BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �






                  SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND FISCAL REVIEW
                                Mark Leno, Chair
                                        
          Bill No:       AB 1498
          Author:        Committee on Budget
          As Amended:    June 25, 2012
          Consultants:   Brady Van Engelen and Kris Kuzmich
          Fiscal:        Yes
          Hearing Date:  June 25, 2012
          

          Subject:  Government Operations and Efficiencies Omnibus 
          Trailer Bill  

          Summary:  Statutory changes necessary to implement 
          government operations and efficiencies related provisions 
          of the Budget Bill.

          Proposed Law:  This bill includes the following key changes 
          necessary to implement the Government Operations and 
          Efficiencies related provisions of the Budget Act:

             1.   Revision of the Commission of the Status of Women 
               and Girls.  Restructures the mission and construct of 
               the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. 

             2.   Commission on Uniform State Laws.  Consolidates the 
               Commission on Uniform State Laws within the 
               Legislative Counsel Bureau. 

             3.   Elimination of the Fair Employment and Housing 
               Commission.  Consolidates the Fair Employment and 
               Housing Commission within the Department of Fair 
               Employment and Housing and constructs a council within 
               the Department that would conduct public hearings and 
               take regulatory action when necessary. Also allows the 
               courts to award reasonable attorney's fees and costs 
               to the Department. Creates a special fund for the 
               deposit of awarded costs that, upon appropriation by 
               the Legislature, transfer to the General Fund or 
               support departmental functions. 

             4.   Eliminate Technology Services Advisory Board.  
               Repeals provisions establishing the Technology 
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               Services Board. Currently, the Secretary of the 
               California Technology Agency is required to submit the 
               proposed rates of the Office of Technology Services' 
               to the board for consideration. The Secretary is also 
               required to submit any rate change to the Department 
               of Finance. 

             5.   Eliminate the Electronic Funds Transfer Task Force. 
                Eliminates a Task Force that was responsible for 
               devising a plan on the development and implementation 
               of a new payment dispersal system using electronic 
               funds transfer technology.  AB 1585 (Chapter 7, 
               Statutes of 2010) defined the report as obsolete thus 
               making the Task Force mission obsolete. 

             6.   Transfer State Mediation and Conciliation Services 
               to Public Employment Relations Board.  Makes the 
               necessary conforming, technical changes to statue to 
               effectuate the transfer of the State Mediation and 
               Conciliation Service from the Department of Industrial 
               Relations to the Public Employment Relations Board.  
               This is one several government efficiency proposals 
               contained in the 2012 Budget Act.  This request has a 
               net-zero budget impact between the two budget items 
               but results in the reduction of one limited-term 
               position.  

             7.   Department of Industrial Relations Reorganization: 
               Consolidated Public Works Enforcement.  Eliminates the 
               Division of Labor Statistics and Research and 
               establishes consolidated public works enforcement 
               within the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement 
               within the Department of Industrial Relations.  This 
               is one of several government efficiency proposals 
               contained in the 2012 Budget Act.  This consolidation 
               will result in the reduction of one position and 
               on-going savings of $231,000 GF. 

             8.   California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board 
               Reforms.  Reduces the size of the California 
               Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board by two members 
               (from a total of seven to five) and increases the 
               qualifications of the Board members to require that 
               they, at a minimum, be an attorney and have one year 
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               of experience in conducting judicial hearings or five 
               years of experience in the practice of law.  This is 
               one of several government efficiency proposals 
               contained in the 2012 Budget Act.  The proposal also 
               retains the Board level review of the appeals caseload 
               and eliminates vacant positions; when combined with 
               the reduction in the size of the Board, results in 
               savings of $1.2 million (other funds) in 2013-14 and 
               on-going.

          Fiscal Effect: This bill should not result in any changes 
          to the budget act in related budget actions.

          Comments:  This bill provides the necessary statutory 
          references to enact the 2012-13 budget related to the 
          consolidation, reorganization and restructuring of state 
          entities.


























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