The Secretary of the California Senate is a nonpartisan officer of the Senate and is elected at the beginning of each two-year session. The secretary's primary role is the chief parliamentarian of the Senate (Senate Rule 9, Standing Rules of the Senate. See S.R. 4, 2007-08 Regular Session). The secretary also oversees the clerical workforce on the floor of the California State Senate. This workforce includes staff responsible for producing the daily files, histories, and journals of the Senate, as well as clerks that amend, engross, and enroll bills. The secretary is also responsible for recording votes on the Senate floor.

The secretary is one of three non-member officers selected for each two-year session; the body also appoints a chaplain and sergeant-at-arms. (California's Legislature (2006 edition), California State Assembly: Sacramento. p. 149)

The current secretary of the Senate is Erika Contreras, who was first elected on December 3, 2018.