California AB 1331 workplace bathroom surveillance ban
California AB 1331 — Workplace Surveillance: Ban on Monitoring Employees in Workplace Bathrooms (Signed Sept. 30, 2026; Ch. 851)
California · Cal. AB 1331 (2025-2026), Stats. 2026, ch. 851
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Applies to
- California employers using workplace surveillance tools
- Enforced by
- California Labor Commissioner; public prosecutors
California's AB 1331 bars employers from using workplace surveillance tools to monitor employees in workplace bathrooms, with limited exceptions. Employees may, in certain circumstances, leave surveillance devices outside the bathroom. The Labor Commissioner and public prosecutors can enforce it, with civil penalties of up to $500 per violation.
Who is protected: California employees
Legal detail
AB 1331 (2025-2026) — chaptered Sept. 30, 2026 as Ch. 851; adds workplace surveillance restrictions to the Labor Code prohibiting monitoring/surveillance of employees in workplace bathrooms except as specified; employee right to leave surveillance devices behind in some cases; civil penalty up to $500 per violation enforced by the Labor Commissioner and public prosecutors; declared a statewide concern applying to charter cities. Effective date not confirmed in pages opened (secondary search snippets say Jan. 1, 2027).
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | California |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | September 30, 2026 |
| Citation | Cal. AB 1331 (2025-2026), Stats. 2026, ch. 851 |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Civil penalty up to $500 per violation |
| Topics | AI hiring and employment · consumer data privacy |
| News report | AB 1331 (2025-2026) Workplace surveillance — CalMatters Digital Democracy (Chaptered Sept. 30, 2026, Ch. 851) |
More AI rules in California
- CA EO N-6-26 (AI Workforce) · In effect
- California AB 489 (AI healthcare chatbot misrepresentation ban) · In effect
- X.AI v. Bonta (AB 2013 training-data disclosure) · Blocked / in litigation
- CA SB 1168 — data center grid cost allocation · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- California SB 1119 Adam's Law, companion chatbots (2026) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- California SB 867 AI chatbot toy moratorium (2026) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
Related AI hiring and employment rules elsewhere
- Maine LD 61 (employer surveillance disclosure & prohibition) · In effect
- Washington SHB 1672 (employee monitoring notice, ADS restrictions, emotion AI ban) · In effect
- Stop Spying Bosses Act (Senate, 2026) · Proposed / pending
- Meta AI Layoff Discrimination Lawsuit (2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Kistler v. Eightfold AI (FCRA, AI hiring) · Blocked / in litigation
- MD HB 1339 (Automated Decision Systems, 2026) · In effect
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