All Roll Calls
Yes: 166 • No: 46
CaliforniaSB 6422025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Employment: payment of wages.
Sponsored By: Monique Limón (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
Your PRIA Score
Score Hidden
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Equal pay for similar work
Employers cannot pay women less than men, or one race or ethnicity less than another, for similar work. Only narrow defenses apply, like seniority, merit, production, or a true job‑related reason. Prior salary cannot be used to justify a pay difference.
Bigger recoveries for underpaid workers
If you are underpaid because of sex or race/ethnicity bias, you can recover unpaid wages, interest, and an equal amount as liquidated damages. You can sue and also recover costs and reasonable attorney fees. The state labor agency can sue for you; if its case is not decided in 180 days, you may intervene or file your own. You must sue within three years of the last unequal pay and can recover up to six years back. If you also get money under federal law for the same harm, you must return the smaller recovery; accepting a full DLSE payment waives your private claim.
Protection from retaliation on pay
Your employer cannot fire or punish you for raising pay concerns or helping an investigation. If a bad action happens within 90 days, it is presumed to be retaliation unless the employer proves otherwise. You can get your job back, lost pay and benefits, interest, and other relief. You must sue for retaliation within one year. You can file a confidential complaint, and employers must keep pay and job records for three years.
No past pay in hiring offers
Employers cannot ask for or rely on your past pay to decide offers or salary. You may share past pay on your own, and an employer may consider it. Employers can ask about your salary expectations. The rules cover all employers, including public agencies, and allow use of salary history that is already public by law. Past pay cannot justify a pay gap.
Pay ranges must appear in job ads
If you ask, an employer must give you the pay range for the job. Current employees can ask for the range for their own job. Employers with 15 or more workers must list the range in job ads, including third‑party posts. A pay scale is the honest salary or hourly range the employer expects to pay at hire.
Stronger enforcement of pay transparency
Employers must keep each worker’s job title and pay rate history during employment and for three years after. If records are missing, the law presumes the worker’s claim is correct. You have one year from when you learn of a violation to file with the Labor Commissioner, or you can sue in court. The Labor Commissioner can fine $100 to $10,000 per violation and waive a first posting fine if all ads are fixed. Collected penalties fund enforcement.
All pay forms count as wages
The law defines wages to include salary, overtime, bonuses, stock and options, profit‑sharing, and paid leave. These definitions decide what pay counts in equal pay cases. One listed enforcement section does not apply to public employers, which narrows coverage for some public workers.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Monique Limón
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
Ash Kalra
Democratic • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 9/9/2025
Item 70 — Senate SFLOOR
Yes: 30 • No: 10
House vote • 9/8/2025
Item 249 — Assembly AFLOOR
Yes: 58 • No: 15
legislature vote • 8/29/2025
Vote in CX25
Yes: 11 • No: 4
legislature vote • 7/8/2025
Vote in CX13
Yes: 9 • No: 3
legislature vote • 6/25/2025
Vote in CX14
Yes: 5 • No: 0
Senate vote • 6/3/2025
Item 103 — Senate SFLOOR
Yes: 28 • No: 10
legislature vote • 5/23/2025
Vote in CS61
Yes: 5 • No: 1
legislature vote • 5/19/2025
Vote in CS61
Yes: 5 • No: 0
legislature vote • 4/29/2025
Vote in CS53
Yes: 11 • No: 2
legislature vote • 4/23/2025
Vote in CS56
Yes: 4 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 468, Statutes of 2025.
10/8/2025SenateApproved by the Governor.
10/8/2025legislatureEnrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
9/17/2025legislatureAssembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 2717.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
9/9/2025SenateIn Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
9/8/2025SenateRead third time. Passed. (Ayes 58. Noes 15. Page 3007.) Ordered to the Senate.
9/8/2025HouseRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
9/3/2025HouseRead second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9/2/2025HouseFrom committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 29).
8/29/2025HouseAugust 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
8/20/2025HouseFrom committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
7/9/2025HouseCoauthors revised.
7/9/2025HouseFrom committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
6/26/2025HouseReferred to Coms. on L. & E. and JUD.
6/9/2025HouseIn Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
6/4/2025HouseRead third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1448.) Ordered to the Assembly.
6/3/2025SenateRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
5/27/2025SenateRead second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
5/23/2025SenateFrom committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1208.) (May 23).
5/23/2025SenateSet for hearing May 23.
5/20/2025SenateMay 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
5/19/2025SenateSet for hearing May 19.
5/9/2025SenateRead second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
5/1/2025SenateFrom committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 942.) (April 29).
4/30/2025SenateFrom committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 870.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
4/23/2025Senate
Bill Text
Chaptered
10/8/2025
Enrolled
9/12/2025
Amended Assembly
9/2/2025
Amended Senate
5/23/2025
Amended Senate
5/1/2025
Amended Senate
4/10/2025
Introduced
2/20/2025