Assembly Bill (AB) No. 2321, the measure that would reshape how California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and its Bureau of Investigations (BOI) handle the most serious workplace incidents, is pending in the California State Senate after further revisions. The bill cleared its final fiscal hurdle in the Senate on August 13, 2026, and it now heads to a floor vote during the legislature’s closing weeks.
The bill was introduced in February 2026 by Assembly Member Liz Ortega (D–District 20), chair of the California State Assembly’s Committee on Labor and Employment, with Assembly Members Ash Kalra (D–District 25) and Alex Lee (D–District 24) signing on as coauthors. As introduced, the bill would have applied statewide, expanding the role of local district attorneys in investigating serious workplace injuries and fatalities across California…