BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 644
                                                                  Page  1


          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 644 (Hancock)
          As Amended  June 15, 2011
          Majority vote 

           SENATE VOTE  :37-0  
           
           LABOR & EMPLOYMENT     6-0                                      
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Swanson, Morrell, Allen,  |     |                          |
          |     |Furutani, Beth Gaines,    |     |                          |
          |     |Yamada                    |     |                          |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY  :  Extends a public works exemption for specified 
          "volunteers" and other related individuals.  Specifically,  this 
          bill  :

          1)Extends the sunset date on the exemption to January 1, 2017.

          2)Eliminates a provision of the law that required the Department 
            of Industrial Relations (DIR) to submit a specified report to 
            the Legislature before January 1, 2011, regarding volunteers 
            on public works projects.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown

           COMMENTS  :  This bill revisits an issue that arose in 2004 
          concerning the use of volunteer labor on certain public works 
          projects.  Much of the attention that arose at that time was a 
          result of an enforcement action taken by the DIR in July 2003 in 
          relation to a stream restoration project in Shasta County.  
          After lengthy negotiations between the environmental community 
          and representatives of organized labor, the Legislature enacted 
          AB 2690 (Hancock), Chapter 330, Statutes of 2004, to provide an 
          exemption for specified volunteer work.  In order to address 
          concerns that there may be abuses of any "volunteer" exemption 
          to California's prevailing wage laws, AB 2690 (Hancock) 
          contained a January 1, 2009 sunset date.   AB 2537 (Furutani), 
          Chapter 678, Statutes of 2008, extended the sunset date until 
          January 1, 2012.  

          In a letter expressing sponsorship of the bill, the California 








                                                                 SB 644
                                                                  Page  2


          Park and Recreation Society (CPRS) writes that, during these 
          difficult fiscal times, it is critical that volunteerism and the 
          volunteer ethic are harnessed and channeled to assist local 
          governments in completing important projects. CPRS notes that 
          this bill will continue to ensure that the necessary resources 
          are brought to bear on enhancing the state's local park 
          infrastructure and grant local communities with the latitude to 
          develop and maintain park projects utilizing volunteers. 


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Shannon McKinley / L. & E. / (916) 
          319-2091 


                                                                FN: 0001374