AB-2495 • 2026

Unlawful immigration-related practices.

Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Kalra
Last action: 2026-04-21
Official status: Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms, covered laws and regulations, or the effective date.

Unlawful Immigration-Related Practices

This law expands the definition of unfair immigration-related practices to include preventing someone from exercising their legal rights under local, state, or federal laws and regulations applicable to employees.

What This Bill Does

Expands the definition of unfair immigration-related practices to include actions that prevent a person from exercising any right protected by local, state, or federal laws and regulations applicable to employees.
Adds penalties for employers or other people who engage in unfair immigration-related practices that dissuade someone from using their legal rights based on actual or perceived immigration status.
Prohibits employers or others from engaging in conduct related to a person’s real or perceived immigration status that would discourage reasonable persons from exercising their legal rights.

Who It Names or Affects

Employers
Employees

Terms To Know

Unfair immigration-related practice: Actions that prevent someone from using their legal rights based on their real or perceived immigration status.
Civil penalty: A fine imposed by the government for breaking a law.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how it will be enforced.
It is unclear what specific local, state, or federal laws and regulations are covered under this legislation.
The effective date of the bill has not been determined yet.

Bill History

2026-04-21 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2026-04-20 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.
2026-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2026-04-07 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on L. & E.
2026-04-06 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. & E. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-23 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and JUD.
2026-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2026-02-20 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2495, as amended, Kalra.
Unlawful immigration-related practices.
Existing law prohibits an employer or any other person from engaging in, or directing another person to engage in, an unfair immigration-related practice against a person for the purpose of, or with the intent of, retaliating against any person for exercising a right protected under state labor and employment laws or under a local ordinance applicable to employees, as specified.
This bill would expand the above-described provision to include preventing a person from exercising any right protected under those laws or ordinances.
Existing
law defines “unfair immigration-related practice” for these purposes to include, among other things, threatening to file or filing a false police report.
Existing
law authorizes a civil action for equitable relief and damages or penalties, as specified, by an employee or other person who is the subject of an unfair immigration-related practice.
This bill would
define “unfair immigration-related practice”
expand the above-described prohibition
to
also
include
retaliating against any person for exercising any right under any local, state, or federal statute or regulation applicable to employees and would prohibit preventing a person from exercising such a right. The bill would also prohibit an employer or any other person from
engaging in any other conduct, related to any person’s
real
actual
or perceived immigration status, that would dissuade a reasonable person from engaging in conduct that the person has a legal right to engage in under
any
local, state, or federal statute or
regulation,
regulation applicable to employees,
or to induce a reasonable person to engage in conduct that the person has a legal right to abstain from under any local, state, or federal statute or
regulation.
regulation applicable to employees.
The bill would make an employer
or other person
who violates these provisions liable for a civil penalty not exceeding $10,000 per employee
or person
for each violation, as specified. The bill would also make related and conforming changes to these provisions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF