Asm. Ash Kalra

(1) Existing law creates the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, which is headed by the Labor Commissioner, and commits to it the general authority to enforce the requirements of the Labor Code. Existing law generally authorizes people who believe that they have been discharged or otherwise discriminated against in violation of any law enforced by the Labor Commissioner to file a complaint with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement within 6 months after the occurrence of the violation. Existing law generally requires the Labor Commissioner to commence actions to enforce labor standards within 3 years of their accrual, as specified. This bill would extend the period of time within which people may file complaints subject to the 6-month deadline, described above, to within one year after the occurrence of the violations. (2) Existing law prohibits employers and their agents from making, adopting, or enforcing a rule, regulation, or policy preventing an employee from disclosing information to certain entities or from providing information to, or testifying before, any public body conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry if the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses a violation of a law, as specified. Existing law also prohibits retaliation against an employee for various reasons. This bill would authorize a court to award reasonable attorney's fees to a plaintiff who brings a successful action for a violation of the provisions described above.

Existing law requires an employer to indemnify the employer's employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of the employee's duties, or of the employee's obedience to the employer's directions, even though unlawful, unless the employee, at the time of obeying the directions, believed them to be unlawful. This bill would provide that the expense or cost of any employer-provided or employer-required educational program or training, as defined, for an employee providing direct patient care or an applicant for direct patient care employment constitutes a necessary expenditure or loss incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of the employee's duties. The bill would make these provisions only applicable to applicants for employment and employees providing direct patient care for an employer for a general acute care hospital, as defined. The bill would prohibit an employer, or any person acting on behalf of the employer, from retaliating against an applicant for employment or employee for refusing to enter into a contract or agreement that violates these provisions. The bill would require a court to award a prevailing plaintiff in any action brought pursuant to these provisions reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The bill would state that the above provisions are declaratory of and clarify existing law with respect to employer-required training for employees.

Existing law authorizes a peace officer to make an arrest pursuant to a warrant or based upon probable cause, as specified. Under existing law, an arrest is made by the actual restraint of the person or by submission to the custody of the arresting officer. Existing law authorizes a peace officer to use reasonable force to effect the arrest, to prevent escape, or to overcome resistance. Existing law requires law enforcement agencies to maintain a policy on the use of force, as specified. Existing law requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to implement courses of instruction for the regular and periodic training of law enforcement officers in the use of force. This bill would prohibit a law enforcement agency from authorizing the use of a carotid restraint or a choke hold, as defined. By requiring local agencies to amend use of force policies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law authorizes a defendant to apply, prior to the commencement of trial, for an order directing that a hearing to determine intellectual disability be conducted when the prosecution in a criminal case seeks the death penalty. Existing law requires the court to order a hearing to determine whether the defendant has an intellectual disability upon the submission of a declaration by a qualified expert stating the expert's opinion that the defendant is a person with an intellectual disability. Existing law defines "intellectual disability" for these purposes as a condition of significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested before 18 years of age. This bill would change the definition of "intellectual disability" to include conditions that manifest before the end of the developmental period, as defined by clinical standards. The bill would also prohibit the results of a test measuring intellectual functioning to be changed or adjusted based on race, ethnicity, national origin, or socioeconomic status. The bill would require the court to order a hearing to determine whether the defendant is a person with an intellectual disability upon a prima facie showing, as defined, that the defendant is a person with an intellectual disability. The bill would authorize a person in custody pursuant to a judgment of death to apply for an order directing that a hearing to determine intellectual disability be conducted as part of a petition for a writ of habeas corpus and would specify the procedure for making the determination as to whether the defendant is a person with an intellectual disability.

Existing law requires law enforcement agencies to maintain a policy on the use of force, as specified. Existing law requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to implement courses of instruction for the regular and periodic training of law enforcement officers in the use of force. Existing law requires law enforcement agencies to report to the Department of Justice, as specified, any incident in which a peace officer is involved in a shooting or use of force that results in death or serious bodily injury. This bill would create a division within the Department of Justice to, upon the request of a law enforcement agency, review the use-of-force policy of the agency and make recommendations, as specified. This bill would require a state prosecutor to investigate incidents of an officer-involved shooting resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian, as defined. The bill would make the Attorney General the state prosecutor unless otherwise specified or named. The bill would authorize the state prosecutor to prepare a written report, and would require the state prosecutor to post any reports made on a public internet website. The bill would require, commencing July 1, 2023, the Attorney General to operate a Police Practices Division within the department to review, upon the request of a local law enforcement agency, the use of deadly force policies of that law enforcement agency and make recommendations, as specified. The bill would require the department to implement these provisions subject to an appropriation for this purpose.

Existing law provides for the payment of unemployment compensation benefits and extended benefits to eligible individuals who meet specified requirements. Existing law provides definitions for "employment" for purposes of these provisions. Existing federal and state law excludes services performed by a child in the employ of a parent, a parent in the employ of their child, or a person in the employ of their spouse, from the definition of "employment" for purposes of unemployment taxes and unemployment insurance benefit eligibility, as specified. Under existing law, unemployment benefits are generally paid from the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, which is continuously appropriated for these purposes. This bill would provide that the definition of "employment" for the purposes of unemployment insurance coverage includes services performed by an individual in the employ of their parent, child, or spouse if that individual is providing services through the In-Home Supportive Services program or the Waiver Personal Care Services program. This bill would, notwithstanding existing law, provide that no money is continuously appropriated for purposes of the provisions of this bill and would make the operation of the bill's provisions contingent upon appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law permits an employing unit for which services are performed that do not constitute employment because they are services performed by a minor child in the employ of parent, or services performed by an individual in the employ of their child or spouse, to elect that the services constitute employment for purposes of disability compensation laws and provides that, upon written approval from the Director of Employment Development, those services are deemed to constitute employment. This bill would require that an individual whose services are deemed to constitute employment pursuant to the above-described provisions be treated as an individual whose services ordinarily constitute employment for purposes of computing disability benefit rights and contributions, if that individual is providing services through the In-Home Supportive Services program or the Waiver Personal Care Services program. Under existing law, disability benefits are generally paid from the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, which is continuously appropriated for these purposes. This bill would, notwithstanding existing law, provide that no money is continuously appropriated for purposes of the provisions of this bill and would make the operation of the bill's provisions contingent upon appropriation by the Legislature. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law requires that, except as specified, not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages, determined by the Director of Industrial Relations, be paid to workers employed on public works projects. Existing law defines "public works" to include, among other things, construction, alteration, demolition, installation, or repair work done under contract and paid for, in whole or in part, out of public funds, but exempts from that definition, among other projects, an otherwise private development project if the state or political subdivision provides, directly or indirectly, a public subsidy to the private development project that is de minimis in the context of the project. This bill would generally provide that a public subsidy is de minimis if it is both less than $600,000 and less than 2% of the total project cost. The bill would specifically provide that a public subsidy for a residential project that consists entirely of single-family dwellings is de minimis if it is less than 2% of the total project cost. The bill would specify that these provisions do not apply to a project that was advertised for bid, or a contract that was awarded, before July 1, 2021.

(1) Existing law provides for the formation and governance of various business entities, including, but not limited to, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, and corporations. Existing law requires a corporation and foreign corporation, limited liability company, or foreign limited liability company registered to transact intrastate business to file specified documents disclosing information regarding the entity with the Secretary of State, including, but not limited to, a statement of information. Existing law requires the statement of information to contain certain information, including specified statements regarding the general type of business that constitutes the principal business activity of the corporation or limited liability company. Existing law provides that an individual who signs a statement of information for any limited liability company or foreign limited liability company affirms under penalty of perjury the information stated in the statement is accurate. This bill, beginning January 1, 2022, or upon certification by the Secretary of State that California Business Connect is implemented, whichever is earlier, would require the statement of information to also contain a statement indicating whether any officer or any director, or, in the case of a limited liability company, any member or any manager, has an outstanding final judgment issued by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement or a court of law, for which no appeal therefrom is pending, for the violation of any wage order or provision of the Labor Code. The bill would require, if the Secretary of State certifies California Business Connect is implemented prior to January 1, 2022, the Secretary of State to post notice of the certification on the homepage of its internet website and send notice of the certification to the Legislative Counsel. Because the bill would expand the crime of perjury, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law provides that a successor employer of property services workers is liable for any wages, damages, and penalties its predecessor employer owes to any of the predecessor employer's former workforce if the successor employer meets specified criteria, including that the employer uses substantially the same workforce to offer substantially the same services as the predecessor employer. This bill would provide that a successor to any judgment debtor shall be liable for any wages, damages, and penalties owed to any of the judgment debtor's former workforce pursuant to a final judgment, as described. The bill would set forth certain criteria that establish successorship. (3) Under existing law, the Labor Commissioner enforces statutory wage requirements, including minimum wage amounts. Existing law specifies that nothing in these statutory provisions precludes a local jurisdiction from enforcing local labor standards that are more stringent than the state standards. This bill would, instead, provide that nothing in the statutory provisions precludes a local jurisdiction from enforcing local labor standards and would expressly authorize local jurisdictions to enforce local standards relating to the payment of wages that are more stringent, than state standards. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Existing law governs employment relations, defines the contract of employment, and establishes the obligations of employers to their employees. This bill would require an employer, as defined, to offer its laid-off employees specified information about job positions that become available for which the laid-off employees are qualified, and to offer positions to those laid-off employees based on a preference system, in accordance with specified timelines and procedures. The bill would define the term "laid-off employee" to mean any employee who was employed by the employer for 6 months or more in the 12 months preceding the state of emergency giving rise to the application of the bill's provisions, and whose most recent separation from active service was due to a public health directive, government shutdown order, lack of business, a reduction in force, or other economic, nondisciplinary reason related to the state of emergency, as defined. The bill would also require an incumbent employer, within 15 days after the execution of a transfer document, to provide to the successor employer specified information pertaining to eligible employees and would require the successor employer to maintain and hire from a preferential hiring list for a specified time period. The bill would authorize an employee to enforce violations of these provisions by filing an action with the Division of Labor Standards and would authorize various remedies, including hiring and reinstatement rights and awarding of back pay.

Existing law prohibits an entity from diverting or obstructing the natural flow of, or substantially changing or using any material from the bed, channel, or banks of, a river, stream, or lake, or depositing or disposing of debris, waste, or other material containing crumbled, flaked, or ground pavement where it may pass into a river, stream, or lake, unless the Department of Fish and Wildlife receives written notification regarding the activity and the department either determines that the activity will not substantially adversely affect an existing fish and wildlife resource or, if the department determines that the activity may substantially adversely affect an existing fish and wildlife resource, the department issues a final agreement to the entity that includes reasonable measures necessary to protect the affected resource. This bill would, if the department determines that the Anderson Dam project, as defined, will substantially adversely affect existing fish and wildlife resources and the Santa Clara Valley Water District completes certain actions for the project, require the department within 180 days of receipt of a notification, as defined, from the district to issue a final agreement with the district that includes reasonable measures necessary to protect the affected resource, unless the department and the district agree to an extension. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA establishes administrative procedures for the review and certification of the EIR for a project and judicial review procedures for any action or proceeding brought to challenge the lead agency's decision to certify the EIR or to grant project approvals. This bill would establish specified procedures for the administrative and judicial review of the environmental review and approvals granted for the Anderson Dam project, as defined. The bill would apply certain rules of court establishing procedures requiring actions or proceedings seeking judicial review pursuant to CEQA or the granting of project approvals, including any appeals to the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved, to the extent feasible, within 270 business days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings with the court to an action or proceeding seeking judicial review of the lead agency's action related to the Anderson Dam project under CEQA. The bill would require the Santa Clara Valley Water District, in implementing the project, to comply with certain requirements. This bill would establish a schedule for the issuance of a draft EIR and the certification of the final EIR for the implementation of measures set forth in a specific settlement agreement to benefit fisheries in the Stevens Creek and the Guadalupe River watersheds, as provided. Existing law designates the State Water Resources Control Board as that state water pollution control agency for purposes of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and authorizes the state board to issue a certificate or statement under the federal act that there is reasonable assurance that an activity of a person subject to the jurisdiction of the state board will not reduce water quality below applicable standards. This bill would prescribe procedures by which the state board is to issue the certification for the Anderson Dam project. This bill would authorize state agencies with permitting authority over the Anderson Dam project to take certain actions to expedite the permitting process for the project, including entering into an agreement for the recovery of certain costs. This bill would require the Santa Clara Valley Water District to develop, in consultation with the adaptive management team, as described, the Adaptive Management Program, as described. The bill would require the district, in conjunction with the state board and others, to implement a new flow regime, known as FAHCE+, for the Guadalupe River and Stevens Creek by October 15, 2020. The bill would require the district, by January 1, 2021, to engage and discuss with the Guadalupe River Corridor Restoration Management Team the development of a Guadalupe River Corridor restoration management plan, as provided. Existing law authorizes certain local entities to select a bidder for a contract on the basis of "best value," as defined. Existing law governs various types of contract procedures applicable to the Santa Clara Valley Water District and prescribes competitive bidding procedures for any improvement or unit of work over $50,000. This bill would authorize the district, upon approval by the board of directors of the district, to award contracts on a best value basis for any work of construction to retrofit, repair, or replace the Leroy Anderson Dam and Reservoir, owned by the district and located in the County of Santa Clara. The bill would require the district, if the board elects to award contracts on a best value basis, to comply with specified requirements governing the documents prepared setting forth the scope and estimated price of the project and the request for qualifications. The bill would prohibit a best value contractor from being prequalified, shortlisted, or awarded a contract unless the contractor provides an enforceable commitment to the district that the contractor and its subcontractors at every tier will use a skilled and trained workforce to perform all work on the project, in accordance with certain criteria. By requiring certain information of bidders to be certified under penalty of perjury, the bill would expand an existing crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.