California Proposed Legislation for Health Regulations in the Modeling Sector
California's AB 2539: A Bill to Regulate and Protect the Modeling Industry
California Assemblymember Marc Levine introduced a bill, AB 2539, in 2016 with the aim of improving health protections, setting standards for working conditions, and regulating employment practices in the modeling industry. However, as of August 2025, there is limited public information available about the bill's legislative progression or current status.
The bill requires the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board and the State Department of Public Health to draft regulations relating to the modeling profession. It mandates models to obtain health certification from a licensed physician and undergo periodic health checkups. Modeling agencies are required to obtain health certification before hiring a model, and they must also maintain specified records relating to their employment of models.
In addition, AB 2539 requires models to be classified as employees rather than independent contractors, and modeling agencies in California will be required to be licensed by the Labor Commissioner. The bill also stipulates that modeling agencies must post a health advisory relating to eating disorders and sexual harassment or assault.
It's worth noting that California was the first state in the nation to enact a data security breach notification law in 2002, and this law applies to various platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, Whatsapp, and email. The law requires any person or business that owns or licenses computerized data containing Californians' personal information to disclose any breach of the system.
A notable case related to data security in California is the US District Court for the Central District of California's ruling in the case of Aqua Connect, Inc. v. Code Rebel LLC. The court ruled that reverse engineering software that is legally accessed does not constitute trade secret misappropriation under the California Trade Secrets Act (CTSA).
In a parallel development, a new French law requires any commercial photo of a model whose bodily appearance has been digitally altered to be labeled "photographie retouchée." The penalty for failure to comply is €37,500.
For those seeking the latest formal status of AB 2539 (such as whether it has been passed, amended, shelved, or repealed), it is recommended to consult California's official legislative records or contact the California Legislature directly for the most authoritative information.
- As part of California's ongoing efforts in health-and-wellness and mental-health, AB 2539, introduced by Assemblymember Marc Levine in 2016, aims to regulate and protect the modeling industry by setting standards for health certifications, periodic health checkups, and employment practices, with models being classified as employees and modeling agencies being required to obtain health certification and maintain records.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics, AB 2539 also addresses issues of data security by applying California's data security breach notification law to various platforms, requiring disclosure of any breach of system containing Californians' personal information.
- Keeping pace with international standards, similar legislation has emerged in France, where a new law mandates labeling of any commercial photo of a model whose bodily appearance has been digitally altered as "photographie retouchée," with penalties for non-compliance.
