SB 639

(Durazo)

AB 1019

(Frazier)

California APSE is pleased to support SB 639, a bill that prohibits employers from paying people with disabilities less than the minimum wage.

SB 639 addresses historic barriers to gainful employment for people with disabilities by prohibiting the California Labor Commission from issuing employers a new license that allows for the payment of subminimum wage to employees with disabilities beginning in 2022. This bill requires workers with disabilities to be paid at least minimum wage by 2024.

The State Council on Developmental Disabilities sponsored AB 1019, which was signed into law by Governor Newsom. AB 1019 adds the Director of the Department of Rehabilitation and the Executive Director of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (IACA) within the Division of Apprenticeship Standards within the Department of Industrial Relations. The bill also creates a subcommittee focused on people with disabilities within the IACA. Prior to AB 1019, the IACA did not have any representation or expertise focused on people with disabilities even though apprenticeships provide an important avenue to CIE.

AB 365

(Garcia)

Disability Rights California sponsored AB 365, which if passed, would have made improvements to state service for people with disabilities and specifically to the Limited Examination and Appointment Program (LEAP). LEAP offers an alternative to the traditional civil service examination and appointment process that enables the hiring of persons with disabilities into state service. Unfortunately, AB 365 was vetoed by the Governor. However, the Governor established a State Diversity Taskforce to look at how to improve the hiring and retention of the people with disabilities into state service with the goal of making California a model employer for people with disabilities. The Disability Workgroup is in the process of making recommendations to the Diversity Taskforce and is chaired by the Executive Director of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

AB 1169

(Frazier)

Disability Rights California sponsored AB 365, which if passed, would have made improvements to state service for people with disabilities and specifically to the Limited Examination and Appointment Program (LEAP). LEAP offers an alternative to the traditional civil service examination and appointment process that enables the hiring of persons with disabilities into state service. Unfortunately, AB 365 was vetoed by the Governor. However, the Governor established a State Diversity Taskforce to look at how to improve the hiring and retention of the people with disabilities into state service with the goal of making California a model employer for people with disabilities. The Disability Workgroup is in the process of making recommendations to the Diversity Taskforce and is chaired by the Executive Director of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.