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SB-1241 • 2026

Skilled and trained workforce requirements.

Skilled and trained workforce requirements.

Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Smallwood-Cuevas
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
April 13 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific dates or details on when and how many projects will be affected by this law.

Rules for Skilled Workers on Public Projects

This law expands the requirements for using skilled workers in public projects, including development agreements and resolutions, and sets stricter penalties for non-compliance.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands when certain requirements apply to agreements and laws related to development projects.
  • Requires monthly reports from contractors showing they are using skilled workers as required.
  • Does not allow the Labor Commissioner to reduce penalties for incomplete or missing monthly reports.
  • Sets higher penalties if a contractor does something wrong after getting a warning notice.
  • Defines new terms like 'substantial compliance plan' and 'material misrepresentation'.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public entities that need skilled workers for projects
  • Contractors working on public projects
  • Labor Commissioner who enforces these rules

Terms To Know

substantial compliance plan
A plan to fix problems and meet the requirements of using skilled workers.
material misrepresentation
An important false statement or misleading information given by a contractor.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when it will go into effect.
  • It is unclear how many public projects this law will affect.
  • There are no details on the exact penalties for violations.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 California Legislative Information

    April 13 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  2. 2026-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 13.

  3. 2026-03-26 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. 2026-03-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (March 25).

  5. 2026-03-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing March 25.

  6. 2026-03-04 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

  7. 2026-02-20 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.

  8. 2026-02-19 California Legislative Information

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

Official Summary Text

SB 1241, as amended, Smallwood-Cuevas.
Skilled and trained workforce requirements.
Existing law establishes requirements with respect to public contracts that apply when a public entity is required by statute or regulation to obtain an enforceable commitment that a bidder, contractor, or other entity will use a skilled and trained workforce to complete a contract or project, as specified. Existing law requires a public entity subject to skilled and trained workforce requirements to include a specified notice in all bid documents. Existing law specifies that a failure of a public entity to include the required notice that a project is subject to the skilled and trained workforce requirement does not excuse a public entity from those requirements.
This bill would expand the circumstances under which those requirements apply to specified instruments and laws, including development agreements and resolutions, as provided. The
bill would make various technical and conforming changes.
Existing law requires a contractor or bidder, among others, to submit a monthly report to the public entity while the project or contract is being performed demonstrating compliance with skilled and trained workforce requirements, as specified. Existing law authorizes the Labor Commissioner to assess specified civil penalties against a contractor or subcontractor for a violation of the skilled and workforce requirements, and authorizes reduction or waiver of a penalty for specified conditions. Among these conditions is whether a contractor or subcontractor submitted and followed a plan to achieve substantial compliance with the skilled and trained workforce requirements.
This bill would prohibit the Labor Commissioner from waiving penalties for an incomplete or absent monthly compliance report and a material misrepresentation. The bill would impose the highest
penalty for violations of skilled and trained workforce requirements committed after a noncompliance notice, as specified. The bill would expand the conditions that the Labor Commissioner should consider when setting a monetary penalty for failure to use a skilled and trained workforce,
including
including, for the first violation in the prior 3 years,
whether a contractor or subcontractor submitted and followed a substantial compliance plan to remedy noncompliance. The bill
defines
would define
various terms for these purposes, including “substantial compliance plan” and “material misrepresentation.”
Existing law provides that if the Labor Commissioner finds a contractor or subcontractor to be in violation of the skilled and trained workforce requirements with the intent to defraud, the contractor or subcontractor, among others, is ineligible to bid on or be awarded a public works contract, as specified.
This bill would, instead, provide that whenever a contractor or subcontractor is found by the Labor Commissioner to have committed a material representation under the skilled and trained workforce requirements, the contractor or subcontractor, among others, is ineligible to bid on or be awarded a public works contract, as specified. The bill would require the Labor Commissioner to accept
and timely investigate
complaints from a labor-management committee, as provided, alleging a skilled and trained workforce violation by a contractor or
subcontractor.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Download Bill PDF