California Lawmakers 2021 Bills
California lawmakers sent the Governor hundreds of bills in 2021. In this issue of Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld’s labor law updates, we highlight those bills that bear a direct connection to workers and their health and safety, the labor movement, and worker justice. Click through the topics to read summaries of each bill:
SB 62: Ends piece rate payment and establishes new protections for garment workers
AB 701: Adopts protections for warehouse workers against unreasonable quotas
AB 1003: Increases criminal penalties for wage theft
SB 331: Further prohibits settlement agreements and NDAs from preventing the disclosure of workplace harassment and discrimination involving all protected characteristics
AB 1561: Provides clarifications regarding worker classification with respect to employees and independent contractors
SB 727: Adds general contractor liability for penalties, liquidated damages, and interest
AB 1023: Authorizes the Labor Commissioner to impose monthly penalties for failure to upload electronic certified payroll records on public works projects
AB 1177: Convenes state commission to study creating a free public banking option
SB 390: Requires the Employment Development Department (EDD) to make a recession plan
AB 628: Modifies the Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative program to address racial and ethnic inequities in the labor force
AB 941: Establishes resource centers to educate and assist farmworkers
SB 321: Convenes an advisory committee to develop health and safety standards for domestic workers
AB 313: Increases employment opportunities for people with disabilities in State government
SB 639: Ends subminimum wages for workers with disabilities
SB 242: Requires health plans and insurers to reimburse providers for PPE and other expenses to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases
SB 326: Adopts provisions of Affordable Care Act and Knox-Keene Act as permanent state programs
SB 510: Ends surprise billing for COVID-19 testing and immunization
AB 73: Incorporates wildfire smoke events and agricultural workers in the state’s PPE requirements
AB 1033: New California Family Rights Act provides leave to care for a parent-in-law
SB 606: Establishes an OSHA presumption of enterprise-wide violations and reforms citations for egregious violations
SB 278: Makes adjustments with respect to CalPERS compensation reporting errors
AB 237: New Public Employee Health Protection Act protects health care coverage while public employees participate in strikes
SB 270: Imposes penalties on public employers who fail to provide bargaining unit information
AB 1048: Requires labor negotiations for inclusion of bargaining unit members employed at the Alameda Health System Hospital Authority (AHS) in ACERA
SB 598: Establishes PERB as the enforcing agency for Sacramento Regional Transit District
AB 275: Adjusts minimum and maximum probationary periods for community college district classified employees
AB 438: Expands rights to notice and hearing for classified school district employees
AB 1550: Protects union rights of University of California employees
AB 615: Provides right to appeal discipline for medical and dental interns and residents
SB 338: Expands public posting of motor carriers with unpaid penalties for labor violations
AB 1506: Re-establishes the Borello test to determine whether newspaper carriers are independent contractors or employees
SB 646: Provides PAGA exemption for janitorial employees represented by a labor organization and requires janitorial companies to provide requested information
AB 450: Creates Paramedic Disciplinary Review Board for paramedics to appeal licensure decisions
AB 1273: Expands “Earn and Learn” training programs for health and other licensed professions
SB 628: Enacts the California Creative Workforce Act of 2021
AB 643: Requires schools to provide advance notice to apprenticeship programs of career fairs and college fairs
AB 680: Enacts the California Jobs Plan Act of 2021
Many thanks to authors and editors Corey Kniss, Anne Yen, Ann Surapruik, Daniela Archila, Xochitl Lopez, Jolene Kramer, Kristina Zinnen, Kerianne Steele, Lisl Soto and Bill Sokol.