California's No Robo Bosses Act (SB 947), explained

Timeline

1. 2025Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 7, a broader version of the bill.
2. September 30, 2026Governor Newsom signed SB 947 (Chapter 859), along with AB 1883 and SB 951 on AI in the workplace.
3. July 1, 2027SB 947's requirements become operative.

Who it covers

Employers of any size, including the state and local governments, and labor contractors, farm labor contractors and foreign labor contractors. The University of California is covered if the Regents agree. Its rules apply when an employer uses an automated decision system in a decision to discipline or fire a worker.

What counts as an automated decision system

An automated decision system (ADS) is a computational process derived from machine learning, statistical modeling, data analytics or artificial intelligence that issues simplified output, such as a score, classification or recommendation, used to assist or replace human discretionary decisions that materially affect people. Ordinary tools such as spam filters, firewalls, calculators and databases are excluded.

The rules

• No firing or discipline by machine alone. An employer may not rely solely on an ADS to discipline or terminate a worker.
• A human check when the machine carries the weight. If the employer primarily relies on ADS output, a human must corroborate it, for example against evaluations, personnel files, work product, peer reviews or witness interviews. Output that cannot be corroborated, or that is inaccurate, incomplete or misleading, cannot be used to discipline or fire.
• Banned uses. An employer may not use an ADS to break labor, safety, employment or civil-rights laws, to infer a protected status, or to predict that a worker will exercise legal rights and take action against them for it.
• No retaliation against a worker for asking about the ADS or the data used.

The notice workers get

When an employer primarily relied on an ADS in a discipline or termination decision, it must give the worker a plain-language, stand-alone written notice when it communicates the decision. The notice says that:

• the employer primarily relied on an ADS output;
• a human reviewed and corroborated that output;
• who the worker can contact; and
• the worker can ask for a description of their data the ADS used, and is protected from retaliation.

Enforcement and penalties

• The Labor Commissioner enforces the law, and public prosecutors can bring civil actions.
• A civil penalty of $500 per violation, plus injunctive relief, punitive damages and reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
• The law does not give workers an express right to sue on their own.

Exceptions

• A collective bargaining agreement that clearly and unambiguously waives the law and protects workers from algorithmic management.
• Uses required by, or reasonably necessary to comply with, federal law, or a binding federal contract for aircraft, national security, military, space or defense work.

Local laws that protect workers as much or more are not preempted.

Two related laws signed the same day

AB 1883 (Chapter 853): AI workplace surveillance. Bars employers, including public employers, from using workplace surveillance tools that use AI to collect workers' neural data or recognize their emotional state, with exceptions such as safety and federal-contract work. The Labor Commissioner and public prosecutors enforce it, with civil penalties of up to $500 per violation. It takes effect January 1, 2027.

SB 951 (Chapter 860): AI layoffs under Cal/WARN. When a mass layoff, relocation or termination is caused in whole or in substantial part by AI or other automated technology, the employer's Cal/WARN notice must say so and describe the job functions being automated. The Employment Development Department will publish summaries, and must report to the Legislature on AI's effects on hiring by January 1, 2028. It takes effect January 1, 2027.

For the rest of the country, see AI hiring laws by state.

Preparing for July 2027

• List the tools that score, rank or flag workers and could feed into discipline or termination decisions.
• Write down who reviews automated output before a decision, and what they check it against.
• Draft the stand-alone notice and a process for answering requests for a description of the data used.
• Check union contracts, and whether any federal-law or federal-contract exception applies.

This explains the law in plain language and is not legal advice. AI Laws by State reviews this page against the sources above and updates it when the law, regulations or enforcement change.