[Source: Fox and Hounds] Starting January 1, 2018, all California employers will be prohibited from asking about a job applicant’s prior salary history. This prohibition applies to both public and private employers, regardless of size. Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 168 (Eggman) on October 12 as Chapter 688. This bill adds Section 432.3 to the Labor Code. The Read More…
Category: Legislative Issues
Governor signs leave mandate for small business, ban on salary history inquiries
[Source: CalChamber] Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed legislation mandating that small businesses provide a new protected leave of absence. SB 63 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara) was identified by the California Chamber of Commerce as a job killer. Also signed today was AB 168 (Eggman; D-Stockton), which bans employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s Read More…
End of legislative session brings brief respite from higher energy prices
[Source: The Orange County Register/Opinion] Legislation that would have required all electric power sold in the state to be generated by renewable sources by 2045 was held up in the final days of the recently-completed legislative session. But it will come back. Should the idea ever become law, we’ll remember these as the easy days Read More…
California lawmakers make key decisions on environment, infrastructure
[Source: ABC 10News] California lawmakers are wrapping up their year with key decisions that came early Saturday morning. The most notable piece of legislation was a “sanctuary state” bill that would limit police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It will now be considered by Governor Jerry Brown, who announced his support after the top state Senate Read More…
Several employment-related bills remain active in California Legislature
[Source: CalChamber] The following is a list of employment-related bills that were on the suspense files and considered by the Senate or Assembly Appropriations Committee on Friday, September 1. Legislators have until Friday, September 15, to pass and send legislation to the Governor’s desk for consideration. Immigration AB 450 (Chiu; D-San Francisco) Employer Liability — Places employers Read More…
First-ever water tax proposed to tackle unsafe drinking water in California
[Source: The Mercury News] For the first time Californians would pay a tax on drinking water — 95 cents per month — under legislation aimed at fixing hundreds of public water systems with unsafe tap water. Senate Bill 623, backed by a strange-bedfellows coalition of the agricultural lobby and environmental groups but opposed by water districts, Read More…
CalChamber fighting unlimited access to employer documents
[Source: CalChamber] A California Chamber of Commerce-opposed bill that allows organizations unaffiliated with the employer to access an undefined and potentially unlimited scope of employer internal documents awaits action by the state Senate. AB 978 (Limón; D-Goleta) also circumvents the rulemaking process now underway to provide employees access to their employer’s Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). Read More…
New California law gives air quality officials the power to quickly shut down polluters
[Source: Los Angeles Times] Local air quality officials are gaining new powers to quickly stop polluters when they endanger people’s health under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday. The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, follows years of frustration in communities such as Paramount, Boyle Heights and Maywood — where regulators have Read More…
House passes bill delaying Obama-era EPA ozone rules
[Source: Law360] The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a measure to delay new U. S. Environmental Protection Agency rules on baseline ozone standards, as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to give states the flexibility to set their own rules. The Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017, passed on a largely party line 229-199 vote, Read More…