California Lawmakers Again Propose NDA Ban for Legislative Action

This bill, like the previous one, is in response to reports that discussions of the fast-food wage bill were kept secret. The first bill died in April.

Fast-food workers and union members protest outside a McDonald's in Oakland, Calif., on Feb. 12, 2018. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California Assemblyman Joe Patterson introduced a new bill on June 5 that would ban nondisclosure agreements—better known as NDAs—in the legislative process after a similar measure was killed in April.

Assembly Bill 1174 seeks to prevent public officials and lobbyists from entering secretive agreements when drafting, discussing, or negotiating proposed legislation or rulemaking. Additionally, any current NDAs would become void and unenforceable if the bill is ultimately approved.