SB 947 became Chapter 859 on September 30. The act takes effect January 1, 2027, but its workplace requirements become operative July 1, 2027. Employers cannot rely solely on automated decision systems for discipline or termination. Primary reliance is allowed only with human corroboration using underlying data or other relevant support. Uncorroborated output, or output found inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading, cannot be used. Primary reliance requires a separate, plain-language notice when the employee learns the decision, identifying human review, a human contact, data-description rights, and protection against retaliation. Employees can request a meaningful, objective description of their own data, with other people's personal information anonymized. The Labor Commissioner and public prosecutors may enforce the law, including a $500 civil penalty per violation. Exceptions require a qualifying collective-bargaining agreement or specified, necessary federal-compliance uses in aircraft or national-security, military, space, or defense operations. The law also excludes certain security and data tools from its ADS definition. A manager who usually accepts a software recommendation may be relying primarily on it even though a person clicks the final button. The statute does not supply a numerical percentage for primary reliance. HR and counsel should examine the evidence and discretion in the actual decision, rather than count approvals or assume every software-assisted decision meets the trigger. Before July, test whether the reviewer can substantiate an attendance flag or performance score and produce the required notice. Build a way to describe the employee's own data without revealing other people's information. A qualifying union agreement needs an explicit waiver and algorithmic-management protection; union representation alone is not the exception. Stronger local protections and applicable privacy regulations remain relevant. These preparations are suggested checks, not a determination that a particular employer is covered. Walk through one software-assisted discipline decision and identify its corroborating evidence and employee notice. SB-947 Employment: automated decision systems. Chapter 859, Statutes of 2026: Final signed Chapter 859. Read the sole-versus-primary reliance rules, employee data and notice rights, enforcement, narrowly conditioned exceptions, and July 1, 2027 operative clause together.