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Assembly committee advances SB 951 to require notice and reporting when AI displaces workers
Summary
SB 951 would require 60 days’ notice for technology-driven displacement of 25 or more workers and create reporting to track AI’s workforce impacts; unions and advocacy groups backed the bill while business groups urged reliance on the governor’s executive order and urged more study. Committee voted to refer the bill to privacy and consumer protection.
Sen. Reyes introduced SB 951, the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, saying the state must require notice and gather data so policy choices about AI and automation are driven by facts rather than assumptions. "When technology replaces workers, those workers deserve notice, transparency and an opportunity to prepare," the author told the committee.
Sarah Flocks of the California Federation of Labor, the bill’s sponsor, framed SB 951 as a modern counterpart to the federal WARN statute and said real-time data will help policymakers respond to rapid AI-driven changes. "SB 951 gives policy makers the data they need to make those hard choices, and it gives it to them in real time," Flocks said.
Support came from a range of education and labor groups including the California Teachers Association, California School Employees Association and the California Nurses Association. Opponents including the California Chamber of Commerce and employer associations urged caution, arguing the governor's executive order and an administrative process could be a better venue for developing rules. Andrea Lynch, speaking for the Chamber, said the executive order directs agencies to consult labor and employers and urged the committee to wait for those recommendations.
Business groups highlighted concerns about the 25-worker threshold, possible burdens on small and mid-sized employers, and operational/legal questions connected to a proposed "right to first bid" for displaced workers. Chris McCaleb of the Civil Justice Association raised concerns about definitions of "worker," proprietary data disclosures and a new private right of action that could drive litigation.
Assembly members discussed the need for data and expressed caution about unintended consequences for small employers. After discussion, the committee passed SB 951 and referred it to the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection.
