AB 2101 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Human trafficking: notice and training: disaster sites.

Summary

Existing law requires specified businesses and other establishments, including, among others, airports, intercity passenger rail or light rail stations, bus stations, and truck stops, to post a notice, as developed by the Department of Justice, that contains information relating to slavery and human trafficking, including information regarding specified nonprofit organizations that a person can call for services or support in the elimination of slavery and human trafficking. This bill would additionally require a privately operated entity that operates in a designated disaster site or designated mitigation site, as those terms are defined, that is involved in the response, recovery, rebuilding, or cleanup of a disaster site, permitting related to recovery, rebuilding, or cleanup of a disaster site, or efforts to mitigate or prevent the occurrence of a disaster, to post the above-described notice, except for telecommunications companies or internet service providers. Existing law requires a business or other establishment that operates intercity passenger rail or light rail stations or bus stations to provide at least 20 minutes of training to specified employees in recognizing the signs of human trafficking and how to report those signs to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Existing law requires that training to include, among other things, the definition of human trafficking, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking, and guidance on how to identify individuals who are most at risk for human trafficking. This bill would, starting June 1, 2027, require a privately operated entity that operates in a designated disaster site or designated mitigation site to provide at least 20 minutes of training to all employees involved in specified disaster recovery or mitigation tasks. The bill would authorize the training to be developed or administered by a nonprofit or private entity with professional experience related to human trafficking and would require the training to be delivered in the language that is the most widely spoken language among the employees that will receive the training. The bill would require the training to include the same elements as the training described in the above-paragraph and examples and case scenarios relevant to how trafficking occurs at designated disaster sites and designated mitigation sites.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 18, 2026 Last action Aug 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

04/09/26 - Amended Assembly → 05/18/26 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · May 18, 2026

MODERATE

The May 18 amendment to AB 2101 adds a new exemption for telecommunications companies and internet service providers from the disaster-site notice-posting requirement, provides an alternative posting location for entities at disaster sites where a traditional public entrance is not available, removes five specific trafficking scenario examples that were previously listed in the training requirements, and narrows the training obligation to explicitly 'privately operated' entities. These changes respond to practical concerns about how notices can be posted at temporary disaster work sites and carve out an industry exemption.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed slightly: telecommunications companies and internet service providers are now explicitly exempt from posting notices at disaster sites and mitigation sites, and the training requirement is now explicitly limited to privately operated entities (though this was already implied by the notice-posting language).

SCOPE

New subdivision (b) exempts telecommunications companies and internet service providers (including telephone corporations, wireless carriers, cable operators, broadband providers, and other entities primarily engaged in providing telecommunications or internet access services) from the notice-posting requirement for disaster sites and mitigation sites, unless they also operate a facility listed in paragraphs (1) through (15).

The training requirement for disaster site entities was narrowed from 'an entity that operates in an area described in paragraph (16) or (17)' to 'a privately operated entity that operates in an area described in paragraph (16) or (17),' making the private-operation limitation explicit in the training provision as well.

REQUIREMENT

New alternative posting provision for disaster site and mitigation site entities: if the notice cannot be posted near a public entrance as normally required, the employer must post it conspicuously at the place of work where employees can see it coming or going, or at the office or nearest agency for payment kept by the employer.

Five specific examples of trafficking scenarios at disaster sites were removed from the training requirements: (1) a subcontractor threatening undocumented workers with deportation, (2) withheld pay to compel labor, (3) recruitment through false promises for a remote dangerous job, (4) workers moved across locations without proper documentation, and (5) workers forced to work in unsafe conditions or housed in substandard accommodations. The general requirement to include 'examples and case scenarios relevant to how trafficking occurs at designated disaster sites' remains.

DEFINITION

Legislative intent language was changed from 'rescue of human trafficking victims' to 'rescue identification of human trafficking victims,' adding the word 'identification.'

TECHNICAL

Assembly Members Connolly and Dixon were added as coauthors of the bill.

Floor votes · Assembly May 28, 2026

How they voted

74–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 79

May 28, 2026

D Democratic59

58 Yea 1

98% Yea

R Republican20

16 Yea 4

80% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

upper

Aug 3, 2026

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jun 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 10, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on JUD.

upper

May 28, 2026

Assembly · Passed

Assembly Vote: pass (74-0-5)

assembly

May 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0.)

lower

May 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

lower

May 14, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (May 14).

lower

May 6, 2026

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 13, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on E.M.

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on E.M with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 7).

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Committee

Referred to Coms. on JUD. and E.M.

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.

lower

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors