Worker classification: employees and independent contractors: athletic coaches.

Education Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Alvarado-Gil
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on how 'sports coach' is defined in this context.

Worker Classification: Athletic Coaches

This law changes how athletic coaches at private schools or local educational agencies are classified as employees or independent contractors.

What This Bill Does

Changes the rules for classifying sports coaches who work at private elementary and secondary schools or local education agencies.
Adds a new exemption to let these coaches be treated differently from other workers when deciding if they are employees or independent contractors.

Who It Names or Affects

Sports coaches working at private elementary and secondary schools.
Sports coaches working for local educational agencies.

Terms To Know

ABC test: A set of rules used to decide if a worker is an employee or an independent contractor.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when it will take effect.
It only changes the classification for sports coaches in private schools and local educational agencies, not public schools or other types of workers.

Bill History

2026-02-02 California Legislative Information
Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2026-01-13 California Legislative Information
January 14 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author.
2026-01-06 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing January 14.
2026-01-05 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-04-29 California Legislative Information
April 30 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-04-11 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 30.
2025-04-07 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-03-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
2025-02-20 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 527, as amended, Alvarado-Gil.
Worker classification: employees and independent contractors: athletic coaches.
Existing law, as established in the case of Dynamex Operations W. v. Superior Court (2018) 4 Cal.5th 903 (Dynamex), creates a presumption that a worker who performs services for a hirer is an employee for purposes of claims for wages and benefits arising under wage orders issued by the Industrial Welfare Commission. Existing law requires a 3-part test, commonly known as the “ABC” test, to determine if workers are employees or independent contractors for those purposes.
Existing law establishes that, for purposes of the Labor Code, the Unemployment Insurance Code, and the wage orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission, a person providing labor or services for remuneration is considered an employee rather than an independent contractor unless the hiring entity demonstrates that the person is free from the control and direction of the hiring
entity in connection with the performance of the work, the person performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business, and the person is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business. This test is known as the “ABC” test, as described above. Existing law charges the Labor Commissioner with the enforcement of labor laws, including worker classification.
Existing law exempts specified occupations and business relationships from the application of the ABC test described above. Existing law, instead, provides that these exempt relationships are governed by the multifactor test previously adopted in the case of S. G. Borello & Sons, Inc. v. Department of Industrial Relations (1989) 48 Cal.3d.
This bill would extend the above-specified exemption to a sports coach for an elementary or secondary private school or local
education
educational
agency, as prescribed, and would define terms, including “sports coach,” for these purposes.

Current Bill Text

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