BILL NUMBER: SB 549	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 4, 2007
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 25, 2007
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 10, 2007
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 26, 2007

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Corbett
   (Coauthor: Senator Kuehl)

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2007

   An act to add Section 230.5 to the Labor Code, relating to
employee rights.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 549, as amended, Corbett. Employee's right to bereavement
leave.
   Existing law provides employees with the right to take time off
work without discharge or discrimination for a number of reasons.
   This bill would add the right to inquire about, request, and take
time off for bereavement leave. For state employees, if this leave
conflicts with a memorandum of understanding, the terms of the
memorandum of understanding would be controlling.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 230.5 is added to the Labor Code, to read:
   230.5.  (a) An employer shall not discharge, discipline, or in any
manner discriminate against an employee for inquiring about,
requesting, or taking up to four days of bereavement leave off upon
the death of a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent,
grandchild, or domestic partner.
   (b) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
   (1) "Child" has the same meaning as defined in paragraph (1) of
subdivision (b) of Section 233.
   (2) "Employee" means a person employed by the employer for at
least 60 days prior to the commencement of the leave.
   (3) "Parent" has the same meaning as defined in paragraph (3) of
subdivision (b) of Section 233.
   (4) "Domestic partner" has the same meaning as defined in Section
297 of the Family Code, who is registered pursuant to Part 2
(commencing with Section 298) of Division 2.5 of the Family Code.
   (5) "Sibling" has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (c)
of Section 362.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
   (c) The days of bereavement leave need not be consecutive.
   (d) The bereavement leave is to be unpaid, except that an employee
may use vacation, personal leave, or compensatory time off that is
otherwise available to the employee.
   (e) The employee, if requested by the employer, shall, within 30
days of the leave, provide documentation of the death of the spouse,
child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or domestic partner.
"Documentation" includes a death certificate, a published obituary,
or written verification of death, burial, or memorial services from a
mortuary, funeral home, burial society, crematorium, religious
institution, or government agency.
   (f) An employee who is discharged, disciplined, or otherwise
discriminated against in terms or conditions of employment by his or
her employer because the employee has inquired about, requested, or
taken bereavement leave pursuant to this section is entitled to
reinstatement and to recover actual damages.
   (g) An employee who believes he or she has been discharged,
disciplined, or in any way discriminated against in violation of this
section may take either of the following actions:
   (1)  The employee may file a complaint with the Division of Labor
Standards Enforcement in accordance with Section 98.7 of the Labor
Code.
   (2) The employee may bring a civil action for the remedies
provided in subdivision (f) in a court of competent jurisdiction. If
the employee prevails, the court may award the employee reasonable
attorney's fees.
   (h) The rights and remedies of this section are cumulative,
nonexclusive, and in addition to any other rights and remedies
afforded by contract or other provisions of law.
   (i) In any case where the provisions of this section are in
conflict with the provisions of a memorandum of understanding agreed
to pursuant to Section  3417.5   3517.5  of
the Government Code, the memorandum of understanding shall be
controlling without further legislative action, except that if the
provisions of the memorandum of understanding require the expenditure
of funds, those provisions shall not become effective unless
approved by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act.
   (j) The Director of the Department of Personnel Administration may
establish bereavement leave requirements for civil service employees
of the state who are not state employees under subdivision (c) of
Section 3513 of the Government Code, and for executive branch
officers and employees who are not members of the state civil service
under Part 2 (commencing with Section 18500) of Division 5 of Title
2 of the Government Code.