Keenan Briefings

Briefing

California P&C Legislative Summary: 2026 Start of Session

The second year of the 2025-2026 legislative cycle is well underway. In 2026, approximately 1,800 new bills were introduced, 600 of which have been labeled as “spot bills” and are likely to change during the committee sessions.

As the committee sessions commence, the last day for each house to pass their respective bills is August 31. As such, the last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature is September 30.

Below are some of the bills that have been newly introduced this session. If you have any questions or would like more information on any of the legislation described in this briefing, please contact your Keenan Management Analysts.

Artificial Intelligence

AB 1883 – Workplace Surveillance Tools

This bill regulates an employer’s use of workplace surveillance tools and the use of worker data. The employer would be prohibited from using certain tools that incorporate facial, gait, or emotion recognition technology. An employer’s violation may result in a civil penalty of $500.

AB 1898 – Workplace Artificial Intelligence Tools

This bill requires an employer to provide a written notice to an employee that a workplace AI tool was used to assist the employer in making employment-related decisions or to surveil the workplace. The bill requires the employer to maintain an updated list of all workplace AI tools currently in use and to provide the list to workers annually.

AB 2291 – Pupil Safety: Harassment: AI-Generated Deepfakes: Hotline And Portal

This bill would establish a confidential hotline and digital reporting portal to allow students in K-12 to report AI harassment generated by deepfakes. (Spot bill)

SB 947 – Employment: automated decision systems

SB 947 prohibits an employer from using automated decision systems (ADS) to perform functions and limits the purpose for why ADS may be used. The bill authorizes a worker to request a copy of their own data primarily used by an ADS to make employment decisions. Where an employer uses an ADS to make an employment decision, they are to provide written notice to the affected workers. The bill prohibits worker retaliation for asserting their rights under the bill.

SB 951 – Employment: Technological Displacement: Notice

This bill establishes the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, requiring a covered employer to provide at least 90-days’ advance written notice to employees, the Employment Development Department (EDD), and specified state and local entities before any technological displacement or contract termination affects 25 or more workers, or 25% of the workforce, whichever is less. A written technology hiring disruption notice is to be provided to EDD and specified local entities when adopting AI or other automation technologies that result in a reduction or cessation of hiring. Affected employees must be offered a first bid on other positions with the employer, and terminations are prohibited during the 90-day period.

Discrimination

AB 1928 – Sex Equity: Sexual Harassment Complaints

AB 1928 allows each student who files a Title IX grievance to have both a support person and an adviser accompany the student during any stage of the process, as specified.

AB 1940 – Unlawful Practices: Discrimination: Menopause

This bill would include perimenopause, menopause, post menopause or other related medical conditions within the definition of “sex” under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.

Human Resources

AB 1627 – Public Employment: Disqualifications

AB 1627 prohibits a person from holding employment as a peace officer, teacher, principal, chancellor, or other administrator by any school district, county office of education, community college district, University of California, or California State University, if they were employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) between September 1, 2025, and January 20, 2029, or by the Alabama Department of Corrections or the Georgia Department of Corrections between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2026.  

AB 1896 – Public Employment: Disqualifications

This bill disqualifies a person from being a public employee or peace officer if they were previously engaged in immigration enforcement on or after January 20, 2025, to January 20, 2029. 

AB 2019 – Community Colleges: Deported or Detained Faculty

AB 2019 requires a Community College District to allow faculty who has departed the U.S. on or after January 1, 2027, due to immigration enforcement, who was teaching at the time, to allow the faculty to perform their instruction and professional duties through distance education or other remote modalities.

AB 2365 – Education-Related Positions: Dismissals: Egregious Misconduct: Employment Prohibition

This bill expands the definition of egregious misconduct to include crimes related to human trafficking, child abandonment, neglect, child abduction, and impermissible contact or communication with a minor. The bill prohibits a certificated person who is dismissed for egregious misconduct from being employed by any state agency, California State University, University of California, any local agency or Local Education Agency.

School Safety

AB 1943 – Pupil Safety: Notifications: Firearms

AB 1943 amends school district requirements to notify parents of laws relating to the safe storage of firearms, requiring the amended notice to be posted online. It also requires the Department of Education to encourage districts to adopt policies and practices for notifying parents of disciplinary actions or support provided in response to threats against other students or threats of self-harm.

AB 2144 – On-Campus Events: Swimming Pools: Adult Presence: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training

Where a school elects to sponsor or host an event or activity that is not part of an interscholastic athletic program, in or around a swimming pool, this bill would require at least two adults with a valid Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification to be present throughout the duration of a school sponsored event or activity. 

AB 2230 – Public Health: Cold Spas

This bill establishes requirements for a cold spa, defined to include cold plunge tanks and cold immersion pools, to include a mechanical recirculation system that continuously or intermittently circulates, filters, and disinfects water. It would also authorize a cold spa to maintain a lifeguard onsite when operated in accordance with an approved operational safety plan.

AB 2242 – Pupil Safety: Sextortion Informational Poster

AB 2242 requires each public school serving any combination of grades seven to 12 to display, in at least one men’s restroom and one women’s restroom used by students, a poster containing specified information related to sextortion.

SB 1140 – Pupil Safety: Limiting School Access to Unauthorized Individuals

This bill requires a Comprehensive School Safety Plan to include plans to exclude unauthorized individuals from school property by limiting access points during construction, facilities maintenance, and repair projects.

Training

AB 1803 – Employment: Sexual Harassment Training and Education: Anti-Hate Speech Training

AB 1803 adds anti‑hate speech training to the required sexual harassment training, including the two‑hour training for supervisors and the one‑hour training for all other employees.

AB 1845 – Student Safety: Human Trafficking

This bill requires postsecondary educational institutions to include information related to human trafficking as part of the sexual harassment training for employees.

AB 2003 – Pupil Health: Suicide Prevention

This bill amends provisions requiring the California Department of Education (CDE) to train school staff in grades seven to 12 on pupil suicide prevention by instead requiring the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, in consultation with the CDE and the State Department of Public Health, to develop an evidence‑based online training program for school staff in grades one to 12.

AB 2212 – Postsecondary Education: Sexual Harassment, Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Policies: Student Orientation and Training

The bill adds additional terms for the purposes of the Equity in Higher Education Act and revises the definition of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation. The bill also requires postsecondary educational institutions to update sexual harassment policies to prohibit the public disclosure of the creation or generation of digitized sexually explicit material without the depicted individual’s written consent and to specify that such disclosure without consent constitutes sexual exploitation. 

Workers’ Compensation 

AB 1048 – Workers’ Compensation

Where a payment dispute exists between a medical provider and an employer, this bill allows the medical provider to seek a copy of the underlying contract used for the basis of any adjustment or change of the item or procedure billed, among other requirements.

AB 1576 – Workers’ Compensation: Subsequent Injuries Payments

This bill specifies the types of evidence necessary to prove the existence of a prior permanent partial disability (PPD), requires that medical evidence be obtained exclusively through existing qualified medical evaluator (QME) procedures, and transfers responsibility for payment of Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) benefits from the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).

AB 1683 – Workers’ Compensation: Prepaid Cards

This bill extends the authorization to deposit indemnity payments in a prepaid card account indefinitely.

Youth Athletics

AB 1665 – Interscholastic Athletics: California Interscholastic Federation: High School Sports: Coaches: Student Mental Health Training

This bill requires a high school athletics coach governed by the California Interscholastic Federation to complete a student mental health training course approved by the State Department of Education. The coach would be prohibited from coaching until the training is complete. The training may be combined with or made part of another educational training course.

AB 1985 – Pupil and Student Health: Athletic Coaches: Mental Health Training

AB 1985 requires the Surgeon General, on or before July 1, 2027, to identify and compile a list of age-appropriate mental health training programs that school districts and postsecondary educational institutions can use to train athletic coaches that meet minimum standards, as established by the Surgeon General. A higher educational institution and a school district is required to have all athletic coaches complete an approved student mental health training program.

AB 2503 – California Interscholastic Federation: Pupil Health Heat Illness: Guidelines

This bill requires theCalifornia Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to review heat illness guidelines for schools located in extreme desert climates on or before July 1, 2027, to permit outdoor practices and contest for those schools at a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature of up to 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keenan is not a law firm and no opinion, suggestion, or recommendation of the firm or its employees shall constitute legal advice. Clients are advised to consult with their own attorney for a determination of their legal rights, responsibilities, and liabilities, including the interpretation of any statute or regulation, or its application to the clients’ business activities.