California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California SB 238
Workplace surveillance tools.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Smallwood-Cuevas (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary
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 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, 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.
Text versions
- 06/11/26 - Amended Assembly· Jun 11, 2026
- 05/01/25 - Amended Senate· May 1, 2025
- 03/26/25 - Amended Senate· Mar 26, 2025
- 01/29/25 - Introduced· Jan 29, 2025
- SB238
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 4:04 AM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 2025 House | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jun 3, 2025 Senate | 3rd Reading SB238 Smallwood-Cuevas | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| May 23, 2025 Senate | Do pass | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| May 19, 2025 Senate | Placed on suspense file | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 29, 2025 Senate | Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 23, 2025 Senate | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
Actions
- Jul 1, 2026 · House
July 1 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author. - Jun 11, 2026 · House
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P. - Jul 16, 2025 · House
July 16 hearing postponed by committee. - Jul 14, 2025 · House
Joint Rule 62(a) suspended. - Jul 9, 2025 · House
July 8 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author. - Jun 26, 2025 · House
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. - Jun 9, 2025 · House
Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and P. & C.P. - Jun 4, 2025 · House
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. - Jun 3, 2025 · Senate
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 1473.) Ordered to the Assembly. - May 23, 2025 · Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - May 23, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1192.) (May 23). - May 20, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing May 23. - May 19, 2025 · Senate
May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file. - May 9, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing May 19. - May 1, 2025 · Senate
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Apr 30, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 938.) (April 29). - Apr 23, 2025 · Senate
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. - Apr 9, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt. - Apr 4, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing April 23. - Apr 2, 2025 · Senate
Re-referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD. - Mar 26, 2025 · Senate
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. - Feb 5, 2025 · Senate
Referred to Com. on RLS. - Jan 30, 2025 · Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 1. - Jan 29, 2025 · Senate
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.