BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1712
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 21, 2010

            ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL  
                                      SECURITY
                               Alberto Torrico, Chair
                   AB 1712 (Furutani) - As Amended:  April 13, 2010
           
          SUBJECT  :   School employees: leaves of absence: classified  
          employees elected to the Legislature.

           SUMMARY  :   Requires a school or community college district to  
          grant a leave of absence to any permanent classified employee  
          elected to the Legislature.  Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Requires the governing board of a school or community college  
            district to grant a leave of absence to any permanent  
            classified employee who is elected to the legislature.

          2)Specifies that during the leave of absence the employee may be  
            employed by the district to perform less than full-time duties  
            as mutually agreed upon.

          3)Specifies that this leave of absence does not effect the  
            classification of the employee.

          4)Specifies that within six months after the end of the term of  
            office for which the classified employee has been granted a  
            leave, the employee is entitled to return to their prior  
            position at the same salary they had prior to the leave.

          5)Specifies that any person first employed to take the place of  
            the employee on leave has no right to the position once the  
            employee returns from serving in the Legislature but may, at  
            any time, be employed or transferred to any vacant position in  
            the district and will attain all rights of a classified  
            employee as of the date of transfer or employment.  

          6)Specifies that a current classified employee moving into the  
            position vacated by the employee on leave retains all his or  
            her rights as a classified employee.  

          7)Specifies that because this bill imposes new duties on school  
            and community college districts, it would constitute a  
            state-mandated local program.









                                                                  AB 1712
                                                                  Page  2

           EXISTING LAW  requires school districts to grant a leave of  
          absence to permanent elementary and secondary teachers who are  
          elected to the Legislature.  Community college districts are  
          also required to grant a leave of absence to permanent employees  
          in academic positions who are elected to the Legislature.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown.

           COMMENTS  :   According to the sponsor, the California School  
          Employees Association, "Various other states have enacted laws  
          providing leaves of absence for public employees who are elected  
          to the Legislature.  In California, K-12 teachers and community  
          college faculty have been granted leave when elected to the  
          Legislature since 1976.  This issue is basically one of equity,  
          and classified employees deserve parity along with teachers in  
          this regard and should be granted a leave of absence if elected  
          to the Legislature."

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          California School Employees Association (Sponsor)
          American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
          Association of California School Administrators
          California Federation of Teachers
          Service Employees International Union

           Opposition 
           
          None on file
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Karon Green / P.E., R. & S.S. / (916)  
          319-3957