SB 20- Silicosis Training, Outreach, and Prevention (STOP) Act Heads to Governor Newsom
Let’s STOP the deadly crisis of silicosis in California!
SACRAMENTO - Senate Bill 20- the Silicosis Training, Outreach, and Prevention (STOP) Act, authored by Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley), has passed the California Legislature with bipartisan support, and was sent to Governor Newsom. Silicosis is an irreversible and fatal, but preventable, occupational lung disease caused by the respiration of silica dust. Workers who cut, grind, polish and drill stone countertops are at risk of developing silicosis.
Typically, from the time of diagnosis to death, individuals live less than 3.5 years. A lung transplant, which can cost upwards of $1.3 million, may only extend life expectancy by five years, on average. These horrific repercussions have disproportionately afflicted constituents in Senator Menjivar’s district, where the San Fernando Valley was named “ground zero” for cases by the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health.
“Since I introduced SB 20, there have been over 120 new silicosis cases identified in California, showing us there is still more work to be done to protect these workers,” said Senator Caroline Menjivar. “As the State Senator representing communities where these cases are disproportionately occurring, I knew I had to make this bill a priority in 2025. Also, as the Chair of the Senate Health Committee, I have viewed this issue through the lens of our community’s overall health. I am so grateful that we are able to take this next step in the fight to protect our vulnerable workers, and I am anxious to continue to push these efforts even further.”
Senate Bill 20 will enhance worker safety in the stone fabrication industry by enforcing safety regulations, increasing public awareness, improving data sharing between the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Cal/OSHA, and strengthening Cal/OSHA’s enforcement.
Specifically, this bill prohibits the practice of dry cutting of these stone countertops. It will also require employers to submit an attestation that they have trained their employers consistent with Cal/OSHA’s applicable silica standards and require CDPH to conduct outreach and education activities to the affected workforce, employers, and local health jurisdictions. Lastly, it will classify silicosis from artificial stone as a serious injury or illness to help bolster enforcement response by Cal/OSHA.
“SB 20 is the culmination of a two-year effort to better protect workers from the devastating effects of silicosis. Our work on this issue began last year with then-Assemblymember, now Congresswoman, Luz Rivas, whose leadership helped raise awareness of this deadly but preventable occupational disease. We are grateful to Senator Menjivar for continuing this fight and working with us to deliver SB 20 to the Governor’s desk. We would like to thank the Governor’s office for strengthening the bill with labor enforcement provisions that hold bad actors accountable,” said Chris Hannan, President of the State Building and Construction Trades Council. “By banning dangerous dry-cutting practices, requiring stronger Cal/OSHA training standards, and empowering regulators to stop unsafe work on the spot, SB 20 makes prevention the priority. This bill will save lives, safeguard families, and ensure California’s workers are protected on the job — and we look forward to seeing it signed into law.”
Cal/OSHA approved their emergency temporary standards (ETS) as their permanent standards, effective as of February 5, 2025, with the recognition that more work is needed to address this alarming crisis. SB 20 is just one battle in the war to fully eradicate silicosis, in California.
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