BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 11
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 10, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    AB 11 (Logue) - As Amended:  January 28, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Labor and  
          Employment   Vote:                            7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires an employer with 50 or more employees to  
          permit an employee who is a reserve peace officer or emergency  
          rescue personnel to take a temporary leave of absence (not to  
          exceed 14 days per year) for the purpose of training.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor, absorbable costs to ensure compliance with this measure.   


           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  .  Current law prohibits an employer from firing or  
            discriminating against an employee who takes time off to  
            perform emergency duty as a volunteer firefighter, a reserve  
            peace officer, or emergency rescue personnel.  Statute also  
            requires employers with 50 or more employees to permit an  
            employee who is a volunteer firefighter to take a temporary  
            leave of absence (not the exceed 14 days per year) for the  
            purpose of training.  The employee protection against taking  
            time off for training purposes does not extend to reserve  
            peace officers or emergency rescue personnel.  

            According to the author, "In rural counties particularly,  
            volunteer firefighters, reserve peace officers, and volunteer  
            emergency rescue personal provide crucial services in sparse  
            portions of the county. All three of these groups of  
            individuals require rigorous and regular training in order to  
            ensure they can perform their important duties to the full  
            extent needed."  The author further argues that the same job  








                                                                  AB 11
                                                                  Page  2

            protections afforded to volunteer firefighters should be  
            extended to reserve peace officers and emergency rescue  
            personnel.  

           2)Existing law  defines a "volunteer firefighter" as a person  
            registered as a volunteer member with a regularly organized  
            fire department.  "Emergency rescue personnel" is defined as  
            any person who is an officer, employee, or member of a fire  
            department or fireprotection or firefighting agency of the  
            federal government, the State of California, a city, county,  
            city and county, district, or other public or municipal  
            corporation, or a sheriff's department, police department, or  
            a private fire department, as specified.  
           

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081