Labor & Employment

Authorizes employers to distribute required workplace information by mail in addition to email and physical postings. Maintains the requirement for employers to physically display all mandatory workplace notices. Provides additional flexibility for communicating with employees who prefer or need physical documents.

Expands workers' compensation coverage to include firefighters at commercial airports for job-related injuries. Establishes automatic injury presumptions for cancer, PTSD, and infectious diseases in firefighters and officers. Requires full medical, hospital, disability and death benefits for qualifying conditions. Extends coverage for up to 60 months after service ends based on years worked.

Authorizes county boards of supervisors to set their own wage rates for prisoner work assignments in county jails, removing the current $2 per 8-hour limit. Grants counties flexibility to determine fair compensation for incarcerated workers based on local conditions and needs. Requires implementation through board approval and oversight of county sheriffs who manage jail operations.

Creates a fast-track licensing process for federal attorneys to practice law in California without taking the bar exam. Allows experienced out-of-state attorneys to bypass the California bar exam after four years of good standing. Protects attorneys from discipline for actions legal in California but prohibited in other states. Requires the State Bar to develop expedited licensing procedures by January 2026.

Requires labor contractors to include email addresses in written service agreements for enhanced communication. Mandates retention of labor contracts for four years after termination for compliance review. Protects contract documents from public disclosure while maintaining Labor Commissioner access.

Makes technical changes to require posting of workplace safety division's annual report online.

Grants the Teachers' Retirement Board final authority to determine employer status and membership eligibility. Revises workload reduction agreements to use annualized pay rate instead of hours worked as the termination threshold. Establishes new fund transfer dates for retirement accounts with next-business-day provisions for holidays. Implements a $200 monthly fee for employers who fail to report retired member employment information.

Expands unemployment insurance communications to include electronic transmissions alongside traditional mail. Defines electronic postmark date as the date when a document was electronically transmitted. Modernizes state unemployment processes to improve efficiency and accessibility.

Extends insurance premium reimbursement for state employees on military duty from 365 to 730 calendar days. Authorizes the Governor to extend military duty benefits for state employees by up to 1,460 additional days. Establishes new court procedures for appealing Public Employment Relations Board decisions for transit workers. Repeals outdated benefits related to the 1995 Bosnia crisis for state employees.

Establishes new rights for rideshare drivers to form unions and engage in collective bargaining. Authorizes the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to oversee and enforce driver organizing activities. Protects drivers' right to either join or decline participation in driver organizations. Creates antitrust exemptions for negotiated agreements between drivers and transportation companies.

Establishes a 17-member industry panel to address automation impacts at California seaports through 2029. Requires monthly stakeholder meetings to develop recommendations on port automation security and workforce impacts. Mandates final recommendations from the Labor and Workforce Development Agency by July 2027. Requires legislative funding approval before implementation of any proposed measures.

Changes unemployment fraud prevention reporting from annual to every two years starting January 2027. Requires the Employment Development Department to continue annual fraud assessments through 2026. Mandates detailed analysis of fraud prevention tools in each report to legislative committees.

Excludes sheepherders and goat herders from agricultural worker overtime protections. Modifies existing labor laws to create separate classification for herding occupations. Affects wage and hour requirements for herding workers previously covered under agricultural rules.

Establishes a statewide medical provider network to address workplace injury treatment shortages in San Joaquin Valley. Requires injured workers to seek treatment in employer networks before accessing the statewide network. Allows workers to use the statewide network if employer network cannot provide treatment within 30 days. Mandates implementation of the new medical provider network by January 1, 2027.

Establishes strict timelines for the Labor Commissioner to investigate and resolve wage complaints within 90 days. Creates a Wage Recovery Fund funded by a 30% fee on wage awards to support enforcement staffing. Requires employers to post a bond equal to the disputed amount when appealing wage decisions. Strengthens enforcement by allowing property liens and requiring employers to disclose assets for unpaid wages.

Requires workers' compensation parties to disclose financial interests to third-party payers when billing for referral services. Prohibits referrals to entities where the referring party has a financial stake, with penalties up to $15,000 per violation. Voids any workers' compensation determinations that result from prohibited referral arrangements.

Expands employee rights to refuse dangerous work tasks while maintaining full pay during safety disputes. Requires employers to address safety concerns before workers must resume questioned tasks. Prohibits any retaliation against workers who refuse hazardous assignments in good faith. Grants employees the right to sue for wages if laid off or discharged for refusing unsafe work.

Establishes an amnesty program allowing construction contractors to avoid penalties by reclassifying drivers as employees. Requires contractors to pay back wages and benefits to reclassified drivers through settlement agreements by 2027. Clarifies that vehicle ownership does not automatically make a driver an independent contractor. Mandates reimbursement for drivers using their own vehicles based on negotiated rates or IRS standards.

Requires employers to disclose in job postings whether advertised positions are actual vacancies. Authorizes the Labor Commissioner to investigate violations and impose penalties up to $10,000 per violation. Grants first-time violators penalty exemption if they promptly update all job postings to include vacancy status.

Renames the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund to focus on supporting second-chance employment opportunities. Establishes new criteria for determining permanent disability compensation based on medical evidence. Creates a database of qualified medical evaluators to assess claims for subsequent workplace injuries. Ensures workers can receive compensation regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

Expands contractor disciplinary actions to include unlicensed practice of architecture, engineering, and land surveying. Strengthens enforcement by explicitly defining violations under state building laws. Authorizes the Contractors' State License Board to take action against licensees who disregard professional standards.

Establishes a certification program for incarcerated firefighters to work at CAL FIRE after release. Reserves 15% of entry-level firefighter positions for formerly incarcerated individuals by 2027. Requires tracking and annual reporting on hiring outcomes and program effectiveness. Mandates standardized firefighting certifications be provided before release from prison.

Enhances retirement benefits for public safety employees by lowering retirement age from 57 to 55 starting January 2026. Allows employers and unions to negotiate employer contributions toward employee retirement costs after January 2026. Adjusts pension formulas to provide higher benefits at earlier retirement ages for safety personnel. Aligns pension compensation limits with federal standards while protecting existing retirement benefits.

Requires large healthcare employers to report compensation data for behavioral health and medical staff to the state. Authorizes civil penalties up to $100 per employee for first violations and $200 for subsequent violations. Applies to healthcare plans with over 3.5 million enrollees that operate their own pharmacies. Covers both direct employees and contractors providing behavioral health or medical-surgical services.

Prohibits public pension systems from investing in California development projects that lack specific labor protections. Requires development projects to pay prevailing wages and use skilled workers for construction work. Mandates developers to ensure labor peace during union organizing campaigns. Allows pension boards to reject these requirements if they conflict with fiduciary duties.