Occupational safety: face coverings.

Assembly Member McKinnor's workplace safety legislation codifies California employees' right to wear face coverings on the job, extending protections that were set to expire in February 2025. The measure prohibits employers from preventing workers from using face coverings or respirators, except in cases where they would create safety hazards.

The bill establishes specific criteria for acceptable face coverings, defining them as surgical masks, medical procedure masks, voluntary respirators, or multi-layer fabric coverings that fully shield the nose and mouth. Clear face coverings that enable communication with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing meet these requirements, while single-layer items like scarves, bandanas, and balaclavas do not qualify. Respirators must be approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, such as N95 filtering facepiece models.

Local health departments retain authority to implement more protective requirements beyond the state standard. The measure creates a state-mandated local program by making violations subject to criminal penalties, though it exempts local agencies and school districts from associated reimbursement obligations under the California Constitution.