This measure would declare that President Abraham Lincoln be honored on February 12, 2014, the anniversary of his birthday.
This measure would declare February 19, 2014, as a Day of Remembrance in order to increase public awareness of the events surrounding the internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II.
The Trial Court Employment Protection and Governance Act establishes a trial court employee personnel system that provides authority to hire trial court personnel, regulates the classification and compensation of trial court employees, labor relations, and personnel files, and requires each trial court to establish a system of employment selection and advancement and an employment protection system. Existing law authorizes state agencies to use personal services contracts to achieve cost savings if specified standards are satisfied, including, among other things, the contract does not cause the displacement of civil service employees and the contract is awarded through a publicized, competitive bidding process. The State Personnel Board is required to review a proposed contract upon the request of an employee organization for compliance with those standards. This bill, until January 1, 2020, would establish specified standards if a trial court intends to enter into a new contract, or renew or extend an existing contract, for any services that are currently or customarily performed by that trial court's employees. Among other things, the bill would require the trial court to clearly demonstrate that the contract will result in actual overall cost savings to the trial court for the duration of the entire contract as compared with the trial court's actual costs of providing the same services. The bill would require a contract for services in excess of $100,000 annually to include specific, measurable performance standards and provisions for audits on performance and cost savings, as specified. This bill would provide that these standards apply to any contract entered into, renewed, or extended after the effective date of this measure. The bill would provide that its provisions do not apply to a contract under specified circumstances, including when services are incidental to a contract for the purchase or lease of real or personal property. This bill would require each trial court to provide a report by February 1, 2014, to the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the chairpersons of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Assembly Judiciary Committee if the trial court entered into a contract between July 1, 2013, and the effective date of this measure for services that were provided or are customarily provided by its trial court employees if the contract has a term extending beyond March 31, 2014. This report would be required to include specified information relating to these contracts, including an analysis of whether the contract resulted in the displacement of trial court employees. The bill would provide that its provisions are severable.
Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services oversees the administration of county public social services, including child welfare services. Existing law requires the department to establish the California Child and Family Service Review System, in order to review all county child welfare systems. This bill, in relation to these reviews, would require each county to consult with specified stakeholders in developing the county self-assessments and county improvement plans, or any subsequent county self-assessments, as specified. This bill would also require the county improvement plans to include a separately titled provision that lists and provides the rationale for proposed operational improvements that may be implemented at a cost savings to the county or within existing resources. By increasing duties of county officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law authorizes the department to conduct or have conducted audits and reviews in order to meet its obligations for child welfare programs and to ensure the protection of children and families. This bill would prohibit a county child welfare agency that is an employer of social workers engaged in providing child welfare services from retaliating against a social worker if the social worker has reasonable cause to believe that a policy, procedure, or practice related to the provision of child welfare services endangers the health or well-being of a child or children, and the social worker discloses this information to a government or law enforcement agency, an appointed or elected official, or the public. The bill would make findings and declarations in that regard. Existing law authorizes the department and the county welfare department or agency to comment on a child fatality once certain documents from the child's case file have been released by the custodian of records, within the scope of the release. This bill would additionally authorize a county child welfare social worker to comment for purposes of these provisions. 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 these statutory provisions.
The State Contract Act prescribes the procedures and requirements applicable to various state agency contracts. Existing law governs contracts between state agencies and private contractors, and sets forth requirements for the procurement of materials, supplies, equipment, and services, and the acquisition of information technology goods and services by state agencies. This bill would prohibit the state from contracting with a person or entity that asks an applicant for employment to disclose, orally or in writing, information concerning the conviction history of the applicant, including an inquiry about conviction history on an employment application, until the employer has determined that the applicant meets the minimum employment qualifications, as stated in any notice issued for the position. The bill would not apply to a position for which an employer is otherwise required by state or federal law to conduct a conviction or criminal history background check or to any contract position with a criminal justice agency, as specified. The bill would also express a legislative finding and declaration that reducing barriers to employment for people who have previously offended, and decreasing unemployment in communities with concentrated numbers of people who have previously offended, is a matter of statewide concern.
