AB-1564 • 2026

Employer-employee relations: confidential communications.

Education Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Ahrens
Last action: 2026-05-27
Official status: In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Details regarding the specific exemptions for safety officers under investigation are not fully provided in the official source material.

Confidential Communications Between Employees and Representatives

This law stops public employers from asking employees about private talks with their representatives, unless it's for a criminal investigation or specific safety officer cases.

What This Bill Does

Prevents public employers from questioning employees about confidential communications with employee representatives.
Stops public employers from forcing employees to share these private conversations with others.
Does not apply when there is a criminal investigation involved.

Who It Names or Affects

Public employees
Representatives of recognized employee organizations
Exclusive representatives
Public employers

Terms To Know

Confidential communications: Private conversations between an employee and their representative that are not meant to be shared with others.
Recognized employee organization: A group of employees officially acknowledged by the employer as representing workers' interests.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not apply in cases involving criminal investigations.
There are specific exemptions for safety officers under investigation, but details about these circumstances are limited.

Bill History

2026-05-27 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2026-05-26 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 65. Noes 4.)
2026-05-19 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-05-18 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 14).
2026-05-06 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2026-03-18 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 18). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-02-26 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. E. & R. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.
2026-02-26 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.
2026-02-25 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.
2026-02-02 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on B. & P.
2026-01-13 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee February 12.
2026-01-12 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1564, as amended, Ahrens.
Employer-employee relations: confidential communications.
Existing law that governs the labor relations of public employees and employers, including, among others, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the Ralph C. Dills Act, provisions relating to public schools, and provisions relating to higher education prohibits employers from taking certain actions relating to employee organization, including imposing or threatening to impose reprisals on employees, discriminating or threatening to discriminate against employees, or otherwise interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees because of their exercise of their guaranteed rights. Those provisions of existing law further prohibit denying to employee organizations the rights guaranteed to them by existing law.
This bill would prohibit a public employer from questioning a public employee, a representative of
a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation. The bill would also prohibit a public employer from compelling a public employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative to disclose those confidential communications to a third party. The bill would not apply to a criminal investigation or when a public safety officer is under investigation and certain circumstances exist.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF