KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to California

SB-1065 • 2026

Public works: apprenticeship.

Public works: apprenticeship.

Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Wiener
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on record-keeping or registration requirements for apprentices, so these claims were removed.

Public Works Apprenticeship Rules

The bill updates apprenticeship rules for public works projects, allowing apprentices more responsibilities and changing how certain trades are classified as apprenticeable.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows every apprentice to perform any of the tasks or duties of a journeyperson in their craft or trade based on work guidelines set by the Director of Industrial Relations.
  • Changes the definition of 'apprenticeable craft or trade' from being determined by the California Apprenticeship Council to being identified as an apprenticeable occupation by the Director of Industrial Relations under existing public works law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Apprentices working on public construction projects
  • Contractors who hire apprentices for public work

Terms To Know

Journeyperson
A skilled worker in a trade who has completed an apprenticeship and is fully trained.
Apprenticeable craft or trade
A job that can have apprentices working on it, as decided by certain rules.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many apprentices must be hired for each project.
  • It is unclear if there will be changes to the Labor Enforcement and Compliance Fund beyond nonsubstantive updates.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

  2. 2026-03-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  3. 2026-02-26 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  4. 2026-02-13 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 15.

  5. 2026-02-12 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1065, as amended, Wiener.
Property service workers.
Public works: apprenticeship.
Existing law requires payment of the general prevailing rate of per diem wages be paid to workers employed on public works, except as specified, and generally requires a contractor or subcontractor to be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations to be qualified to bid on, to be listed in a bid proposal, or to engage in the performance of any public work contract. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt rules and regulations for this purpose.
Existing law requires contractors on public works projects to comply with various requirements for employing apprentices. Among other things, existing law requires contractors to pay the prevailing rate of per diem wages for apprentices in the trade to which the apprentice is registered and to employ
apprentices only at the work of the craft or trade to which the apprentice is registered, as specified.
This bill would authorize every apprentice to perform any of the tasks or duties of a journeyperson of the same craft or trade in accordance with the scope of work for the craft or trade established by the Director of Industrial Relations.
Existing law also requires contractors on public works projects that employ workers in an apprenticeable craft or trade to employ apprentices in a specified ratio. Existing law defines “apprenticeable craft or trade” for this purpose to mean a craft or trade determined as an apprenticeable occupation in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the California Apprenticeship Council.
This bill would, instead, define
“apprenticeable craft or trade” to mean a craft or trade as determined by the Director of Industrial Relations pursuant to existing public works law that is identified as an apprenticeable occupation in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the California Apprenticeship Council.
Existing law establishes within the Department of Industrial Relations the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement under the direction of the Labor Commissioner and requires the division to enforce provisions relating to employment of property service workers. Existing law requires an employer, as defined, to keep accurate records of certain information regarding its employees for 3 years, and to register with the commissioner annually. Existing law imposes civil penalties on an employee for failure to register with the commissioner. Existing law requires all registration fees and civil fines collected pursuant to these provisions to be deposited in the Labor Enforcement and Compliance Fund.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF