Employees: bereavement leave.

Children Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Durazo
Last action: 2026-04-20
Official status: April 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Bereavement Leave for Employees

This law makes it illegal for employers to refuse an employee's request for up to five days of bereavement leave after the death of a family member or a designated person, and protects employees from discrimination related to this leave.

What This Bill Does

Makes it against the rules for bosses to deny workers' requests for up to five days off when a family member dies.
Adds people chosen by workers as 'designated persons' to the list of those whose death can get bereavement leave.
Limits workers to naming one designated person every 12 months for bereavement leave purposes.

Who It Names or Affects

Employees who need time off after a family member or designated person dies.
Employers who must follow the rules about giving bereavement leave.

Terms To Know

Family member: A close relative, like parents, children, siblings, and grandparents.
Designated person: Someone an employee chooses to be treated the same as a family member for bereavement leave purposes.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if an employer violates these rules.
It is unclear how this law will affect small businesses or self-employed individuals.

Bill History

2026-04-20 California Legislative Information
April 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2026-04-10 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 20.
2026-04-09 California Legislative Information
April 13 hearing postponed by committee.
2026-04-02 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 13.
2026-03-26 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-03-25 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (March 25).
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing March 25.
2026-02-26 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2026-02-19 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 21.
2026-02-18 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1149, as amended, Durazo.
Employees: bereavement leave.
Existing law makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to refuse to grant a request by any employee to take up to 5 days of bereavement leave upon the death of a family member, as defined, to refuse to hire, or to discharge, demote, fine, suspend, expel, or discriminate against, an individual because of the individual’s exercise of the right to bereavement leave or because of the individual’s giving information or testimony as to their own or another person’s bereavement leave, or to interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any of these rights, as specified.
This bill would include a designated person
identified by the employee, as specified,
in the definition of “family member”
and authorize an employer to limit an employee to one designated person per 12-month period
for purposes of these provisions relating to bereavement leave.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF