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On October 11, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law legislation—Senate Bill (SB) No. 19—that updates the California Penal Code to add Section 422.3, a new statute that closes a loophole and includes, as criminal offenses to be more fully prosecuted, threats made against workplaces, schools, houses of worship, and medical facilities. According to the governor's office, the new law is intended to give prosecutors another tool to address threats of violence.
Quick Hits
- Threats made against workplaces, schools, houses of worship, and medical facilities are criminal offenses that can be more fully prosecuted under legislation (SB 19) signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 11, 2025.
- The new law takes effect on January 1, 2026.
SB 19, which takes effect on January 1, 2026, equips California prosecutors with tools to more fully charge individuals who make credible threats of mass violence against persons "at a daycare, school, university, workplace, house of worship, or medical facility."
Until the enactment of SB 19, existing law had limited enforcement to threats made against specific persons, "leaving institutions vulnerable to serious disruption and fear," according to a frequently asked questions document issued by the office of Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), who cosponsored the legislation.
Under the new law, covered communications include any "image or threat posted or published on an internet web page, to commit a crime that will result in death or great bodily injury."
The specific intent of "actually carrying ... out" the threat is not required. The threat to commit a crime that will result in death or great bodily injury is sufficient if it "causes a person or persons to reasonably be in sustained fear for their own safety or the safety of others at [the specified] locations."
The threat must be "so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate, and specific as to convey to the person or persons threatened a gravity of purpose and an immediate prospect of execution of the threat."
Next Steps
Because "workplace" is included in the locations described in the new law, California employers have another resource and reason to report threats to law enforcement and utilize the new penal code provisions to protect employees from threats to their safety.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
