FBA is monitoring the 2,124 bills state lawmakers introduced this year (not to mention hundreds of measures introduced in 2023 and still alive in the Legislature) and has taken positions on three priority bills for family businesses so far.
FBA is opposed to SB 1116, which would force employers to pay unemployment insurance (UI) payments to striking workers, raise taxes on employers, overturn more than 70 years of precedent, and put California’s UI program at risk of violating federal law. This bill is a repeat of last year’s SB 799, which was vetoed by the Governor because of the debt it would add to California’s UI Fund – which is an even more pressing concern with this year’s budget concerns.
The Association is cosponsoring AB 2371 with FBA Member AMAROK, a commercial security company. This bill would enable property owners and businesses to install and employ electric security fences in a timely manner, while still allowing local government authorities to regulate or prohibit installations that do not comply with all requirements under State law.
Finally, FBA supports AB 2011, which would make the Civil Rights Department’s small employer family leave mediation program permanent, benefitting both workers and small employers.
That leaves just 2,121 more to keep an eye on!