On September 30, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 951, which amends the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (Cal-WARN) to require additional disclosures when a mass layoff, relocation, or termination is caused by artificial intelligence (AI) or other automated technology. The law does not change Cal-WARN’s coverage thresholds, 60-day notice period, or penalty provisions. Instead, it adds new notice content requirements, directs the Employment Development Department (EDD) to publish summaries of these “technology displacement” notices, and requires the EDD to report to the state legislature on AI’s effects on hiring. These changes will take effect on January 1, 2027.
SB 951 was signed almost one year to the day Governor Newsom signed SB 617, which expanded the required contents of Cal-WARN notices effective January 1, 2026. Employers planning reductions in California in 2027 now need to account for both sets of requirements.
What SB 951 Requires
Definition of Artificial Intelligence
SB 951 amends Labor Code section 1400.5 to define “...
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