California · Government Code

GOV §9412: Every person who, being summoned to attend as witness before the Senate, Assembly, or any committee, refuses or neglects, without lawful excuse, to attend pursuant to such summons, and every person wh

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A person who is summoned to testify before the Legislature or its committee and refuses to attend, be sworn, answer questions, or produce documents without lawful excuse commits a misdemeanor. Legislators convicted under this section also forfeit their office and are permanently disqualified from holding state office.

Read the full statutory text

Every person who, being summoned to attend as witness before the Senate, Assembly, or any committee, refuses or neglects, without lawful excuse, to attend pursuant to such summons, and every person who, being present before the Senate, Assembly, or any committee, wilfully refuses to be sworn, to answer any material and proper question, or to produce, upon reasonable notice, any material and proper books, papers, or documents in his possession or under his control is guilty of a misdemeanor. Every member of the Legislature convicted of a misdemeanor under this section, in addition to the punishment prescribed, forfeits his office and is forever disqualified from holding any office in the State.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.