Bill Text: CA AB552 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Agricultural Labor Relations Board: office.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2026-02-02 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB552 Detail]

Download: California-2025-AB552-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 13, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 552

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Introduced by Assembly Member Ortega

February 11, 2025

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An act to amend Section 1251 1142 of the Labor Code, relating to employment. labor relations.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 552, as amended, Ortega. Child labor. Agricultural Labor Relations Board: office.

Existing law creates the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, consisting of 5 members, within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Existing law requires the principal office of the board to be in Sacramento, but authorizes the board to meet and exercise its power at any other place in California.

This bill, until January 1, 2028, would eliminate the requirement that the principal office of the board be located in Sacramento and would, instead, require the board to establish an executive or principal office. The bill would make other nonsubstantive changes.

Existing law requires an employer who has voluntarily subjected itself to a social compliance audit, as defined, whether the audit is conducted in part, or in whole, to determine if child labor is involved in the employer’s operations or practices, to post a clear and conspicuous link on its internet website to a report detailing the findings of the employer’s compliance with child labor laws, as prescribed.

This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that provision.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 1142 of the Labor Code, as amended by Section 1 of Chapter 7 of the Statutes of 2023, is amended to read:

1142.

 (a) The principal office of the board shall be in Sacramento, board shall establish an executive or principal office, but it may meet and exercise any or all of its power at any other place in California.

(b) Besides the principal office in Sacramento, executive or principal office, as provided in subdivision (a), the board may establish offices in such other cities as it shall deem necessary. The board may delegate to the personnel of these offices such powers as those powers it deems appropriate to determine the unit appropriate for the purpose of collective bargaining, to investigate and provide for hearings, to determine whether a question of representation exists, to direct an election by a secret ballot pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1156), and to certify the results of such the election, or to certify a labor organization pursuant to Section 1156.37 and to investigate, conduct hearings hearings, and make determinations relating to unfair labor practices. The board may review any action taken pursuant to the authority delegated under this section upon a request for a review of such an action filed with the board by an interested party. Any such review made by the board shall not, unless specifically ordered by the board, operate as a stay of any action taken. The entire record considered by the board in considering or acting upon any such request or review shall be made available to all parties prior to such before the consideration or action, and the board’s findings and action thereon shall be published as a decision of the board.

(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.

SECTION 1.Section 1251 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

1251.

(a)An employer who has voluntarily subjected itself to a social compliance audit, whether the audit is conducted in part, or in whole, to determine if child labor is involved in the employer’s operations or practices, shall post a clear and conspicuous link on its internet website to a report detailing the findings of the employer’s compliance with child labor laws.

(b)A report described in subdivision (a) shall contain all of the following:

(1)The year, month, day, and time the audit was conducted and whether the audit was conducted during a day shift or night shift.

(2)Whether the employer did or did not engage in, or support the use of, child labor.

(3)A copy of any written policies and procedures the employer has and had regarding child employees.

(4)Whether the employer exposed children to any workplace situations that were hazardous or unsafe to their physical and mental health and development.

(5)Whether children worked within or outside regular school hours, or during night hours, for the employer.

(6)A statement that the auditing company is not a government agency and is not authorized to verify compliance with state and federal labor laws or other health and safety regulations.