California Enacts AB 1331, Limiting Workplace Surveillance Tools in Bathrooms

Assembly Bill 1331 (Elhawary) was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on September 30, 2026 as Chapter 851, Statutes of 2026, adding a Labor Code part commencing with Section 1560. Unless directed by a court order, an employer may not use a workplace surveillance tool to monitor employees in a workplace bathroom, and employees may leave such tools behind when entering one, subject to exceptions for tools an employer requires for identification, safety, or access that neither record audio or video nor carry embedded artificial intelligence. The Labor Commissioner or a public prosecutor may enforce the part, with a penalty of up to $500 per violation. It carries no urgency clause or special operative date, so it takes effect January 1, 2027 under California's default rule for statutes enacted in a regular session. Chaptered text retrieved 2026-10-12.

Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov