Bill Commons

CA SB 294

enacted

The Workplace Know Your Rights Act.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

Quick answers

Did CA SB 294 pass?

Yes. CA SB 294 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-12. Latest recorded action (2025-10-12): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 667, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA SB 294 about?

Existing law establishes the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, headed by the Labor Commissioner, within the Department of Industrial Relations, for the purpose of enforcing labor laws. Existing law prescribes the duties and rights of employers and employees relating to specified labor laws, including, among other things, workers' compensation and notice requirements related to inspections conducted by an immigration agency. This bill would establish the Workplace Know Your Rights Act. The bill would require an employer, on or before February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, to provide a stand-alone written notice to each current employee of specified workers' rights, including, among other things, the categories described above, as well as constitutional rights of an employee when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace, as specified. The bill would also require the employer to provide the written notice to each new employee upon hire and to provide the written notice annually to an employee's authorized representative, if any. This bill would require the Labor Commissioner to develop a template notice that an employer may use to comply with the notice requirement described above. The bill would require the Labor Commissioner to post the template notice on its internet website on or before January 1, 2026, and to post an updated template notice annually thereafter. The bill would also require the Labor Commissioner, on or before July 1, 2026, to develop a video for employees advising them of their rights under the areas described above and to develop a video for employers advising them of their rights and requirements under those areas, as provided. The bill would require the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the Public Employment Relations Board, and the Attorney General's office to provide specified input for the template notice and the videos. This bill would require an employer, if an employee has designated an emergency contact for this purpose, to notify the designated emergency contact if the employee is arrested or detained on their worksite. If the arrest or detention occurs during work hours, or during the performance of the employee's job duties, but not on the worksite, the bill would require the employer to notify the employee's designated emergency contact only if the employer has actual knowledge of the arrest or detention of the employee. The bill would require an employer to provide an employee the opportunity to name an emergency contact on or before March 30, 2026, for an existing employee, and at the time of hiring for a new employee hired after March 30, 2026. This bill would prohibit an employer from discharging, threatening to discharge, demoting, suspending, or in any manner discriminating or retaliating against an employee for exercising or attempting to exercise their rights under the bill, as provided. This bill would require the Labor Commissioner to enforce the bill, as specified, and would also alternatively authorize enforcement by a public prosecutor. The bill would provide that an employer who violates the bill may be subject to a penalty of up to $500 per employee for each violation, except that the penalty for a violation of the provisions relating to emergency contacts would be an amount up to $500 per employee for each day the violation occurs, up to a maximum of $10,000 per employee.

Who sponsors CA SB 294?

Reyes is the primary sponsor of CA SB 294, joined by 7 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law establishes the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, headed by the Labor Commissioner, within the Department of Industrial Relations, for the purpose of enforcing labor laws. Existing law prescribes the duties and rights of employers and employees relating to specified labor laws, including, among other things, workers' compensation and notice requirements related to inspections conducted by an immigration agency. This bill would establish the Workplace Know Your Rights Act. The bill would require an employer, on or before February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, to provide a stand-alone written notice to each current employee of specified workers' rights, including, among other things, the categories described above, as well as constitutional rights of an employee when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace, as specified. The bill would also require the employer to provide the written notice to each new employee upon hire and to provide the written notice annually to an employee's authorized representative, if any. This bill would require the Labor Commissioner to develop a template notice that an employer may use to comply with the notice requirement described above. The bill would require the Labor Commissioner to post the template notice on its internet website on or before January 1, 2026, and to post an updated template notice annually thereafter. The bill would also require the Labor Commissioner, on or before July 1, 2026, to develop a video for employees advising them of their rights under the areas described above and to develop a video for employers advising them of their rights and requirements under those areas, as provided. The bill would require the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the Public Employment Relations Board, and the Attorney General's office to provide specified input for the template notice and the videos. This bill would require an employer, if an employee has designated an emergency contact for this purpose, to notify the designated emergency contact if the employee is arrested or detained on their worksite. If the arrest or detention occurs during work hours, or during the performance of the employee's job duties, but not on the worksite, the bill would require the employer to notify the employee's designated emergency contact only if the employer has actual knowledge of the arrest or detention of the employee. The bill would require an employer to provide an employee the opportunity to name an emergency contact on or before March 30, 2026, for an existing employee, and at the time of hiring for a new employee hired after March 30, 2026. This bill would prohibit an employer from discharging, threatening to discharge, demoting, suspending, or in any manner discriminating or retaliating against an employee for exercising or attempting to exercise their rights under the bill, as provided. This bill would require the Labor Commissioner to enforce the bill, as specified, and would also alternatively authorize enforcement by a public prosecutor. The bill would provide that an employer who violates the bill may be subject to a penalty of up to $500 per employee for each violation, except that the penalty for a violation of the provisions relating to emergency contacts would be an amount up to $500 per employee for each day the violation occurs, up to a maximum of $10,000 per employee.

Introduced
2025-02-06
Latest action
2025-10-12 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 667, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Reyesauthor
  • Arreguíncoauthor
  • Cervantescoauthor
  • Durazocoauthor
  • Gonzalezcoauthor
  • Lairdcoauthor
  • Wienercoauthor
  • Ortegacoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-06

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

  2. 2025-02-07

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 9.

  3. 2025-02-19

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-03-17

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  5. 2025-03-26

    Re-referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  6. 2025-04-04

    Set for hearing April 23.

  7. 2025-04-09

    Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt.

  8. 2025-04-23

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 870.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  9. 2025-04-30

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 938.) (April 29).

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

  10. 2025-05-01

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  11. 2025-05-09

    Set for hearing May 19.

  12. 2025-05-19

    May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  13. 2025-05-20

    Set for hearing May 23.

  14. 2025-05-23

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  15. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1194.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  16. 2025-05-28

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1289.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  17. 2025-05-28

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  18. 2025-06-05

    Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  19. 2025-06-26

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  20. 2025-07-01

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  21. 2025-07-09

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 1.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  22. 2025-08-20

    August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  23. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (August 29).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  24. 2025-09-02

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  25. 2025-09-03

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  26. 2025-09-04

    Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-3

  27. 2025-09-04

    Read third time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3

  28. 2025-09-12

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 67. Noes 8. Page 3411.) Ordered to the Senate.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  29. 2025-09-13

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 8. Page 3031.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  30. 2025-09-13

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  31. 2025-09-23

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  32. 2025-10-12

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  33. 2025-10-12

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 667, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/06/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-06Compare
  • 03/17/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-03-17Compare
  • 05/01/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-05-01Compare
  • 07/01/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-07-01Compare
  • 09/02/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-09-02Compare
  • 09/04/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-09-04Compare
  • 09/17/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-17Compare
  • 10/12/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-12Compare
  • SB294Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

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

    2025-04-23 · pass · 4-1

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

  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-04-29 · pass · 11-2

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Valladares: no
    • Niello: no

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-05-19 · pass · 5-0

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

  • Do pass

    2025-05-23 · pass · 5-1

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

  • 3rd Reading SB294 Reyes et al.

    2025-05-28 · pass · 28-10

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

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

    2025-06-25 · pass · 7-0

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

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

    2025-07-08 · pass · 10-1

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Bryan: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Macedo: no
    • Sanchez: other

  • Do pass as amended.

    2025-08-29 · pass · 11-1

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Dixon: no
    • Sanchez: other
    • Ta: other
    • Tangipa: other

  • SB 294 Reyes Senate Third Reading By Ortega

    2025-09-13 · pass · 67-8

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Johnson: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Hadwick: no
    • Tangipa: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Gallagher: no
    • Ellis: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Hoover: other
    • Sanchez: other
    • Castillo: other
    • Flora: other
    • Ta: other

  • Unfinished Business SB294 Reyes et al. Concurrence

    2025-09-13 · pass · 29-8

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

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB294

Attribution

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

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