[Approved by Governor July 6, 2015. Filed with Secretary of State July 6, 2015.]
AB 327, Gordon. Public works: volunteers.
Existing law defines “public works,” for purposes of regulating public works contracts, as, among other things, construction, alteration, demolition, installation, or repair work that is performed under contract and paid for in whole or in part out of public funds. Pursuant to existing law, all workers employed on public works projects are required to be paid not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for work, except as specified.
Existing law governing public works does not apply to specified work performed by a volunteer, a volunteer coordinator, or a member of the California Conservation Corps or a community conservation corps. These provisions are effective only until January 1, 2017, and as of that date are repealed.
This bill would extend those provisions until January 1, 2024, at which date those provisions would be repealed. The bill would also delete an obsolete provision.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 1720.4 of the Labor Code is amended to read:
This chapter shall not apply to any of the following work:
(a) Any work performed by a volunteer. For purposes of this section, “volunteer” means an individual who performs work for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons for a public agency or corporation qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a tax-exempt organization, without promise, expectation, or receipt of any compensation for work performed.
(1) An individual shall be considered a volunteer only when his or her services are offered freely and without pressure and coercion, direct or implied, from an employer.
(2) An individual may receive reasonable meals, lodging, transportation, and incidental expenses or nominal nonmonetary awards without losing volunteer status if, in the entire context of the situation, those benefits and payments are not a substitute form of compensation for work performed.
(3) An individual shall not be considered a volunteer if the person is otherwise employed for compensation at any time (A) in the construction, alteration, demolition, installation, repair, or maintenance work on the same project, or (B) by a contractor, other than a corporation qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a tax-exempt organization, that receives payment to perform construction, alteration, demolition, installation, repair, or maintenance work on the same project.
(b) Any work performed by a volunteer coordinator. For purposes of this section, “volunteer coordinator” means an individual paid by a corporation qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a tax-exempt organization, to oversee or supervise volunteers. An individual may be considered a volunteer coordinator even if the individual performs some nonsupervisory work on a project alongside the volunteers, so long as the individual’s primary responsibility on the project is to oversee or supervise the volunteers rather than to perform nonsupervisory work.
(c) Any work performed by the California Conservation Corps or by Community Conservation Corps certified by the California Conservation Corps pursuant to Section 14507.5 of the Public Resources Code.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2024, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2024, deletes or extends that date.
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