Bill Commons

CA AB 538

enacted

Public works: payroll records.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 538 pass?

Yes. CA AB 538 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-11. Latest recorded action (2025-10-11): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 616, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 538 about?

Existing law requires the Labor Commissioner to investigate allegations that a contractor or subcontractor violated the law regulating public works projects, including the payment of prevailing wages. Existing law requires each contractor and subcontractor on a public works project to keep accurate payroll records, showing the name, address, social security number, work classification, straight time and overtime hours worked each day and week, and the actual per diem wages paid to each journeyman, apprentice, worker, or other employee employed by the contractor or subcontractor in connection with the public work. Existing law requires certified copies of records to be available upon request by the public and sets forth a process for the public to request the records either through the awarding body or the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Existing law makes any contractor, subcontractor, agent, or representative who neglects to comply with the requirements to keep accurate payroll records guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would require the awarding body, if a request is made by the public through the awarding body and the body is not in possession of the certified records, to obtain those records from the relevant contractor and make them available to the requesting entity. The bill would authorize the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement to enforce certain penalties if a contractor fails to comply with the awarding body's request within 10 days of receipt of the notice. To the extent that this bill would impose additional duties on any contractor, subcontractor, agent, or representative, the bill would expand the scope of a crime and impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Who sponsors CA AB 538?

Berman is the primary sponsor of CA AB 538.

Description

Existing law requires the Labor Commissioner to investigate allegations that a contractor or subcontractor violated the law regulating public works projects, including the payment of prevailing wages. Existing law requires each contractor and subcontractor on a public works project to keep accurate payroll records, showing the name, address, social security number, work classification, straight time and overtime hours worked each day and week, and the actual per diem wages paid to each journeyman, apprentice, worker, or other employee employed by the contractor or subcontractor in connection with the public work. Existing law requires certified copies of records to be available upon request by the public and sets forth a process for the public to request the records either through the awarding body or the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Existing law makes any contractor, subcontractor, agent, or representative who neglects to comply with the requirements to keep accurate payroll records guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would require the awarding body, if a request is made by the public through the awarding body and the body is not in possession of the certified records, to obtain those records from the relevant contractor and make them available to the requesting entity. The bill would authorize the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement to enforce certain penalties if a contractor fails to comply with the awarding body's request within 10 days of receipt of the notice. To the extent that this bill would impose additional duties on any contractor, subcontractor, agent, or representative, the bill would expand the scope of a crime and impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Introduced
2025-05-23
Latest action
2025-10-11 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 616, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Bermanauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-11

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-02-12

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.

  3. 2025-02-24

    Referred to Com. on L. & E.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-03-19

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 19). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  5. 2025-04-23

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-05-23

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  7. 2025-05-23

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)

  8. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 23).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage

  9. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  10. 2025-06-03

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 65. Noes 3. Page 2006.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  11. 2025-06-04

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  12. 2025-06-18

    Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

    referral-committee

  13. 2025-06-25

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  14. 2025-07-07

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  15. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (August 29).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  16. 2025-08-29

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  17. 2025-09-10

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 2807.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  18. 2025-09-10

    In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.

    committee-passage

  19. 2025-09-22

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  20. 2025-10-11

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  21. 2025-10-11

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 616, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/11/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-11Compare
  • 05/23/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-05-23Compare
  • 09/12/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-12Compare
  • 10/11/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-11Compare
  • AB538Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-03-19 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Ortega: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Flora: other

  • Do pass as amended.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 11-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Ta: other
    • Sanchez: other
    • Dixon: other
    • Tangipa: other

  • AB 538 Berman Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-03 · pass · 65-3

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Berman: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Ellis: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Ta: other
    • Sanchez: other
    • Alanis: other
    • Hadwick: other
    • Wallis: other
    • Castillo: other
    • Hoover: other
    • Flora: other
    • Michelle Rodriguez: other
    • Dixon: other
    • Macedo: other

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-06-25 · pass · 4-1

    Member-level votes (5)
    • Cortese: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Strickland: no

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-07-07 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Dahle: other

  • Do pass

    2025-08-29 · pass · 6-1

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Seyarto: no

  • 3rd Reading AB538 Berman By Durazo

    2025-09-10 · pass · 30-9

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Umberg: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Choi: no
    • Strickland: no
    • Grove: no
    • Niello: no
    • Jones: no
    • Ochoa Bogh: no
    • Alvarado-Gil: no
    • Seyarto: no
    • Valladares: no
    • Limón: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB538

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

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