SB-238 • 2026

Workplace surveillance tools.

Labor Privacy

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: 2026-06-11
Official status: From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Workplace surveillance tools.

SB 238, as amended, Smallwood-Cuevas.

What This Bill Does

SB 238, as amended, Smallwood-Cuevas.
Workplace surveillance tools.
Existing law establishes the Department of Industrial Relations in the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to administer and enforce various laws relating to employment and working conditions.
This bill would require an employer a business, as defined, to annually provide a notice to the department of all the workplace surveillance tools the employer is using in the workplace.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-06-11 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
July 16 hearing postponed by committee.
2025-07-14 California Legislative Information
Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.
2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
July 8 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-06-26 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-06-09 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and P. & C.P.
2025-06-04 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 1473.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1192.) (May 23).
2025-05-20 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-19 California Legislative Information
May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-09 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 19.
2025-05-01 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 938.) (April 29).
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 870.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt.
2025-04-04 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 23.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD.
2025-03-26 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-02-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-01-30 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 1.
2025-01-29 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 238, as amended, Smallwood-Cuevas.
Workplace surveillance tools.
Existing law establishes the Department of Industrial Relations in the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to administer and enforce various laws relating to employment and working conditions.
This bill would require
an employer
a business, as defined,
to annually provide a notice to the department of all the workplace surveillance tools the employer is using in the workplace. The bill would require the notice to include, among other information,
the personal information that will be collected from workers and consumers and whether they will have the option of opting out of the collection of personal information. The bill would require the department to make the notice publicly available on the department’s internet website within 30 days of receiving the notice. The bill would define “employer” to include, among other entities, public employers, as
specified.
a list of the workplace surveillance tools being used that surveil employees and the categories of information being collected on employees by the workplace surveillance. The bill would also require a business to send the notice to employees and any union that represents employees of the business. The bill would make a business that violates these provisions subject to a civil penalty of $500 per violation.
This bill would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2029, compiling the above-described notices provided by businesses. The bill would require that the report include, among other requirements, a breakdown of notices by industry type.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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