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<ns0:Id>20250AB__249598AMD</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-04-06</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Kalra</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Mark González)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Coauthors: Assembly Members Lee and Ortega)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_OPPOSITE">(Coauthors: Senators Durazo, Gonzalez, Pérez, and Reyes)</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Kalra</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Mark González</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Lee</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Name>Ortega</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Durazo</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Gonzalez</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Pérez</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Reyes</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title>An act to amend Section 1019 of the Labor Code, relating to employment.</ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>employment</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Unlawful immigration-related practices.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law prohibits an employer or any other person from engaging in, or directing another person to engage in, an unfair immigration-related practice against a person for the purpose of, or with the intent of, retaliating against any person for exercising a right protected under state labor and employment laws or under a local ordinance applicable to employees, as specified.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would expand the above-described provision to include preventing a person from exercising any right protected under those laws or ordinances.</html:p>
<html:p>
Existing law defines “unfair immigration-related practice” for these purposes to include, among other things, threatening to file or filing a false police report. Existing law authorizes a civil action for equitable relief and damages or penalties, as specified, by an employee or other person who is the subject of an unfair immigration-related practice.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would define “unfair immigration-related practice” to also include engaging in any other conduct, related to any person’s real or perceived immigration status, that would dissuade a reasonable person from engaging in conduct that the person has a legal right to engage in under local, state, or federal statute or regulation, or to induce a reasonable person to engage in conduct that the person has a legal right to abstain from under any local, state, or federal statute or regulation. The bill would make an employer who violates these provisions liable for a civil penalty not exceeding $10,000 per employee for each violation, as specified. The bill would also make related and conforming changes to these provisions.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_A9DEE5B1-FF8E-4881-9C05-0C618C0D543F">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
It has been the longstanding public policy of the State of California that workers must be able to report violations, seek information about their rights, and participate in enforcement efforts without threat or fear of adverse consequences.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
This strong public policy is embodied in the Labor Code’s prohibitions against retaliation undertaken by employers against workers who have sought to exercise the rights guaranteed to them under the Labor Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Legislature recognizes that employer statements or actions designed to dissuade workers from exercising their rights in the first place likewise prevent workers from reporting workplace violations and, similarly, undermine effective enforcement of labor standards.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Immigrant workers are uniquely vulnerable to exploitation and intimidation in the workplace. Employers exploit distinct vulnerabilities, including fear of immigration enforcement, to deter immigrant workers from reporting workplace violations.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Unscrupulous employers
utilize unfair immigration-related practices to preemptively silence immigrant workers and compel them to accept substandard working conditions, thereby undercutting law-abiding employers and eroding workplace standards for all California workers.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(6)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Intimidating conduct, including veiled or overt immigration-related threats, to prevent workers from asserting their rights in the future is contrary to the public policy of this state.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to do both of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Ensure immigrant workers can safely report violations and participate in the enforcement of their workplace protections by providing that employer behavior that has the effect of deterring the assertion of workplace are unlawful under the existing legal framework when used to deter workers from exercising
protected rights.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Reinforce California’s longstanding public policy that workers must be able to assert workplace rights free from employer intimidation, threats, or retaliation, including the fear of reporting to immigration authorities or other unfair immigration-related employment practices as defined herein.
</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 1019 of the
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is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>1019.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
It is unlawful for an employer or any other person or entity to engage in, or to direct another person or entity to engage in, unfair immigration-related practices against any person for the purpose of, or with the intent of, retaliating against any person for, or preventing any person from, exercising any right protected under this code or by any local ordinance applicable to employees. Exercising a right protected by this code or local ordinance includes the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Filing a complaint or informing any person of an
employer’s or other party’s alleged violation of this code or local ordinance, so long as the complaint or disclosure is made in good faith.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Seeking information regarding whether an employer or other party is in compliance with this code or local ordinance.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Informing a person of their potential rights and remedies under this code or local ordinance, and assisting them in asserting those rights.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
As used in this chapter, “unfair immigration-related practice” means any of the following practices, when undertaken for the retaliatory purposes prohibited by subdivision (a):
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Requesting more or different documents than are required under Section 1324a(b) of Title 8 of the United States Code, or a refusal to honor documents tendered pursuant to that section that on their face
reasonably appear to be genuine.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Using the federal E-Verify system to check the employment authorization status of a person at a time or in a manner not required under Section 1324a(b) of Title 8 of the United States Code, or not authorized under any memorandum of understanding governing the use of the federal E-Verify system.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(C)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Threatening to file or the filing of a false police report, or a false report or complaint with any state or federal agency.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(D)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Threatening
to contact or contacting immigration authorities.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(E)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Engaging in any other conduct, related to any person’s real or perceived immigration status, that would dissuade a reasonable person from engaging in conduct that the person has a legal right to engage in under any local, state, or federal statute or regulation, or to induce a reasonable person to engage in conduct that the person has a legal right to abstain from under any local, state, or federal statute or regulation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Unfair immigration-related practice” does not include conduct undertaken at the express and specific direction or request of the federal government.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Engaging in an unfair immigration-related practice against a person within 90 days of the person’s exercise of rights protected under this code or local ordinance applicable to employees shall raise a rebuttable presumption of having done so in retaliation for the exercise of those rights.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An employee or other person who is the subject of an unfair immigration-related practice prohibited by this section, or a
representative of that employee or person, may bring a civil action for equitable relief, any applicable damages,
or penalties. (5).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Upon a finding by a court of applicable jurisdiction of a violation of this section, upon application by a party or on its own motion, a court may do the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For a first violation, order the appropriate government agencies to suspend all licenses that are held by the violating party for a period of up to 14 days. On receipt of the court’s order and notwithstanding any other law, the appropriate agencies shall suspend the licenses according to the court’s order.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For a second violation, order the appropriate government agencies to suspend all licenses that are held by the violating party for a period of up to 30 days. On receipt of the court’s
order and notwithstanding any other law, the appropriate agencies shall immediately suspend the licenses.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(C)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For a third or subsequent violation, order the appropriate government agencies to suspend for a period of up to 90 days all licenses that are held by the violating party. On receipt of the court’s order and notwithstanding any other law, the appropriate agencies shall immediately suspend the licenses.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In determining whether a suspension of all licenses is appropriate under this subdivision, the court shall consider whether the employer knowingly committed an unfair immigration-related practice, the good faith efforts of the employer to resolve any alleged unfair immigration-related practice after receiving notice of the violations, as well as the harm other employees
of the employer, or employees of other employers on a multiemployer job site, will suffer as a result of the suspension of all licenses.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An employee or other person who is the subject of an unfair immigration-related practice prohibited by this section, and who prevails in an action authorized by this section, shall recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, including any expert witness costs.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
In addition to other remedies available, an employer who violates this section is liable for a civil penalty not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per employee for each violation of this section, to be awarded to the employee or employees who suffered the violation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
As used in this chapter:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“License” means any agency permit, certificate, approval, registration, or charter that is required by law and that is issued by any agency for the purposes of operating a business in this state and that is specific to the business location or locations where the unfair immigration-related practice occurred. “License” does not include a professional license.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Violation” means each incident when an unfair immigration-related practice was committed, without reference to the number of employees involved in the incident.
</html:p>
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