BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 326
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 326 (Morrell)
As Amended January 6, 2014
Majority vote
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT 7-0
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|Ayes:|Roger Hernández, Morrell, | | |
| |Alejo, Chau, Gomez, | | |
| |Gorell, Holden | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Makes a technical change to specified reporting
requirements related to occupational safety and health to
replace the term "telegraph" with "e-mail."
EXISTING LAW provides that in every case involving a serious
injury or illness or death, the employer shall also make an
immediate report to the Division of Occupational Safety and
Health (DOSH). Existing law specifies that such a report shall
be made by telephone or "telegraph."
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : As introduced, this bill proposed to modify the state
law reporting requirements for specified occupational safety and
health incidents to mirror federal law. However, the bill
failed passage in the first policy committee.
Subsequently, the author and other members wrote a letter to the
Director of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) seeking
comment on the current reporting requirements and their relation
to federal law.
By letter dated October 22, 2013, the Director of DIR responded
and explained why she did not feel that the current state law
reporting requirement needed to be changed. However, her letter
did state the following:
Cal/OSHA and the Department of Industrial Relations
both agree that the regulation is due to be
modernized, such as replacing 'telegraph' with
'e-mail.' We do not agree, however, that it should be
AB 326
Page 2
watered down to the federal standard.
Therefore, the author has amended this bill to delete the prior
contents and simply make the aforementioned update to the
reporting requirement to replace the term "telegraph" with
"e-mail."
Analysis Prepared by : Ben Ebbink / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091
FN: 0002947