Newsom Signs Bills Strengthening Pay Equity and Assisting Unhoused People Living in RVs

November 28, 2025

In October, Governor Gavin Newsom approved two bills authored by California Legislative Black Caucus members addressing workplace equity and homelessness. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas's SB 464 enhances pay equity requirements by mandating more detailed employer pay-data reporting, adding sexual orientation to reporting categories, and imposing mandatory civil penalties on non-compliant employers starting in 2026. Senator Richardson's SB 748 tackles the growing crisis of people living in recreational vehicles by expanding safe-parking programs and establishing protocols for vehicle removal and storage.

Who is affected

Workers, particularly low-wage communities of color and Black Californians experiencing income inequality
White, Black, and Latino families in California (Black families earn 58 cents for every dollar White families earn)
Black Californians holding only 4% of executive positions compared to 62% held by White Californians
People experiencing homelessness in California (187,084 people, with roughly 25% living in RVs)
Unhoused individuals living in RVs in San Francisco (489-612 vehicles) and Oakland (700-900 people)
Employers required to submit pay-data reports to the California Civil Rights Department
Local governments and jurisdictions managing RV encampments
Nearby residents and businesses affected by RV encampments

What action is being taken

Governor Newsom signed SB 464 and SB 748 into law in October
SB 464 expands pay-data reporting by adding job categories, broadening salary bands, and requiring higher-quality data
The bill adds sexual orientation to annual pay-data reporting categories
SB 748 expands safe-parking operations for people living in RVs
The California Civil Rights Department is required to publish anonymized pay-data reports

Why it matters

These bills address critical systemic inequalities in California. SB 464 matters because significant pay disparities persist, with Black families earning only 58 cents for every dollar White families earn, and Black Californians holding merely 4% of executive positions despite making up a larger portion of the population. The mandatory civil penalties remove judicial discretion, ensuring accountability in pay equity reporting. SB 748 matters because it addresses a humanitarian crisis affecting nearly 187,000 unhoused Californians, many living in RVs without adequate electricity, water, or sanitation, while also helping local jurisdictions comply with state and federal encampment laws and addressing community concerns about public health and safety.

What's next

Beginning January 1, 2026, courts must impose civil penalties on employers that fail to submit annual pay-data reports to the California Civil Rights Department
Employers will be required to store demographic data collected for pay-reporting separately from primary personnel files
SB 748 requires reporting on the effectiveness of safe-parking programs

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint