BILL NUMBER: AB 1483	CHAPTERED  07/23/99

	CHAPTER   157
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   JULY 23, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   JULY 22, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   JUNE 21, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   MAY 17, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Granlund

                        FEBRUARY 26, 1999

   An act to amend Section 3508 of the Government Code, relating to
public employees.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1483, Granlund.  Public employees:  peace officers:  employee
organizations.
   Existing law grants certain peace officers a right to be
represented by a group composed entirely of other peace officers.
This provision has been interpreted to apply only to those persons
designated as peace officers under specified sections of the Penal
Code at the time the provision was amended in 1971.
   This bill would provide that, for the purposes of the above
provision and for San Bernardino County only, no distinction shall be
made between a position designated as a peace officer position at
the time of the enactment of the 1971 amendments to this provision,
and a welfare fraud investigator or inspector position designated as
a peace officer position at any time after the enactment of the 1971
amendments to this provision.


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


  SECTION 1.  Section 3508 of the Government Code is amended to read:

   3508.  (a) The governing body of a public agency may, in
accordance with reasonable standards, designate positions or classes
of positions which have duties consisting primarily of the
enforcement of state laws or local ordinances, and may by resolution
or ordinance adopted after a public hearing, limit or prohibit the
right of employees in these positions or classes of positions to
form, join, or participate in employee organizations where it is in
the public interest to do so.  However, the governing body may not
prohibit the right of its employees who are full-time "peace officers"
as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830)
of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, to join or participate in
employee organizations which are composed solely of those peace
officers, which concern themselves solely and exclusively with the
wages, hours, working conditions, welfare programs, and advancement
of the academic and vocational training in furtherance of the police
profession, and which are not subordinate to any other organization.

   (b) (1) This subdivision shall apply only to a county of the
seventh class.
   (2) For the purposes of this section, no distinction shall be made
between a position designated as a peace officer position by Chapter
4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal
Code at the time of the enactment of the 1971 amendments to this
section, and a welfare fraud investigator or inspector position
designated as a peace officer position by any amendment to that
Chapter 4.5 at any time after the enactment of the 1971 amendments to
this section.
   (3) It is the intent of this subdivision to overrule San
Bernardino County Sheriff's Etc. Assn. v. Board of Supervisors (1992)
7 Cal.App.4th 602, 611, with respect to San Bernardino County
designating a welfare fraud investigator or inspector as a peace
officer under this section.
   (c) The right of employees to form, join and participate in the
activities of employee organizations shall not be restricted by a
public agency on any grounds other than those set forth in this
section.
  SEC. 2.  Due to the unique circumstances of San Bernardino County
because of the court's decision in San Bernardino County Sheriff's
Etc. Assn.  v. Board of Supervisors (1992) 7 Cal.App.4th 602, 611,
the Legislature hereby finds and declares that a general statute
cannot be made within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the
California Constitution.  Therefore, this legislation is necessarily
applicable only to San Bernardino County.