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HOT ISSUES for the Week of May 13, 2019
Monday, May 13
Labor and Employment
OPPOSE SB 142 (Wiener; D-San Francisco): Lactation Accommodation — Significantly amends current law regarding lactation accommodations by implementing new building code requirements, location standards, employer policy requirements, document retention and supplementary Labor Code penalties. Senate Appropriations Committee.
Taxation
OPPOSE SCA 5 (Hill; D-San Mateo): Lowers Voter Threshold for New Tax Increase — Unnecessarily reduces the voter threshold from two-thirds to 55% for school districts and community college districts to enact a parcel tax for specific purposes, which creates an unfair opportunity to discriminate and impose higher taxes against disfavored industries and commercial property owners. Senate Appropriations Committee.
Transportation
SUPPORT SB 44 (Skinner; D-Berkeley) FORMER JOB KILLER: Targeted Mandate that Will Increase Transportation Costs — Before amendments, severely impacted transportation costs by directing CARB to develop a strategy to reduce all motor vehicle emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050 by disproportionally targeting diesel medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Threatened jobs by requiring an immediate strategy for reduction of diesel vehicles without sufficient alternate technology. Opposition and Job Killer tag removed due to May 1, 2019 amendments that require CARB to first consult with the Department of Transportation, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and Go-Biz to develop recommended goals and be consistent with the state’s Sustainable Freight Plan. It also requires CARB to identify advantages to fleets for early adoption. These amendments better align meeting California’s ambitious climate goals with ensuring the state’s continued economic vitality. CalChamber now Supports the bill. Senate Appropriations Committee.
OPPOSE SB 210 (Leyva; D-Chino) UNLESS AMENDED: Increases Transportation Costs — Proposes to create a “smog check” program for heavy duty diesel vehicles, which has the potential to substantially increase the costs of transportation and goods in and from California. Gives the California Air Resources Board unfettered authority to impose uncapped fees on transportation companies and truck owners to support the inspection program. Senate Appropriations Committee.
Thursday, May 16
Economic Development
SUPPORT AB 906 (Cooley; D-Rancho Cordova) JOB CREATOR: Creation of Statewide, Economic Development Strategy — California faces significant economic challenges, and this bill requires the creation of a statewide, economic development strategy that will improve California’s economic competitiveness. Assembly Appropriations Suspense File.
Health Care
OPPOSE AB 767 (Wicks; D-Oakland) Health Coverage Mandate — Significantly increases health care premiums for employers and enrollees by requiring health plans and insurers to provide coverage for fertility treatment including in vitro fertilization and oocyte cryopreservation. The bill, as amended, would specifically exclude Medi-Cal coverage to avoid increased cost to the state, yet would specifically require large group health plan and insurer coverage of very costly services. Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Labor and Employment
OPPOSE AB 35 (Kalra; D-San Jose): Usurps Cal/OSHA Priorities — Requires a workplace inspection by Cal/OSHA, within three days, whenever the Department of Public Health records an employee’s blood lead level at 50% of the present legal permissible exposure limit, as if a serious violation has been reported when none has actually occurred. Would also redirect Cal/OSHA resources by compelling full investigations when such may not be necessary and will undermine existing Cal/OSHA priorities. Assembly Appropriations Suspense File.
OPPOSE AB 673 (Carrillo; D-Los Angeles) JOB KILLER: Unfair Expansion of Penalties Against an Employer for Alleged Wage Violation — Unfairly exposes an employer to being penalized twice for the same violation, by allowing both an employee and the Labor Commissioner to recover the same civil penalties through civil litigation. Assembly Appropriations Suspense File.
OPPOSE AB 1066 (Gonzalez; D-San Diego) JOB KILLER: Unemployment During Trade Disputes — Would significantly increase costs on employers engaged in a trade dispute by allowing employees on strike to receive unemployment benefits if the strike lasts more than four weeks, incentivizing strikes and transforming unemployment insurance into a political tool in trade disputes. Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Privacy
OPPOSE SB 561 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara) JOB KILLER: Significant Expansion of Liability and Litigation Under California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) of 2018 — Creates an onerous and costly private right of action that will primarily benefit trial lawyers, allowing them to sue for any violations of the CCPA, and removes businesses’ 30-day right to cure an alleged violation of the CCPA as well as businesses’ ability to seek guidance from the Attorney General on how to comply with this confusing and complex law. Senate Appropriations Suspense File.
Public Banks
OPPOSE AB 857 (Chiu; D-San Francisco) JOB KILLER: Significant Risk to Taxpayer Dollars and Community Investment — Jeopardizes taxpayer dollars, community banks, and funding for small businesses that create jobs in local communities, by allowing the creation of local public banks which will impose significant costs and risks to taxpayer revenue for operations and capital, as well as unfairly compete with local community banks. Assembly Appropriations Suspense File.
State Contracts
OPPOSE AB 1332 (Bonta; D-Oakland) JOB KILLER: Contract Prohibition for Businesses that Provide Services to Federal Government — Prohibits California public entities from contracting with, or investing in, any business that provides data-related services to an undefined group of federal agencies. Will create litigation and uncertainty for businesses that continue to work with California public entities, as the bill provides no clear guidance on how to comply with terms, and also in limited circumstances, compels public entities to breach signed contracts. Assembly Appropriations Suspense File.
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
OPPOSE AB 764 (Bonta; D-Oakland): Marketing Restrictions — Severely restricts marketing opportunities by beverage companies based on unproven facts regarding health effects of sugar sweetened beverages. Assembly Appropriations Suspense File.
Targeted Tax
OPPOSE AB 1468 (McCarty; D-Sacramento) JOB KILLER: Targeted Tax on Opioids — Unfairly imposes an excise tax on opioid distributors in California, which will increase their costs and force them to adopt measures that include reducing workforce and increasing drug prices for ill patients who need these medications the most, in order to fund drug prevention and rehabilitation programs that will benefit all of California. Assembly Appropriations Committee.