Committee approves stricter training and reporting standards for private security guards

The Assembly subcommittee advanced SB 1203, the "Stand for Security Act," which seeks to modernize licensing and training standards for private security officers across California. The bill would require specified in‑person de‑escalation training, review wages and working conditions, strengthen employer accountability through reporting and enforcement, and address implicit bias and racial profiling in the industry.

Author testimony stressed the scale of the industry — tens or hundreds of thousands of security workers statewide — and argued current training is often passive and inadequate: "De‑escalation is a behavioral skill performed under acute stress," said Enrique Lopez of UC Berkeley’s Labor Center, urging hands‑on, scenario‑based training. Earl Hayes, a hospital security officer, testified that his law enforcement experience taught him skills he uses to de‑escalate and that new officers often lack practice‑based instruction.

Employers and industry trade groups objected to some provisions, warning of potential workforce shortages and large compliance costs if employers cannot provide or source approved third‑party trainers. Opponents also questioned whether enough approved third‑party trainers exist to serve the state’s large workforce and warned of steep fines for noncompliance.

Committee members praised the attention to training and expressed willingness to work on amendments. The subcommittee recorded an affirmative recommendation and sent the bill to the Committee on Public Safety.