BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                            



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                       SB 1206|
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                                       CONSENT


          Bill No:  SB 1206
          Author:   Evans (D)
          Amended:  As introduced
          Vote:     21


           SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOY. & RETIRE. COMM  .:  4-0, 4/21/14
          AYES:  Torres, Walters, Block, Gaines
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Evans
           
          SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8  
           

           SUBJECT  :    State Personnel Board:  administrative regulations

           SOURCE  :     State Personnel Board


           DIGEST  :    This bill makes technical changes to statute  
          governing the State Personnel Board (SPB)'s rulemaking authority  
          by updating references to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)  
          and eliminating obsolete code section references to subject  
          matters that were transferred to the California Department of  
          Human Resources (CalHR) or the Department of Fair Employment and  
          Housing (DFEH) in prior legislation.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law:

          1.Requires state agencies and departments to follow procedures  
            set forth in the APA when adopting administrative regulations.

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          2.Exempts SPB from most provisions of the APA.

          3.Requires SPB to follow APA provisions when making regulations  
            regarding certain subjects.  Existing statute - rendered  
            partially obsolete by the transfer of certain responsibilities  
            from SPB to CalHR or DFEH - lists the following subjects where  
            SPB is not exempt from the APA:

             A.   Representation of minorities, women, and persons with  
               disabilities in the state workforce;

             B.   Equal employment opportunities;

             C.   Board hearing procedures relating to public testimony  
               and participation, except a procedure that is expressly  
               required by statute;

             D.   Disciplinary hearing procedures not mandated by  
               statutes, court decisions, or board precedential decisions;

             E.   Drug testing;

             F.   Grounds for employee discipline; and

             G.   Reasonable accommodation.

          This bill:

          1.Conforms the list of SPB subject matter that is not exempt  
            from the APA with existing law and eliminates obsolete  
            references to subject matters that were transferred to CalHR  
            or DFEH and are no longer part of SPB's jurisdiction.

          2.Clarifies that the subject matter under SPB's purview that is  
            not exempt from APA provisions is the following:

             A.   Board hearing procedures relating to public testimony  
               and participation.

             B.   Specified board hearing procedures relating to:

               (1)    Disciplinary and merit matters;

               (2)    Disability discrimination claims, including claims  

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                 based on medical condition; mental disability, or  
                 physical disability; and

               (3)    Claims for denial of reasonable accommodation of a  
                 disability.

             A.   Drug testing.

             B.   Grounds for employee discipline.

          1.Updates references to current APA code sections.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/5/14)

          California State Personnel Board (source)

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT :    The SPB, the sponsor of this bill,  
          states that this is a necessary technical clean-up measure to  
          reflect the Governor's Reorganization Plan Number One of 2011  
          (GRP 1).  GRP 1 shifted responsibility for the state's equal  
          employment opportunity program from SPB to CalHR.  This bill,  
          therefore, deletes references to the SPB in the Government Code  
          sections related to the state's equal employment opportunity  
          program.


          JL:e  5/7/14   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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