Most people hear “new laws” and think it has nothing to do with them until something goes wrong. But if you get hurt in California in 2026, in a crash, at work, or through someone else’s misconduct, some of the rules that shape your claim will look different than they did last year.
This new batch of laws leans heavily into consumer protection and workplace enforcement, with a few changes that directly affect civil claims and victim rights. That matters in personal injury because liability and damages don’t exist in a vacuum. A law that forces clearer disclosures, expands protected leave, revives expired claims, or tightens safety obligations can change the evidence available in your case and the pressure points in settlement negotiations. Below is a practical breakdown of the 2026 updates that are most likely to show up in real injury cases.
SB 766 – Used Car Buyer Protections
Starting October 1, 2026, SB 766 (the California CARS Act) is designed to cut down on dealer “junk fees” and make the car buying process harder to game.
Here is what it does, in practical terms:
- A three day return window for many used car purchases under $50,000, as long as the vehicle is returned in basically the same condition and within the mileage limit set by the law (the bill text references 400 miles). Dealers can charge a restocking fee, but it has to be disclosed.
- Clearer pricing up front. Dealers must disclose the total price early, not just steer people into monthly payment talk.
- No charging for add ons that provide no real benefit. This targets the common add on problem where the buyer pays for something they cannot actually use or that does not apply.
AB 406 – Expanded Leave for Crime Victims
Starting January 1, 2026, AB 406 expands when employees can take protected time off if they (or certain family members) are victims of qualifying crimes and need to deal with the legal process. In practical terms, it lets workers use paid sick leave (and in some situations job protected unpaid leave) to attend or participate in covered judicial proceedings tied to the crime, including things like bail or release hearings, plea hearings, and sentencing.
AB 250 – Civil Sexual Assault Claims Revived
AB 250 creates a two year revival window from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027 that allows certain previously time barred civil sexual assault claims to be filed again. This law is aimed at adult survivors and is tied to cases where a legally responsible private entity is alleged to have participated in a cover up. It does not apply to public entities, so claims against government agencies are not revived under this particular statute. Outside of the revival window context, California’s adult sexual assault civil filing rules still generally focus on timelines like 10 years from the assault or 3 years from discovery depending on the facts.
SB 43 – Expanded Standard for Involuntary Treatment
SB 43 expands California’s LPS conservatorship and involuntary hold framework by widening the definition of “gravely disabled.” Under the updated standard, a person may qualify not only when they cannot provide food, clothing, or shelter, but also when they cannot maintain personal safety or obtain necessary medical care, and the law also adds severe substance use disorder as its own qualifying condition.
Although SB 43 technically became law earlier, many counties opted to delay implementation, and a large share planned to begin applying the expanded criteria in January 2026, which is why it shows up on 2026 law lists.
SB 43 can affect cases where a mental health crisis or severe substance use disorder is part of the facts, for example wrongful death, negligent supervision, premises security incidents, or disputes involving whether a person should have been placed on a hold or evaluated sooner. It changes what documentation exists and what standards decision makers are using when those situations unfold.
AB 692 – Stay-or-Pay Contracts Now Unlawful
Starting January 1, 2026, AB 692 makes most “stay or pay” clauses illegal in California. These are contract terms that try to punish a worker for leaving by forcing them to repay a “debt” or pay a fee, penalty, or training cost just because the employment relationship ends.
If you quit after an injury, get laid off, or can’t return to the same job, your employer generally cannot use a new contract signed in 2026 to hit you with a payoff bill for leaving. The law also gives workers the ability to sue for actual damages or $5,000 minimum per worker, plus attorneys’ fees in many cases.
SB 809 – Reimbursement for Commercial Vehicles
SB 809 tightens California’s reimbursement rules for employee drivers who use their own commercial vehicles for work, especially in construction trucking. The point is simple: if you are an employee and you are putting your own truck, tractor, trailer, or other commercial vehicle into the job, the company cannot treat those costs like they are your personal problem.
Under this law, employers must reimburse qualifying employees for the vehicle’s use, upkeep, and depreciation. It also makes clear that owning the vehicle does not automatically make you an independent contractor. Your status still depends on the legal tests, not who holds the title. Commercial crashes often come down to maintenance, condition, and who was responsible for keeping equipment safe. Cleaner reimbursement rules can help clarify responsibility when worn equipment, poor upkeep, or cost-cutting plays a role in a serious collision.
SB 294 – Workplace Notice Requirements
SB 294 (the Workplace Know Your Rights Act) adds a new compliance rule that can matter after an on-the-job injury: employers must give workers a stand alone written “Know Your Rights” notice (not buried in a handbook) by February 1, 2026, and then every year after that.
The notice is meant to spell out key protections that often come up in injury and retaliation disputes, including things like workers’ compensation rights, heat illness prevention, misclassification protections, and certain rights related to immigration enforcement and law enforcement at the workplace. SB 294 also requires employers to let employees designate an emergency contact and, if the employer knows an employee is arrested or detained at work or during work hours, notify that contact (with timing rules that kick in during 2026).
SB 617 – WARN Notice Expansion
SB 617 expands what employers must include in a California WARN (Cal WARN) notice before a mass layoff, relocation, or closure. In addition to the usual required WARN information, notices now have to say whether the employer plans to coordinate rapid response services through the local workforce development board, another entity, or not at all, and they must include the board’s contact information plus a short description of the services available. The notice also has to include CalFresh food assistance information. These added disclosures apply effective January 1, 2026.
When someone is hurt, out of work, or dealing with lost income, a layoff can become part of the damages story. More detailed WARN notices create a clearer paper trail for timing, coordination, and employer compliance.
SB 642 – Revisions to Equal Pay Act
SB 642 updates California’s Equal Pay Act in ways that can matter when lost income becomes part of a civil case. It broadens the sex based protection from comparisons to the “opposite sex” to comparisons to “another sex,” which is intended to cover nonbinary employees as well.
It also strengthens enforcement by (1) expanding what counts as “wages” beyond base pay to include bonuses, overtime, equity, and benefits, and (2) giving employees more time and a clearer timeline to sue: a 3 year statute of limitations (measured from the last date of the violation) and potential relief for the period the violation existed, up to 6 years.
SB 20 – STOP Act / Silicosis Prevention
SB 20, known as the Silicosis Training, Outreach, and Prevention (STOP) Act, targets one of the fastest-growing workplace injury crises in California: severe lung disease from silica dust exposure in artificial or engineered stone fabrication.
In simple terms, this law cracks down on high-exposure cutting and fabrication practices, including making dry cutting unlawful and pushing employers to use wet methods and stronger dust controls to reduce silica exposure.
Silicosis cases often involve long-term disability, massive medical costs, and employer safety failures. SB 20 strengthens the safety expectations around these jobs, which can become important evidence when a worker gets sick and a claim turns into a high-stakes injury case.
SB 805 & SB 627 — No Secret Police Acts
These two bills are aimed at transparency and accountability during law enforcement operations, which matters anytime a situation turns into a civil injury claim.
SB 805 (often called the “No Vigilantes Act”) requires non uniformed law enforcement personnel operating in California to visibly display identification that includes their agency plus either a name or badge number when performing enforcement duties. A violation is treated as a misdemeanor, and the requirement is written to apply on and after January 1, 2026.
SB 627 (the “No Secret Police Act”) targets the practice of officers using face coverings that obscure identity during operations. It generally prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing a facial covering that conceals or obscures facial identity while performing duties, with specified exceptions, and it pushes agencies to adopt and publicly post a written policy limiting facial coverings by July 1, 2026.
SB 81 – Immigrant Patient Protections
SB 81 strengthens privacy and access to care in California health settings by limiting how immigration enforcement can operate inside medical facilities. It treats a patient’s immigration status (current or prior) and place of birth as protected medical information under California’s medical privacy law, meaning health care providers generally cannot share it for immigration enforcement purposes unless there is a valid legal requirement like a judicial warrant or court order. It also bars immigration enforcement from entering nonpublic areas of health care facilities, such as patient rooms and treatment areas, without a judicial warrant or court order.
Minimum Wage Increase
California’s statewide minimum wage rises to $16.90 per hour on January 1, 2026 (up from $16.50). Some industries and many cities or counties may still have higher wage floors than the statewide rate. Wage rates help shape lost income calculations, especially when someone misses work after a crash, a workplace injury, or an assault. A higher wage floor can also affect how insurers and defendants value economic damages when negotiating a settlement.
To discuss how these 2026 laws could affect liability or damages in your case, call Bojat Law Group at (818) 877-4878.
Share:
Skip to content