Of the 917 bills sent to California Governor Gavin Newsom this year, 794 were signed into law by the October 12 deadline. The legislative session produced a total of 2,883 bills, with those not forwarded to the governor being carried over to the second half of the 2025–26 session, which begins January 5.
The business community in California will see changes due to reforms in environmental and labor laws. Updates include streamlined housing development approvals and new compliance requirements related to labor practices, pay transparency, and data security.
Assembly Bill 288, authored by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), enables California to enforce private-sector workers’ collective bargaining rights if the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) does not act promptly. The law allows the state’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to conduct union elections and process unfair labor practice charges. It is set to roll out in phases through January 1, 2027. The NLRB has filed a lawsuit seeking to block AB 288 on grounds that it conflicts with federal law.
Senate Bill 642, introduced by Senator Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), updates pay transparency rules for employers with at least 15 employees. Employers must now include a “realistic, good-faith pay range” in all job postings. For purposes of the Equal Pay Act, compensation includes bonuses, stock options, benefits, and allowances. The bill also expands definitions under state law for sex discrimination protections.
Senate Bill 294 from Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) requires employers to give annual written notice about employee rights regarding immigration-related practices and workplace interactions with law enforcement. A model notice will be published by January 1, 2025; employers must distribute it starting February 1, 2026.
Senate Bill 590 by Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) broadens Paid Family Leave eligibility beginning July 1, 2028. Employees caring for a seriously ill “designated person”—defined as someone related by blood or whose relationship is equivalent to family—will qualify for benefits if they attest to their relationship.
Senate Bill 617 from Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) amends California’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act effective January 1, 2026. WARN notices must now disclose coordination plans with local workforce boards and provide information about CalFresh food assistance programs along with valid contact details.
Senator Melissa Hurtado’s Senate Bill 446 establishes a firm deadline for data breach notifications involving Californians’ personal information: affected individuals and the state attorney general must be notified within thirty days of discovery unless extended for specific reasons such as ongoing law enforcement needs or restoring system integrity. Businesses are required to update their incident response plans accordingly by January 1, 2026.
Assembly Bill 609 from Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) exempts certain housing projects from review under the California Environmental Quality Act if they meet conditions regarding site history, density minimums based on location type (urban/suburban/rural), size limits of up to twenty acres, and avoidance of hazardous sites. According to Wicks: “The exemptions are designed to accelerate construction and improve housing affordability.”
Another measure from Wicks—Assembly Bill 671—streamlines restaurant tenant improvement permit approvals by allowing professional certifiers sign-off authority and requiring local building departments to approve or deny applications within twenty business days or grant automatic approval if deadlines are missed.
The Legislature is scheduled to reconvene on January 5 for the second year of its current session; remaining bills must move forward by January 31.
