California Senate Bill 553, signed into law on September 30, 2023, amended California Labor Code section 6401.7 and created section 6401.9, and required most California employers to develop and maintain a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) beginning July 1, 2024. The law also directed Cal/OSHA to propose a formal workplace violence prevention standard by December 31, 2025, with the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) required to adopt a final regulation no later than December 31, 2026. Since then, Cal/OSHA has issued several discussion drafts — including versions in July 2024, May 2025, and following a November 2025 advisory committee meeting — each incorporating stakeholder feedback from employer and employee advocacy groups.
On April 24, 2026, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board released its latest revised discussion draft, which makes significant changes to the regulation’s scope, definitions, and plan requirements.
Key Provisions of the April 2026 Draft
– – Expanded Scope. The revised draft broadens the regulation’s coverage to include employer-provided transportation, stating that the rule applies to “all employers, employees, places of employment, employer-provided housing, and employer-provided transportation.”
– – Small Employer Exemption Clarified. A notable clarification addresses the small employer threshold. The regulation would not apply to employers whose places of employment are not accessible to the public and who have had fewer than ten total employees at that location at all times during the preceding 365 days, provided they are in compliance with California’s existing Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) regulations.
– – Definitions Updated. The definitions of “authorized employee representative” and “designated representative” were adjusted within the regulation. Importantly, the reference to the crime of stalking under California Penal Code section 646.9 was removed from the definition of workplace violence — a change employer advocates had pushed for, arguing that the broad statutory definition of stalking encompassed harassment and could involve conduct originating outside California. Stalking is, however, retained in the list of examples of workplace violence hazards.
– – Workplace Violence Hazard Language Narrowed. The draft deleted several previously listed hazard factors, including references to hostile work environments, required and excessive overtime, working in high-crime areas, and providing security services.
– – Training Requirements. The draft specifies that training not delivered in person must include interactive questions, with responses provided within one business day by someone knowledgeable about the employer’s WVPP.
– – Post-Incident Obligations. Employers would still be required to offer or make available post-incident trauma counseling for affected employees.
Under the revised draft, a compliant WVPP must include: the name or title of the person responsible for the plan; procedures for active employee involvement; coordination with other employers at shared worksites; procedures for responding to reports of violence; compliance procedures; communication methods for reporting violence and sharing investigation results; emergency response procedures; training procedures; procedures for identifying and evaluating workplace violence hazards; methods for correcting identified hazards; post-incident response and investigation procedures; and procedures for periodic review and evaluation of the plan itself.
The Standards Board is accepting public comments on the revised draft through June 1, 2026. Following the comment period, a final version of the regulation will be prepared for formal notice and a subsequent board vote. A vote approving the final standard is expected in late summer 2026, with an anticipated implementation date of January 1, 2027.
Employers operating in California — particularly those in industries with elevated workplace violence risk, such as those involving public contact, nighttime work, isolated locations, or handling of cash, alcohol, or pharmaceuticals — should review the revised draft and consider submitting comments before the June 1 deadline. Cal/OSHA has directed interested parties to submit written comments to Principal Safety Engineer Kevin Graulich at KGraulich@dir.ca.gov. Employers may also reach out to Cal/OSHA directly at 833-579-0927 to confirm the correct email address or mailing address for this comment period.