Chamber Advocacy

Telehealth Payment Parity. Would require coverage and reimbursement parity with the equivalent in person service for synchronous telehealth, including live video and telephone (audio only) visits. 

Massive Corporate Tax Increase. Would increase the state’s corporate tax rate to 9.6% in order to create a homelessness fund. Additionally, the bill would require taxpayers who make a water’s-edge election to include in their gross income 50% of global intangible low-taxed income and 40% of the repatriation income of affiliated corporations. Last, taxpayers that experience a tax increase under these provisions would be prohibited from utilizing business tax credits to offset more than $5 million of the new liability.

Burdensome New Bereavement Leave Mandate. Imposes a significant new burden on employers of every size by mandating that they provide employees up to ten (10) days of bereavement leave upon the death of a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or domestic partner, regardless of how long the employee has worked for the employer. The bill further opens up new avenues for litigation against California employers by establishing a brand new private right of action (in addition to liability under PAGA and administrative enforcement through the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement).

Increased Paid Sick Leave Mandate. Amends the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act to extend the number of paid sick days employers are required to provide from 3 days to 5 days and adjusts the accrual rate for paid sick days.

New Childcare Benefit Requirements. Requires employers to provide employees with up to 60 hours of paid childcare benefits every year, forbids employers from requesting accommodation to demonstrate need for backup childcare.

Government-Run Health Care. Penalizes responsible employers and individuals and results in significant new taxes on all California businesses and individuals by creating a new single-payer government-run, multibillion-dollar health care system financed by an unspecified and undeveloped “revenue plan."

Utility Rate Increase. Proposes to expand ratepayer-funded program for building electrification, benefiting one class of utility ratepayers at the expense of the remainder of the utility rate base, which would increase residential and commercial utility bills. 

Fair Employment and Housing Act protection: political affiliation. Prohibits public or private employer from failing to hire an applicant or taking adverse action against an employee based on their political affiliation by adding political affiliation as a protected characteristic under the Fair Employment and Housing Act. 

Development Ban. Prohibits cities and counties from designating any land uses that have potential to adversely impact disadvantaged communities, even if any potential impacts could be mitigated. In doing so, the bill removes local land use authority, creates new CEQA litigation and worsens the state’s housing crisis.
 

Labeling. Requires food product packing and menus and menu boards to disclose if synthetic dyes are used in the food item.

Over Enforcement. Protects businesses for duplicative enforcement by the Department of Consumer Affairs when CalOSHA already has enforcement authority and penalties.

Cal/OSHA Compliance Tax Credit. Provides a dollar for dollar tax credit for any costs businesses incur attempting to comply with stringent Cal/OSHA Covid-19 regulations.

School Facilities Act. Will establish an ongoing fund to assist school districts in modernizing their facilities. 
 

Tax Relief for Businesses that Received PPP Funds. Would bring California into partial conformity with federal tax law by allowing up to $150,000 of expenses paid for using Paycheck Protection Program loans to be deductible. 

Flexible Workweek. Allows for an employee-selected flexible work schedule and relieves employers the administrative cost and burden of adopting an alternative workweek schedule per division, which accommodates employees, helps retain employees, and allows the employer to invest these savings into growing its workforce. 

Small Business License Relief. Provides a tax credit beginning on or after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2021 equal to 50 percent or incurred for alcohol license by a qualified establishment. 
 

Grants to Encourage Career Technical Education. Creates the California Apprenticeship Grant Program, under the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to provide grants to support high school and community college students as well as unemployed workers who are seeking career technical education and are enrolled in qualified apprenticeship program. 

Small Business Grant Program. Establishes $2.6 billion grant program that offers struggling small businesses a lifeline while they struggle through pandemic-induced shutdowns and regulations.

Passed by the Governor on 2/23/2021

License Renewal Fee Relief. Relieves bars, restaurants, and those working in barbering and cosmetology from having to pay license renewal fees for two years.

Passed by the Governor on 2/23/2021

Small Business Relief from Penalties. Provides small businesses who are struggling to survive this pandemic with potential relief from harsh penalties for violations that were made in good faith and did not cause any serious safety, health or economic harm.

Telecommuting. Allows employers to satisfy notice requirements under the Labor Code using electronic means for telecommuting employees.