Press Release

SB 321, Senator Durazo’s Bill to Create Guidelines for Health & Safety for Domestic Workers, Signed by Governor Newsom

Governor Newsom has signed SB 321, the Health and Safety for All Workers Act, creating the first ever guidelines for health and safety for domestic workers in California.                        

“Domestic workers are essential workers," said Senator María Durazo (D-Los Angeles). They make it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to carry out other work, and during the pandemic they have been on the frontlines, in people's homes, putting their health  at risk. They deserve safe and healthy environments to work. Thank you to Governor Newsom for standing up for this vulnerable workforce!”                

“The Governor’s signature is an important first step towards full dignity and equity for domestic workers. Today, we honor the generations of domestic workers who for too long have suffered injuries and illness at their workplace. We celebrate this victory for the entire domestic workers movement, here in California and beyond,” said Kimberly Alvarenga, Director of the California Domestic Workers Coalition. “We will be back to make the implementation of these guidelines mandatory and to finally end this unjust exclusion so that immigrant women workers across the state have the rights and protections they need and deserve to live dignified lives. La lucha sigue.” 

Specifically, SB 321 will create a Cal/OSHA advisory committee to recommend policies that protect domestic workers’ health and safety, and to develop voluntary industry-specific occupational health and safety guidance for the purpose of educating household domestic service employees and employers. The law requires the Cal/OSHA to post the report to its website and submit a copy to the Legislature, as specified by January 1, 2023.

###