Back to California

SB-854 • 2026

Unemployment insurance.

Unemployment insurance.

Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement (S) - (Senators Smallwood-Cuevas (Chair), Cortese, Durazo, Laird, and Strickland)
Last action
2025-10-01
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 240, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide a specific effective date for the bill.

Unemployment Insurance Changes

This law updates the definition of 'mail' in the Unemployment Insurance Code to include electronic transmissions.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'mail', 'mailing', or 'mailed' to include a writing transmitted by the United States Postal Service, other common mail carriers, and electronic transmission.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who receive or apply for unemployment benefits in California.
  • Employers who communicate with state agencies about unemployment insurance issues.

Terms To Know

Unemployment Insurance Code
The set of laws that govern how unemployment insurance works in the state.
Electronic transmission
Sending information through digital means like email or online forms.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify which electronic methods are allowed.
  • The exact date this law will start is not given in the summary.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 240, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

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

  4. 2025-08-28 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-08-28 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 2777.) Ordered to the Senate.

  6. 2025-08-21 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  7. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 20).

  8. 2025-07-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  9. 2025-05-19 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on INS.

  10. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  11. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 984.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  12. 2025-04-29 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  13. 2025-04-28 California Legislative Information

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

  14. 2025-04-17 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 28.

  15. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

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

  16. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 740.) (April 9).

  17. 2025-03-26 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 9.

  18. 2025-03-12 California Legislative Information

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

  19. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after April 4.

  20. 2025-03-04 California Legislative Information

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

Official Summary Text

SB 854, Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement.
Unemployment insurance.
Existing law, the Unemployment Insurance Code, governs unemployment insurance in the state, including, among other things, the administration of unemployment and disability compensation. Existing law defines various terms for purposes of the code.
This bill would define “mail,” “mailing,” or “mailed” to include a writing transmitted by the United States Postal Service or other common mail carrier or by electronic transmission, as specified.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Download Bill PDF