SB 1132: Workforce development: workplace rights training.
- Session Year: 2025-2026
- House: Senate
- Latest Version Date: 2026-02-17
Current Status:
In Progress
(2026-05-14: May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.)
Introduced
In Committee
Awaiting First Chamber Vote
Passed First Chamber
In Committee
Awaiting Second Chamber Vote
Passed Second Chamber
Enacted
Existing law establishes the California Workforce Development Board as the body responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of Californias workforce investment system and the alignment of the education and workforce investment systems to the needs of the 21st century economy and workforce. Existing law requires the board to assist the Governor in specified activities for this purpose. Existing law requires each local workforce development board to develop and submit to the Governor a comprehensive 4-year local plan and to establish at least one full service one-stop career center, as specified.
This bill would require the California Workforce Development Board to develop a workplace rights curriculum in partnership with subject matter experts and would require the local boards to ensure provision of a workplace rights training consistent with that curriculum to individuals receiving services through the California workforce system. The bill would require each local plan to include a description of how the local board plans to comply with this training requirement. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to provide this training to individuals receiving services through the one-stop system, as specified. The bill would require the California Workforce Development Board, in partnership with the Employment Development Department and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, to ensure local compliance with these provisions. By imposing new requirements on local workforce development boards, this bill would 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The board shall assist the Governor in the following:
(a)Promoting the development of a well-educated and highly skilled 21st century workforce, and the development of a high road economy that offers an educated and skilled workforce with fair compensation and treatment in the workplace.
(b)Developing, implementing, and modifying the State Plan. The State Plan shall serve as the comprehensive framework and coordinated plan for the aligned investment of all federal and state workforce training and employment services funding streams and programs. To the extent feasible and when appropriate, the State Plan should reinforce and work with adult education and career technical education efforts that are responsive to labor market trends, as well as economic trends that impact the labor market and workforce, including, but not limited to, climate change, automation of work, and employment.
(c)The review and technical assistance of statewide policies, of statewide programs, and of recommendations on actions that should be taken by the state to align workforce, education, training, and employment funding programs in the state in a manner that supports a comprehensive, high-quality, and streamlined workforce development system in the state, including the review and provision of comments on the State Plan, if any, for programs and activities of one-stop partners that are not core programs.
(d)Developing and continuously improving the statewide workforce investment system, including:
(1)The identification of barriers and means for removing barriers to better coordinate, align, and avoid duplication among the programs and activities carried out through the system.
(2)The development, promotion, and implementation of strategies, as well as the administration of, an field assistance for, programs to advance the use of career pathways for the purpose of providing individuals, including low-skilled adults, youth, and individuals with barriers to employment, and including individuals with disabilities, with workforce investment activities, education, and supportive services to enter or retain high-quality employment. To the extent permissible under state and federal laws, these policies and strategies should support linkages between kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and community college educational systems in order to help secure educational and career advancement. These policies and strategies may be implemented using a sector strategies framework and should ultimately lead to placement in a job providing economic security or job placement in an entry-level job that has a well-articulated career pathway or career ladder to a job providing economic security.
(3)The development, promotion, and implementation of strategies for providing effective outreach to and improved access for individuals and employers who could benefit from services provided through the workforce development system.
(4)The development, promotion, and implementation of strategies, as well as the administration of, and field assistance for, programs that meet the needs of employers, workers, and jobseekers, particularly through industry or sector partnerships related to in-demand industry sectors and occupations, including policies targeting resources to competitive and emerging industry sectors and industry clusters that provide economic security and are either high-growth sectors or critical to Californias economy, or both. These industry sectors and clusters shall have significant economic impacts on the state and its regional and workforce development needs, including, but not limited to, Californias transition to a carbon neutral economy, and have documented career opportunities.
(5)Consistent with the definitions in Section 14005, developing standards, procedures, and criteria for defining high road employers, high road jobs, high road workforce development, and high road training partnerships in California, in accordance with lessons learned from the boards ongoing high road workforce development initiatives.
(6)The administration, promotion, and expansions of, as well as field assistance for, high road training partnerships, as defined in Section 14005.
(7)The administration, promotion, and expansion of, as well as field assistance for, high road construction careers, as defined in Section 14005.
(8)Recommending adult and dislocated worker training policies and investments that offer a variety of career opportunities while upgrading the skills of Californias workforce. These may include training policies and investments pertaining to any of the following:
(A)Occupational skills training, including training for nontraditional employment.
(B)On-the-job training.
(C)Incumbent worker training in accordance with Section 3174(d)(4) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(D)Programs that combine workplace training with related instruction, which may include cooperative education programs.
(E)Training programs operated by the private sector.
(F)Skill upgrading and retraining.
(G)Entrepreneurial training.
(H)Transitional jobs in accordance with Section 3174(d)(5) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(I)Job readiness training provided in combination with any of the services described in subparagraphs (A) to (H), inclusive.
(J)Adult education and literacy activities provided in combination with any of the services described in subparagraphs (A) to (G), inclusive.
(K)Customized training conducted with a commitment by an employer or group of employers to employ an individual upon successful completion of the training.
(e)The identification of regions, including planning regions, for the purposes of Section 3121(a) of Title 29 of the United States Code, and the designation of local areas under Section 3121 of Title 29 of the United States Code, after consultation with local boards and chief elected officials.
(f)The development and continuous improvement of the one-stop delivery system in local areas, including providing assistance to local boards, one-stop operators, one-stop partners, and providers with planning and delivering services, including training services and supportive services, to support effective delivery of services to workers, job seekers, and employers.
(g)Recommending strategies to the Governor for strategic training investments of the Governors 15-percent discretionary funds.
(h)Developing strategies to support staff training and awareness across programs supported under the workforce development system.
(i)The development and updating of comprehensive state performance accountability measures, including state-adjusted levels of performance, to assess the effectiveness of the core programs in the state as required under Section 3141(b) of Title 29 of the United States Code. As part of this process the board shall do all of the following:
(1)Develop a workforce metrics dashboard, to be updated annually, that measures the states human capital investments in workforce development to better understand the collective impact of these investments on the labor market. The board shall determine the approach for measuring labor market impacts, provided that, to the extent feasible, the board uses statistically rigorous methodologies to estimate, assess, and isolate the impact of programs on participant outcomes. The workforce metrics dashboard shall be produced, to the extent feasible, using existing available data and resources that are currently collected and accessible to state agencies. The board shall convene workforce program partners to develop a standardized set of inputs and outputs for the workforce metrics dashboard. The workforce metrics dashboard shall do all of the following:
(A)Provide a status report on credential attainment, training completion, degree attainment, and participant earnings from workforce education and training programs. The board shall publish and distribute the final report.
(B)Provide demographic breakdowns, including, to the extent possible, race, ethnicity, age, gender, veteran status, wage and credential or degree outcomes, and information on workforce outcomes in different industry sectors.
(C)Measure, at a minimum and to the extent feasible with existing resources, the performance of the following workforce programs: community college career technical education, the Employment Training Panel, Title I and Title II of the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-220), Title I and Title II of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-128), Trade Adjustment Assistance, and state apprenticeship programs.
(D)Measure participant earnings in California, and to the extent feasible, in other states. The Employment Development Department shall assist the board by calculating aggregated participant earnings using unemployment insurance wage records, without violating any applicable confidentiality requirements.
(2)The State Department of Education is hereby authorized to collect the social security numbers of adults participating in adult education programs so that accurate participation in those programs can be represented in the workforce metrics dashboard. However, an individual shall not be denied program participation if the individual refuses to provide a social security number. The State Department of Education shall keep this information confidential, except, the State Department of Education is authorized to share this information, unless prohibited by federal law, with the Employment Development Department, the board, or the boards designee, who shall keep the information confidential and use it only to track the labor market and other outcomes described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of program participants in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and mandates, including all performance reporting requirements under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
(3)(A)Participating workforce programs, including, but not limited to, those specified in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1), shall provide participant data in a standardized format to the Employment Development Department, the board, or the boards designee.
(B)The Employment Development Department, the board, or the boards designee, shall aggregate data provided by participating workforce programs and shall report the data, organized by demographics, earnings, and industry of employment, to the board to assist the board in producing the annual workforce metrics dashboard.
(4)The board shall ensure that a designee has the technical and operational capability of meeting appropriate privacy and security requirements.
(j)The identification and dissemination of information on best practices, including best practices for all of the following:
(1)The effective operation of one-stop centers, relating to the use of business outreach, partnerships, and service delivery strategies, including strategies for serving individuals with barriers to employment.
(2)The development of effective local boards, which may include information on factors that contribute to enabling local boards to exceed negotiated local levels of performance, sustain fiscal integrity, and achieve other measures of effectiveness.
(3)Effective training programs that respond to real-time labor market analysis, that effectively use direct assessment and prior learning assessment to measure an individuals prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences, and that evaluate such skills, and competencies for adaptability, to support efficient placement into employment or career pathways.
(k)The development and review of statewide policies affecting the coordinated provision of services through the states one-stop delivery system described in Section 3151(e) of Title 29 of the United States Code, including the development of all of the following:
(1)Objective criteria and procedures for use by local boards in assessing the effectiveness and continuous improvement of one-stop centers described in Section 3151(e) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(2)Guidance for the allocation of one-stop center infrastructure funds under Section 3151(h) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(3)Policies relating to the appropriate roles and contributions of entities carrying out one-stop partner programs within the one-stop delivery system, including approaches to facilitating equitable and efficient cost allocation in such a system.
(l)The development of strategies for technological improvements to facilitate access to, and improve the quality of, services and activities provided through the one-stop delivery system, including such improvements to all of the following:
(1)Enhance digital literacy skills, as defined in Section 9101 of Title 20 of the United States Code, referred to in this division as digital literacy skills.
(2)Accelerate the acquisition of skills and recognized postsecondary credentials by participants.
(3)Strengthen the professional development of providers and workforce professionals.
(4)Ensure the technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities and individuals residing in remote areas.
(m)The development of strategies for aligning technology and data systems across one-stop partner programs to enhance service delivery and improve efficiencies in reporting on performance accountability measures, including the design and implementation of common intake, data collection, case management information, and performance accountability measurement and reporting processes and the incorporation of local input into such design and implementation, to improve coordination of services across one-stop partner programs.
(n)The development of allocation formulas for the distribution of funds for employment and training activities for adults, and youth workforce investment activities, to local areas as permitted under Sections 3163(b)(3) and 3173(b)(3) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(o)The preparation of the annual reports described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of Section 3141(d) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(p)The development of the statewide workforce and labor market information system described in Section 49l2(e) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(q)By July 1, 2020, the development, in conjunction with the Employment Development Department and with input from local workforce development boards, of a policy regarding mutual aid agreements between and among local workforce development boards to enable them to effectively respond to disasters and that is consistent with applicable state and federal law.
(r)The development of other policies as may promote statewide objectives for, and enhance the performance of, the workforce development system in the state.
(s)Helping individuals with barriers to employment, including low-skill, low-wage workers, the long-term unemployed, and members of single-parent households, achieve economic security and upward mobility by implementing policies that encourage the attainment of marketable skills relevant to current labor market trends.
(t)Evaluating program outcomes, including program participant outcomes for all grant programs administered by the California Workforce Development Board, regardless of funding source.
(u)(1)In partnership with the Department of Industrial Relations, the Civil Rights Department, and other subject matter experts, developing workplace rights curriculum, including, but not limited to, training about a workers rights and protections relative to wage theft, sexual harassment, discrimination, the right to organize, health and safety, and immigration enforcement, to be provided to all individuals receiving individualized career services, supportive services, or training services through the California workforce system, including, but not limited to, all individuals who receive either short-term prevocational services or who are engaged in workforce preparation activities.
(2)The curriculum developed pursuant to paragraph (1) shall specify all of the following:
(A)The timeline for the delivery of the training.
(B)The length of the training.
(C)The required qualifications for the training instructors.
(D)Where participants should direct legal questions.
(E)The process for maintaining a record of training attendees.
(3)In partnership with the Employment Development Department and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, ensuring that local workforce development boards and one-stop career center providers comply with subdivision (l) of Section 14206 and subparagraph (O) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 14230.
SEC. 2.Section 14206 of the Unemployment Insurance Code is amended to read:14206.Consistent with the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the local board shall do all of the following:
(a)In partnership with the chief elected official for the local area involved, develop and submit a local plan to the Governor that meets the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. If the local area is part of a planning region that includes other local areas, the local board shall collaborate with the other local boards and chief elected officials from such other local areas in the preparation and submission of a regional plan as described in the Workforce and Innovation and Opportunity Act.
(b)In order to assist in the development and implementation of the local plan, the local board shall do all of the following:
(1)Carry out analyses of the economic conditions in the region, the needed knowledge and skills for the region, the workforce in the region, and workforce development activities, including education and training, in the region described in Section 3123(b)(1)(D) of Title 29 of the United States Code, and regularly update such information.
(2)Assist the Governor in developing the statewide workforce and labor market information system described in Section 15(e) of the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. Sec. 49l2(e)), specifically in the collection, analysis, and utilization of workforce and labor market information for the region.
(3)Conduct such other research, data collection, and analysis related to the workforce needs of the regional economy as the board, after receiving input from a wide array of stakeholders, determines to be necessary to carry out its functions.
(c)Convene local workforce development system stakeholders to assist in the development of the local plan under Section 3123 of Title 29 of the United States Code and in identifying nonfederal expertise and resources to leverage support for workforce development activities. The local board, including standing committees, may engage such stakeholders in carrying out the functions described in this subdivision.
(d)Lead efforts to engage with a diverse range of employers and with entities in the region involved to do all of the following:
(1)Promote business representation, particularly representatives with optimal policymaking or hiring authority from employers whose employment opportunities reflect existing and emerging employment opportunities in the region, on the local board.
(2)Develop effective linkages, including the use of intermediaries, with employers in the region to support employer utilization of the local workforce development system and to support local workforce investment activities.
(3)Ensure that workforce investment activities meet the needs of employers and support economic growth in the region, by enhancing communication, coordination, and collaboration among employers, economic development entities, and service providers.
(4)Develop and implement proven or promising strategies for meeting the employment and skill needs of workers and employers, like the establishment of industry and sector partnerships, that provide the skilled workforce needed by employers in the region, and that expand employment and career advancement opportunities for workforce development system participants in in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
(e)With representatives of secondary and postsecondary education programs, lead efforts in the local area to develop and implement career pathways within the local area by aligning the employment, training, education, and supportive services that are needed by adults and youth, particularly individuals with barriers to employment.
(f)Lead efforts in the local area to accomplish both of the following:
(1)Identify and promote proven and promising strategies and initiatives for meeting the needs of employers, and workers and jobseekers, including individuals with barriers to employment, in the local workforce development system, including providing physical and programmatic accessibility, in accordance with Section 3248 of Title 29 of the United States Code, if applicable, and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.), to the one-stop delivery system.
(2)Identify and disseminate information on proven and promising practices carried out in other local areas for meeting these needs.
(g)Develop strategies for using technology to maximize the accessibility and effectiveness of the local workforce development system for employers, and workers and jobseekers, by doing all of the following:
(1)Facilitating connections among the intake and case management information systems of the one-stop partner programs to support a comprehensive workforce development system in the local area.
(2)Facilitating access to services provided through the one-stop delivery system involved, including facilitating the access in remote areas.
(3)Identifying strategies for better meeting the needs of individuals with barriers to employment, including strategies that augment traditional service delivery, and increase access to services and programs of the one-stop delivery system, such as improving digital literacy skills.
(4)Leveraging resources and capacity within the local workforce development system, including resources and capacity for services for individuals with barriers to employment.
(h)In partnership with the chief elected official for the local area, shall conduct oversight for local youth workforce investment activities as required under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, ensure the appropriate use and management of the funds as required under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and, for workforce development activities, ensure the appropriate use, management, and investment of funds to maximize performance outcomes as required under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
(i)Negotiate and reach agreement on local performance accountability measures, as described in Section 3141(c) of Title 29 of the United States Code, with the chief elected official and the Governor.
(j)Select and provide access to system operators, service providers, trainers, and educators, in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and applicable state laws, including all of the following:
(1)Consistent with Section 3151(d) of Title 29 of the United States Code, and with the agreement of the chief elected official for the local area, designate or certify one-stop operators as described in Section 3151(d)(2)(A) of Title 29 of the United States Code and terminate for cause the eligibility of these operators.
(2)Consistent with Section 3153 of Title 29 of the United States Code, identify eligible providers of youth workforce investment activities in the local area by awarding grants or contracts on a competitive basis, except as provided in Section 3153(b) of Title 29 of the United States Code, based on the recommendations of the youth standing committee, if such a committee is established for the local area and terminate for cause the eligibility of these providers.
(3)Consistent with Section 3152 of Title 29 of the United States Code and paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Section 14020, identify eligible providers of training services in the local area.
(4)If the one-stop operator does not provide career services described in Section 3174(c)(2) of Title 29 of the United States Code in a local area, identify eligible providers of those career services in the local area by awarding contracts.
(5)Consistent with Section 3152 of Title 29 of the United States Code and paragraphs (2) and (3) of Section 3174(c) of Title 29 of the United States Code, work with the state to ensure there are sufficient numbers and types of providers of career services and training services, including eligible providers with expertise in assisting individuals with disabilities and eligible providers with expertise in assisting adults in need of adult education and literacy activities, serving the local area and providing the services involved in a manner that maximizes consumer choice, as well as providing opportunities that lead to competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities.
(k)Consistent with the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, coordinate activities with education and training providers in the local area, including providers of workforce development activities, providers of adult education and literacy activities under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, providers of career and technical education, as defined in Section 2302 of Title 20 of the United States Code, and local agencies administering plans under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 720 et seq.), other than Section 112 or Part C of that Title (29 U.S.C. Sec. 732, 741).
(l)Ensure the provision of workplace rights training consistent with the curriculum developed pursuant to subdivision (u) of Section 14013 to all individuals receiving individualized career services, supportive services, or training services through the California workforce system, including, but not limited to, all individuals who receive either short-term prevocational services or who are engaged in workforce preparation activities.
SEC. 3.Section 14221 of the Unemployment Insurance Code is amended to read:14221.The local plan shall include all of the following:
(a)A description of the strategic planning elements consisting of each of the following:
(1)An analysis of the regional economic conditions, including, existing and emerging in-demand industry sectors and occupations and the employment needs of employers in those industry sectors and occupations.
(2)An analysis of the knowledge and skills needed to meet the employment needs of the employers in the region, including employment needs in in-demand industry sectors and occupations.
(3)An analysis of the workforce in the region, including current labor force employment and unemployment data, and information on labor market trends, and the educational and skill levels of the workforce in the region, including individuals with barriers to employment.
(4)An analysis of the workforce development activities, including education and training, in the region, including an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of such services, and the capacity to provide such services, to address the identified education and skill needs of the workforce and the employment needs of employers in the region.
(5)A description of the local board's strategic vision and goals for preparing an educated and skilled workforce, including youth and individuals with barriers to employment, including goals relating to the performance accountability measures based on primary indicators of performance described in Section 3141(b)(2)(A) of Title 29 of the United States Code in order to support regional economic growth and economic self-sufficiency.
(6)Taking into account analyses described in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, a strategy to work with the entities that carry out the core programs to align resources available to the local area, to achieve the strategic vision and goals described in paragraph (5).
(b)A description of the workforce development system in the local area that identifies the programs that are included in that system and how the local board will work with the entities carrying out core programs and other workforce development programs to support alignment to provide services, including programs of study authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), that support the strategy identified in the State Plan under Section 3112(b)(1)(E) of the Title 29 of the United States Code.
(c)A description of how the local board, working with the entities carrying out core programs, will expand access to employment, training, education, and supportive services for eligible individuals, particularly eligible individuals with barriers to employment, including how the local board will facilitate the development of career pathways and co-enrollment, as appropriate, in core programs, and improve access to activities leading to a recognized postsecondary credential, including a credential that is an industry-recognized certificate or certification, portable, and stackable.
(d)A description of the strategies and services that will be used in the local area in order to facilitate engagement of employers, including small employers and employers in in-demand industry sectors and occupations, in workforce development programs, support a local workforce development system that meets the needs of businesses in the local area, better coordinate workforce development programs and economic development, and strengthen linkages between the one-stop delivery system and unemployment insurance programs. This may include the implementation of initiatives such as incumbent worker training programs, on-the-job training programs, customized training programs, industry and sector strategies, career pathways initiatives, utilization of effective business intermediaries, and other business services and strategies, designed to meet the needs of employers in the corresponding region in support of the strategy described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a).
(e)A description of how the local board will coordinate workforce investment activities carried out in the local area with economic development activities carried out in the region in which the local area is located, or planning region, and promote entrepreneurial skills training and microenterprise services.
(f)A description of the one-stop delivery system in the local area, including all of the following:
(1)A description of how the local board will ensure the continuous improvement of eligible providers of services through the system and ensure that such providers meet the employment needs of local employers, and workers and jobseekers.
(2)A description of how the local board will facilitate access to services provided through the one-stop delivery system, including in remote areas, through the use of technology and through other means.
(3)A description of how entities within the one-stop delivery system, including one-stop operators and the one-stop partners, will comply with Section 3248 of Title 29 of the United States Code, if applicable, and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.) regarding the physical and programmatic accessibility of facilities, programs and services, technology, and materials for individuals with disabilities, including providing staff training and support for addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities.
(4)A description of the roles and resource contributions of the one-stop partners.
(g)A description and assessment of the type and availability of adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities in the local area.
(h)A description of how the local board will coordinate workforce investment activities carried out in the local area with statewide rapid response activities, as described in Section 3174(a)(2)(A) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(i)A description and assessment of the type and availability of youth workforce investment activities in the local area, including activities for youth who are individuals with disabilities, which description and assessment shall include an identification of successful models of such youth workforce investment activities.
(j)A description of how the local board will coordinate education and workforce investment activities carried out in the local area with relevant secondary and postsecondary education programs and activities to coordinate strategies, enhance services, and avoid duplication of services.
(k)A description of how the local board will coordinate workforce investment activities carried out under this article in the local area with the provision of transportation, including public transportation, and other appropriate supportive services in the local area.
(l)A description of plans and strategies for, and assurances concerning, maximizing coordination of services provided by the state employment service under the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. Sec. 49 et seq.) and services provided in the local area through the one-stop delivery system, to improve service delivery and avoid duplication of services.
(m)A description of how the local board will coordinate workforce investment activities carried out in the local area with the provision of adult education and literacy activities in the local area, including a description of how the local board will carry out, consistent with subparagraphs (A) and (B)(i) of Section 3122(d)(11) of Title 29 of the United States Code and Section 3322 of Title 29 of the United States Code, the review of local applications.
(n)A description of the replicated cooperative agreements, as defined in Section 3122(d)(11) of Title 29 of the United States Code between the local board or other local entities described in Section 101(a)(11)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 721(a)(11)(B)) and the local office of a designated state agency or designated state unit administering programs carried out under Title I of that act, other than Section 112 or Part C of that Title (29 U.S.C. Secs. 732 and 741) and subject to Section 3151(f) of Title 29 of the United States Code, in accordance with Section 101(a)(11) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 721(a)(11)) with respect to efforts that will enhance the provision of services to individuals with disabilities and to other individuals, such as cross training cross-training of staff, technical assistance, use and sharing of information, cooperative efforts with employers, and other efforts at cooperation, collaboration, and coordination.
(o)An identification of the entity responsible for the disbursal of grant funds described in Section 3122(d)(12)(B)(i)(III) of Title 29 of the United States Code, as determined by the chief elected official or the Governor under Section 3122(d)(12)(B)(i) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(p)A description of the competitive process to be used to award the subgrants and contracts in the local area for activities carried out pursuant to this act.
(q)A description of the local levels of performance negotiated with the Governor and chief elected official pursuant to Section 3141(c) of Title 29 of the United States Code, to be used to measure the performance of the local area and to be used by the local board for measuring the performance of the local fiscal agent, where appropriate, eligible providers, and the one-stop delivery system, in the local area.
(r)A description of the actions the local board will take toward becoming or remaining a high-performing board, consistent with the factors developed by the board pursuant to Section 3111(d)(6) of Title 29 of the United States Code. This federal requirement is separate and apart from state standards pertaining to the certification of high-performance local workforce development boards.
(s)A description of how training services will be provided in accordance with Section 3174(c)(3)(G) of Title 29 of the United States Code, including, if contracts for the training services will be used, how the use of such contracts will be coordinated with the use of individual training accounts and how the local board will ensure informed customer choice in the selection of training programs regardless of how the training services are to be provided.
(t)A description of the process used by the local board, consistent with subsection subdivision (d), to provide an opportunity for public comment, including comment by representatives of businesses and comment by representatives of labor organizations, and input into the development of the local plan, prior to submission of the plan.
(u)A description of how one-stop centers are implementing and transitioning to an integrated, technology-enabled intake and case management information system for programs carried out under this act and programs carried out by one-stop partners.
(v)A description of how the local board plans to comply with subdivision (l) of Section 14206.
(v)(w)Any other information as the Governor may require.
SEC. 4.Section 14230 of the Unemployment Insurance Code is amended to read:14230.(a)It is the intent of the Legislature that:
(1)California deliver comprehensive workforce services to jobseekers, students, and employers through a system of one-stop career centers.
(2)Services and resources target high-wage industry sectors with career advancement opportunities.
(3)Universal access to career services shall be available to adult residents regardless of income, education, employment barriers, or other eligibility requirements. Career services shall include, but not be limited to:
(A)Outreach, intake, and orientation to services available through the one-stop delivery system.
(B)Initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, and supportive service needs.
(C)Job search and placement assistance.
(D)Career counseling, where appropriate.
(E)Provision of labor market information.
(F)Provision of program performance and cost information on eligible providers of training services and local area performance measures.
(G)Provision of information on supportive services in the local area.
(H)Provision of information on the filing of claims for unemployment compensation benefits and unemployment compensation disability benefits.
(I)Assistance in establishing eligibility for welfare-to-work activities pursuant to Section 11325.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and financial aid assistance.
(J)Comprehensive and specialized assessments of skill levels and service needs, including learning disability screening.
(K)Development of individual employment plans.
(L)Counseling.
(M)Career planning.
(N)Short-term prevocational services to prepare an individual for training or employment.
(O)As part of any short-term prevocational services or workforce preparation activities, workplace rights training consistent with the curriculum developed pursuant to subdivision (u) of Section 14013 for all individuals receiving individualized career services, supportive services, or training services through the one-stop system.
(4)State and federally funded workforce education, training, and employment programs shall be integrated in the one-stop delivery system to achieve universal access to the career services described in paragraph (3).
(5)Training services shall be made available to individuals who have met the requirements for career services, have been unable to obtain or retain employment through career services, are in need of training services to obtain or retain employment that leads to economic self-sufficiency or wages comparable to, or higher than, wages from previous employment, have the skills and qualifications to successfully participate in the training, and have selected a program of services directly linked to occupations in demand in the local or regional area. Training services may include:
(A)Occupational skill training including training for nontraditional employment.
(B)On-the-job training.
(C)Programs that combine workplace training with related instruction.
(D)Training programs operated by the private sector.
(E)Skill upgrading and retraining.
(F)Entrepreneurial training.
(G)Incumbent worker training, in accordance with Section 134(d)(4) of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
(H)Transitional jobs, in accordance with Section 134(d)(5) of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
(I)Job readiness training, provided in combination with any service under subparagraphs (A) to (H), inclusive.
(J)Adult education and literacy activities, including vocational English as a second language, provided in combination with subparagraphs (A) through (G), inclusive.
(K)Customized training conducted by an employer or a group of employers or a labor-management training partnership with a commitment to employ an individual upon completion of the training.
(6)As prescribed in the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, adult recipients of public assistance, other low-income adults, and individuals who are basic skills deficient shall be given priority for training services and career services described in Section 134(d)(2)(A)(xii) of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
(b)Each local workforce development board shall establish at least one full service one-stop career center in the local workforce development area. Each full service one-stop career center shall have all entities required to be partners in Section 3151 of Title 29 of the United States Code as partners and shall provide jobseekers with integrated employment, education, training, and job search services. Additionally, employers will be provided with access to comprehensive career and labor market information, job placement, economic development information, performance and program information on service providers, and other such services as the businesses in the community may require.
(c)Local boards may also establish affiliated and specialized centers, as defined in the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, which shall act as portals into the larger local one-stop system, but are not required to have all of the partners specified for full service one-stop centers.
(d)Each local board shall develop a policy for identifying individuals who, because of their skills or experience, should be referred immediately to training services. To the extent permitted under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, this policy, along with the methods for referral of individuals between the one-stop operators and the one-stop partners for appropriate services and activities, shall be contained in the memorandum of understanding between the local board and the one-stop partners.
(e)(1)The California Workforce Development Board and each local board shall ensure that programs and services funded by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and directed to apprenticeable occupations, including preapprenticeship training, are conducted, to the maximum extent feasible, in coordination with one or more apprenticeship programs approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards for the occupation and geographic area. The California Workforce Development Board and each local board shall also develop a policy of fostering collaboration between community colleges and approved apprenticeship programs in the geographic area to provide preapprenticeship training, apprenticeship training, and continuing education in apprenticeable occupations through the approved apprenticeship programs.
(2)(A)The California Workforce Development Board and each local board also shall ensure, to the maximum extent feasible, that federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 funds respectively awarded by them for purposes of preapprenticeship training in the building and construction trades fund programs and services that do both of the following:
(i)Follow the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum implemented by the State Department of Education for its pilot project with California Partnership Academies.
(ii)Develop a plan for outreach and retention for women participants in the preapprenticeship program to help increase the representation of women in the building and construction trades.
(B)The California Workforce Development Board shall develop policies for the implementation of these provisions.
(f)In light of Californias diverse population, each one-stop career center should have the capacity to provide the appropriate services to the full range of languages and cultures represented in the community served by the one-stop career center.
SEC. 5.If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
|
Date
|
Status
|
|---|---|
| May 14, 2026 | May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. |
| May 8, 2026 | Set for hearing May 14. |
| Apr 13, 2026 | April 13 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file. |
| Mar 27, 2026 | Set for hearing April 13. |
| Mar 25, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 3690.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Mar 25, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Mar 16, 2026 | Set for hearing March 25. |
| Feb 26, 2026 | Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R. |
| Feb 18, 2026 | From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 20. |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. |
|
Date
|
Description
|
Location
|
Votes
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2026 | Placed on suspense file | Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations |
Passed |
|
| Mar 25, 2026 | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | Senate Standing Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
|
Organization
|
Position
|
Date
|
|---|---|---|
| Alianza Sacramento | ** Support | |
| Alliance for Boys and Men of Color | ** Support | |
| Black Business Association | ** Support | |
| Building Skills Partnership | ** Support | |
| CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative | ** Support | |
| Cal Asian Chamber of Commerce | ** Support | |
| California African American Chamber Of Commerce | ** Support | |
| California Immigrant Policy Center (Co-sponsor) | ** Support | |
| california opportunity youth network | ** Support | |
| Centro Community Hispanic Association (centro Cha Inc.) | ** Support | |
| Centro Laboral de Graton | ** Support | |
| Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce | ** Support | |
| Diversity in Health | ** Support | |
| Education and Leadership Foundation | ** Support | |
| El Sereno Chamber of Commerce | ** Support | |
| Excelsior Works | ** Support | |
| Filipino Advocates for Justice | ** Support | |
| Friends Committee On Legislation Of California | ** Support | |
| High Desert Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | ** Support | |
| Immigrants Rising | ** Support | |
| Inclusive Action for the City | ** Support | |
| Initiating Change in Our Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation Icon CDC | ** Support | |
| Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice | ** Support | |
| Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA) | ** Support | |
| Jakara Movement | ** Support | |
| Los Angeles Black Worker Center | ** Support | |
| Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation | ** Support | |
| Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator and Fellowship (LEEAF) | ** Support | |
| Orale: Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation, and Empowerment | ** Support | |
| Pilipino Worker Center (Co-sponsor) | ** Support | |
| Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | ** Support | |
| Sacramento Immigration Coalition | ** Support | |
| San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce | ** Support | |
| Street Level Health Project | ** Support | |
| UNITE-LA (Co-sponsor) | ** Support | |
| Vermont-Slauson Economic Development Corporation | ** Support | |
| vietnamese american chamber of commerce | ** Support | |
| Women's Economic Ventures | ** Support | |
| Working Partnerships USA | ** Support | |
| Worksafe | ** Support |
SENATE COMMITTEE ON
Senator Sabrina Cervantes, Chair
2025 - 2026 Regular Session
SB 1132 (Smallwood-Cuevas) - Workforce development: workplace rights training
Version: | Policy Vote: |
Urgency: | Mandate: |
Hearing Date: | Consultant: |
Bill Summary:
SB 1132 would require the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), in partnership with specified entities and other subject matter experts, to develop workplace rights curriculum, as specified, to be provided to all individuals receiving individualized career services, supportive services, or training services through the California workforce system.
Fiscal Impact:
- The Employment Development Department would incur one-time costs of $11,000, and $8 million in annual ongoing costs, to implement the provisions of the bill (General Fund).
- CWDB administrative costs would total $364,000 in 2026-27, $727,000 in 2027-28, $364,000 in 2028-29, and $242,000 annually thereafter (General Fund).
- The bill would not have a fiscal impact to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA).
- The Civil Rights Department (CRD) notes that its anticipated involvement and related workload resulting from the bill is not clear. If it requires only occasional review and feedback regarding the curriculum and related materials developed by CWDB, CRD anticipates that the fiscal impact would be minor and absorbable. However, if the department’s resulting workload were increased, CRD could require additional resources.
- The fiscal impact to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has yet to be determined (special fund).
- By imposing new requirements on local workforce development boards, this bill creates a state-mandated local program. To the extent the Commission on State Mandates determines that the provisions of this bill create a new program or impose a higher level of service on local agencies, local agencies could claim reimbursement of those costs. The magnitude is unknown, but could exceed $50,000 per year (General Fund).
Background:
CWDB is tasked with assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California’s workforce investment system. Among other things, CWDB’s purview is developing, implementing, and modifying California’s Unified Strategic State Plan (State Plan) to serve as the comprehensive framework and coordinated plan for the aligned investment of all federal and state workforce training and employment services funding streams and programs. CWDB works closely with local workforce development boards (LWDBs) to ensure statewide workforce efforts align with regional priorities and community needs.
The State has 45 LWDBs, each with a unique local context. Members of private sector business, organized labor, community-based organizations, local government agencies, and local education agencies comprise a LWDB’s membership. EDD, in partnership with LWDBs, oversee America’s Job Center of California (AJCC). AJCC is a one-stop shop for no-cost job and training services that helps connect employers with job openings to people who are looking for work. The AJCC is a network of local and state organizations, as well as private and public groups, working together to provide these services at no cost. Adults and displaced workers receive an initial assessment, job search and placement assistance, and career counseling at LWDBs.
Under current law, all California employers must meet specified workplace notice and posting obligations. At the time of hiring, employers are required to provide each nonexempt employee a written notice with, among other things, the following information: the rate of pay, the regular payday designated by the employer, the name, address, and telephone of the employer, information on sick leave, and the existence of a federal or state emergency or disaster declaration applicable to the county where the employee will be employed and that was issued within 30 days before the employee’s start date. Employees admitted under the H-2A agricultural visa program receive the above notification as well as a separate and distinct section containing non-duplicative information that succinctly describes an agricultural employee’s additional rights and protections under California law and regulations. Employers are able to use template notices prepared by the Labor Commissioner to fulfill the above requirements.
Additionally, newly hired employees must receive pamphlets on a variety of topics. Pamphlets provide further information on workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, paid family leave, sexual harassment, and the rights of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Employers can access required pamphlets on DIR’s and CRD’s websites.
Employers are also required to comply with workplace posting requirements. DIR requires employers to post information related to wages, hours, and working conditions in an area frequented by employees where the posting can be easily read during the workday. Workplace postings are usually available at no cost from the requiring agency. When posting content changes occur, DIR announces them on its website. In the absence of any changes, employers do not need to replace postings annually. Additional posting requirements may apply to some workplaces, depending on the industry.
Proposed Law:
This bill, among other things, would do the following:
- Require CWDB, in partnership with DIR, CRD, and other subject matter experts to develop workplace rights curriculum (as specified), including but not limited to, training about a worker’s rights and protections relative to wage theft, sexual harassment, discrimination, the right to organize, health and safety, and immigration enforcement, to be provided to all individuals receiving individualized career services, supportive services, or training services through the California workforce system, including, but not limited to, all individuals who receive either short-term prevocational services or who are engaged in workforce preparation activities.
- Require CWDB, in partnership with EDD and LWDA, to ensure that LWDBs and one-stop career center providers comply with the requirements of this bill.
- Require LWDB, among other things, to ensure the provision of workplace rights training is consistent with the curriculum developed pursuant to this bill.
Related Legislation:
- SB 294 (Reyes, Chapter 667, Statutes of 2025) (1) required employers to provide a stand-alone written notice annually to each employee informing them of their rights under state and federal law, as specified; (2) directed the Labor Commissioner to develop a template notice, as well as videos for employers and employees informing them of their responsibilities and rights, as specified; (3) required employers, if authorized by an employee, to contact an employee’s designated emergency contact if the employee is arrested or detained, as specified; and (4) authorized various penalties for noncompliant employers.
- SB 864 (Smallwood-Cuevas, 2023) was almost identical to this bill. It would have required CDWB to partner with the Labor Commissioner and other subject matter experts to develop a workplace rights curriculum to be taught through the state’s workforce system. The measure was help under submission on the Suspense file of this Committee.
- AB 800 (Ortega, Chapter 271, Statutes of 2024) designated the week of each year that includes April 28 as “Workplace Readiness Week” and required all public high schools to annually observe that week by providing information to pupils on their rights as workers and requires schools to provide students seeking a work permit a document clearly explaining basic labor rights.
- AB 636 (Kalra, Chapter 451, Statutes of 2023) required agricultural employers to provide employees at the time of hire, information on the existence of a federal or state disaster declaration applicable to the county or counties where the employee will be employed if the emergency or disaster may affect the employee’s health and safety during employment. It also required an H-2A visa employer to provide an employee, on their first day of work or upon transfer, the notice of basic employment related information with a separate section in Spanish, and if requested by the employee, in English, describing an agricultural employee’s rights and protections.
- SB 1270 (Eduardo Garcia, Chapter, 94, Statutes of 2015) made necessary changes to existing workforce development statutes to conform to the new federal guidelines under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) while preserving core elements of California’s workforce development policies. This bill updated statutory references to the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to instead refer to the WIOA and make related conforming changes. This bill also renamed the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) the California Workforce Development Board and revised the membership of the board. Finally, this bill renamed the local boards as local workforce development boards and revised their duties consistent with the federal WIOA.
- SB 118 (Lieu, Chapter 562, Statutes of 2013) required the former California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), now called CWDB, to incorporate specific principles into the State Plan that align the education and workforce investment systems of the state to the needs of the 21st century economy and promotes a well-educated and highly skilled workforce to meet the future workforce needs. SB 118 also established, with input from local workforce development boards and other stakeholders, initial and subsequent eligibility criteria for the WIOA Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) that effectively directs training resources into training programs leading to employment in high-demand, high-priority, and high-wage occupations, as specified.
Staff Comments:
EDD notes that the bill’s requirement to provide workplace rights training to every individual receiving services at an America’s Job Center of California applies broadly across the workforce system, and consequently, likely would create significant fiscal impacts for the majority of Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs funded under WIOA and participants in the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment Program (RESEA).
-- END --
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND RETIREMENT
Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Chair
2025 - 2026 Regular
Bill No: SB 1132 Hearing Date: March 25, 2026
Author: | Smallwood-Cuevas | ||
Version: | February 17, 2026 | ||
Urgency: | No | Fiscal: | Yes |
Consultant: | Jazmin Marroquin | ||
SUBJECT: Workforce development: workplace rights training
KEY ISSUE
This bill requires the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), in partnership with the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the Civil Rights Department (CRD), and other subject matter experts to develop workplace rights curriculum, as specified, to be provided to all individuals receiving individualized career services, supportive services, or training services through the California workforce system, as specified.
ANALYSIS
Existing federal law:
- Establishes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. (29 USC §3101-3361)
Existing state law:
- Creates the California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to make programs and services available to individuals with employment barriers. (Unemployment Insurance Code §14000 et seq.)
- Establishes the CWDB, under the purview of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA), as the body responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California’s workforce system, including its alignment to the needs of the economy and the workforce. (Unemployment Insurance Code §14010 et seq.)
- Requires the establishment of a local workforce development board (LWDB) in each local workforce development area of the state to, among other things, plan and oversee the workforce investment system. (Unemployment Insurance Code §§14200-14211)
- Requires each LWDB to develop and submit to the Governor a comprehensive four-year local plan in partnership with the appropriate chief local elected official, as specified. (Unemployment Insurance Code §§14220-14221)
- Establishes within DIR, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), to, among other things, propose, administer, and enforce occupational safety and health standards. (Labor Code §6300 et seq.)
- Requires employers to provide information to employees, as specified, including postings of information regarding protections and obligations of employees under occupational safety and health laws. (Labor Code §6408)
- Establishes within the DIR, various entities including the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement under the direction of the Labor Commissioner and empowers the Labor Commissioner with ensuring a just day’s pay in every workplace and promoting economic justice through robust enforcement of labor laws. (Labor Code §79-107)
- Requires employers, at the time of hire, to provide each employee with a written notice, in the language the employer normally uses to communicate employment-related information, containing the following:
- The rate(s) of pay and basis thereof, whether paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or otherwise, including any applicable overtime.
- Allowances, if any, including meal or lodging.
- The regular payday designated by the employer.
- The name of the employer, including any “doing business as” names used.
- The physical address of the employer’s main office or principal place of business, a mailing address, if different, and the telephone number.
- The name, address, and telephone number of the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
- The right to accrue and use sick leave and file a complaint against an employer that retaliates for the use of sick leave.
- Any other information the Labor Commissioner deems material and necessary. (Labor Code §2810.5)
- Requires every employer who is subject to an order of the Industrial Welfare Commission, regulating wages hours and working conditions, to post a copy of the order and keep it posted in a conspicuous location frequented by employees during the hours of the workday. (Labor Code §1183(d))
- Requires in each workplace of the employer, the employer to display a poster in a conspicuous place containing information on paid sick leave entitlement and usage, as specified. (Labor Code §247)
- Requires eligible employers to keep posted conspicuously at the place of work a notice on family care and medical leave, as specified. (California Code of Regulations §7297.9)
- Requires every employer to keep posted conspicuously at the place of work, if practicable, or otherwise where it can be seen as employees come and go to their places of work, or at the office or nearest agency for payment kept by the employer, a notice specifying the regular pay days and the time and place of payment. (Labor Code §207)
- Requires every employer subject to workers’ compensation, as specified, to post and keep posted in a conspicuous location frequented by employees, and where the notice may be easily read by employees during the hours of the workday, a notice that states the name of the current compensation insurance carrier of the employer, or when appropriate, that the employer is self-insured, and who is responsible for claims adjustment. (Labor Code §3550)
- Requires an employer to provide a notice to each current employee, by posting in the language the employer normally uses to communicate employment-related information to the employee, of any inspections of I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms or other employment records conducted by an immigration agency within 72 hours of receiving notice of the inspection. Written notice shall also be given within 72 hours to the employee’s authorized representative, if any. (Labor Code §90.2)
- Requires an employer to provide to each current affected employee, and to the employee’s authorized representative, if any, a copy of the written immigration agency notice that provides the results of the inspection of I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms or other employment records within 72 hours of its receipt of the notice, as specified. (Labor Code §90.2)
- Requires employers to provide a stand-alone written notice to each current employee and to each new employee upon hire, as specified. The notice must contain a description of workers’ rights in the following areas:
- The right to workers’ compensation benefits, including disability pay and medical care for work-related injuries or illness, as well as the contact information for the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
- The right to notice of inspection by immigration agencies pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 90.2.
- Protection against unfair immigration-related practices against a person exercising protected rights.
- The right to organize a union or engage in concerted activity in the workplace.
- Constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace, including an employee’s right under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and rights under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to due process and against self-incrimination.
- A description of new legal developments pertaining to laws enforced by the LWDA that the Labor Commissioner deems material and necessary. The Labor Commissioner shall include a list of those developments, if any, in the template notice, as specified.
- A list, developed by the Labor Commissioner, of the enforcement agencies that may enforce the underlying rights in the notice. The Labor Commissioner shall include this list in the template notice described, as specified. (Labor Code §1550 et seq.)
- Establishes in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, the CRD. The department is under the direction of an executive officer known as the Director of Civil Rights, who is appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and who holds office at the pleasure of the Governor. (Government Code §12900 et seq.)
- Requires all employers to display a poster on workplace discrimination and harassment. (Government Code §12950)
This bill:
- Requires CWDB, in partnership with DIR, the CRD, and other subject matter experts to develop workplace rights curriculum, including but not limited to, training about a worker’s rights and protections relative to wage theft, sexual harassment, discrimination, the right to organize, health and safety, and immigration enforcement, to be provided to all individuals receiving individualized career services, supportive services, or training services through the California workforce system, including, but not limited to, all individuals who receive either short-term prevocational services or who are engaged in workforce preparation activities.
- Requires the curriculum to specify all the following:
- The timeline for the delivery of the training.
- The length of the training.
- The required qualifications for the training instructors.
- Where participants should direct legal questions.
- The process for maintaining a record of training attendees.
- Requires CWDB, in partnership with the Employment Development Department (EDD) and LWDA, to ensure that LWDBs and one-stop career center providers comply with the requirements of this bill.
- Requires the LWDB, in consistent with the requirements of the WIOA, to, among other things, ensure the provision of workplace rights training is consistent with the curriculum developed pursuant to this bill.
- Requires the local plan to include, among other things, a description of the local board plans to comply with the requirements of the workplace rights training, as described.
- Provides that it is the intent of the Legislature that career services include, as part of any short-term prevocational services or workforce preparation activities, workplace rights training consistent with the curriculum developed, as specified, for all individuals receiving individualized career services, supportive services, or training services through the one-stop system.
COMMENTS
1. Background:
Workforce Development
The CWDB is the state entity tasked with assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California’s workforce investment system. Among other things, the CWDB is tasked with developing, implementing, and modifying California’s Unified Strategic State Plan (State Plan) to serve as the comprehensive framework and coordinated plan for the aligned investment of all federal and state workforce training and employment services funding streams and programs. CWDB works closely with LWDBs to ensure statewide workforce efforts align with regional priorities and community needs.
The State has 45 LWDBs, each with their unique local context. Members of private sector business, organized labor, community-based organizations, local government agencies, and local education agencies comprise a LWDB’s membership. EDD in partnership with LWDBs oversee America’s Job Center of California (AJCC). AJCC is a one-stop shop for no-cost job and training services that helps connect employers with job openings to people who are looking for work. The AJCC is a network of local and state organizations, as well as private and public groups, working together to provide these services at no cost. Adults and displaced workers receive an initial assessment, job search and placement assistance, and career counseling at LWDBs.
Workplace Notices and Postings
In California, all employers must meet specified workplace notice and posting obligations. At the time of hiring, employers are required to provide each nonexempt employee a written notice with, among other things, the following information: the rate of pay, the regular payday designated by the employer, the name, address, and telephone of the employer, information on sick leave, and the existence of a federal or state emergency or disaster declaration applicable to the county where the employee will be employed and that was issued within 30 days before the employee’s start date. Employees admitted under the H-2A agricultural visa program receive the above notification as well as a separate and distinct section containing non-duplicative information that succinctly describes an agricultural employee’s additional rights and protections under California law and regulations. Employers are able to use template notices prepared by the Labor Commissioner to fulfill the above requirements.
Additionally, newly hired employees must receive pamphlets on a variety of topics. Pamphlets provide further information on workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, paid family leave, sexual harassment, and the rights of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Employers can access required pamphlets on DIR’s and the CRD’s websites.
Employers are also required to comply with workplace posting requirements. DIR requires employers to post information related to wages, hours, and working conditions in an area frequented by employees where the posting can be easily read during the workday. Workplace postings are usually available at no cost from the requiring agency. When posting content changes occur, DIR announces them on its website. In the absence of any changes, employers do not need to replace postings annually. Additional posting requirements may apply to some workplaces, depending on the industry.
Additionally, SB 294 (Reyes, Chapter 667, Statutes of 2025), signed into law last year, requires beginning February 1, 2026, employers to provide a stand-alone written notice annually to each employee informing them of their rights under state and federal law. This includes the right to workers’ compensation benefits, including disability pay and medical care for work-related injuries or illness, as well as the contact information for the Division of Workers’ Compensation. The notice also includes the right to notice of inspection by immigration agencies within 72 hours of receiving notice of the inspection, protection against unfair immigration-related practices against a person exercising protected rights, and the right to organize a union or engage in concerted activity in the workplace. The notice includes a description of an employee’s constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace, including an employee’s right under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and rights under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to due process and against self-incrimination. Finally, the notice also contains a description of new legal developments pertaining to laws enforced by the LWDA that the Labor Commissioner deems material and necessary. The Labor Commissioner is required to develop a template notice, as well as videos for employers and employees informing them of their responsibilities and rights. Employers are required, if authorized by an employee, to contact an employee’s designated emergency contact if the employee is arrested or detained, if authorized by an employee.
Despite the above notification and posting requirements, many workers struggle to assert their rights in the workplace and navigate government assistance programs.
2. Need for this bill?
According to the author, “Without clear and accessible information about workplace protections and constitutional rights, workers may remain silent in the face of wage theft, unsafe working conditions, discrimination, or unlawful immigration enforcement activity. This harms workers and communities by depressing wages, undermining fair competition, and destabilizing household economic security. Existing laws provide valuable workplace rights and immigration enforcement rights education to high school students and workers. Unfortunately, a significant gap remains for individuals entering or reentering the workforce through the state’s workforce development system.
This bill requires that the CWDB, in partnership with the Department on Industrial Relations, the Civil Rights Department, and other subject matter experts, to develop a standardized workplace rights and immigrant know your rights curriculum for participants in the state’s workforce development system. By integrating rights education into workforce services, SB 1132 strengthens California’s workforce investments and promotes safe, fair, and lawful employment.”
3. Proponent Arguments:
According to a coalition of supporters, including the California Immigrant Policy Center, UNITE-LA, and Pilipino Worker Center, co-sponsors of the bill:
“One important service that the workforce development system is currently not required to provide to job seekers and future workers is information about their labor and immigration rights. Recent laws have been passed requiring high schools and employers to provide students and employees information about their labor and constitutional rights, respectively. However, a significant gap remains as job seekers and future workers are excluded from the existing framework of KYR [Know Your Rights] education. California boasts some of the country’s strongest workers’ rights laws on issues ranging from wage theft to retaliation, health and safety, and harassment. Educating people who are about to enter or reenter the workforce about these laws helps both workers and employers feel recognized and empowered in the workplace.
Workers’ rights education is workforce development. When this is more broadly accepted, it will lead to stronger workplaces and increased economic gains for our communities and the state.”
4. Opponent Arguments:
None received.
5. Prior Legislation:
SB 294 (Reyes, Chapter 667, Statutes of 2025) (1) required employers to provide a stand-alone written notice annually to each employee informing them of their rights under state and federal law, as specified; (2) directed the Labor Commissioner to develop a template notice, as well as videos for employers and employees informing them of their responsibilities and rights, as specified; (3) required employers, if authorized by an employee, to contact an employee’s designated emergency contact if the employee is arrested or detained, as specified; and (4) authorized various penalties for noncompliant employers.
SB 864 (Smallwood-Cuevas, 2023) is almost identical to this bill. It would have required CDWB to partner with the Labor Commissioner and other subject matter experts to develop a workplace rights curriculum to be taught through the state’s workforce system. Held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 800 (Ortega, Chapter 271, Statutes of 2024) designated the week of each year that includes April 28 as “Workplace Readiness Week” and required all public high schools to annually observe that week by providing information to pupils on their rights as workers and requires schools to provide students seeking a work permit a document clearly explaining basic labor rights.
AB 636 (Kalra, Chapter 451, Statutes of 2023) required agricultural employers to provide employees at the time of hire, information on the existence of a federal or state disaster declaration applicable to the county or counties where the employee will be employed if the emergency or disaster may affect the employee’s health and safety during employment. It also required an H-2A visa employer to provide an employee, on their first day of work or upon transfer, the notice of basic employment related information with a separate section in Spanish, and if requested by the employee, in English, describing an agricultural employee’s rights and protections.
SB 1270 (Eduardo Garcia, Chapter, 94, Statutes of 2015) made necessary changes to existing workforce development statutes to conform to the new federal guidelines under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) while preserving core elements of California’s workforce development policies. This bill updated statutory references to the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to instead refer to the WIOA and make related conforming changes. This bill also renamed the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) the California Workforce Development Board and revised the membership of the board. Finally, this bill renamed the local boards as local workforce development boards and revised their duties consistent with the federal WIOA.
SB 118 (Lieu, Chapter 562, Statutes of 2013) required the former California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), now called the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), to incorporate specific principles into the State Plan that align the education and workforce investment systems of the state to the needs of the 21st century economy and promotes a well-educated and highly skilled workforce to meet the future workforce needs. SB 118 also established, with input from local workforce development boards and other stakeholders, initial and subsequent eligibility criteria for the WIOA Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) that effectively directs training resources into training programs leading to employment in high-demand, high-priority, and high-wage occupations, as specified.
AB 469 (Swanson, Chapter 665, Statutes of 2011) among other things, required an employer to provide each employee, at the time of hiring, with a notice that specifies the rate and the basis, whether hourly, salary, commission, or otherwise, of the employee’s wages and to notify each employee in writing of any changes to the information set forth in the notice within seven calendar days of the changes unless such changes are reflected on a timely wage statement or another writing, as specified.
SUPPORT
California Immigrant Policy Center (Co-sponsor)
UNITE-LA (Co-sponsor)
Pilipino Worker Center (Co-sponsor)
Alianza Sacramento
Alliance for Boys and Men of Color
Black Business Association
Building Skills Partnership
CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative
Cal Asian Chamber of Commerce
California African American Chamber of Commerce
California Opportunity Youth Network
Centro Community Hispanic Association (Centro Cha Inc.)
Centro Laboral De Graton
Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce
Diversity in Health
Education and Leadership Foundation
El Sereno Chamber of Commerce
Excelsior Works
Filipino Advocates for Justice
Friends Committee on Legislation of California
High Desert Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Immigrants Rising
Inclusive Action for the City
Initiating Change in Our Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation Icon CDC
Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Instituto De Educacion Popular Del Sur De California (IDEPSCA)
Jakara Movement
Los Angeles Black Worker Center
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator and Fellowship (LEEAF)
Orale: Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation, and Empowerment
Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Sacramento Immigration Coalition
San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce
Street Level Health Project
Vermont-Slauson Economic Development Corporation
Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce
Women's Economic Ventures
Working Partnerships USA
Worksafe
OPPOSITION
None received.
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Discussed in Hearing
Senate Standing Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):