Transcript Highlights:

• workers' compensation system.
• Workers with chronic conditions.
• We hire lots of seasonal workers.
• I'm a worker. I'm a mom of three children. Yes, I'm a worker. I'm a mom of three children.
• We outreach workers in the overall industries, including domestic workers and restaurant workers, who

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee on State Administration heard presentations on the Department of Industrial Relations’ labor-related budget items, with the main focus on proposed trailer bill language to reform the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) and a related budget change proposal for staffing. DIR said SIBTF has grown far beyond its original purpose, citing the 2020 Todd decision, expanded eligibility based on chronic or asymptomatic conditions, and a backlog that has grown to more than 30,000 pending cases. The administration argued the reforms would restore guardrails, reduce liabilities and employer assessments, and speed processing for severely injured workers; the LAO said the proposal was largely consistent with its prior recommendations. Members raised concerns about using trailer bill language for major policy changes, the retroactive application to open cases, and the impact on workers already in the queue, while supporters from employer groups and public agencies backed the proposal as necessary to control costs and restore sustainability. Public comment was split, with injured-worker advocates opposing the retroactive changes and business/public employer representatives supporting the reforms. The committee then heard the SIBTF workload request, which would phase in 177 positions over five years at a cost of $36.5 million, including staff for the Division of Workers’ Compensation, the Office of the Director Legal Unit, and administrative support. DIR said the additional staffing is intended to address very high caseloads and reduce processing times, but emphasized that the request assumes the reform package is adopted; LAO agreed the staffing increase made sense if paired with reforms. Members asked about vacancy rates, current staffing, and whether the workload request would become the new normal, and DIR said it would monitor caseload trends and adjust future requests as needed. Finally, the committee received an update on the California Workplace Outreach Program (CWOP), which DIR described as a partnership with community-based organizations to educate workers and help employers comply with labor laws. DIR reported that CWOP has reached 1.75 million workers and employers and made 8 million touchpoints since 2020, with the current round awarding $50.7 million to 87 partners for a two-year period through June 2027. Members and public commenters highlighted the program’s role in reaching immigrant, farmworker, janitorial, nail salon, and other vulnerable communities, and several speakers urged continued funding at $30 million per year for five years. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• These workers deserve dignity.
• method to retain workers.
• Low-wage workers and highly skilled workers are all subject to these agreements.
• to increasing worker safety.
• filed claims for three workers.

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with testimony largely focused on workforce development, worker privacy, wage theft, and workplace safety. AB 296 would require schools and districts to host apprenticeship fairs at least once per year; supporters said it would expose students to skilled-trades careers, while school administrators opposed the mandate as too broad, especially for elementary schools and districts without local apprenticeship programs. AB 1221 and AB 1331 both sought to curb invasive workplace surveillance, with labor groups arguing that AI, biometric, and algorithmic monitoring can be discriminatory and chill worker rights, while business and industry groups warned the bills were too broad and could interfere with security, cybersecurity, and ordinary workplace operations. AB 1181 would require firefighter turnout gear to be free of cancer-causing chemicals, and AB 1198 would require prevailing wage rates on public works to reflect the wage in effect when work is performed; both drew support from labor and construction witnesses, while local governments and other stakeholders raised cost and implementation concerns. AB 1251 would require private employers to disclose whether a job posting is for an actual vacancy, and AB 692 would prohibit employer debt agreements that require workers to repay training or other costs if they leave employment; both bills were supported by worker advocates and opposed by employer groups who said the measures were overly broad or unnecessary under existing law. The committee also heard AB 552, AB 1110, AB 1136, and AB 1234, which respectively would allow the Agricultural Labor Relations Board to locate its main office outside Sacramento, update Cal/OSHA poster information, expand high road training partnership eligibility, and strengthen the wage claim process by encouraging employer participation and allowing judgments when employers fail to respond. Several bills were voted out on due-pass motions, including AB 1198, AB 1251, AB 1221, AB 1331, AB 552, AB 1110, AB 1136, and AB 692; AB 1181 was approved by the committee but remained on call, and AB 296 was heard in subcommittee without a vote. AB 963 was pulled by the author.

Transcript Highlights:

• We ourselves as workers, right?
• for Worker Rights, and Tess Brellante, residential care facility worker.
• In fact, my dad was a worker. When I was nine years old, he was a restaurant worker.
• We have restitution funds for some industries like garment workers, farm workers, and car wash workers
• We have to interview workers. We have to interview workers. We have to go well.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment held a review hearing on SB 588, focused on wage theft enforcement and whether the law’s tools are working as intended. Committee members emphasized that wage theft is a major and under-enforced form of theft in California, citing large backlogs in wage claims and long delays that can leave workers waiting years for payment. The hearing was framed as oversight of the Labor Commissioner’s enforcement authority and a discussion of whether additional tools or funding are needed to improve collections and deter bad actors. Witnesses from UCLA, worker advocacy organizations, and legal aid described SB 588’s main enforcement mechanisms, including liens, levies, stop-work orders, successor and individual liability, and the ability to pursue upstream entities in fissured industries. They argued these tools have improved settlement leverage and recovery rates, especially in janitorial and property services cases, and gave examples involving Tesla, Cheesecake Factory, Optum, and grocery and care-home employers. At the same time, they said the law is less effective in industries like residential care, where employers often transfer assets or change ownership before judgments are collected, and they urged changes such as broader prejudgment lien authority, more license-revocation power, and additional staffing for the Judgment Enforcement Unit. Worker testimony highlighted the human impact of delayed or unpaid wages. A care worker described being underpaid, denied pay for breaks and off-the-clock work, and facing intimidation when filing claims. Marta Lepe Martinez said she was owed more than $300,000, waited more than three years for a hearing, and still had not recovered any money despite a judgment and a lien on property. Another worker advocate explained that SB 588 helped identify responsible individuals and businesses earlier, increasing the chance of recovery, but said more resources and faster enforcement are still needed. Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower said SB 588 has significantly improved collections, reporting that the Judgment Enforcement Unit has recovered $125 million since enactment and that first-year recovery rates have risen from 17% to 46%. She said the agency is using liens, levies, stop orders, and individual liability more aggressively, but acknowledged that the tools are limited when employers are undercapitalized, hide assets, or transfer property before judgment. She supported the need for more staff and continued legislative investment. Public comment from SEIU California also backed SB 588’s framework and encouraged focusing enforcement on bad actors and expanding the law’s reach.

Transcript Highlights:

• workers.
• So if the goal is to quickly automate these jobs for corporate profit, then worker data from a worker
• And at least when a worker trains another worker to replace them, they get paid to do it.
• And at least when a worker trains another worker to replace them, they get paid to do it.
• So worker data is defined... Sorry.

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Transcript Highlights:

• Workers that make Affected about 350 workers represented by the United Steelworkers.
• , especially immigrant, Black, and Indigenous workers and workers of color.
• Center, where we support day labors and domestic workers and other low-wage workers across L.A.
• County, laborers and domestic workers and other low-wage workers across L.A.
• These are the most vulnerable workers. These are the workers who have the least protection.

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard and advanced several bills focused on worker protections, training access, wage enforcement, outreach, and workplace safety. SB 513 would require employees to have access to their training and certification records; supporters, including laid-off refinery workers and labor organizations, said employers sometimes withhold records during layoffs, while committee members called the practice unacceptable. The bill passed 5-0 and was re-referred to Appropriations. SB 809 addressed misclassification of construction truck owner-drivers by offering employers amnesty if they reclassify workers as employees and adopt a two-check payment system; labor and construction trades groups supported it, and it passed 5-0 to Judiciary. SB 578 would codify the California Workplace Outreach Program, which funds trusted community organizations to educate workers about their rights. Supporters described the program as a proven way to reach low-wage, immigrant, and hard-to-reach workers, especially amid wage theft, retaliation, and immigration enforcement concerns. The bill passed 5-0 to Appropriations. SB 261 would strengthen collection of wage theft judgments by creating a public list of nonpaying employers and adding penalties after six months of nonpayment; county enforcement officials and labor advocates said it would help workers recover unpaid wages. It passed 6-0 to Judiciary. The committee also approved SB 369, which would require skilled and trained workforce standards for Salton Sea restoration projects, with supporters saying the work is hazardous and should use trained labor; it passed 6-0 to Appropriations. Finally, SB 20 sought to address silicosis in stone countertop fabrication by requiring training and certification protections for workers; supporters said the disease has caused deaths among mostly Latino workers, while industry groups supported the bill with amendments and requested implementation resources. It passed 6-0 to Appropriations. The committee also adopted a consent calendar of four additional bills and adjourned after all listed measures were moved forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• workers' compensation system.
• Workers with chronic conditions...
• So any regular workers' compensation... ...workers' compensation case, it focuses on what happened at
• We hire lots of seasonal workers.
• We outreach workers in the overall industries, including domestic workers and restaurant workers, who

Transcript Highlights:

• UI for striking workers is something...
• We also had the steel worker strike.
• , service workers, retail workers, or hospitality staff, deserve a wage that reflects the dignity and
• , service workers, retail workers, or hospitality staff, deserve a wage that reflects the dignity and
• We represent workers at Avis Budget, a water treatment plant in Lynn, library workers, and I forget one

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on legislation concerning unemployment insurance, non-compete agreements, prevailing wage, and minimum wage issues. Committee leaders outlined the hearing process, asked witnesses to keep oral testimony to three minutes, and invited written testimony through November 20. No votes were taken during the hearing; it ended with a motion to adjourn and notice of the next hearing on November 20. Much of the testimony focused on bills to expand unemployment insurance for striking workers, including H. 2168 and S. 1319. Labor leaders, union members, and legal advocates argued that workers who are out on strike for more than 30 days should be able to receive UI benefits, saying the policy would help workers and families meet basic expenses, reduce employers’ ability to “wait out” strikes, and encourage good-faith bargaining. Speakers cited recent strikes, including the Republic Services strike, and said the proposal would not meaningfully increase strike activity or strain the UI trust fund. Another major topic was minimum wage legislation, especially H. 2107/S. 1349 to raise the minimum wage to $20 by 2029 and index it to inflation, and H. 2191 to create a $25 enhanced care worker minimum wage. Supporters said current wages are not keeping pace with housing, food, and childcare costs, and that care workers, direct support staff, and human service employees face chronic vacancies, burnout, and turnover. Testimony also supported H. 2126 on prevailing wage by adding apprenticeship and training contributions to the wage calculation, and H. 2159 and S. 1363 on prevailing wage-related issues. One witness, Russell Beck, testified against S. 1336, which would ban non-competes, and against H. 2118, arguing Massachusetts’ current non-compete law is a balanced compromise that should not be disrupted.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> worker in this room. worker in this room.
• . workers. workers.
• Farm workers should not be most workers.
• . workers. workers.
• </c> agriculture workers. agriculture workers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Stand up for our iron workers.
• steel workers and we all became steel workers.
• </c> school workers. They are not seasonal. school workers. They are not seasonal.
• </c> for all workers. Please vote green. for all workers. Please vote green.
• Things like our hourly school workers, by our state and federal workers, by our state and federal workers

Transcript Highlights:

• We ourselves as workers, right?
• So that's a worker. Workers got to start thinking like a debt collector from the beginning.
• for Worker Rights; and Tess Brellante, residential care facility worker.
• We have restitution funds for some industries like garment workers, farm workers, and car wash workers
• We have to interview workers. We have to interview workers.

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Transcript Highlights:

• Workers there needed Affected about 350 workers represented by the United Steelworkers.
• , especially immigrant, Black, and Indigenous workers and workers of color.
• Center, where we support day labors and domestic workers and other low-wage workers across L.A.
• County, laborers and domestic workers and other low-wage workers across L.A.
• These are the most vulnerable workers. These are the workers who have the least protection.

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Summary: The Labor and Employment Committee heard several worker-protection bills. SB 513 by Senator Durazo would require employees to have access to their training and certification records, with supporters from labor unions and refinery workers describing how employers had withheld records during layoffs; the bill passed 5-0 and was re-referred to Appropriations. SB 809, also by Senator Durazo, addresses misclassification of construction truck owner-drivers by offering employers amnesty if they reclassify workers as employees and use a two-check payment system; it passed 5-0 and was sent to Judiciary. SB 578 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would codify the California Workplace Outreach Program to continue multilingual workplace-rights education through community organizations; supporters emphasized its role in helping low-wage and immigrant workers report violations, and it passed 5-0 to Appropriations. The committee also approved the consent calendar, which included SB 75, SB 400, SB 597, and SB 617, all by unanimous vote. Later, SB 261 by Senator Wahab would strengthen wage theft enforcement by creating a public list of employers with outstanding wage judgments and adding penalties for nonpayment after six months. Supporters, including Santa Clara County officials and labor advocates, said the bill would help workers collect unpaid wages and level the playing field for compliant employers; it passed 6-0 and was sent to Judiciary. SB 369 by Senator Padilla would require skilled and trained workers for all Salton Sea restoration projects, citing toxic conditions and the need for a local workforce pipeline; it passed 6-0 to Appropriations. SB 20 by Senator Menjivar would expand training and certification requirements related to silica exposure in stone fabrication work, following testimony about rising silicosis cases and deaths among mostly Latino workers; industry groups supported the bill with amendments, and it passed 6-0 to Appropriations. Across the hearing, there was no opposition testimony on the bills that were heard. Members repeatedly praised the measures as common-sense worker protections and several asked to be added as co-authors. The committee concluded by adjourning after the final vote on SB 20.

Transcript Highlights:

• That puts the American worker first.
• To my mind, being pro-worker means defending the right of all workers, including those who decide they
• That's not putting workers first, it restrains workers.
• This is pro-worker. This helps American workers maintain their wages and maintain their jobs.
• So they're firing American workers, but they are exploiting child workers.

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Keywords: PRO Act, labor laws, worker rights, unionization, right-to-work, public testimony, political polarization

Summary: The meeting centered around an in-depth discussion of the PRO Act, with representatives expressing passionate opinions both for and against the legislation. Representative Chavez de Rimmer emphasized the importance of worker freedom, arguing that the PRO Act would infringe upon individual rights by coercing unionization. This perspective was strongly received by members from right-to-work states, who articulated their concerns about the potential erosion of workers' choices and protections. Speaker after speaker conveyed conflicting views on labor laws, indicating a deeply polarized environment surrounding labor issues at the moment.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1221 requires advance notice to workers when employers introduce or use surveillance tools so workers
• These workers deserve dignity.
• The other reason they might want to know when workers are off duty but on the premises is when workers
• method to retain workers.
• . ...back from workers.

Summary: The committee heard a series of labor-related bills, with most measures focused on worker training, privacy, wages, and safety. AB 296 would require schools or districts to host apprenticeship fairs at least once a year, with flexibility on how they are run and whether programs outside the county can participate. Supporters said it would help connect students to skilled trades and address workforce shortages; school administrators opposed the bill as an unfunded mandate that could be impractical for elementary schools. The bill was later moved on call, with the committee noting it could not vote until quorum was established. AB 1221 and AB 1331 both addressed workplace surveillance. AB 1221 would restrict invasive monitoring tools, require notice to workers, limit the use and sharing of worker data, and require human review before discipline based on surveillance outputs. Labor groups supported the bill as a response to AI-driven monitoring, while business groups raised concerns about broad definitions, security cameras, investigations, and data-access provisions. AB 1331 focused more narrowly on privacy in off-duty and private spaces, limiting surveillance in places like restrooms, break areas, vehicles, and homes; hospitals and business groups opposed it as too broad and potentially disruptive to safety, cybersecurity, and facility monitoring. Both bills were advanced by committee vote. The committee also heard AB 1181, which would require firefighter turnout gear to be free of cancer-causing chemicals such as PFAS by 2027, and AB 1198, which would require prevailing wage rates on public works to reflect the wage in effect when the work is performed rather than when the project was first advertised. Firefighter representatives strongly supported AB 1181, while the chemical industry asked to continue working on scope and timelines. AB 1198 drew support from labor and contractor groups but opposition from local governments and housing groups concerned about mid-project cost increases; it was passed to Appropriations after a roll-call vote. Other measures approved included AB 1235 on skilled-and-trained workers for CSU construction, AB 1251 on ghost job postings, AB 552 on locating the Agricultural Labor Relations Board office outside Sacramento, AB 1110 on updating Cal/OSHA workplace posters, AB 1136 on expanding high road training partnerships, and AB 1234 on wage claim enforcement. AB 692, which would ban employer debt agreements that require workers to repay training or other costs if they leave a job, drew strong support from nurses and labor advocates and opposition from business and health care groups; it was also passed on a roll-call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ninety percent of the workers that have these claims through workers' comp are probably fine.
• Ninety percent of the workers that have these claims through workers' comp are probably fine.
• I represent injured workers.
• And I mean workers by saying the employer and the worker, because if we end up having these penalties
• They're farm workers, caregivers, health care workers, construction workers, and business owners who

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2091, a collective bargaining measure that would require state agencies and other employers covered by the Personnel System Reform Act to provide unions with employee contact and job information similar to what other public employers already must share. The sponsor and union witnesses said the bill would close a gap left by prior legislation and improve communication with represented employees; no one testified in opposition during the hearing portion shown. Action on the bill was deferred. The committee then moved to House Bill 2264, which would allow workers who voluntarily participate in an employer-initiated layoff or reduction-in-force plan to qualify for unemployment insurance if the separation results from that plan. The sponsor and a member described it as a narrow fix to clarify eligibility and reduce disputes. After brief supportive testimony, the committee voted 9-0 to report the bill out with a due pass recommendation. A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 2218, a workers’ compensation bill that would expand provider choice, require notice to injured workers of their right to choose a provider, limit employer steering, speed utilization review, allow more flexibility from treatment guidelines, and change rules for reopening or continuing treatment on certain claims. Supporters, including injured workers, unions, attorneys, firefighters, and a psychiatrist, argued the current system delays care and over-relies on rigid guidelines; opponents from business groups and the Department of Labor and Industries said the bill would weaken evidence-based standards, raise costs, and create uncertainty. No final action was taken in the portion shown. The committee also heard House Bill 2105, as a proposed substitute, which would require employers to notify workers after an ICE Form I-9 inspection notice or results, limit voluntary access to certain records without a subpoena or warrant, require workplace postings, and create enforcement by the Attorney General and private lawsuits. Supporters said the bill would provide due process, transparency, and protection for immigrant workers; opponents, especially small business and agricultural groups, warned of conflicts with federal law, burdensome notice requirements, and severe penalties. The hearing continued with additional testimony, and no vote was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Three workers have died there in the last eight years: Ray, Three workers have died there in the last
• Is the voice of the worker and the workers impacted?
• Cal/OSHA has 20 million workers.
• of workers.
• It comes out of workers' comp.

Summary: The hearing focused on a state audit of Cal/OSHA titled “The Division of Occupational Safety and Health: Process Deficiencies and Staffing Shortages Limit Its Ability to Protect Workers.” Committee leaders and members described the audit as a response to serious workplace tragedies and argued that California’s strong worker protections are undermined when enforcement is inconsistent. Chair Ortega and others emphasized that the issue is not only staffing, but also structural problems in how complaints, inspections, citations, and penalties are handled. State Auditor Grant Parks testified that the audit found major weaknesses in Cal/OSHA’s operations during a five-year review period, including a 32% vacancy rate in 2023-24, heavy reliance on employer self-investigation letters for complaints, late inspections, incomplete case files, outdated policies, and weak documentation for fine calculations and reductions. He said Cal/OSHA often lacked evidence to justify why it did not inspect certain complaints or why it reduced penalties, and that many files did not show proof that employers corrected hazards. He also noted that criminal referrals were rare and that the agency’s paper-based system made oversight difficult. Cal/OSHA and the Department of Industrial Relations responded that they accept the audit’s findings and are already taking corrective steps. Director Jennifer Osborne and Chief Deborah Lee said the division has hired more staff, reduced vacancies to about 12% through recruitment and position eliminations, hired a policy writer, updated or is updating several policies, and is developing a new data management system expected to go live in late 2026 or early 2027. They said serious hazards will be directed to on-site inspections, letter investigations will be limited to non-serious complaints, and internal audits and training will be used to improve consistency and accountability. Members pressed the department on whether these changes will be enough, how fines are set and reduced, and whether the agency is doing enough to protect workers and hold employers accountable.

Transcript Highlights:

• That means better outcomes for injured workers and meaningful cost savings for employers and the workers
• The changes in this bill stand to impact every Washington worker with a workers' compensation claim,
• Many of our agricultural workers travel to join us for a season, guest workers from Mexico..."
• the workers.
• paying workers to do the work.

Summary: The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony on several bills. SB 6152 would add physical and occupational therapists as attending providers in workers’ compensation claims. Supporters said it would reduce delays, improve access to care, and speed return to work; opponents, including the Washington State Medical Association, retail and business groups, and L&I, raised concerns about diagnosis, scope of practice, network enrollment, implementation time, and the $1.9 million fiscal note from accident and medical aid accounts. The committee also heard SB 5437, which would prohibit non-compete agreements and clarify non-solicitation rules. The sponsor and labor and physician groups supported ending non-competes as anti-competitive and harmful to worker mobility, while business, banking, and clinic representatives argued non-competes protect investments, confidential information, and patient/customer relationships and asked for narrower changes. The committee then heard SB 6058, which would give L&I discretion over whether to investigate wage complaints and would toll civil statutes of limitation when a complaint is filed. The sponsor said it would better match agency resources, and testimony was entirely supportive. SB 5944 would require language access provider compensation bargaining to include missed or canceled appointments and make CBAs prevail over conflicting agency policies; the sponsor and union representatives said it would create consistency across agencies, with no opposition testimony. SB 6039 would modernize L&I communications by allowing electronic notices while preserving a non-electronic option; supporters called it a permissive modernization, while worker advocates warned email could be missed and could burden vulnerable workers, though L&I said the bill preserves choice and has no fiscal impact. Finally, the committee heard SB 6117, which would place workers and employers not covered by the NLRA under PERC jurisdiction if federal law no longer applies, with card-check and secret-ballot procedures and interest arbitration provisions. Supporters said it would create a state backstop if federal labor enforcement fails and protect workers’ organizing rights; opponents from agriculture, business, and small business groups warned it was too broad, could sweep in agriculture and small businesses, and could weaken secret-ballot protections and disrupt harvest operations. The sponsor closed by saying the bill is intended to create a clear framework where federal jurisdiction is absent. No votes or executive actions were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• workers in the state, where women, workers of color, and immigrants are overrepresented.
• workers in the state, where women, workers of color, and immigrants are overrepresented.
• Well, about 35% of California workers, roughly 5.6 million people, earn low wages, defined as workers
• than other workers.
• We have done worker outreach. We have connected with over 1,500 car wash workers.

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• workers in the state, where women, workers of color, and immigrants are overrepresented.
• Well, about 35% of California workers, roughly 5.6 million people, earn low wages, defined as workers
• than other workers.
• We have done worker outreach. We have connected with over 1,500 car wash workers.
• All workers have access to the safety net. All workers are protected.

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Summary: The Senate Labor and Public Employment Committee held an oversight hearing on federal policy impacts on California’s labor market. In opening remarks, the chair argued that federal actions, including immigration enforcement, tariffs, and cuts to safety-net programs, are harming workers, employers, and communities, and said the committee wanted to document impacts and identify state responses. The first panel featured economist Enrique Lopez Lira of UC Berkeley, who described slow job growth, wage pressures, high housing and care costs, and the large share of California workers in low-wage jobs. He said federal cuts to Medi-Cal and SNAP/CalFresh and increased immigration enforcement would worsen insecurity, especially in health care, retail, hospitality, agriculture, and care work. The chair asked about recession indicators, middle-wage stagnation, and which sectors rely most on safety-net programs, and Lopez Lira said worker organizing and unions were a source of hope. A second panel focused on federal immigration enforcement. UC Merced’s Edward Orozco Flores presented research finding that private-sector employment in enforcement-targeted states fell during escalated enforcement periods, with California experiencing unprecedented declines in 2025. He urged policymakers to consider wage-replacement or stimulus-style support for affected workers, including excluded workers who cannot access unemployment insurance. Shannon Sedgwick of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation said undocumented workers are deeply embedded in the county economy, generating substantial economic activity and supporting over a million jobs. She reported that intensified enforcement in Los Angeles County was associated with business disruptions, reduced sales and customer traffic, workforce instability, lower transit ridership in vulnerable areas, and losses from the downtown curfew. Committee members asked about impacts on small businesses, tax revenue, and recovery, and witnesses pointed to local resiliency funds, business toolkits, and know-your-rights efforts as partial responses. The hearing then heard from worker representatives. Flore Melendres of the Clean Car Wash Worker Center said car washes have been heavily targeted by federal agents, with hundreds of workers taken from workplaces, many businesses disrupted or closed, and workers living in fear; she urged support for AB 2271 to provide financial benefits to families who lost income because of DHS activity. California Nurses Association president Michelle Gutierrez-Vos said H.R. 1’s Medi-Cal and Covered California cuts threaten hospital finances, jobs, and patient care, and she backed CalCare (AB 1900), a hospital closure moratorium, and more support for nursing education. UAW 4811 president Rafael Jaime said federal research cuts are putting UC research funding and postdoctoral jobs at risk and endorsed SB 895, a proposed bond measure for health and scientific research. AFGE representatives Wallace Wade and Kendrick Roberson described the strain on federal workers during shutdowns, unpaid work, staffing losses, and the effects on TSA, Social Security, VA services, and worker housing stability; they supported SB 1155 to protect federal workers from eviction. Committee members thanked the witnesses and said the testimony showed both the human and economic consequences of federal policy. In the final panel, employer groups began responding to the same federal pressures. California Retailers Association president Rachel Michelin said retail is a major private-sector employer and a key entry point for young workers, and that retailers are seeing the effects of rising costs, supply-chain shifts, and consumer pressure at the checkout counter. The hearing continued with additional employer testimony beyond the provided excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We represent over 2.3 million union workers in the state, including thousands of skilled workers who
• Lori Wallace said that taking away workers’ voices hurts both the communities and the workers.
• The witness said that taking away workers’ voices hurts both the communities and the workers.
• Is that fair to the workers?
• workers’ comp insurance.

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard several bills focused on labor standards, worker safety, and public transparency. SB 954 by Senator Blakespear would revise last year’s CEQA exemption for advanced manufacturing by adding worker protections such as prevailing wage, a skilled and trained workforce, high-road employment standards, and environmental guardrails. Supporters from labor, environmental justice, and conservation groups said the bill restores promised safeguards after SB 131, while business groups argued the added requirements would undermine the exemption and discourage investment. The committee voted 5-0 to do pass and re-refer SB 954 to Appropriations, leaving the roll open for absent members. The committee then considered SB 966 by Senator Gonzalez, which would codify refinery worker participation and safety protections adopted in 2017 after the 2012 Chevron Richmond fire. Supporters, including United Steelworkers and a former refinery worker, said the bill would preserve workers’ ability to report hazards, select representatives, and stop unsafe work, preventing future disasters. The Western States Petroleum Association opposed the bill, arguing it could be preempted by federal labor law and would add regulatory uncertainty. The committee passed SB 966 3-0 and re-referred it to Appropriations, with the roll left open. Next, SB 1203 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas sought to modernize private security guard training, expand de-escalation instruction, strengthen accountability, and create a clearer professional pathway for the industry. The author and many security workers testified that guards are often first responders in volatile situations and need more practical training and better standards; opponents from industry and business groups warned the bill would raise costs, worsen staffing shortages, and create implementation problems, especially around third-party training and a new wage order. The committee voted 4-1 to do pass and re-refer SB 1203 to Public Safety, with one no vote and the roll left open. The committee also heard SB 1284 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, a transparency bill requiring DHCS to publish the names of large employers with workers enrolled in Medi-Cal and the estimated taxpayer cost. Supporters said the measure would show how low wages and unaffordable coverage shift health costs to the public, while opponents argued Medi-Cal enrollment depends on many factors and that naming employers would be misleading and amount to public shaming. After discussion, the committee voted 4-2 to do pass and re-refer SB 1284 to Appropriations, leaving the roll open. The transcript then began discussion of SB 1054 by Senator Cabaldon, which would improve workforce data collection and sharing to better evaluate job-training pathways, but the excerpt cuts off before testimony or action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• As brief background, a worker who's injured in the course of employment is entitled to workers' compensation
• It requires an employer to inform an injured worker that the worker has a right to seek initial or emergency
• the network willing to treat the worker within 15 miles of the worker's home, the worker may seek treatment
• before the worker can go out of network.
• 12,000 licensed electrical workers, and also as president of the state association of electric workers

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several labor-related bills. On Substitute Senate Bill 5874, staff and Senator McEwen described a proposal to let the Employment Security Department waive penalties for minor quarterly reporting errors by employers, especially inadvertent electronic filing issues involving occupational codes and job titles. No one testified in opposition, and the public hearing was closed. The committee then heard extensive testimony on Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5847, which would expand injured workers’ access to medical providers, allow medically appropriate departures from L&I treatment rules, prohibit employers from requiring treatment from a specific provider, and set timelines for utilization review. Supporters, including workers’ advocates and union representatives, said the bill would improve access to care and reduce delays, while business groups opposed it as weakening the provider network and raised concerns about costs and claim duration. L&I said it could implement the bill with a technical fix and noted that the fiscal note was still being updated. A previously adopted claims-manager staffing amendment was discussed but not included in the version heard. On Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5061, the committee heard testimony on requiring public works contracts to update prevailing wage rates annually rather than freezing them at bid time. Labor groups supported the bill as protecting workers from wage erosion on long projects, while contractor groups opposed it unless amended to allow change orders for wage increases above 5 percent, citing unpredictable jumps in prevailing wage rates and added risk for small contractors. L&I requested a delayed effective date to July 1, 2028 because of IT changes. The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 5944, which would make missed or canceled appointment payments bargained economic compensation for language access providers, and on Substitute Senate Bill 5972, which would extend interest arbitration rights to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of county population. Labor groups supported both bills; counties and a city representative opposed 5972 over cost concerns and asked for fiscal safeguards. Finally, the committee heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302, which would require L&I to investigate possible misclassification when three or more independent contractors are used for the same type of finishing work on a public works project. Labor and contractor groups both supported the amended version, saying it targets misclassification without banning legitimate independent contractors. The hearing ended after testimony, with no votes or final committee actions taken during the meeting.