SB 187: Employment.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law generally grants public employees the right to join employee organizations and to be represented by those organizations in their employment relations. Existing law requires specified public employers to provide exclusive employee representatives access to new employee orientations, as prescribed.

Existing law entitles an exclusive representative, if the public employer has not conducted an in-person new employee orientation within 30 days of a newly hired employee’s start date, and the new employee is working in person, to schedule an in-person meeting at the worksite during employment hours, as prescribed, during which newly hired employees are required to have the opportunity to attend and be relieved of other duties for the purpose of attending the meeting. These in-person meeting requirements are repealed as of June 30, 2027.

Under this bill, such an in-person meeting would satisfy the requirements of existing law for the purpose of providing mandatory access to the employees’ new employee orientation and onboarding process. The bill would also remove the repeal for the in-person meeting requirements, thereby making those requirements operative indefinitely. By extending the operation of duties for various local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law authorizes the Department of Human Resources to self-fund or self-insure a benefit program under its administration when it is cost effective to do so. Existing law authorizes the department to administer the self-funded or self-insured benefit program directly or to contract with a third-party administrator. Existing law creates the State Employees’ Self-Funded Benefit Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund, created in the State Treasury, for use by the department to make benefit payments and pay related administrative costs.

This bill would authorize any contract entered into pursuant to these provisions to provide for a claims fund reserve account to be maintained with respect to the benefit program for the purpose of administering benefit programs, including deducting contracted benefit program expenses. The bill authorizes the account to be used for, among other things, defraying increases in future premiums. The bill would authorize an account that is established for these purposes to be created outside of the centralized State Treasury System utilizing the taxpayer identification number of a contracted carrier, subject to meeting specified criteria, including that deposited funds are segregated and clearly identifiable. By authorizing new uses of a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.

(3)Existing law authorizes the state, through the Department of Human Resources, the Trustees of the California State University, or the Regents of the University of California, to contract with carriers for dental care plans for employees, annuitants, and eligible family members. Existing law prohibits a dental care plan contract from being entered into unless funds are appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose. Existing law provides that if a dental care plan is self-funded, funds used for that plan will be considered continuously appropriated.

Sponsors

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 30, 2026Ordered to third reading.
2. August 30, 2026(Ayes 56. Noes 19. Page 6855.)
3. August 30, 2026Withdrawn from committee pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.
4. August 28, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.
5. March 24, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.
6. March 20, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
7. March 20, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 459.) Ordered to the Assembly.
8. March 18, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. March 17, 2025Ordered to second reading.
10. March 17, 2025Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 384.)
11. February 5, 2025Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
12. January 24, 2025From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 23.