California Department of Industrial Relations Posts 2014 Legislative Digest

UPDATE: At its February 20, 2015 Legislative Committee and Enforcement Committee meeting, the California Contractors State License Board is expected to provide an update and to consider several legislative proposals. The meeting that is open to the public is to commence at 9:30 a.m. PST at the CSLB Headquarters, John C. Hall Hearing Room, 9821 Business Park Drive, Sacramento, CA 95827, and at the teleconference location, 134 West 168th Street, Gardena, CA 94248.

Today, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) released its 2014 Legislative Digest, which includes, among other things, an overview of new laws related to the work of DIR and its divisions, which include the Labor Commissioner’s Office, Cal/OSHA, the Division of Workers’ Compensation and the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

Among the chaptered bills (those signed into law) in the 2014 Legislative Digest are AB 1522 (provides workers with paid sick leave), AB 1897 (establishes shared legal responsibility between labor contractors and employers utilizing workers supplied by labor contractors), AB 1634 (removes the option of postponing an abatement period for employers cited with certain types of serious, willful violations), and SB 854 (replaces current funding mechanisms for public works enforcement and creates a uniform annual registration fee paid by public works contractors requiring that all contractors and subcontractors pay an initial registration and a renewal fee to bid or perform work on public works projects). In total, 21 Assembly Bills and 13 Senate Bills were signed into law. The 2014 Legislative Digest provides links to each of the chaptered bills.

Chaptered bills become effective on January 1, 2015, unless they contain an urgency clause, in which case they became effective immediately upon the Governor’s signature or the bill specifies the effective date.