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AB 694

Relating to: condemnation authority for recreational trails. (FE)

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Clint Anderson and 22 co-sponsors

AB 694 requires DIR to fund UC-led research to analyze Cal/OSHA understaffing, identify causes, and propose career-pathway and training strategies to increase and diversify CSHO en

Read first time and referred to Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation
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Bill Summary · AB 694

AB 694 (McKinnor) — Summary (2025)

Note on title discrepancy: the bill header provided references "condemnation authority for recreational trails," but the official bill text and committee documents for AB 694 (as amended) concern the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and a mandated study of understaffing and vacancies in the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). This summary reflects the bill text in the legislative documents.

Purpose / Intent

Requires DIR, subject to a legislative appropriation, to contract with specified University of California occupational health/safety programs to study chronic understaffing and vacancies among Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) at Cal/OSHA, and to develop recommendations for creating career-pathway and workforce-development strategies to increase and diversify the CSHO applicant pool and improve enforcement capacity.

Key provisions

  • Adds Labor Code section 6330.1 directing DIR, within 120 days of an appropriation, to contract with:
    • UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health Program, and
    • UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program.
    • The UC may subcontract all or part of the study to another academic institution.
  • Study deliverables (report to be issued by the UC and any subcontractors) must include:
    • A literature review of existing research on Cal/OSHA understaffing and vacancy impacts (statewide, regional, industry).
    • An analysis identifying primary causes of CSHO vacancies.
    • Recommendations to address understaffing/vacancies, including recommended timelines and strategies to implement a workforce training/career-pathway program.
    • (The statute directs the study/committee to consider multiple factors in making recommendations; the bill text includes further, but truncated, specifics.)
  • Advisory committee:
    • UC shall convene an advisory committee composed of representatives from specified state agencies, worker advocacy organizations, other academic institutions and other entities (as set out in the bill) to advise on scope and make recommendations.
    • The advisory committee must hold at least one meeting within 60 days after the UC enters the contract.
  • Reporting and distribution:
    • DIR must post the completed report on the Division’s website and forward it to advisory committee members, the Governor, and specified legislative committee chairs 18 months after the UC contract start.
  • Definitions and legislative findings included (see below).

Findings and context included in the bill

  • Cites November 2024 Cal/OSHA data:
    • CSHO-to-worker ratio: 1 inspector per 120,102 workers (compared to 1:26,000 in Washington, 1:24,000 in Oregon).
    • Enforcement division vacancy rate: 42.5% overall; eight regional offices over 50% vacancies.
    • Only 10 certified bilingual CSHOs statewide while ~5 million of 19 million workers speak languages other than English; about one-third of workers are immigrants.
    • Fewer inspections and citations in early 2024 (12% fewer inspections, 12% fewer citations vs same period in 2023; cited violations 50% lower than 2022).

Who is affected

  • Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and its workforce (CSHOs).
  • Department of Industrial Relations and Department of Human Resources (recipients of recommendations).
  • University of California programs performing the study and any subcontracted academic partners.
  • California workers—particularly those in industries/regions disproportionately affected by inspector shortages and workers with limited English proficiency.
  • Legislative and executive offices receiving the report.

Timeline & procedural aspects

  • Bill requires a legislative appropriation to trigger contracting authority (no appropriation is included in the bill text).
  • Upon appropriation: DIR must contract within 120 days; advisory committee must meet within 60 days of contract; final report must be posted and distributed 18 months after contract execution.
  • Legislative actions (selected):
    • Introduced: February 14, 2025.
    • Passed Assembly: May 2025 (Read third time; passed Ayes 76, Noes 1).
    • Referred and considered in multiple Senate committees (Labor, Higher Ed, Appropriations); as of 2025‑08‑29: held under submission in committee.

Fiscal note

  • The bill itself does not appropriate funds; it requires an appropriation to DIR to implement the contract. The Legislative Counsel Digest flags fiscal committee review (fiscal committee: YES).

Bottom line

AB 694 mandates a legislatively funded, UC-conducted study and advisory process to analyze causes of Cal/OSHA enforcement-staff shortages and produce actionable recommendations (including career-pathway and training strategies) to increase and diversify Compliance Safety and Health Officers and strengthen workplace health and safety enforcement in California.

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

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