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SB-693 • 2026

Employees: meal periods.

Employees: meal periods.

Energy Labor
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Cortese
Last action
2025-07-30
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 95, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on the exact conditions for exceptions other than water corporation employees.

Meal Breaks for Employees

The law requires employers to provide workers with at least a 30-minute meal break if they work more than five hours in one day, except for employees of water corporations.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires employers to provide employees with at least a 30-minute meal period if they work over 5 hours in one day.
  • Adds an exception for employees working for water corporations.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Employers who have workers for more than five hours a day
  • Employees working over five hours without an exception

Terms To Know

Meal period
A break during work when employees can eat and rest.
Water corporation
A company that provides water services to customers.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the exact conditions under which exceptions apply for certain occupations.
  • The effective date is not provided in the summary text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-07-30 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 95, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-07-30 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-07-25 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.

  4. 2025-07-17 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-07-17 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 2595.) Ordered to the Senate.

  6. 2025-07-10 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  7. 2025-07-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 9).

  8. 2025-06-26 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  9. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on L. & E.

  10. 2025-05-15 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  11. 2025-05-15 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 34. Noes 0. Page 1091.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  12. 2025-05-13 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  13. 2025-05-12 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar.

  14. 2025-05-02 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 12.

  15. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 967.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  16. 2025-04-11 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 30.

  17. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

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

  18. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  19. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.

  20. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 693, Cortese.
Employees: meal periods.
Existing law generally prohibits an employer from employing an employee for a work period of more than 5 hours per day without providing the employee with a meal period of not less than 30 minutes. Existing law creates exceptions from this prohibition for employees in specified occupations, including employees of an electrical corporation, a gas corporation, or a local publicly owned electric utility covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement meeting certain conditions. Existing law charges the Labor Commissioner with enforcement of these provisions.
This bill would also create an exception from the above-described prohibition for employees of a water corporation, as defined.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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