

When the second house amends a bill, it comes back to its house of origin, which has to concur in those amendments before the bill can go to the Governor.

Consent calendar

Bills that passed committee without opposition, taken up together on one roll call.

Why it matters.

A bill generally has to be noticed in the Daily File for four days before its committee hearing, under Joint Rule 62(a). That notice is usually the first public sign a hearing is coming, and the window for position letters and calls is measured from it.

On the floor, the File tells you a vote is possible, not that it will happen. When a vote is taken and the bill is short, the roll is often placed on call and held open, and the result can change before the call is lifted. That is why advocates watch the floor live rather than wait for the next day's record. See the 2027 legislative calendar for the deadlines the File counts down to.

The Daily File in RTG.

Real Time Gov (RTG) is the California bill tracking and reporting software for advocacy teams. Its Virtual Daily File shows today's floor at a glance, with the bills you track picked out, and links to the official files. When a tracked bill is voted on, RTG sends the result to your phone within minutes, first on call, then the result.

Questions.

What is the California Daily File?

The Daily File is the agenda each house of the California Legislature, the Assembly and the Senate, publishes for every day it meets. It lists the committee hearings and the bills set for each, the bills on the floor in the order they can be taken up, and notices required by the rules.

How far ahead are California committee hearings noticed?

A bill generally has to be noticed in the Daily File for four days before its committee hearing, under Joint Rule 62(a). That notice is usually the first public sign that a hearing is coming.

What is the third reading file?

The part of the floor agenda that lists bills ready for their final vote in that house. A bill that passes committee is read a second time and moves to the third reading file, where it waits until its author takes it up.

What does it mean when a California bill is placed on call?

The roll call is held open so members who have not voted can still vote, usually because the bill does not yet have enough votes to pass. The call is lifted before the house adjourns that day, and the final result is announced then.

Where can I read today's Daily File?

Each house publishes its own Daily File on its website, assembly.ca.gov and senate.ca.gov. Real Time Gov's Virtual Daily File shows today's floor with your tracked bills picked out, and links to the official files.