BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






          SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & RETIREMENT     BILL NO: AB 266
          Nell Soto, Chair               Hearing date: June 9, 2003
          AB 266 (Mullin)     as amended May 8, 2003   FISCAL:   NO

           SAN MATEO COUNTY:  DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS:  PHASE-IN  
          IMPLEMENTATION
           
           HISTORY  :

              Sponsor:  San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
                       American Federation of State, County, and  
          Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
                    Local 829

              Prior legislation:  SB 1049 (Speier)
                         Chapter 146 of 2001


           ASSEMBLY VOTES  :

              PER & SS             6-3       5/07/03
              Assembly Floor       42-31     5/15/03
           

          SUMMARY  :
          
          Would authorize the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to  
          negotiate a phased-in implementation of survivor benefits for  
          domestic partners.


           BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS :

          1)   Chapter 146 of 2001  authorized the San Mateo County Board  
          of Supervisors to provide specified benefits to the surviving  
          domestic partners of a member of the county's retirement  
          system.

          2)   This bill  authorizes the San Mateo County Board of  
          Supervisors to negotiate through collective bargaining, a  
          phased-in implementation of survivor benefits for domestic  
          partners.


           FISCAL EFFECT:
          David Felderstein
          Date: 5/29/03              Page 1 








           
          Unknown











































          David Felderstein
          Date: 5/29/03              Page 2 








           COMMENTS  :
          
          1)   ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  

          According to the author, in 1999, joint negotiations between  
          San Mateo County (County) and the County Unions resulted in  
          an agreement for domestic partners of County employees to  
          receive survivor and death benefits; benefits that are  
          automatic to married couples but not available to domestic  
          partners under the '37 Act at that time.  The County and  
          County Unions jointly sponsored SB 1049 (Speier), Chapter 146  
          of 2001, which allows these benefits to be granted to  
          domestic partners of San Mateo County employees upon the  
          adoption by the County Board of Supervisors.

          In the 2002 negotiations, the County Unions were told that  
          the County could not afford to fully implement the benefit at  
          that time.  It was then negotiated that the County would seek  
          introduction of  this bill  to allow a negotiated phase-in of  
          these benefits.

          2)   OPPOSITION  :

               None to date


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          David Felderstein
          Date: 5/29/03              Page 3