Discrimination and harassment prevention training.

Assembly Member Patel's workplace harassment prevention legislation introduces a streamlined compliance pathway for California employers by allowing them to verify existing employee training certificates rather than conducting redundant sessions. The measure amends state requirements for companies with five or more employees, which must provide two hours of sexual harassment prevention training to supervisors and one hour to other workers every two years.

Under the proposed changes, employers can demonstrate compliance by confirming that an employee possesses a valid harassment prevention training certificate from the previous two years, rather than delivering new training. The existing law requires employers to provide their own training sessions and maintain detailed records, even when workers have recently completed equivalent programs elsewhere. Current requirements also place the burden on employers to verify that any prior training met legal standards.

The bill maintains core training elements, including education about sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, and abusive workplace conduct. Employers must still ensure training covers prevention of harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation through practical examples delivered by qualified instructors. The state's enforcement mechanisms remain unchanged, with the relevant department retaining authority to order compliance from employers who violate the requirements.