New California Laws 2026
relating to employment. SB 693, Cortese. Employees: meal periods. This bill extends an existing exception from meal peri- od requirements, applicable to certain employees covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement (CBA), to an employee of a water corporation. An act to amend Section 512 of the Labor Code, relating to employment. SB 809, Durazo. Employees and independent con- tractors: construction trucking. This bill promotes compliance with the ABC test in the construction trucking industry by 1) creating the Construction Trucking Employee Amnesty Program (Program) to relieve eligible construction contractors of liability for statutory or civil penalties associated with mis- classification, as specified and 2) establishing the use of a “two-check” system to compensate construc- tion drivers. An act to add Sections 2750.9, 2775.5, and 2802.2 to the Labor Code, relating to employment. SB 847, Reyes. Workers’ compensation: uninsured employer: transfer of real property. This bill autho- rizes the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) director to make a prima facie finding that a transfer of property by an uninsured employer was made to avoid the lawful imposition of a lien on the property. An act to add Section 3720.2 to the Labor Code, relating to workers’ compensation. 2025 Assembly Military and Veterans Laws AB 1508, Committee on Military and Veterans Af- fairs. Governor’s Military Council. This bill extends the establishment of the Governor’s Military Council until January 1, 2031. An act to amend Section 59 of the Military and Vet- erans Code, relating to the military. AB 1509, Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. Veterans: educational assistance. Codifies the California State Accrediting Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE) under the authority of the Cal- ifornia Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) and gives CalVet the ability to administer the program and promulgate, amend, and repeal regulations as necessary to operate the program in accordance with state and federal laws. An act to add Section 91 to the Military and Veter- ans Code, relating to veterans. 2025 Senate Military and Veterans Laws SB 855, Committee on Military and Veterans Af- fairs. Sale of armories. Authorizes the Director of the Department of General Services (DGS), with the approval of the Adjutant General (TAG) of the California Military Department (CMD), to transfer, exchange, or sell seven specified properties through- out the state, as specified. An act relating to armories.
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relating to employment. SB 578, Smallwood-Cuevas. California Workplace Outreach Program. This bill directs the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), upon appropriation of funds for this purpose, to establish the California Workplace Outreach Program (Program) to pro- mote awareness of, and compliance with, workplace protections by contracting out with qualified organi- zations for worker outreach and the creation of edu- cational materials. An act to add and repeal Division 7 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Labor Code, relating to employment. SB 590, Durazo. Paid family leave: eligibility: care for designated persons. This bill expands, commenc- ing on July 1, 2028, eligibility for benefits under the Paid Family Leave program to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill des- ignated person, as defined. An act to amend, repeal, and add Sections 3301, 3302, and 3303 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to disability compensation, and mak- ing an appropriation therefor. SB 597, Cortese. Labor-related liabilities: direct contractor and subcontractor. This bill seeks to over- come an adverse court decision by revising the stat- utory remedy that allows a labor trust fund to collect from a direct contractor the unpaid contributions owed to workers by a subcontractor. This bill aligns the statutory remedy with the state’s mechanic’s lien law in an attempt to avoid preemption by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). An act to amend Sections 65912.131, 65913.4, and 65913.16 of the Government Code, and to amend Sec- tion 218.8 of, and to add Section 218.9 to, the Labor Code, relating to employment. SB 617, Arreguín. California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act. This bill expands the informa- tion employers are required to include in a Califor- nia Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (CalWARN) Act notice and requires employers that choose to coordinate services through a local work- force development board (LWDB) or another entity to do so within 30 days of the notice. An act to amend Section 1401 of the Labor Code, relating to employment. SB 642, Limón. Employment: payment of wages. This bill aims to strengthen California’s Equal Pay Act by, among other things, (1) revising the defini- tion of “pay scale” for purposes of existing job post- ing requirements; (2) increasing the statute of lim- itations on civil actions for employer violations; and (3) specifying what constitutes a cause of action for violations. An act to amend Sections 432.3 and 1197.5 of the Labor Code, relating to employment. SB 648, Smallwood-Cuevas. Employment: gratu- ities: enforcement. This bill authorizes the Labor Commissioner (LC) to investigate and issue a cita- tion or file a civil action for gratuities taken by an employer. An act to amend Section 351 of the Labor Code,
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