Legislative Report

ACSS monitors legislative activity that affects members. We maintain a current list of bills and measures that we either sponsor, support, oppose, or are simply keeping a close watch over. Read the legislative activity in its entirety on this page, or download the PDF version:

 Legislative Activity Report (March 6, 2024)

 


 

ACSS Legislative Report

3/6/2024

   

 

Sponsor

 

AB 1137

(Jones-Sawyer D)   Excluded employees.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/15/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/15/2023

 

Status: 7/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(10). (Last location was L., P.E. & R. on 6/14/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024)

 

Location: 7/14/2023-S. 2 YEAR

 

Summary: Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources to establish and adjust salary ranges for each class of position in the state civil service, subject to any merit limits contained in the California Constitution. Existing law provides that, after completion of the first year in a position, an employee shall receive a merit salary adjustment during each year when they meet the standards of efficiency, as prescribed by the department.This bill would require an employee who is excluded from the definition of “state employee” to be informed in writing of a merit salary adjustment denial 10 working days before the proposed effective date of the adjustment. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

 

 

Memo:

 

Sponsor letter sent to Author -- 3/13/23

Sponsor letter sent to Asm. PE&R -- 3/13/23

Sponsor letter sent to Asm. APPR -- 4/14/23

 

Support

 

AB 2028

(Ortega D)   Medical loss ratios.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/1/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/1/2024

 

Status: 2/12/2024-Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

 

Location: 2/12/2024-A. HEALTH

 

Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires a health insurance issuer to comply with minimum medical loss ratios (MLRs) and to provide an annual rebate to each insured if the MLR of the amount of the revenue expended by the issuer on costs to the total amount of premium revenue is less than a certain percentage, as specified. Existing law requires health care service plans and health insurers that issue, sell, renew, or offer a contract or policy, excluding specialized dental and vision contracts and policies, to comply with a minimum MLR of 85% and provide specified rebates. Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer that issues, sells, renews, or offers a contract or policy covering dental services to annually report MLR information to the appropriate department. This bill would require a health care service plan or health insurer that issues, sells, renews, or offers a specialized dental health care service plan contract or specialized dental health insurance policy to comply with a minimum MLR of 85% and to provide a specified rebate to an enrollee or insured. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

 

 

Watch

 

AB 236

(Holden D)   Health care coverage: provider directories.

 

Current Text: Amended: 1/22/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 1/13/2023

 

Last Amend: 1/22/2024

 

Status: 1/30/2024-Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 59. Noes 9.) In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

 

Location: 1/30/2024-S. RLS.

 

Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan and a health insurer that contracts with providers for alternative rates of payment to publish and maintain a provider directory or directories with information on contracting providers that deliver health care services enrollees or insureds, and requires a health care service plan and health insurer to regularly update its printed and online provider directory or directories, as specified. Existing law authorizes the departments to require a plan or insurer to provide coverage for all covered health care services provided to an enrollee or insured who reasonably relied on materially inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information contained in a health plan’s provider directory or directories. This bill would require a plan or insurer to annually verify and delete inaccurate listings from its provider directories, and would require a provider directory to be 60% accurate on July 1, 2025, with increasing required percentage accuracy benchmarks to be met each year until the directories are 95% accurate on or before July 1, 2028. The bill would subject a plan or insurer to administrative penalties for failure to meet the prescribed benchmarks. If a plan or insurer has not financially compensated a provider in the prior year, the bill would require the plan or insurer to delete the provider from its directory beginning July 1, 2025, unless specified criteria applies. The bill would require a plan or insurer to arrange care and provide coverage for all covered health care services provided to an enrollee or insured who reasonably relied on inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information contained in a health plan or policy’s provider directory or directories and to reimburse the provider the contracted amount for those services. The bill would prohibit a provider from collecting an additional amount from an enrollee or insured other than the applicable in-network cost sharing. The bill would require a plan or insurer to provide information about in-network providers to enrollees and insureds upon request, and would limit the cost-sharing amounts an enrollee or insured is required to pay for services from those providers under specified circumstances. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

 

 

AB 518

(Wicks D)   Paid family leave: eligibility: care for designated persons.

 

Current Text: Amended: 9/8/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/7/2023

 

Last Amend: 9/8/2023

 

Status: 9/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(14). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/13/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024)

 

Location: 9/14/2023-S. 2 YEAR

 

Summary: Existing unemployment compensation disability law requires workers to pay contribution rates based on, among other things, wages received in employment and benefit disbursement, for payment into the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, a special fund in the State Treasury. That fund is continuously appropriated for the purpose of providing disability benefits and making payment of expenses in administering those provisions. Existing law establishes, within the above state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program, also known as the paid family leave program, for the provision of wage replacement benefits for up to 8 weeks to workers who take time off work for prescribed purposes, including to care for a seriously ill family member. Existing law defines terms for its purposes, including “family care leave” and “family member.” This bill would expand eligibility for benefits under the paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill designated person. The bill would define “designated person” to mean any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. The bill would authorize the employee to identify the designated person when they file a claim for benefits. The bill would make conforming changes to the definitions of the terms “family care leave” and “family member.” The bill would make these changes operative on and after November 1, 2024. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

 

 

AB 775

(Arambula D)   Personal services contracts: state employees: physician registry for state hospitals.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/13/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/13/2023

 

Status: 9/1/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(11). (Last location was APPR. SUSPENSE FILE on 7/3/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024)

 

Location: 9/1/2023-S. 2 YEAR

 

Summary: Existing law, the State Civil Service Act, regulates employment with the state and vests in the Department of Human Resources all powers, duties, and authority necessary to operate the state civil service system. Existing law permits the use of personal services contracts for purposes of cost savings when specified conditions are met, including when the potential economic advantage of contracting is not outweighed by the public’s interest in having a particular function performed directly by the state government. Existing law establishes the State Department of State Hospitals within the California Health and Human Services Agency, and provides the department with jurisdiction over specified facilities for the care and treatment of persons with mental health disorders, including the Patton State Hospital. This bill would require the State Department of State Hospitals to establish, by January 1, 2025, a physician registry for the Patton State Hospital to be composed of members of State Bargaining Unit 16, under a 3-year pilot program. The bill would require the department to conduct and post on its internet website a semiannual survey of managers and employees to determine the efficacy of the registry. By January 10, 2026, and each year thereafter for the duration of the pilot program, the bill would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature that includes a study of the effectiveness of the registry to determine if the registry compensation rates were successful in addressing the operational needs for flexible services at a lower cost than contract registries. The bill would make the implementation of its provisions contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other statute, and would repeal its provisions on January 1, 2029. This bill contains other existing laws.

 

 

AB 1246

(Nguyen, Stephanie D)   Public employees’ retirement: Public Employees’ Retirement System optional settlements: Judges’ Retirement System II monthly allowance adjustments.

 

Current Text: Amended: 9/1/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/16/2023

 

Last Amend: 9/1/2023

 

Status: 9/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(14). (Last location was INACTIVE FILE on 9/11/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024)

 

Location: 9/14/2023-S. 2 YEAR

 

Summary: The Public Employees’ Retirement Law (PERL) establishes the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) to provide pension and other benefits to members of PERS. Existing law permits a member of PERS who retires on or before December 31, 2017, to elect from among several optional settlements for the purpose of structuring the member’s retirement allowance. Existing law also permits a member of PERS who retires on or after January 1, 2018, to elect from among several other optional settlements for the purpose of structuring their retirement allowance. Existing law prohibits a member who elects to receive specified optional settlements from changing the member’s optional settlement and designated beneficiary after election of an optional settlement unless a specified event occurs, including the death of a beneficiary who predeceased the member, a dissolution of marriage or a legal separation in which the judgment dividing the community property awards the total interest in the retirement system to the retired member, or in an annulment of marriage in which the court confirms the annulment. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2025, permit a member who elected to receive a specified optional settlement at retirement, if the member’s former spouse was named as beneficiary and a legal judgment awards only a portion of the interest in the retirement system to the retired member, to elect to add their new spouse as the beneficiary of the member’s interest, subject to meeting certain conditions. This bill would authorize a member to elect this option only once and would preclude elections that would be in derogation of the former spouse’s interest in the retirement system. The bill would preclude elections that would result in additional costs to the employer. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

 

 

AB 1254

(Flora R)   State employees: compensation: firefighters.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/16/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/16/2023

 

Status: 9/1/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(11). (Last location was APPR. SUSPENSE FILE on 7/3/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024)

 

Location: 9/1/2023-S. 2 YEAR

 

Summary: Existing law provides that in order for the state to recruit skilled firefighters for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it is the policy of the state to consider prevailing salaries and benefits prior to making salary recommendations. Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources, in order to provide comparability in pay, to take into consideration the salary and benefits of other jurisdictions employing 75 or more full-time firefighters who work in California. This bill would require the state to pay firefighters who are rank-and-file members of State Bargaining Unit 8, employed by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, within 15% of the average salary for corresponding ranks in 20 listed California fire departments. The bill would require the state and the exclusive representative for State Bargaining Unit 8 to jointly survey annually and calculate the estimated average salaries for those fire departments. The bill would provide that when determining compensation for uniformed classifications of the department, it is the policy of the state to consider the salary of corresponding ranks within the comparable jurisdictions listed, as well as other factors, including internal comparisons. The bill would require any salary increase for firefighters under these provisions to be implemented through a memorandum of understanding, in accordance with specified procedures governing collective bargaining agreements. The bill would include related legislative findings.

 

 

AB 1567

(Garcia D)   Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, Clean Energy, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2024.

 

Current Text: Amended: 5/26/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/17/2023

 

Last Amend: 5/26/2023

 

Status: 6/14/2023-Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and GOV. & F.

 

Location: 6/14/2023-S. N.R. & W.

 

Summary: The California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, approved by the voters as Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,100,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. Article XVI of the California Constitution requires measures authorizing general obligation bonds to specify the single object or work to be funded by the bonds and further requires a bond act to be approved by a 2/3 vote of each house of the Legislature and a majority of the voters. This bill would enact the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, Clean Energy, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2024, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $15,995,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparation, flood protection, extreme heat mitigation, clean energy, and workforce development programs. This bill contains other related provisions.

 

 

AB 1812

(Gabriel D)   Budget Act of 2024.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 1/10/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 1/10/2024

 

Status: 1/16/2024-Referred to Com. on BUDGET.

 

Location: 1/16/2024-A. BUDGET

 

Summary: This bill would make appropriations for the support of state government for the 2024–25 fiscal year. This bill contains other related provisions.

 

 

AB 2335

(McKinnor D)   Public employment: salary classification.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/12/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/12/2024

 

Status: 2/13/2024-From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.

 

Location: 2/12/2024-A. PRINT

 

Summary: Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources to establish and adjust salary ranges for each class of position in the state civil service, as specified. Existing law requires the department to submit to parties meeting and conferring and to the Legislature reports on 2 groups of bargaining units biennially, beginning on either February 1, 2025, or February 1, 2026, depending on the group, on the findings of the department relating to the salaries of employees in comparable occupations in private industry and other governmental agencies. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that report requirement.

 

 

AB 2421

(Low D)   Employer-employee relations: confidential communications.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/13/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/13/2024

 

Status: 2/26/2024-Referred to Com. on P.E. & R.

 

Location: 2/26/2024-A. P.E. & R.

 

Summary: Existing law that governs the labor relations of public employees and employers, including the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the Ralph C. Dills Act, provisions relating to public schools, provisions relating to higher education, and provisions relating to the the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, prohibits employers from taking certain actions relating to employee organization, including imposing or threatening to impose reprisals on employees, discriminating or threatening to discriminate against employees, or otherwise interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees because of their exercise of their guaranteed rights. Those provisions of existing law further prohibit denying to employee organizations the rights guaranteed to them by existing law. This bill would also prohibit a local public agency employer, a state employer, a public school employer, a higher education employer, or the district from questioning any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation.

 

 

AB 2474

(Lackey R)   Retirement: County Employees Retirement Law of 1937: benefit payments and overpayments.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/13/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/13/2024

 

Status: 2/26/2024-Referred to Com. on P.E. & R.

 

Location: 2/26/2024-A. P.E. & R.

 

Summary: The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) authorizes counties and districts to establish retirement systems in order to provide pension benefits to their employees and their beneficiaries and prescribes the rights, benefits, and duties of members in this regard. CERL defines compensation and compensation earnable for purposes of its provisions. Existing law, the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), prescribed various limitations on public employees, employers, and retirement systems concerning, among other things, the types of remuneration that may be included in compensation that is applied to pensions. Under CERL, the board of retirement is required to comply with and give effect to a revocable written authorization signed by a retired member or beneficiary of a retired member, as described, authorizing the treasurer or other entity authorized by the board to deliver the monthly warrant, check, or electronic fund transfer for the retirement allowance or benefit to any specified bank, savings and loan institution, or credit union to be credited to the account of the retired member or survivor of a deceased retired member. This bill would also authorize the monthly warrant, check, or electronic fund transfer for the retirement allowance or benefit to be delivered to a prepaid account, as defined. The bill would also define “account of the retired member or survivor of a deceased retired member” to include an account held in a living trust or an income-only trust, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

 

 

AB 2487

(Fong, Mike D)   Public employment: climate change.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/13/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/13/2024

 

Status: 2/14/2024-From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

 

Location: 2/13/2024-A. PRINT

 

Summary: The State Civil Service Act regulates employment with the state and vests in the Department of Human Resources all powers, duties, and authority necessary to operate the state civil service system. Existing law establishes various provisions addressing the impacts and effects of climate change on the state’s communities, economy, and environment. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to prepare the state’s workforce for evolving demands in response to climate change.

 

 

AB 2770

(Committee on Public Employment and Retirement)   Public employees’ retirement.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/15/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/15/2024

 

Status: 3/4/2024-Referred to Com. on P.E. & R.

 

Location: 3/4/2024-A. P.E. & R.

 

Summary: Existing law, the Teachers’ Retirement Law, establishes the State Teachers’ Retirement System (STRS), and sets forth the provisions for its administration and the delivery of benefits to its members. Existing law authorizes a member to request to purchase additional service credit and to redeposit accumulated retirement contributions returned to the member, as provided. This bill would require the member to sign and return the completed statement of contributions and interest required from STRS to purchase service credit at a specific cost no later than 35 calendar days from the date of the offer. The bill would also require a member to sign and return the completed election to repay accumulated retirement contributions from STRS to redeposit at a specific cost no later than 35 calendar days from the date of the offer. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

 

 

AB 2798

(Rivas, Robert D)   Collective bargaining: Legislature.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/15/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/15/2024

 

Status: 2/16/2024-From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.

 

Location: 2/15/2024-A. PRINT

 

Summary: Existing law, the Legislature Employer-Employee Relations Act, will become operative on July 1, 2026 to provide specified employees of the Legislature the right to form, join, and participate in the activities of employee organizations of their own choosing for the purpose of representation on all matters of employer-employee relations. Existing law requires the “employer,” defined as the Assembly Committee on Rules or the Senate Committee on Rules, to meet and confer with representatives of recognized employee organizations regarding matters within the scope of representation. Existing law excludes certain matters from the scope of representation, as specified. Existing law authorizes certain parties to petition for extraordinary relief from specified decisions or orders of the Public Employment Relations Board, and requires this petition to be filed in the district court of appeal in the appellate district where the unit determination or unfair practice dispute occurred. Existing law provides that if the time to petition for extraordinary relief from a board decision has expired, the board may seek enforcement of its final decision or order in a district court of appeal or a superior court in the district where the unit determination or unfair practice case occurred. This bill would exclude the design, construction, and location of legislative facilities from the scope of representation. The bill would require a petition for extraordinary relief from a decision or order of the Public Employment Relations Board, as specified, to instead be filed in the Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District. The bill would provide that if the time to petition for extraordinary relief from a board decision has expired, the board may instead seek enforcement of its final decision or order in the Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District or Superior Court of the County of Sacramento. The bill would require the employer to reimburse an employee for any reasonable travel expenses incurred by the employee in traveling to and from a court proceeding at the Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District or Superior Court of the County of Sacramento at which the employee is required to appear.

 

 

AB 3025

(Valencia D)   County employees’ retirement: compensation.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/16/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/16/2024

 

Status: 2/17/2024-From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.

 

Location: 2/16/2024-A. PRINT

 

Summary: Existing law, the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), generally requires a public retirement system, as defined, to modify its plan or plans to comply with the act. PEPRA, among other things, establishes new defined benefit formulas and caps on pensionable compensation. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that exception. This bill contains other existing laws.

 

 

AB 3041

(Carrillo, Wendy D)   Public employment: classification.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/16/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/16/2024

 

Status: 2/17/2024-From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.

 

Location: 2/16/2024-A. PRINT

 

Summary: Under existing law, the Department of Human Resources succeeds to, and is vested with, the duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction exercised by the State Personnel Board with respect to the administration of the Personnel Classification Plan. Existing law prohibits a person from being assigned to perform the duties of any class other than that to which their position is allocated, except as specified. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

 

 

AB 3242

(Rivas, Luz D)   Commission on Cutting Red Tape: Government Operations Agency.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/16/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/16/2024

 

Status: 2/17/2024-From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.

 

Location: 2/16/2024-A. PRINT

 

Summary: Existing law establishes the Government Operations Agency, which consists of several state entities, including, but not limited to, the State Personnel Board, the Department of General Services, and the Office of Administrative Law. Under existing law, the Government Operations Agency is under the direction of an executive officer known as the Secretary of Government Operations, who is appointed by, and holds office at the pleasure of, the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. This bill would establish, within the Government Operations Agency, the Commission on Cutting Red Tape, consisting of 5 members appointed by the Governor. The bill would state the goal of the commission is to identify administrative obstacles in governmental procedures that cost time and resources without adding protections, and would provide guidance for the commission to achieve this goal. The bill would also require the Secretary of Government Operations to submit an annual report to the Legislature and to other relevant state agencies detailing the recommendations of the commission.

 

 

SB 74

(Dodd D)   State entities: state-owned or state-issued devices: social media platforms.

 

Current Text: Amended: 8/17/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 1/11/2023

 

Last Amend: 8/17/2023

 

Status: 9/6/2023-Ordered to inactive file on request of Assembly Member Bryan.

 

Location: 9/6/2023-A. INACTIVE FILE

 

Summary: Existing law establishes the Department of Technology (department) within the Government Operations Agency, and provides for a Director of Technology (director) to supervise the department and report directly to the Governor on issues relating to information technology. Existing law imposes various duties on the director, including advising the Governor on the strategic management and direction of the state’s information technology resources. Existing law requires the department to identify, assess, and prioritize high-risk, critical information technology services and systems across state government, as determined by the department, for modernization, stabilization, or remediation. Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services to establish and lead the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (CCIC). Existing law states that the CCIC’s mission is to reduce the likelihood and severity of cyber incidents that could damage California’s economy, its critical infrastructure, or public and private sector computer networks in the state. Existing law requires the CCIC to serve as the central organizing hub of state government’s cybersecurity activities and coordinate information sharing with specified entities, including local, state, and federal agencies. This bill would require state agencies, when implementing social media and cybersecurity policies pursuant to the Statewide Information Management Manual and authorizing any agency installation or download of an application for a particular social media platform on a state-issued or state-owned electronic device for an official state purpose, to adopt risk mitigation strategies tailored to risks posed by that social media platform, as specified. For purposes of adopting these risk mitigation strategies, the bill would specify that there is a rebuttable presumption that a state agency shall prohibit installation or download on that agency’s state-issued or state-owned electronic devices of any application for a social media platform to which any of specified conditions apply, and would specify how that rebuttable presumption may be overcome by the state agency. The bill would define various terms for these purposes. The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. This bill contains other existing laws.

 

 

SB 130

(Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review)   Employment.

 

Current Text: Amended: 6/26/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 1/18/2023

 

Last Amend: 6/26/2023

 

Status: 6/29/2023-Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.

 

Location: 6/29/2023-A. BUDGET

 

Summary: Existing law, the State Civil Service Act, regulates employment with the state and vests in the Department of Human Resources all powers, duties, and authorities necessary to operate the state civil service system in accordance with Article VII of the California Constitution, the Government Code, the merit principle, and applicable rules duly adopted by the State Personnel Board. Existing law requires, except as specified, that the Controller establish and maintain a payroll of all persons employed by every state agency. Existing law requires, unless otherwise provided by law, that the salaries of state officers be paid monthly out of the General Fund. This bill, instead, would require the salaries of state officers and employees to be paid out of the General Fund, or another recognized state fund which a respective employee’s position is funded, on a uniform payroll cycle established by the department.

 

 

SB 252

(Gonzalez D)   Public retirement systems: fossil fuels: divestment.

 

Current Text: Amended: 5/18/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 1/30/2023

 

Last Amend: 5/18/2023

 

Status: 7/14/2023-Failed Deadline pursuant to Rule 61(a)(10). (Last location was P.E. & R. on 6/8/2023)(May be acted upon Jan 2024)

 

Location: 7/14/2023-A. 2 YEAR

 

Summary: The California Constitution grants the retirement board of a public employee retirement system plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the retirement fund and system. These provisions qualify this grant of powers by reserving to the Legislature the authority to prohibit investments if it is in the public interest and the prohibition satisfies standards of fiduciary care and loyalty required of a retirement board. This bill would prohibit the boards of the Public Employees’ Retirement System and the State Teachers’ Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a fossil fuel company, as defined. The bill would require the boards to liquidate investments in a fossil fuel company on or before July 1, 2031. The bill would temporarily suspend the above-described liquidation provision upon a good faith determination by the board that certain conditions materially impact normal market mechanisms for pricing assets, as specified, and would make this suspension provision inoperative on January 1, 2035. The bill would provide that it does not require a board to take any action unless the board determines in good faith that the action is consistent with the board’s fiduciary responsibilities established in the California Constitution. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

 

 

SB 867

(Allen D)   Drought, Flood, and Water Resilience, Wildfire and Forest Resilience, Coastal Resilience, Extreme Heat Mitigation, Biodiversity and Nature-Based Climate Solutions, Climate Smart Agriculture, Park Creation and Outdoor Access, and Clean Energy Bond Act of 2024.

 

Current Text: Amended: 6/22/2023  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/17/2023

 

Last Amend: 6/22/2023

 

Status: 7/6/2023-July 10 hearing postponed by committee.

 

Location: 6/20/2023-A. NAT. RES.

 

Summary: The California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, approved by the voters as Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,100,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. Article XVI of the California Constitution requires measures authorizing general obligation bonds to specify the single object or work to be funded by the bonds and further requires a bond act to be approved by a 2/3 vote of each house of the Legislature and a majority of the voters. This bill would enact the Drought, Flood, and Water Resilience, Wildfire and Forest Resilience, Coastal Resilience, Extreme Heat Mitigation, Biodiversity and Nature-Based Climate Solutions, Climate Smart Agriculture, Park Creation and Outdoor Access, and Clean Energy Bond Act of 2024, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $15,500,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate smart agriculture, park creation and outdoor access, and clean energy programs. This bill contains other related provisions.

 

 

SB 917

(Skinner D)   Budget Act of 2024.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 1/10/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 1/10/2024

 

Status: 1/10/2024-Introduced. Read first time. Referred to Com. on B. & F.R. To print.

 

Location: 1/10/2024-S. BUDGET & F.R.

 

Summary: This bill would make appropriations for the support of state government for the 2024–25 fiscal year. This bill contains other related provisions.

 

 

SB 1240

(Alvarado-Gil D)   Public Employees’ Retirement System: contracting agencies: consolidation.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/15/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/15/2024

 

Status: 2/29/2024-Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

 

Location: 2/29/2024-S. L., P.E. & R.

 

Summary: Existing law, the Public Employees’ Retirement Law (PERL), establishes the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), which provides a defined benefit to members of the system based on final compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. PERL authorizes any public agency to make its employees members of PERS by contract. Under existing law, when a contracting agency is succeeded by another agency, the successor agency may become a contracting agency of PERS. Existing law provides that if the successor agency contracts with PERS, the contract of the former agency shall merge with the contract of the succeeding agency. Existing law authorizes specified successor agencies to provide employees the defined benefit plan or formula that those employees received from their respective contracting agency employer prior to the consolidation. This bill would authorize a successor agency for the El Dorado County Fire Protection District and the Diamond Springs Fire Protection District to provide employees the defined benefit plan or formula that those employees received from their respective employer prior to the annexation. This bill contains other related provisions.

 

 

SB 1260

(Niello R)   Public Employees’ Retirement System: Office of Inspector General.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/15/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/15/2024

 

Status: 2/29/2024-Referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and G.O.

 

Location: 2/29/2024-S. L., P.E. & R.

 

Summary: Existing law creates the Public Employees Retirement System, which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System. Existing law creates the Department of Human Resources and prescribes its duties, which include administering and enforcing the laws pertaining to personnel. Existing law creates the State Personnel Board and requires it to prescribe rules consistent with a merit-based civil service system, including those relating to disciplinary actions, consistent with the board’s authority under the California Constitution. Existing law creates the Office of the Inspector General, which provides oversight of internal affairs investigations and the disciplinary process of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.This bill would create the Office of the Inspector General for the Public Employees’ Retirement System (Inspector General), which would not be a subdivision of another governmental entity. The bill would require the Governor to appoint the Inspector General, subject to Senate confirmation, to a six-year term and would prohibit removal except for good cause. The bill would prescribe certain powers of the Inspector General, who would be a department head, and would collocate Inspector General staff within the offices of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), as specified. The books, writings, and records of the Inspector General would be public records, except as specified.

 

 

SB 1316

(Wahab D)   School employees: state special school personnel: salaries.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/16/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/16/2024

 

Status: 2/29/2024-Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

 

Location: 2/29/2024-S. L., P.E. & R.

 

Summary: Existing law establishes the California School for the Deaf, Northern California, the California School for the Deaf, Southern California, known collectively as the California School for the Deaf, and the California School for the Blind, as the state special schools, under the administration of the State Department of Education. Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources to consider making salaries for teachers, specialists, and administrators of the state special schools competitive with the salaries of similarly qualified school teachers, specialists, and administrators who are employed by the encompassing school districts. This bill would instead require the department to establish salaries for school personnel, as defined, of the state special schools that are comparable with the salaries of similarly qualified school personnel who are employed by the encompassing school districts.

 

 

SB 1345

(Smallwood-Cuevas D)   Employment discrimination: criminal history information.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/16/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/16/2024

 

Status: 2/29/2024-Referred to Com. on JUD.

 

Location: 2/29/2024-S. JUD.

 

Summary: Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, prohibits various forms of employment discrimination and empowers the Civil Rights Department to investigate and prosecute complaints alleging unlawful practices. Existing law makes it unlawful for an employer with five or more employees to, among other things, include on any application for employment, before the employer makes a conditional offer of employment to the applicant, any question that seeks the disclosure of an applicant’s conviction history, except as provided. This bill would make it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to take an adverse action against an applicant based solely or in part on criminal history information, unless the employer can demonstrate that the applicant’s criminal history has a direct and adverse relationship with one or more specific duties of the job and the employer’s business necessity requires the adverse action. The bill would also make it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to require, as a condition of employment, that an applicant waive the applicant’s right to privacy in criminal history information or otherwise provide an authorization for the employer to obtain the applicant’s criminal history information under specified law, unless the employer can demonstrate a business necessity. The bill would define various terms for these purposes.

 

 

SB 1379

(Dodd D)   Public Employees’ Retirement Law: reinstatement: County of Solano.

 

Current Text: Introduced: 2/16/2024  html   pdf

 

Introduced: 2/16/2024

 

Status: 2/29/2024-Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

 

Location: 2/29/2024-S. L., P.E. & R.

 

Summary: The Public Employees’ Retirement Law creates the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), which provides pension and other benefits to members of the system and prescribes limitations on the service that retired members may perform, without the member reinstating in the system, for employers that participate in the system. The California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) also prescribes limitations on the activities of retired members of these retirement systems, which supersede the provisions of PERS with which they conflict. Under both PERS and PEPRA, a retired member is generally subject to a limit of 960 hours of employment within a calendar or fiscal year, depending on the administrator of the system, for specified employers without reinstating in the system. This bill would create an exception for the above-described limit for retired members hired by the City of Vallejo or the County of Solano to perform a function or functions regularly performed by a peace officer, any evidence or dispatch personnel, or any administrative or records personnel. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2029. This bill contains other related provisions.

 

Total Measures: 28

Total Tracking Forms: 28