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SB 966

Refinery and chemical plants.

2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 966 requires refinery and chemical plant employers to implement a written worker participation plan for all process safety management elements and establish stop-work and hazard

Referred to Com. on L. & E.
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Bill Summary · SB 966

Summary of SB 966 (California) – 2025-2026 Session

Topic: Refinery and chemical plant safety; youth apprenticeship administration
Bill Number: SB 966
Author: Senator Gonzalez
Status: Amended and introduced February 3, 2026; latest action notes hearings in 2026 with amendments.
Jurisdiction: California

1) Purpose and Intent

SB 966 has two targeted objectives:

  • Strengthen worker participation in process safety management at refineries and chemical plants through a formal, written plan and clearly defined procedures.
  • Make a non-substantive (clarifying) change to the Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program leadership and objectives to align with current program goals.

The measure builds on the existing California Refinery and Chemical Plant Worker Safety Act of 1990, which governs process safety management (PSM) in these facilities and requires written safety information, emergency action plans, operating procedures, and related safety programs. SB 966 broadens employee involvement and establishes explicit requirements for stopping work and reporting hazards, with deadlines for implementation.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

A. Process Safety Management – Employee Participation Plan (Labor Code § 7860.5)

  • Requirement: Employers must develop, implement, and maintain a written plan to ensure meaningful employee participation in all PSM elements.
  • Scope of Participation:
    • Involvement of affected operating and maintenance employees and employee representatives across all PSM phases, including:
    • Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)
    • Damage Mechanism Review (DMR)
    • Hazard Control Analysis (HCA)
    • Management of Change (MOC)
    • Management of Organizational Change Assessment (MOOC)
    • Process Safety Culture Assessment (PSCA)
    • Incident investigations
    • Safeguard Protection Analysis (SPA)
    • Pre Start-Up Safety Review (PSSR)
    • Participation in development, training, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of PSM elements.
  • Access to Information: Employees and their representatives must have access to all documents/information generated under this section, including information that could be protected as a trade secret.
  • Represented Employees: An authorized collective bargaining agent may select employees to participate in:
    • Overall PSM program development and implementation planning.
    • A project safety management team or related activities.
  • Unrepresented Employees: Employers must establish procedures, in consultation with employees, to select employee representatives.
  • Trade Secret Protections: Confidentiality provisions may apply per existing laws (e.g., union/contractor confidentiality provisions).

B. Stop Work and Hazard Reporting Provisions (Labor Code § 7860.5(e))

  • Effective by April 1, 2027: Employers must develop and implement:

    • Stop-work procedures granting employees (including contractor employees) authority to refuse tasks that could result in death or serious physical harm.
    • Authority for employees to recommend partial or full shutdowns based on hazards; authority for the unit’s qualified operator to partially/full shutdown based on hazards.
    • Anonymous hazard reporting procedures, with written employer responses within 30 days.
    • Prioritization and prompt correction of hazards with potential for severe harm.

  • Documentation: Employers must document:

    • Recommendations to shut down or actual shutdowns.
    • Written hazard reports and the employer’s responses.

C. Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program – Nonsubstantive Change (Labor Code § 3120)

  • The bill makes a nonsubstantive adjustment to the language of the Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program goals and objectives. The program aims to:
    • Create a framework for youth apprenticeship.
    • Increase pathways and coordination with career-connected learning programs.
    • Expand offerings by community colleges and local education agencies.
    • Increase preapprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities for youth (ages 16-24).
    • Improve outcomes, including progression to employment or higher education and alignment with existing programs.

3) Who Would Be Affected

  • Employers in Refinery and Chemical Plant Sectors: Required to adopt and maintain the new written participation plan, implement stop-work and hazard-reporting procedures by the 2027 deadline, and ensure documentation and access to information.
  • Employees and Employee Representatives: Guaranteed structured participation in PSM processes; protected rights to participate and report hazards; access to relevant safety information; involvement in safety program development.
  • Authorized Collective Bargaining Agents: May designate participants for PSM program development and related activities.
  • Contractors and Contractor Employees: Granted rights to stop work and report hazards under the new procedures; subject to the same safety expectations as direct employees in practice.
  • Youth and Education Community: Through the Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program, the changes affect program goals, coordination, and delivery of youth apprenticeship and preapprenticeship pathways.

4) Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • PSM Participation Plan: Must be developed, implemented, and maintained in consultation with employees and their representatives. No hard deadline stated for initial plan in the text provided, but the overarching framework is immediate; practice would align with employer readiness and regulatory guidance.
  • Stop Work and Hazard Reporting Implementation: Legally required by April 1, 2027.
  • Documentation Requirements: Ongoing; includes hazard reports, responses, and shutdown records.
  • Legislative History:
    • Referred to committees several times in early 2026.
    • Amended and moved through the House committees with hearings scheduled in 2026.

5) Fiscal and Policy Implications

  • No direct appropriation required by the bill text (as per the digest: Appropriation: NO). However, implementing robust PSM participation and stop-work procedures could entail training, process changes, and documentation upgrades for facilities, potentially impacting operating costs and administrative overhead.
  • Enhances worker safety and hazard response culture in high-risk industrial settings.
  • Aligns apprenticeship policy with workforce safety objectives by reinforcing employer-employee collaboration in safety-critical processes.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law and highlight exact language changes line-by-line.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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