Podcast - What’s Next After Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Veto in California?
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In 2024, Californian workers faced a tempered legislative and judicial climate following an exciting election cycle from 2024. The California State Legislature and Governor Newsom have adjourned a legislative session that...more
Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (“SB”) 1350, which expands the definition of employment to include some household domestic employees who work through agencies. SB 1350 will go into effect on July 1, 2025....more
On December 18, 2024, Governor Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency to streamline and expedite the state’s response to Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as “Bird Flu.” This may give many employers flashbacks to the...more
On September 27, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law legislation that requires the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to submit a draft rulemaking proposal to revise the California Code...more
On September 27, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law legislation that will enhance current healthcare safety regulations by requiring hospitals to implement weapons detection screening and personnel...more
Cal/OSHA regulates employee safety at places of employment. Historically, household domestic services were excluded from the definition of a “place of employment” and therefore Cal/OSHA’s jurisdiction. With a swish of his...more
Back in 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 606 into law. We noted in our blog post that the law would “broadly expand[] Cal/OSHA’s enforcement authority and the penalty amounts employers may be assessed.” Cal/OSHA has...more
Starting July 1, 2024, all employers in California with more than 10 employees are now required to implement comprehensive workplace violence policies....more
The deadline is fast approaching for California employers to comply with a new state law on workplace violence. Employers by July 1, 2024, must have in place a workplace violence prevention plan, or WVPP, that covers a long...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that he has appointed Debra Lee as the new Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the Department of Industrial Relations (also known as Cal/OSHA). Lee, a...more
In 2023, the California Legislature enacted a first-of-its-kind workplace violence prevention law that, unlike other workplace violence laws that apply to specific industries only (such as healthcare), applies across all...more
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) published a model workplace violence prevention plan and fact sheets for applicable industries to help employers comply with SB 553. As we noted in our 2023...more
On September 30, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 553 (“SB 553”) into law. Among other things, the new legislation added section 6401.9 to the California Labor Code (“Section 6401.9”), which requires that virtually...more
As we reported in October, nearly all California employers must develop and adopt a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan and implement related employee training as part of their existing Cal/OSHA Injury and Illness...more
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a flurry of new bills at the end of the legislative session, including numerous bills that will impact employers across various industries across the state. Some of the key changes...more
Workplace safety and health hazards have traditionally been associated with unsafe work practices and hazardous conditions but violent acts committed in the workplace are a growing concern. On September 30, 2023, Governor...more
Now that California's 2023 legislative session has closed and the governor's October 14 deadline to sign or veto new legislation has passed, California employers should take note of a handful of new California laws that will...more
On September 30, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 553 into law, establishing a new written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (“WVPP”) requirement for nearly all California employers. The WVPP requirement, which becomes...more
On September 30, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill (SB) No. 686, legislation that would have extended California’s existing occupational safety and health laws and regulations to the domestic service...more
On September 11, 2023, the coalition of California businesses announced its agreement with labor unions to withdraw their referendum challenging Assembly Bill (AB) 257, which created the FAST Recovery Act, from next year’s...more
On February 7, 2023, California Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-16) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) No. 521, which calls on the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to submit a rulemaking...more
California is an epicenter of environmental policymaking and often a harbinger of laws and regulations adopted throughout the country, and there’s no reason to think this will change in 2023. Beveridge & Diamond closely...more
Almost three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state regulators are taking steps to prepare for a longer term response to COVID-19. Here are five developments to keep in mind: 1. The Definitions of “Close...more
Over the past few months, California lawmakers and regulators have considered several significant changes to California’s COVID-19 workplace requirements for 2023 and beyond. On Sept. 29, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2693...more
With the 2022 California legislative year closed, it is once again time to examine the new legislation that will affect entities operating within the state. Summaries of key legislation are below, with relevant action items...more