Bill > AB2321

This bill strengthens workplace safety regulations and enforcement in California by expanding the responsibilities of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and its Bureau of Investigations, which is the specialized unit tasked with investigating workplace crimes. Specifically, the legislation makes it a misdemeanor to willfully interfere with a safety inspector or violate a related court order, while also broadening existing criminal penalties for willful safety violations to include incidents that result in serious exposure, illness, or injury, rather than just permanent impairment or death. To improve oversight and coordination, the bill requires Cal/OSHA and first responders to immediately notify local district attorneys and the Bureau of Investigations whenever a serious workplace accident, illness, or hazardous exposure occurs. Additionally, the measure mandates that the Bureau of Investigations review specific incidents, establish formal written procedures, and submit detailed annual reports to the Legislature, while also allowing otherwise confidential trade secret information collected during safety inspections to be legally shared with law enforcement officers and prosecutors conducting criminal investigations.