The 2017 legislative session is heating up, with key committee votes expected prior to the April 28^th deadline for policy committees to vote on fiscal bills. There have already been several major developments with the proposed CFRA expansion bill (SB 62) being effectively “gutted and amended” into a senior housing bill, so material CFRA changes presently seem unlikely in 2017, and the “parental leave” bill (SB 63) has passed an initial key committee vote.  As expected, some of the previously introduced so-called “spot bills” have begun to develop into more substantive bills, including SB 490 which would enact new payday rules for barbers and cosmetologists.  Overall, a number of significant employment bills remain pending and facing key votes shortly, including bills that would:

• Require employers to offer hours to existing non-exempt employees before hiring new employees (AB 5);
• Prohibit employers from inquiring about salary history during the hiring process (AB 168);
• Preclude employers from inquiring about criminal convictions until after a conditional offer of employment (AB 1008);
• Require employers with more than 20 employees to provide up to 12 workweeks of parental leave (SB 63);
• Prohibit employers from discriminating based on an employee’s reproductive health decisions (AB 569);
• Enable private employers to grant hiring preferences to veterans (AB 353 and AB 1477);
• Amend the Private Attorneys’ General Act (PAGA) to limit potential civil claims and recoverable damages (AB 281, AB 1429 and AB 1430); and
• Enact so-called “right-to-work” legislation prohibiting compelled contribution to labor organizations (AB 1174).