California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California SB 400
Labor: elective compensation under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Cortese (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary
Existing law, with certain exceptions, establishes 8 hours as a day's work and a 40-hour workweek, and requires payment of prescribed overtime compensation for additional hours worked. Existing law requires a person who unlawfully withholds wages due an employee, as provided, to be subject to specified civil penalties. Existing law charges the Labor Commissioner with enforcement of these provisions.
Existing law makes every person who fails to pay the wages of each employee subject to a specified penalty. Existing law requires the penalty to either be recovered by an employee as a statutory penalty or by the Labor Commissioner as a civil penalty, as prescribed.
Existing law defines "public works," for purposes of regulating public works contracts, as, among other things, construction, alteration, demolition, installation, or repair work done under contract and paid for, in whole or in part, out of public funds. Existing law further requires that, except as specified, not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages be paid to workers employed on public works and imposes misdemeanor penalties for a violation of this requirement. Existing law provides that for the purposes of provisions of law relating to the payment of prevailing wages, "public works" includes specified types of construction, alteration, demolition, installation, and repair work.
Existing law, the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004, authorizes an aggrieved employee to recover through a civil action a civil penalty that may be assessed and collected by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, as specified.
This bill would, until January 1, 2029, authorize a taxpayer, employer, contractor, or subcontractor to make an elective retroactive wage payment, as defined, to workers who performed work on a qualified renewable clean energy facility pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) if certain requirements are met, including, among others, that the facility is not a public works project, as defined, and would not otherwise be subject to the Davis-Bacon Act, as specified. The bill would specify that those provisions do not apply to, among others, violations of any other provision of law unrelated to the payment of retroactive prevailing wage correction payments in connection with the application for federal tax benefits pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The bill would limit that authorization to renewable energy facility construction or repairs commenced on or after January 1, 2023, that were completed on or before December 31, 2024.
The bill would make related findings and declarations.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Text versions
- 10/01/25 - Chaptered· Oct 1, 2025
- 09/17/25 - Enrolled· Sep 17, 2025
- 09/03/25 - Amended Assembly· Sep 3, 2025
- 08/21/25 - Amended Assembly· Aug 21, 2025
- 06/30/25 - Amended Assembly· Jun 30, 2025
- 06/23/25 - Amended Assembly· Jun 23, 2025
- 04/07/25 - Amended Senate· Apr 7, 2025
- 03/27/25 - Amended Senate· Mar 27, 2025
- 02/14/25 - Introduced· Feb 14, 2025
- SB400
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 4:19 PM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2025 Senate | Unfinished Business SB400 Cortese Urgency Clause Concurrence | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Sep 11, 2025 House | SB 400 Cortese Third Reading Urgency By Calderon | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Aug 28, 2025 House | SB 400 Cortese Consent Calendar Second Day | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Aug 20, 2025 House | Do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jul 9, 2025 House | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| May 8, 2025 Senate | Consent Calendar 2nd | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 22, 2025 Senate | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar | pass | Set your home in California to see |
Actions
- Oct 1, 2025 · Legislature
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 220, Statutes of 2025. - Oct 1, 2025 · Legislature
Approved by the Governor. - Sep 23, 2025 · Legislature
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. - Sep 12, 2025 · Senate
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 2968.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. - Sep 12, 2025 · Senate
Urgency clause adopted. - Sep 12, 2025 · Senate
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending. - Sep 11, 2025 · House
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3277.) Ordered to the Senate. - Sep 3, 2025 · House
(Corrected September 18.) - Sep 3, 2025 · House
Ordered to third reading. - Sep 3, 2025 · House
Read third time and amended. - Sep 2, 2025 · House
Ordered to third reading. - Sep 2, 2025 · Senate
Action rescinded whereby bill was read third time, Urgency clause adopted, passed, and ordered to the Senate. - Aug 29, 2025 · House
In Assembly. Held at Desk. - Aug 29, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to the Assembly. - Aug 29, 2025 · Senate
Action rescinded whereby bill was re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). - Aug 29, 2025 · Senate
Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). - Aug 28, 2025 · Senate
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending. - Aug 28, 2025 · House
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 2778.) Ordered to the Senate. - Aug 25, 2025 · House
Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. - Aug 21, 2025 · House
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. - Aug 20, 2025 · House
From committee: Do pass as amended. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 20). - Jul 10, 2025 · House
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Jun 30, 2025 · House
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L. & E. - Jun 27, 2025 · House
Re-referred to Coms. on L. & E. and JUD. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. - Jun 24, 2025 · House
July 7 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author. - Jun 23, 2025 · House
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS. - May 19, 2025 · House
Referred to Com. on TRANS. - May 8, 2025 · House
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. - May 8, 2025 · Senate
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 1050.) Ordered to the Assembly. - May 6, 2025 · Senate
Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar. - May 5, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar. - Apr 25, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing May 5. - Apr 23, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0. Page 842.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Apr 8, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing April 22. - Apr 7, 2025 · Senate
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS. - Apr 3, 2025 · Senate
April 8 hearing postponed by committee. - Apr 1, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing April 8. - Mar 27, 2025 · Senate
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS. - Mar 13, 2025 · Senate
March 25 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author. - Mar 11, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing March 25. - Feb 26, 2025 · Senate
Referred to Com. on TRANS. - Feb 18, 2025 · Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 17. - Feb 14, 2025 · Senate
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.