Under SB 553, California’s Workplace Violence Prevention statute, Cal/OSHA is required to develop and submit a workplace violence prevention standard to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board by December 31, 2025. Subsequently, the Standards Board must adopt this standard no later than December 31, 2026.  

In compliance with this mandate, Cal/OSHA revised its initial draft regulation on workplace violence and opened it for public comment period that concluded on September 3, 2024. The agency conducted its first open discussion on the amended draft during an all-day advisory committee meeting on January 24, 2025. Between January and May 2025, the agency conducted a second round of edits to the Revised Discussion Draft regulation and is now seeking additional input. Interested parties are invited to submit written comments to Deputy Chief of Health Eric Berg, [email protected] by July 14, 2025.  

What Does it Mean 

The status of the revised draft regulations has not changed. In alignment with regulatory administrative procedures, the revision process is expected to continue throughout this year, with an anticipated Standard’s Board final vote by late 2026. 

In the interim, employers should continue to monitor Cal/OSHA’s progress, review current workplace violence prevention plans and training programs to ensure they align with SB 553, and be prepared for new/updated requirements.