The ACSED Legislative and Policy Committee reviews and recommends positions on bills in the California Legislature that may affect ACSED members. Following is a summary of recent bills on which the ACSED Board of Directors has approved Committee recommendations:
ACSED is co-sponsoring AB 313 (C. Garcia). This bill will move the state toward becoming a model employer of people with disabilities by implementing some of the 2015 Joint Project Report’s recommendations. Among other things, it would expand and enhance the Limited Examination and Appointment Program to facilitate the hiring of individuals with disabilities, direct CalHR to work with certain departments to improve their disability representation rates and authorize CalHR to establish statewide guidelines for reasonable accommodation. ACSED has submitted a letter of support and will be actively working to promote the enactment of AB 313.
Bill Text: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB313
ACSED submitted a letter of support and provided testimony for SB 639 (Durazo). Today, unemployment rates among people with disabilities are disproportionally high. In 2019, California ranked 22nd in the nation for its employment of people with disabilities. People with disabilities experienced employment rates at 36.9 percent compared to 75.6 percent for their peers. If SB 639 is enacted, California will join the eight states and several U.S. cities that have already made the commitment to pay workers with disabilities minimum wage. ACSED supports this bill because SB 639 furthers the intent of the ADA and California minimum wage law’s by offering a minimum wage to workers, regardless of disability.
Bill text: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB639
ACSED submitted a letter of support for AB 1122 (C. Garcia). Many employers fear that hiring individuals from underrepresented groups will give rise to reverse discrimination claims by disgruntled employees or applicants who were not hired for the job. AB 1122 would shield employers from such complaints under the Fair Employment and Housing Act. This will eliminate one barrier to hiring qualified individuals with disabilities and those from other underrepresented groups.
Bill Text: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1122
ACSED has taken a position of “support if amended” on AB 580 (Rodriguez) This bill would expand the population of individuals represented on committees which advise the Office of Emergency Services. ACSED supports the expansion of representation on these committees, but has sent a letter asking the author to amend the bill to ensure that at least 51 percent of seats on such bodies are reserved for representatives from the disability community entitled to such representation under current law.
Bill Text: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB580
ACSED is also supporting SB 702 (Limon). It would require the office of the Governor to create and deliver to the Legislature a report concerning the demographic characteristics of individuals appointed by the Governor. A portion of that report relating to appointments to boards, commissions, and task forces of the state would be published on the Governor’s website. ACSED supports this bill in hopes that it will result in increased numbers of individuals with disabilities who receive appointments by the Governor.
Bill Text: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB702