The Government Code disqualifies a public employee from any public employment for five years if the employee is convicted of a felony related to bribery, embezzlement of public money, extortion, theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit those crimes, when the crime arises directly from the employee’s official duties.
SB 521 expands the list of disqualifying offenses to include a conviction for a felony involving a conflict of interest. SB 521’s provisions apply to all cities, including charter cities.
SB 521 also adds a permanent disqualification for a city manager or city attorney, including individuals who provide such services under contract, if the individual is convicted of any felony listed in Government Code Section 1021.5, including a conviction that relates to a conflict of interest. A city manager or city attorney convicted of any disqualifying felony will be permanently barred from holding public employment in an equivalent role.
SB 521 defines “city manager” as a person employed pursuant to Government Code Section 34851 on or after January 1, 2026, and “city attorney” as a person employed pursuant to Section 41801 on or after January 1, 2026.
(SB 521 amends Section 1021.5 and adds Section 1021.6 to the Government Code.)