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, the family temporary disability insurance program, provides up to 8 weeks of wage replacement benefits to workers who take time off work to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or domestic partner, or to bond with a minor child within one year of birth or placement in connection with foster care or adoption, or to participate in a qualifying exigency related to the covered active duty or call to covered active duty of the individual's spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent in the Armed Forces of the United States. Existing law defines "covered active duty" to mean, with respect to a member of the regular Armed Forces of the United States, duty during the deployment of the member with the regular armed forces to a foreign country and, with respect to a member of the reserve components of the Armed Forces of the United States, duty during the deployment of the member of those reserve components to a foreign country under a federal call or order to active duty. This bill would, starting upon specified changes to the Employment Development Department's integrated claims management system or on July 1, 2028, whichever occurs sooner, expand the definition of "covered active duty" to additionally include duty during training, deployment other than deployment to a foreign country, and, with respect to a member of the reserve components of the Armed Forces of the United States, a call or order to state active duty. By authorizing expenditures from the continuously appropriated fund for these expanded purposes, this bill would make an appropriation.
This measure would urge the Congress of the United States and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to review federal commercial driver's license disqualification policies and consider reforms that allow greater flexibility for states and appropriate relief for drivers whose livelihoods are affected.
Existing law entitles state employees to a paid holiday on specific days, including the 3rd Monday in February, except as specified. Existing law, in addition, authorizes state employees to elect to use 8 hours of vacation, annual leave, compensating time off, or personal holiday credit corresponding with specific dates, including the 4th Friday in September, known as "Native American Day," as specified. This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, entitle state employees to a holiday on the 4th Friday in September, known as "Native American Day," as specified, in lieu of the above-described election. The bill would authorize any state bargaining unit to negotiate for a paid holiday on Native American Day, as specified. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 19853 and 19853.1 of the Government Code proposed by AB 2017 and SB 1394 to be operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
Existing law grants to higher education employees the right to form, join, and participate in the activities of employee organizations for purposes of representation on all matters of employer-employee relations and for the purpose of meeting and conferring. Existing law, for the California State University, prohibits written memoranda reached that require budgetary or curative action by the Legislature or other agencies from being effective unless that action has been taken, and requires an appropriate request for financing or budgetary funding for all state-funded employees or for necessary legislation to be forwarded to the Legislature and the Governor or other funding agencies. Existing law requires the entire memorandum to be referred back to the parties for further meeting and conferring when the memorandum requires legislative action and the Legislature or the Governor fails to fully fund the memorandum or take the requisite curative action, except as specified. This bill would require the above-described determination of whether a memorandum requires legislative action and the Legislature or the Governor fails to fully fund the memorandum or take the requisite curative action to be made by the Public Employment Relations Board by written notification to the parties.
The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax law, allows various deductions from gross income in calculating adjusted gross income. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, would allow a deduction from gross income for any qualified fitness benefit provided by an employer to an employee, as specified. The bill would define "qualified fitness benefit" as a uniform stipend amount to all full-time employees for fees or dues for membership in a fitness center, health club, or gym, except as specified. Existing law requires specified employers to contribute to the Unemployment Fund based on wages paid for employment. Existing law defines "wages" for this purpose, as provided, and excludes from that definition, among other things, remuneration in excess of $7,000 paid to an individual by an employer during any calendar year, with respect to employment. This bill would additionally exclude from that definition of wages any qualified fitness benefit provided by an employer to an employee, up to $600 per year, as specified. Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
The California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act establishes the California Workforce Development Board to assist the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system and the alignment of the education and workforce investment systems to the needs of the 21st century economy and workforce. Existing law requires the board to administer, promote, expand, and provide field assistance for high road training partnerships, defined as an initiative or project that models strategies for developing industry-based, worker-focused training partnerships, including labor-management partnerships. Existing law requires high road training partnerships to demonstrate job quality standards and employment practices that include, among other things, adoption of mechanisms to include worker voice and agency in the workplace. This bill would require the board, when awarding grants for a high road training partnership program or any successor program, to provide a scoring preference to an applicant that is either a bona fide labor-management cooperation committee, as defined, or is an entity applying on behalf of, or in cooperation with, a bona fide labor-management cooperation committee, as specified. The bill would require the board to determine the amount of the scoring preference provided and to incorporate that preference into program guidelines and grant solicitations.
(1) Existing law, the Teachers' Retirement Law, establishes the State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS) and creates the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan, which provides a defined benefit to members of the program, based on final compensation, creditable service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. STRS is administered by the Teachers' Retirement Board. Existing law creates the Teachers' Retirement Fund, which is continuously appropriated for specified purposes, into which certain moneys are deposited, including employee contributions. Existing law requires employers and employees to make contributions to the system based on the member's creditable compensation. Existing law defines terms for the purposes of STRS. Existing law defines "retired member activities" to mean one or more of specified identified activities within the California public school system and performed by a member retired for service under STRS, as prescribed. This bill, commencing July 1, 2027, would redefine "retired member activities" to mean all service performed within the California public school system by a member retired for service under STRS when the member is employed in specified positions, including as an employee or independent contractor. (2) Existing law defines "sick leave days," "basic sick leave day," and "excess sick leave days" for purposes of STRS. For specified standards concerning service credit that are expressed only in terms of hours, existing law requires the number of hours to be divided by 6 to determine the number of sick days. This bill would delete the above provision on calculating the number of hours. The bill would instead provide that, when determining the number of days, including for those identified standards, one day shall be equivalent to the number of hours of creditable service performed in a day in that position on a full-time basis, but no less than 6 hours. (3) Existing law requires the retirement board and employees of STRS to discharge their duties with respect to the system and the plan solely in the interest of the members and beneficiaries, as specified. This includes by diversifying the investments of the plan so as to minimize the risk of large losses unless under the circumstances it is clearly prudent not to do so. This bill would revise that provision to instead require diversifying the investments of the plan so as to minimize the risk of loss and to maximize the rate of return unless under the circumstances it is clearly not prudent to do so. (4) Existing law requires employers to make available criteria for membership, including optional membership, in a timely manner to all persons employed to perform creditable service subject to coverage by the Defined Benefit Program and to inform part-time and substitute employees, within 30 days of the date of hire, or by March 1, 1995, whichever is later, that they may elect membership in the plan's Defined Benefit Program at any time while employed. This bill would shorten the above-described timeframe for notifying those employees to within 10 working days of the date of hire. (5) Existing law establishes the circumstances in which a member who is eligible and applies for a disability allowance or retirement may apply to receive a service retirement allowance pending the determination of their application for disability. Under those provisions, a member who applies for service retirement in these circumstances does not receive service credit for each day of accumulated or unused leave of absence for illness or injury or for education, as specified. This bill would also provide that a member who applies for retirement under those provisions shall not receive an additional 2 years of service credit granted in specified circumstances. Existing law requires the retirement board to determine a date based on when the system has the capacity to implement specified changes to the above provisions. Existing law further requires the board to post that date on its website no later than January 1, 2026. This bill would delete the above-described language. (6) Existing law provides that a service retirement allowance becomes effective upon any date designated by the member, provided all of specified conditions are met. This includes a requirement that the member file an application for service retirement on a form provided by STRS, executed no earlier than 6 months before the effective date of the member's retirement allowance. This bill would also require the application for service retirement allowance to be received by STRS within 30 days after the date of the member's signature and, if applicable, the spouse's or registered domestic partner's signature. Existing law permits a member who files an application for service retirement to change or cancel their retirement application if certain conditions are met. Existing law requires that the form provided by STRS be received by the system no later than 30 days from the date the member's initial benefit payment for the member's most recent retirement under the Defined Benefit Program is paid by the system. This bill would also require that the form be received by STRS within 30 days after the date of the member's signature and, if applicable, the spouse's or registered domestic partner's signature. The bill would additionally authorize a member to elect to change a retirement annuity from the defined Benefit Supplement Program to a lump-sum payment any time after retirement, subject to using a form provided by the system and meeting other specified requirements. Existing law requires the retirement board to determine a date based on when the system has the capacity to implement specified changes to these provisions and to post the date on its website no later than January 1, 2026. This bill would delete the above-described language. (7) Existing law specifies the amount a member is to receive upon retirement for service following reinstatement, which is based on specified factors. Existing law also specifies circumstances in which a member who reinstates and performs other creditable service is entitled to a service retirement allowance. Existing law also specifies the amount a member is entitled to receive upon retirement for service following a prior disability retirement, as prescribed. This bill would require benefits calculated pursuant to the above provisions to be modified by an option if elected pursuant to that law. (8) Existing law authorizes the retirement board to declare an additional earnings credit to be applied to Defined Benefit Supplement accounts for a plan year, subject to certain considerations by the board. Existing law requires the board to specify, for any plan year for which it declares an additional earnings credit, the amount to be added to members' accounts as a percentage increase. Existing law prohibits additional earnings credit from being added to the balance of credits transferred from a member's Defined Benefit Supplement account to the Annuitant Reserve. This bill would delete the above-described provision prohibiting additional earnings credit from being added to the balance of credits transferred. (9) Existing law requires a member's retirement benefit under the Defined Benefit Supplement Program to be an amount equal to the balance of credits in the member's Defined Benefit Supplement account on the date the retirement benefit becomes payable. Existing law requires the retirement benefit to be a lump-sum payment or an annuity payable in monthly installments, or a combination thereof. This bill would establish specified conditions if a member elects to change their retirement annuity from the Defined Benefit Supplement Program to a lump-sum payment, including providing for termination of payment of the annuity based on the balance of credits and making the election irrevocable. (10) Existing law provides that benefits payable to participants or beneficiaries of STRS are subject to limits imposed by specified provisions of federal law and shall not exceed those limitations. This bill, commencing July 1, 2027, for a STRS participant subject to the California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013, would specify those limits for participants whose service is included in federal social security and those whose service is not subject to social security. The bill would make those provisions subject to annual changes in the consumer price index and other conditions. The bill, commencing July 1, 2027, would also redefine various terms applicable to STRS and would make other related changes to those provisions. (11) Existing law, the Public Employees' Retirement Law, creates the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) , which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System. PERS provides defined benefits to its members based on their final compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. Existing law establishes the Public Employees' Retirement Fund, which is a trust fund that is appropriated continuously for specified purposes, into which certain moneys are deposited, including employee contributions. Existing law authorizes a member of PERS to elect to receive service credit for certain public service outside the system, including time served employed under specified governmental fellowship programs or as a volunteer in the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, by making specified contributions to the system. This bill would also authorize a member to receive service credit for public service, not to exceed one year, as a fellow with the California Council on Science and Technology, subject to making the required contributions for that service. Existing law, for purposes of PERS benefits, defines "state safety member" in specified provisions to include officers and employees of certain state departments in listed employment classifications, identified by classification code. This bill would revise those definitions to include officers and employees of the California Correctional Health Care Services in listed classifications. Among other changes, the bill would remove obsolete employment classification references and would update classification terms and codes. (12) Existing law, the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937, authorizes counties to establish retirement systems pursuant to its provisions in order to provide pension benefits to county, city, and district employees and their beneficiaries. Existing law sets forth the membership composition for boards of retirement and boards of investment, as specified. Existing law requires specified members of the retirement board to be active members of the association elected by it. This bill would revise the above provisions to require those board members to be elected by those active members. The bill would also redefine "active member" to specify that it refers to a member in county service, as otherwise defined, and would make related changes to other definitions under that law. Existing law, for the County of Los Angeles, establishes certain legal obligations of the retirement system to its members and their beneficiaries. Existing law specifies that, for purposes of payments into or out of the retirement fund for adjustment of errors or omissions, the period of limitation of actions is 3 years. Existing law also establishes a 10-year period of limitation for cases in which payment is erroneous because of the death of the retired member or beneficiary or because of remarriage or due to fraudulent reports of compensation, as specified. This bill would establish similar obligations applicable for counties other than Los Angeles. The bill would specify that in cases in which payment is erroneous because of the death of the retired member or beneficiary or because of the remarriage of the beneficiary, the period of limitation of actions shall be 10 years. The bill would also provide a 10-year limitation period for cases in which payment has been made as a result of fraudulent reports, as specified. The bill would make various other related and conforming changes to these retirement provisions. (13) By increasing the contributions to continuously appropriated retirement funds, the bill would make an appropriation.
The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law. This bill would allow a credit against those taxes to a licensed nurse employed at a rural health facility, as specified, for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2027, and before January 1, 2032, in an amount equal to $2,000 per taxpayer per taxable year. The bill would require the Department of Health Care Access and Information to provide an annual list to the Franchise Tax Board of rural health facilities, as specified. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure, as defined, to include tax credits, to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include findings and reporting requirements in compliance with this requirement. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to refuse to grant a request by any employee to take up to 5 days of bereavement leave upon the death of a family member, as defined, to refuse to hire, or to discharge, demote, fine, suspend, expel, or discriminate against, an individual because of the individual's exercise of the right to bereavement leave or because of the individual's giving information or testimony as to their own or another person's bereavement leave, or to interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any of these rights, as specified. This bill would include a designated person identified by the employee, as specified, in the definition of "family member" and authorize an employer to limit an employee to one designated person per 12-month period for purposes of these provisions relating to bereavement leave.
Existing law, the Unruh Civil Rights Act, provides that all persons within the jurisdiction of this state are entitled to full and equal accommodations in all business establishments regardless of their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status. This bill would add criminal history, as defined, to the list of protected characteristics under the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, declares the public policy of the state to be that it is necessary to protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of all persons to seek, obtain, and hold employment without discrimination or abridgment on account of race, religious creed, or color, among other characteristics. The act declares discrimination in housing accommodations because of race, color, or religion, among other characteristics, to be against public policy. In that regard, the act prohibits various forms of employment and housing discrimination, including various types of discrimination because of a person's race, color, or national origin, among other characteristics. This bill would add criminal history, as defined, to the list of protected characteristics under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.
