SB-703 • 2026

Ports: truck drivers.

Crime Education Labor Taxes

Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor: Richardson
Last action: 2026-03-02
Official status: Veto sustained.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on specific penalties for non-compliance, only mentioning civil penalties in certain contexts.

Ports: Truck Driver Information Requirements

This law requires trucking companies and independent drivers to provide specific information to the Port of Long Beach or the Port of Los Angeles, including tax withholding details for employees. It also mandates ports to publish certain data about trucks entering their facilities.

What This Bill Does

Requires trucking companies to give a port a sworn statement that they are taking out taxes from employee wages.
Makes independent drivers provide information to the port if not classified as an employee by a company.
Needs ports to share more details with the Labor Commissioner upon request.
Requires ports to publish on their websites every quarter, data about trucks entering during the previous three months.

Who It Names or Affects

Trucking companies operating at the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles
Independent truck drivers working with these ports
Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles

Terms To Know

Port: The Port of Long Beach or the Port of Los Angeles.
Employee: A person who works for a company and is classified as such under state law.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill was vetoed by the governor, but it could be overridden later.
The bill does not specify what happens if companies or drivers do not comply with the new requirements.

Bill History

2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
Veto sustained.
2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
Stricken from file.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Vetoed by the Governor.
2025-09-23 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-13 California Legislative Information
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 8. Page 3025.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-12 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-12 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 66. Noes 10. Page 3399.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (August 29).
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 1.) (July 14).
2025-06-26 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.
2025-06-16 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L. & E.
2025-06-12 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Coms. on L. & E. and TRANS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.
2025-06-09 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and L. & E.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1396.) 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 1210.) (May 23).
2025-05-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-12 California Legislative Information
May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-06 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 12.
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 4. Noes 1. Page 967.) (April 30).
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-04-11 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 30.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L., P.E. & R. (Ayes 11. Noes 3. Page 711.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 8.
2025-03-13 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Coms. on TRANS. and L., P.E. & R.
2025-03-13 California Legislative Information
Withdrawn from committee.
2025-03-12 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and TRANS.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
Read first time.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 703, Richardson.
Ports: truck drivers.
Existing law regulates the operation of ports and harbors. Existing law requires a person providing labor or services for remuneration to be considered an employee rather than an independent contractor unless the hiring entity demonstrates that certain conditions are satisfied, including that the person is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact.
This bill would require a trucking company, and a truck driver who is not classified as an employee by a trucking company, to provide to a port, defined to mean the Port of Long Beach or the Port of Los Angeles, certain information,
including, with respect to a trucking company, a sworn affirmation by the trucking company that the trucking company is withholding all required taxes from the wages of any truck driver who is considered an employee under state law, as specified. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require, beginning January 1, 2027, that information to be made publicly available by the port. The bill would require a trucking company to update a port within 30 days of a change to its operation that results in more than 50% of its employees
being replaced by independent contractors and would impose a civil penalty of $5,000 for failure to do so. The bill would make a person who provides false or misleading information for the purpose of representing compliance with those requirements liable for a civil penalty of $20,000, as prescribed.
This bill would require, beginning January 1, 2027, a port, on a quarterly basis, to publish on its internet website specified information regarding each truck that entered the port during the prior quarter. The bill would require a port, upon request of the Labor Commissioner, to provide to the Labor Commissioner additional information in the possession of the port
regarding a truck that entered the port.
By imposing new duties on a port, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs
so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF