California New Laws and Compliance Deadlines: 2026 Guide

By the GovBuddy team · Last reviewed September 18, 2026

Quick Answer

California’s major 2026 employer compliance deadlines under the Workplace Know Your Rights Act have already passed, but the obligations behind them have not. The February 1 deadline for the SB 294 workplace rights notice and the March 30 deadline to give existing employees an opportunity to designate an emergency contact are now behind us. Those requirements continue for new hires, and the written workplace rights notice must also be provided annually. The Labor Commissioner has also published the employer and worker videos required under SB 294.

On the legislative side, the California Legislature completed its final bill-passage deadline on August 31, 2026. The next major statewide legislative date is September 30, 2026, the deadline for the Governor to sign or veto bills passed before September 1 that are in the Governor’s possession on or after September 1. That means organizations now have two jobs: stay current with laws already in force, and watch the bills on the Governor’s desk that could create new requirements for 2027.

Table of contents

1. Quick reference: California compliance and legislative deadlines for 2026
2. What do “new bills compliance deadlines” mean in California?
3. SB 294: the deadlines have passed, but the obligations continue
4. How many years can an employee sue for pay discrimination under SB 642?
5. What changed in California WARN Act notices?
6. Other California laws already affecting 2026
7. Where California’s 2026 legislative calendar stands now
8. The next major date: September 30, 2026
9. What happens after September 30?
10. California compliance checklist for the rest of 2026

Quick reference: California compliance and legislative deadlines for 2026

The California Senate calendar confirms August 31 as the final day for each house to pass bills, and September 30 as the Governor’s deadline for bills passed before September 1 and in the Governor’s possession on or after September 1.

What do “new bills compliance deadlines” mean in California?

A bill becoming law is only part of the story. For employers, associations, regulated organizations and public-affairs teams, the practical question is usually: what changed, when does it apply, and what do we need to do about it?

Some laws become effective on January 1. Others establish a specific date for a notice, filing, policy update, training requirement or other action. Some provisions phase in later. That is why California new-bill compliance deadlines need to be viewed in two directions.

First, there are laws already in force that organizations need to comply with today. Second, there are bills moving through the legislative process that may create the next set of requirements.

For 2026, several important employment-law changes came from legislation enacted in 2025, including SB 294, SB 642 and SB 617. At the same time, bills passed by the Legislature in 2026 are now moving through the final stage of the process before the September 30 Governor deadline.

SB 294: the deadlines have passed, but the obligations continue

SB 294, the Workplace Know Your Rights Act, added Labor Code sections 1550 through 1559. It created several obligations for California employers.

February 1, 2026: workplace rights notice

On or before February 1, 2026, employers were required to provide a stand-alone written workplace rights notice to each current employee. That was not a one-time requirement.

The law requires the notice to be provided annually to current employees and to each new employee upon hire. Employers must also keep records showing compliance with the notice requirement for three years, including the date each notice was provided or sent. The Labor Commissioner provides a notice template in multiple languages.

March 30, 2026: emergency-contact opportunity

Employers also had to give existing employees the opportunity to name an emergency contact no later than March 30, 2026. Employees must be able to indicate whether that person should be notified if the employee is arrested or detained at the worksite, or in certain circumstances while working away from the worksite.

For employees hired after March 30, the opportunity must be provided at the time of hiring. Employees must also be allowed to update the information during their employment. That makes this an ongoing onboarding requirement rather than something employers could address once and forget.

What are the SB 294 penalties?

The law provides for penalties of up to $500 per employee for violations. For violations of the emergency-contact provisions in Labor Code section 1555, the penalty can reach up to $500 per employee for each day the violation occurs, subject to a maximum of $10,000 per employee.

Organizations that missed one of the original dates should review their current compliance rather than assuming the issue disappeared when the deadline passed.

The SB 294 training videos are now available

SB 294 required the Labor Commissioner to develop separate videos for employees and employers by July 1, 2026. Those videos are now available through the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, including employer and worker versions in English and Spanish.

Employers should note that the video does not replace the written notice required under the statute. The law allows an employer to provide a link to or show the employee video in addition to the required written notice.

How many years can an employee sue for pay discrimination under SB 642?

SB 642 changed California’s Equal Pay Act rules beginning January 1, 2026. A civil action to recover wages under the relevant Equal Pay Act provisions may now generally be commenced no later than three years after the last date the cause of action occurs. The law also provides that an employee may obtain relief for the period in which a violation existed, subject to a maximum of six years.

SB 642 also changed California’s pay-transparency rules. For purposes of job postings, “pay scale” now means a good-faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage range the employer reasonably expects to pay for the position upon hire. Employers with 15 or more employees remain required to include the pay scale in job postings.

The legislation also defines wages and wage rates broadly for purposes of the Equal Pay Act, including forms of compensation such as salary, overtime, bonuses, stock, stock options, profit sharing and certain benefits. For employers, this makes accurate job-posting ranges and documented compensation practices increasingly important.

One recordkeeping distinction is worth noting: the six-year potential recovery period is not itself a six-year record-retention requirement. Labor Code section 432.3 requires employers to retain job-title and wage-rate history for the duration of employment plus three years, while section 1197.5 requires specified equal-pay records to be kept for three years.

What changed in California WARN Act notices?

SB 617 changed the information that must be included in notices under the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act. The existing 60-day notice requirement remains. What changed is some of the required content.

A covered notice must now state whether the employer plans to coordinate services through the local workforce development board, through another entity, or does not plan to coordinate services. The notice must also include contact information for the local workforce development board, prescribed information concerning rapid-response services, information about CalFresh, and functioning contact information for the employer.

Organizations considering a covered mass layoff, relocation or termination should make sure they are working from a notice template that reflects the current version of Labor Code section 1401.

Other California laws already affecting 2026

SB 294, SB 642 and SB 617 are not the only laws organizations may need to consider. The legislation that matters depends heavily on the industry, workforce and type of organization involved.

Employment contracts: AB 692

For contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, AB 692 restricts specified employment terms that make a worker owe a debt, penalty, fee or cost because the worker’s employment or work relationship ends. The law includes specific exceptions, so organizations using training-repayment, bonus-repayment or similar arrangements should review the actual statutory requirements rather than treating every repayment agreement the same way.

Gratuities: SB 648

SB 648 gives the Labor Commissioner express authority to investigate and issue citations or file a civil action involving gratuities taken or withheld in violation of Labor Code section 351.

Frontier model transparency: SB 53

SB 53 created California’s Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act. Its primary requirements apply to frontier model developers and include transparency, reporting and whistleblower-related provisions. The legislation is particularly relevant to organizations operating at the frontier-model level rather than ordinary businesses that simply use artificial intelligence software.

Housing and land use: SB 79

SB 79 established major transit-oriented housing provisions. Certain provisions began applying to local agencies on July 1, 2026, subject to exceptions and additional implementation rules, while other enforcement provisions begin January 1, 2027.

These examples are not a complete list of California laws effective in 2026. The important question for any organization is which enacted laws actually touch its operations.

Where California’s 2026 legislative calendar stands now

Earlier in 2026, the May 29 house-of-origin deadline was one of the most important filters in the legislative calendar. That date has now passed. Bills then moved through the second house, policy and fiscal committees, and the final floor period.

On August 31, 2026, the Legislature reached the final day for each house to pass bills. Final recess began upon adjournment.

So the question is no longer which bills will survive the Legislature? The immediate question is which bills sent to the Governor will become law?

The next major date: September 30, 2026

September 30 is now the date to watch. Under the California Senate’s official 2026 legislative calendar, September 30 is the last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills that were passed by the Legislature before September 1 and that are in the Governor’s possession on or after September 1.

That distinction matters. September 30 should not be described as a blanket deadline for every bill under every circumstance. It is the constitutional end-of-session deadline for the qualifying bills described above.

For organizations tracking legislation, this is when months of committee hearings, amendments and floor votes can turn into actual statutory requirements. A bill that matters to your organization may soon move from “something to watch” to “something to implement.”

For a deeper explanation of the deadline, see California Governor Bill-Signing Deadline 2026: The September 30 Tracker.

What happens after September 30?

Once the Governor has completed action on end-of-session legislation, organizations can stop tracking proposals as proposals and start reviewing enacted laws for implementation. That means looking for:

• effective dates;
• delayed or phased implementation dates;
• rulemaking requirements;
• notice or reporting deadlines;
• changes to existing policies or forms;
• sector-specific requirements; and
• operational changes that need to be completed before 2027.

Many statutes enacted during a regular session become effective on the following January 1, although urgency statutes and laws containing their own operative dates can follow different timelines.

The practical compliance window therefore does not begin on January 1. For many organizations, it begins when the Governor signs the bill.

California compliance checklist for the rest of 2026

Requirements already in force

• Confirm that the SB 294 workplace rights notice has been distributed as required and incorporated into new-hire onboarding.
• Confirm that existing employees were given the SB 294 emergency-contact opportunity and that new hires receive it at hiring.
• Maintain the required SB 294 notice records.
• Review the now-published SB 294 employer and worker videos from the Labor Commissioner.
• Review job-posting templates and compensation practices against SB 642.
• Confirm that pay-scale ranges represent a good-faith estimate of what the employer reasonably expects to pay upon hire.
• Review California WARN notice templates against the requirements added by SB 617.

Preparing for 2027

• Identify bills affecting your organization that reached the Governor.
• Track whether each bill is signed or vetoed.
• For signed bills, record the effective and operative dates rather than assuming every provision begins January 1.
• Identify any regulations, agency guidance or implementation materials required by the new law.
• Assign responsibility internally before a compliance deadline becomes urgent.
• Recheck the status of important legislation after the September 30 Governor deadline.

Track California bills before they become compliance deadlines

Compliance work becomes much easier when the first time you hear about a new requirement is not the day it takes effect.

GovBuddy Connect Plus brings California bill tracking, advanced bill search, saved bills and searches, bill groups, hearing alerts, legislative process tracking and legislative contacts into one place. That gives government-affairs, association and regulated-industry teams a way to follow legislation while it is moving, then stay with it as amendments, hearings and deadlines change.

For teams that need deeper legislative intelligence and outreach capabilities, GovBuddy Engage builds on that foundation with additional tools including recorded events, bill comparison, legislative intelligence and outreach capabilities.

See GovBuddy Connect Plus · Explore GovBuddy Engage

Frequently asked questions

What are the major California compliance deadlines for 2026?

Important 2026 dates include the February 1 SB 294 workplace rights notice deadline, the March 30 SB 294 emergency-contact deadline, and the July 1 deadline for the Labor Commissioner to develop employer and worker videos. On the legislative calendar, August 31 was the final day for each house to pass bills, and September 30 is the Governor’s action deadline for qualifying end-of-session bills.

What is the SB 294 deadline in California?

The initial workplace rights notice had to be provided to current employees by February 1, 2026. Existing employees also had to be offered the opportunity to designate an emergency contact by March 30, 2026. Both requirements created ongoing obligations. The workplace rights notice must be provided annually and upon hire, while employees hired after March 30 must be given the emergency-contact opportunity at the time of hiring.

Are the SB 294 training videos available?

Yes. The California Labor Commissioner has published employer and worker videos relating to SB 294. DLSE currently provides employer and worker versions in English and Spanish.

What is the next major California legislative deadline in 2026?

The next major statewide legislative date is September 30, 2026. It is the last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature before September 1 that are in the Governor’s possession on or after September 1.

When do California laws passed in 2026 take effect?

There is no single answer for every law. Many statutes enacted during a regular session take effect on January 1 following enactment, but urgency statutes and legislation containing specific operative dates may take effect on a different schedule. Always check the final chaptered version of the legislation.

How long can an employee bring a California Equal Pay Act wage claim under SB 642?

SB 642 generally allows a civil action to recover wages to be commenced no later than three years after the last date the cause of action occurs. The statute allows relief for the period in which the violation existed, up to six years.

What did SB 617 change?

SB 617 added information that covered employers must include in California WARN notices, including information about workforce-development services, CalFresh and employer contact information. It did not replace the existing 60-day California WARN notice requirement.

Why track bills before they become law?

The period before a bill becomes law gives organizations time to understand what may change, identify affected operations, follow amendments and prepare for potential implementation. Once legislation is chaptered, the focus moves from tracking a proposal to meeting the actual effective dates and requirements contained in the final law.

Sources

• California State Senate, 2026 Legislative Calendar and Deadlines
• California Legislative Information, SB 294 — Workplace Know Your Rights Act
• California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Workplace Know Your Rights resources and SB 294 videos
• California Legislative Information, SB 642 — Employment: payment of wages
• California Legislative Information, SB 617 — California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act
• California Legislative Information, AB 692 — Employment: contracts in restraint of trade
• California Legislative Information, SB 648 — Employment: gratuities: enforcement
• California Legislative Information, SB 53 — Artificial intelligence models: large developers
• California Legislative Information, SB 79 — Housing development: transit-oriented development

This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.