BILL NUMBER: AB 1546	CHAPTERED  09/15/99

	CHAPTER   394
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 15, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 15, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 30, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   AUGUST 25, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 24, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   JULY 15, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JUNE 1, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 10, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Granlund

                        FEBRUARY 26, 1999

   An act to amend Section 53292 of the Government Code, relating to
local agency firefighters.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1546, Granlund.  Local agency firefighters.
   Existing law requires that whenever a fire protection district or
a city fire department is dissolved or its territory is decreased in
size by consolidation, merger, incorporation, annexation or other
reasons and the fire agency taking over the duties of that district
or department decides to hire more firefighters, the fire agency
shall give first choice for those positions to firefighters at
comparable ranks of the dissolved or decreased agency.
   This bill would instead apply this requirement to special
districts and joint powers agencies that provide fire protection as
well as city fire departments.


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


  SECTION 1.  Section 53292 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   53292.  (a) Whenever a special district or joint powers agency
that provides fire protection or a city fire department is dissolved
or the area it serves is decreased by reason of a consolidation,
merger, incorporation, annexation, or contract, and the district,
joint powers agency, or city fire department taking over the duties
of the dissolved or decreased district, joint powers agency, or
department decides to hire additional firefighters, it shall give
first choice for the positions to be filled to firefighters employed
by the dissolved or decreased district, joint powers agency, or
department.  As nearly as possible, the firefighters who are hired
shall be given positions with a rank comparable to that which they
held in the dissolved or decreased district, joint powers agency, or
department.  No firefighter shall be hired who is over the mandatory
retirement age of the district, joint powers agency, or city fire
department which is taking over the duties of the dissolved or
decreased district, joint powers agency, or department.
   (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, where firefighters
are hired as a result of the consolidation, merger, incorporation,
annexation, or contract, the seniority or other employment rights of
the employees of the district, joint powers agency, or fire
department taking over the duties of the dissolved or decreased
district, joint powers agency, or department shall not be impaired as
a result of the consolidation, merger, incorporation, annexation, or
contract, except as otherwise agreed upon in a county, other than a
county of the first class, in a memorandum of understanding with each
employee organization, which has been recognized pursuant to Chapter
10 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 4 of Title 1, and
which represents employees of the district, joint powers agency, or
department taking over the duties of the dissolved or decreased
district, joint powers agency, or department who are in classes
affected by the consolidation, merger, incorporation, annexation, or
contract.