SB 303 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Employment: bias mitigation training: unlawful discrimination.

Summary
Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, prohibits various forms of employment and housing discrimination, including various types of discrimination because of national origin. Existing law empowers the Civil Rights Department to investigate and prosecute complaints alleging unlawful practices. This bill would provide that an employee's assessment, testing, admission, or acknowledgment of their own personal bias that was made in good faith and solicited or required as part of a bias mitigation training does not constitute unlawful discrimination, as prescribed.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Jul 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Assembly Passage
Aug 2025
Signed into Law
Oct 2025
Introduced Feb 10, 2025 Signed Oct 1, 2025
Floor votes · Senate May 28, 2025 · Assembly Aug 28, 2025

How they voted

2810
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 40
May 28, 2025
D Democratic30
28 Yea 2
93% Yea
R Republican10
10 Nay
100% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
23
Key actions
11
Committee
6
Amendments
5
Oct 1, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor.
legislature
Sep 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 2407.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
upper
Aug 28, 2025
Introduced
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
upper
Aug 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 2769.) Ordered to the Senate.
lower
Jul 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 8).
lower
Jul 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
lower
Jun 16, 2025
Lower · Passed
June 24 hearing postponed by committee.
lower
Jun 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Com. on JUD.
lower
May 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1306.) Ordered to the Assembly.
upper
May 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.
upper
Apr 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 944.) (April 29).
upper
Apr 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 834.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
upper
Apr 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
April 8 hearing postponed by committee.
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Committee
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.
upper
Feb 10, 2025
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
DDemocratic
CA
28