Senate Rules Committee advances Deborah Lee as Cal/OSHA chief after hearing on staffing and battery-storage safety

Deborah Lee, the nominee to lead the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), was advanced to the Senate floor by the Senate Rules Committee on March 5, 2025, after a confirmation hearing that centered on agency staffing, employer outreach and safety guidance for battery-storage fires.

The hearing drew questions from committee senators about how Lee will address a substantial vacancy rate at Cal/OSHA, expand employer and worker outreach, and produce educational materials after recent battery storage fires. "I am honored and humbled to be before you today for my confirmation hearing," Lee said in her opening remarks, and described hiring, making the agricultural unit fully operational and leveraging technology as top priorities.

The committee’s vote to move Lee’s nomination to the full Senate was unanimous, 5-0. Committee members also recorded a series of administrative votes earlier in the meeting, including a 3-2 vote on one set of governor appointee items and several 5-0 votes on routine referrals and appointments (see "Votes at a glance" below).

Why it matters: Cal/OSHA enforces workplace safety rules across California and sets outreach, training and enforcement priorities that affect millions of workers. The committee’s questions and Lee’s answers highlight near-term enforcement and education priorities — hiring staff to carry out inspections and consultations, creating fact sheets and webinars for employers and workers, and coordinating responses to battery-storage incidents — all of which can affect worker safety and employer compliance statewide.

In her remarks, Lee said Cal/OSHA is pursuing short- and long-term hiring strategies. In the short term she described creating a dedicated enforcement hiring unit that removes certain administrative burdens from managers and conducts targeted recruitment with universities, professional associations and community-based organizations. For the long term, Lee said the agency is updating outdated job classifications and recruiting earlier — to high school and college students — to build a pipeline into Cal/OSHA.

On battery-storage fires, Lee told the committee that Cal/OSHA already has regulations that apply to emergency response at such facilities and that the agency is developing fact sheets, webinars and other educational materials for employers and workers. She said the research and standards unit reviews incidents and that Cal/OSHA may open investigations under Labor Code authority; if hazards are found, citations appropriate to those hazards would follow. Lee repeatedly emphasized that some investigations are ongoing and could not be discussed in detail at the hearing.

The committee asked specifically about long-term health effects from exposures during battery-storage fires and whether Cal/OSHA will conduct outreach to workers exposed to such incidents. Lee replied that the agency will consider long-term effects during investigations, and that consultation services can perform on-site assistance for employers to identify hazards and improve prevention strategies. She also said the agency is preparing outreach and public-awareness materials for industries affected by new regulations.

Committee members raised additional topics during the hearing. Senator Laird questioned Lee about the agency’s vacancy rate and recruitment results; Lee said the vacancy rate recently reported as about 25% is now approximately 23% and that she will provide the committee with further pipeline numbers. A senator identified as the majority leader asked about protections for immigrant workers; Lee said Cal/OSHA does not ask about immigration status when investigating workplace safety complaints and that the agency will continue to focus on hazards rather than immigration status. Legislators also discussed upcoming implementation of domestic worker provisions that take effect July 1, 2025; Lee said Cal/OSHA is preparing FAQs, staff training and outreach to employers and employees.

Public testimony at the hearing included brief statements of support for Lee from labor and worker-safety groups. Kimberly Rosenberger with Service Employees International Union, Sarah Flocks with the California Federation of Labor, and Amy Heinscheich, a board member at WorkSafe, each expressed support for Lee’s confirmation and cited her experience.

Votes at a glance: the committee recorded multiple procedural and administrative votes before and after the confirmation hearing. Recorded outcomes in the transcript include:

- Motion on agenda items 2 c and d (governor appointees not required to appear): motion by Senator Laird; vote 3–2 (McGuire Aye; Grove No; Gonzales Aye; Jones No; Laird Aye). Outcome: approved.

- Motion on agenda item 2 e (governor appointee not required to appear): motion moved by the vice chair; vote 5–0 (McGuire Aye; Grove Aye; Gonzales Aye; Jones Aye; Laird Aye). Outcome: approved.

- Motion to approve bill referrals, item 3: vote 5–0 (McGuire Aye; Grove Aye; Gonzales Aye; Jones Aye; Laird Aye). Outcome: approved.

- Motion to approve committee appointments, items 4–6: vote 5–0 (McGuire Aye; Grove Aye; Gonzales Aye; Jones Aye; Laird Aye). Outcome: approved.

- Motion to approve rule waivers: vote 5–0 (McGuire Aye; Grove Aye; Gonzales Aye; Jones Aye; Laird Aye). Outcome: approved.

- Motion to approve floor acknowledgments: vote 5–0 (McGuire Aye; Grove Aye; Gonzales Aye; Jones Aye; Laird Aye). Outcome: approved.

- Motion to advance the full nomination of Deborah Lee to the Senate floor: motion by Vice Chair Grove; roll call recorded as McGuire Aye; Grove Aye; Gonzales Aye; Jones Aye; Laird Aye. Tally: 5–0. Outcome: approved; nomination advanced to the full Senate.

What the committee directed next: committee staff will collect follow-up questions about hiring pipeline details and immigration-related enforcement practices and send them in writing to Lee’s office for responses to be distributed to committee members before the nomination reaches the floor.

Background and context: Lee has worked at Cal/OSHA since 1994 and described a career background in industrial hygiene. She told the committee her priorities include hiring, activating the agricultural unit, improving collaboration with employers and workers, and leveraging technology to improve agency operations. Lee also noted Cal/OSHA’s existing tools: consultation services for employers, an injury and illness prevention program requirement for employers, and emergency-response standards that apply to incidents such as battery-storage fires.

The nomination now moves to the full Senate for consideration. Committee members said they will distribute written follow-up questions and supporting materials before that floor vote.