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By: @Aaron Avery 

As the second year of the 2023-2024 Legislative Session draws to a close, CSDA has scored several major victories on employment-related bills pending this year. 2024 saw several employment measures introduced which would have caused implementation and operational challenges for special districts. CSDA devoted significant time and effort to opposing the most challenging measures, and was a leader in several successful coalitions. A recap of CSDA’s most significant wins is below:

• AB 2557 (Ortega) Local agencies: contracts for special services and temporary help: performance reports. This bill would have burdened the process for local governments and schools to contract out for statutorily authorized special services by requiring onerous website reporting obligations, contract requirements, and notifications. The bill was expected to disincentivize contractors from doing business with local agencies and increase costs and delays. AB 2557 was a top priority employment bill for CSDA. CSDA was a leader of the local government coalition opposed to the bill. Due to the significant time and resources invested by CSDA and its coalition partners, on August 15 the bill was held on the Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File, effectively killing the bill for the year.
• AB 2489 (Ward) Local agencies: contracts for special services and temporary help. A companion to AB 2557, this measure would have burdened the process for local governments and schools to contract out for statutorily authorized special services by requiring contractors to use employees who meet or exceed the minimum qualifications and standards required of bargaining unit civil service employees who perform or performed the same job functions, and by exposing contractors’ employee data. The bill was expected to disincentivize contractors from doing business with local agencies and increase costs and delays. CSDA was a leader of the local government coalition opposed to the bill, which was held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File and will not be advancing this year.
• AB 2421 (Low) Employer-employee relations: confidential communications. With limited exceptions, this bill would have prohibited a public employer from questioning any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization's representation. CSDA led a local government coalition opposed to the bill. On August 15 the bill was held on the Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File, effectively killing the bill for the year.
• SB 1116 (Portantino) Unemployment insurance: trade disputes: eligibility for benefits. This bill would have provided unemployment benefits to workers who are currently employed, and not seeking other employment, but who are on strike. This bill was a reintroduction of SB 799 (Portantino, 2023), which was opposed by CSDA and vetoed by Governor Newsom. CSDA led the local government coalitions opposing the 2023 and 2024 versions of the bill. SB 1116 failed passage in the Assembly Insurance Committee.
• AB 2404 (Lee) State and local public employees: labor relations: strikes. This bill would have provided protections for employees to engage in sympathy striking and remove sympathy striking from bargaining. This bill was similar to AB 504 (Reyes, 2023), which was opposed by CSDA and vetoed by Governor Newsom. CSDA worked to oppose AB 2404, which was held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File and will not be advancing this year.
• AB 2751 (Haney) Employer communications during nonworking hours. This bill would have required employers to institute a workplace policy granting employees the right to disconnect from employer communication during nonworking hours, with exceptions, and establish enforcement mechanisms. CSDA worked to oppose the bill, which was held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File and will not be advancing this year. 

CSDA continues to advocate on two additional significant employment measures:

• SB 399 (Wahab) Employer communications: intimidation. This two-year bill will prohibit employers from taking action against employees who decline to participate in employer-sponsored meetings or receive communications, the purpose of which is to share the employer’s opinion about political or religious matters. CSDA is leading a local government coalition with an oppose position on the bill because of its unique impacts on local government workplaces where routine activities may be regarded as political matters. SB 399 was on the aAssembly Floor as of August 23.
• AB 2561 (McKinnor) Local public employees: vacant positions. This bill would impose various obligations on local agencies pertaining to employment vacancy rates. CSDA opposes the measure, and is advocating against it with local government partners. AB 2561 was on the Senate Floor as of August 23.

All measures must be passed by August 31 and signed or vetoed by September 30. CSDA will continue to advocate for the interests of special districts and the communities they serve. Please continue to monitor CSDA eNews and Advocacy News for additional information.