Ash Kalra

Existing law declares every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind to be void, except as expressly provided. Existing law provides for a system of labor standards enforcement administered by the Labor Commissioner.

This bill would, for contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, make it unlawful to include in any employment contract, or to require a worker to execute as a condition of employment or a work relationship a contract that includes, specified contract terms, including a term that requires the worker to pay an employer, training provider, or debt collector for a debt if the worker's employment or work relationship with a specific employer terminates. The bill would declare these contracts as contracts that restrain a person from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business, and as void and contrary to public policy, except as provided.

This bill would authorize a worker who has been subjected to the above-described prohibited conduct regarding a contract or its terms or a work representative to bring an action on behalf of that worker, other persons similarly situated, or both, in any court of competent jurisdiction. The bill would make a person who violates these provisions liable for specified civil penalties and relief.