A sample of the best and worst from Sacramento
From the 2,995 bills introduced in the 2023 session of the California State Legislature, NFIB California has whittled down to 52 the number of proposals helpful or harmful for small businesses, and from that list, the following 11 were singled out as particularly Good, Bad, and Ugly.
Good
- Assembly Bill 1708 (Muratsuchi) and Senate Bill 316 (Niello). AB 1708 would require a person convicted of petty theft or shoplifting, if the person has two or more prior convictions, to be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for one to three years, depending on the crime. SB 316 would have reinstated a provision of the law — repealed by Proposition 47 — that a person previously convicted three or more times of petty theft, grand theft, or other specified crimes, who subsequently is convicted again, spend one to three years in county jail. STATUS: Both bills are dead for the session
- Assembly Bill 1355 (Valencia) would authorize an employer to supply individuals with electronic statements or materials relating to claims for benefits if the indivicual opts into receipt of electronic statements or materials. STATUS: Awaiting Senate passage.
- Assembly Constitutional Resolution 80 (Villapudua) would declare May as Small Business Month. STATUS: Awaiting Senate passage.
Bad
- Assembly Bill 518 (Wicks) — would expand eligibility for benefits under the paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill designated person. STATUS: Awaiting Senate passage.
- Assembly Bill 1359 (Schiavo) would permit accrued sick days to carry over to the following year of employment. STATUS: Awaiting Senate passage.
- Senate Bill 525 (Durazo) would not only mandate a minimum wage of $25 an hour for health care workers but also on employees of companies that work with health-care facilities. STATUS: Awaiting Assembly passage.
Ugly
- Senate Constitutional Amendment 7 would grant every Californian the right to join a union and to negotiate with their employers through their legally chosen representative. STATUS: Awaiting Senate action.
- Assembly Bill 1228 (Holden) would require fast-food franchisors to share all civil responsibilities and liability with their franchisees. Status: Passed to the Senate. Pulled by the author.
- Senate Bill 616 (Gonzalez) — would modify the employer’s alternate sick leave accrual method to instead require that an employee have no less than 56 hours of accrued sick leave or paid time off by the 280th calendar day of employment or each calendar year, or in each 12-month period. STATUS: Awaiting Senate passage.
- Senate Bill 627 (Smallwood-Cuevas — would prohibit a chain employer from closing a covered establishment unless the chain employer gives a displacement notice, as prescribed, to the covered workers and their exclusive representative, if any, 60 days before the closure takes effect. STATUS: Awaiting Senate passage.
For information on other bills NFIB California is fighting for or against, click the 52-bills list link at the top of this story or send an email to NFIB Grassroots Manager Taylor Criddle at [email protected].
