Prisons: employee accommodations.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to contract for, among other things, clothing, provisions, and supplies necessary to support prisons. This bill would require the department to provide its employees with reasonable and appropriate personal protective equipment based on the employee's individual needs. This bill would prohibit the department from enforcing its policy that staff be clean shaven. The bill would require the department to establish a task force, as specified, to ensure the department's policies are inclusive and address their impact on minority racial and religious communities. The bill would require the department to develop a step-by-step procedure for submission of accommodation requests and the interactive process the department will follow when engaging with employees.