SB 442: Grocery retail store and retail drug establishment employees: self-service checkout.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law imposes certain requirements on grocery employers, as defined, upon the purchase or change in control of a grocery establishment, including requiring a successor grocery employer to retain eligible grocery workers for a specified period after transfer of the grocery establishment.

This bill would prohibit a grocery retail store or a retail drug establishment, as those terms are defined, from providing a self-service checkout option for customers unless specified conditions are satisfied, including having at least one manual checkout station staffed by an employee who is available to any given customer at the time that a self-service checkout option is made available to that customer.

This bill would require a grocery retail store or retail drug establishment that offers self-service checkout to include self-service checkout in the employer’s illness and prevention program, as required by regulations of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The bill also would require a grocery retail store or retail drug establishment that intends to implement self-checkout to notify workers and their collective bargaining representatives at least 60 days in advance of the implementation, as specified. The bill would not preempt any city, county, or city and county ordinance that provides equal or greater protection to workers.

This bill would make an employer who violates the bill’s provisions subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation per day, not to exceed an aggregate penalty of $200,000.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 7

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 29, 2025August 29 hearing postponed by committee.
2. July 9, 2025July 9 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
3. June 26, 2025Coauthors revised.
4. June 26, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
5. June 9, 2025Referred to Com. on L. & E.
6. June 3, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
7. June 2, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 26. Noes 10. Page 1404.) Ordered to the Assembly.
8. May 23, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. May 23, 2025From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1200.) (May 23).
10. May 16, 2025Set for hearing May 23.
11. May 5, 2025May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
12. April 25, 2025Set for hearing May 5.