Advocacy Updates
What is COHA Currently Monitoring?
California Department of Insurance
In July we spoke on behalf of the outdoor hospitality industry at a hearing called by California State Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara. The hearing was to determine the overall impact of the state of the insurance industry on California residents and business owners and if the Fair Plan is an adequate solution.
Recommendations included but not limited to broad form peril coverage in the fair plan, expanded business interruption, and elevated service. Additionally, as the Fair Plan was designed as a temporary solution, recommendations of legislation that would prevent providers from pulling out of segments and/or the state were also discussed.
After presenting on the hearing at the Cal Travel board meeting, CalOHA requested an additional meeting with the commissioner to allow for engagement with other segments of the travel and tourism industry. CalOHA, Cal Travel Director of Government Affairs, Emellia Zamani, Political Solutions lobbyist, Tami Miller, CHLA/CABBI President, Lyn Morhfeld, met with Commissioner Ricardo Lara about the effects of insurance on the travel industry. Follow up with direct impact statements were presented.
In July we spoke on behalf of the outdoor hospitality industry at a hearing called by California State Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara. The hearing was to determine the overall impact of the state of the insurance industry on California residents and business owners and if the Fair Plan is an adequate solution.
Recommendations included but not limited to broad form peril coverage in the fair plan, expanded business interruption, and elevated service. Additionally, as the Fair Plan was designed as a temporary solution, recommendations of legislation that would prevent providers from pulling out of segments and/or the state were also discussed.
After presenting on the hearing at the Cal Travel board meeting, CalOHA requested an additional meeting with the commissioner to allow for engagement with other segments of the travel and tourism industry. CalOHA, Cal Travel Director of Government Affairs, Emellia Zamani, Political Solutions lobbyist, Tami Miller, CHLA/CABBI President, Lyn Morhfeld, met with Commissioner Ricardo Lara about the effects of insurance on the travel industry. Follow up with direct impact statements were presented.
Recently Passed Legislative Bills
SB 869 - Housing: mobilehome parks: recreational vehicle parks: manager training - PASSED
This bill requires managers and assistant managers of mobilehome and recreational vehicle (RV) parks to complete an online training and renew the training every year. (Levya,Connie (D) /Dodd,Christopher (D))
Assembly Amendments change the hours of training from 16 to six hours with a continuing education requirement of a two-hour training every two years, instead of a six-hour training every year. In addition, a third party can be permitted to offer the training, and two subject areas have been added as relevant material. The amendments also clarify non-compliance with management having 60 days to comply before a civil penalty and then suspension of a park’s permit to operate. Lastly, the date of adoption is now one year later, May 1, 2025.
AB 2243 Occupational safety and health standards: heat illness: wildfire smoke - PASSED
Requires the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to submit to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (board) a proposal to consider revising the heat illness standard, as specified, and the wildfire smoke standard for farm workers to reduce the Air Quality Index (AQI) for PM2.5 to 301 or greater for the provision of respiratory protective equipment. (Garcia, Edurado (D))
Senate Amendments 1) Change the effective date for Cal/OSHA to submit to the board a rulemaking proposal to consider revising specified heat and wildfire standards from before December 1, 2024, to before December 1, 2025. 2) Revise the timeline for distribution of the Heat Illness Prevention Plan to both new and incumbent employees. 3) Clarify that an employer need not implement fit testing and medical evaluations for respiratory protective equipment when the AQI is above 301. 4) Clarify that the revisions to the wildfire smoke standards for consideration are for farm workers only. 5) Delete the provision that in developing regulations, Cal/OSHA shall consider linguistically appropriate training programs for outdoor employees in administering first aid related to extreme heat related illnesses.
SB 1044 - Employers: state of emergency or emergency condition: retaliation. - PASSED
This bill prohibits an employer, in the event of an emergency condition, as defined, from taking or threatening an adverse action against any employee (except for specified emergency response workers, among others) for refusing to report to, or leaving, a workplace within the affected area because the employee has a reasonable belief that the workplace is unsafe. This bill also SB 1044 Page 2 prohibits an employer from preventing an employee, with some exceptions, from accessing the employee’s mobile device or other communications device to seek emergency assistance, assessing the safety of the situation, or communicating with a person to verify their safety. (Durazo, Maria-Elena (D))
Assembly Amendments (1) remove the applicability of these protections to declared states of emergencies; (2) exempt a health pandemic from the definition of “emergency condition” under which these protections apply; (3) provide a definition for “a reasonable belief that the workplace or worksite is unsafe”; and (4) add specified employees to the list of employees exempt from these protections.
This bill requires managers and assistant managers of mobilehome and recreational vehicle (RV) parks to complete an online training and renew the training every year. (Levya,Connie (D) /Dodd,Christopher (D))
Assembly Amendments change the hours of training from 16 to six hours with a continuing education requirement of a two-hour training every two years, instead of a six-hour training every year. In addition, a third party can be permitted to offer the training, and two subject areas have been added as relevant material. The amendments also clarify non-compliance with management having 60 days to comply before a civil penalty and then suspension of a park’s permit to operate. Lastly, the date of adoption is now one year later, May 1, 2025.
AB 2243 Occupational safety and health standards: heat illness: wildfire smoke - PASSED
Requires the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to submit to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (board) a proposal to consider revising the heat illness standard, as specified, and the wildfire smoke standard for farm workers to reduce the Air Quality Index (AQI) for PM2.5 to 301 or greater for the provision of respiratory protective equipment. (Garcia, Edurado (D))
Senate Amendments 1) Change the effective date for Cal/OSHA to submit to the board a rulemaking proposal to consider revising specified heat and wildfire standards from before December 1, 2024, to before December 1, 2025. 2) Revise the timeline for distribution of the Heat Illness Prevention Plan to both new and incumbent employees. 3) Clarify that an employer need not implement fit testing and medical evaluations for respiratory protective equipment when the AQI is above 301. 4) Clarify that the revisions to the wildfire smoke standards for consideration are for farm workers only. 5) Delete the provision that in developing regulations, Cal/OSHA shall consider linguistically appropriate training programs for outdoor employees in administering first aid related to extreme heat related illnesses.
SB 1044 - Employers: state of emergency or emergency condition: retaliation. - PASSED
This bill prohibits an employer, in the event of an emergency condition, as defined, from taking or threatening an adverse action against any employee (except for specified emergency response workers, among others) for refusing to report to, or leaving, a workplace within the affected area because the employee has a reasonable belief that the workplace is unsafe. This bill also SB 1044 Page 2 prohibits an employer from preventing an employee, with some exceptions, from accessing the employee’s mobile device or other communications device to seek emergency assistance, assessing the safety of the situation, or communicating with a person to verify their safety. (Durazo, Maria-Elena (D))
Assembly Amendments (1) remove the applicability of these protections to declared states of emergencies; (2) exempt a health pandemic from the definition of “emergency condition” under which these protections apply; (3) provide a definition for “a reasonable belief that the workplace or worksite is unsafe”; and (4) add specified employees to the list of employees exempt from these protections.
