California Employment: Technological Displacement Notice Act (SB 951, Cal/WARN AI layoffs)

Properties

jurisdiction: US, California
level: state
domain: hiring
status: enacted-pending
scope: Amends California's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (Cal/WARN) framework to address layoffs caused by artificial intelligence or automated technology.
obligations: Employers must notify affected workers, the Employment Development Department and local officials 60 days before layoffs caused by AI or automation take effect, with notices detailing the job functions being automated. EDD must publish summaries of notices and quarterly statewide technological displacement reports, and submit a legislative report by January 1, 2028 on AI effects on business hiring practices.
enactedDate: 2026-09-30
appliesTo: California employers conducting layoffs attributable to AI or automated technology; the Employment Development Department
officialUrl: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/californias-nation-leading-ai-framework-just-got-stronger-governor-newsom-signs-more-first-in-the-nation-worker-protections-and-more/
notes: Signed by Governor Newsom on September 30, 2026: the Governor's AI signing release lists SB 951 (Eloise Gomez Reyes, Employment: technological displacement notice). Chapter 860, Statutes of 2026, the 60-day notice duty and the EDD reporting duties rest on the CalMatters Digital Democracy aggregator alone (leginfo returned 403; bill text not seen). Operative date not confirmed, so effectiveDate is null; the aggregator's $500 per day civil penalty was not confirmed, so penalties is null. Distinct from ca-sb947-no-robo-bosses-2026 and ca-crc-ads-employment-regs.

Properties

jurisdiction

US, California

level

state

domain

hiring

status

enacted-pending

scope

Amends California's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (Cal/WARN) framework to address layoffs caused by artificial intelligence or automated technology.

obligations

Employers must notify affected workers, the Employment Development Department and local officials 60 days before layoffs caused by AI or automation take effect, with notices detailing the job functions being automated. EDD must publish summaries of notices and quarterly statewide technological displacement reports, and submit a legislative report by January 1, 2028 on AI effects on business hiring practices.

enactedDate

2026-09-30

appliesTo

California employers conducting layoffs attributable to AI or automated technology; the Employment Development Department

officialUrl

https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/californias-nation-leading-ai-framework-just-got-stronger-governor-newsom-signs-more-first-in-the-nation-worker-protections-and-more/

notes

Signed by Governor Newsom on September 30, 2026: the Governor's AI signing release lists SB 951 (Eloise Gomez Reyes, Employment: technological displacement notice). Chapter 860, Statutes of 2026, the 60-day notice duty and the EDD reporting duties rest on the CalMatters Digital Democracy aggregator alone (leginfo returned 403; bill text not seen). Operative date not confirmed, so effectiveDate is null; the aggregator's $500 per day civil penalty was not confirmed, so penalties is null. Distinct from ca-sb947-no-robo-bosses-2026 and ca-crc-ads-employment-regs.