Bill Text: CA AB1273 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1273 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Classified employees: Classified Employee Staffing Ratio Workgroup.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-10-07 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 364, Statutes of 2023. [AB1273 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1273-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate June 13, 2023

Amended IN Assembly May 18, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1273

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonta
(Principal coauthor: Senator Smallwood-Cuevas)

February 16, 2023

An act to add Section 45118 to the Education Code, relating to classified employees.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1273, as amended, Bonta. Classified employees: Classified Employee Staffing Ratio Workgroup.

Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to employ persons for positions not requiring certification qualifications and to classify those employees and positions, and requires that they be known as the classified service.

This bill would require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Industrial Relations, the Labor Commissioner, ~~and~~ representatives of employee organizations, and representatives of voluntary local educational agencies, as defined, to convene the Classified Employee Staffing Ratio Workgroup on or before December 31, 2024. The bill would require the workgroup to group classified assignments in a manner that reflects the environmental setting of the assignment, the type of work to be completed, the impact on the assignment made by enrollment at a schoolsite, specialized needs, including certifications or licenses, and other reasonable factors, as specified, and to recommend staffing ratios per grouping, as specified. The bill would require the workgroup to report its recommendations to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2025, as specified. The bill would require the workgroup to consult with the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges for existing guidance and, if applicable, to extrapolate from those guidelines in order to include classified employees at community colleges in the report, as provided.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 45118 is added to the Education Code, to read:

45118.

(a) (1) The department, in consultation with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Industrial Relations, the Labor Commissioner, ~~and~~ representatives of employee organizations, and representatives of voluntary local educational agencies, including, but not limited to, members of governing boards of school districts, shall convene the Classified Employee Staffing Ratio Workgroup on or before December 31, 2024.

(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), “voluntary local educational agencies” means school districts, county offices of education, and special education local plan areas electing to participate in the workgroup.

(b) (1) (A) The workgroup shall group classified assignments in a manner that reflects the environmental setting of the assignment, the type of work to be completed, the impact on the assignment made by enrollment at a schoolsite, specialized needs, including certifications or licenses, and other reasonable factors.

(B) The groupings may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the categories of food service, maintenance and operations, office and technical services, paraeducators, special services, including law enforcement, and transportation services.

(2) The workgroup shall recommend staffing ratios per grouping identified pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3) The workgroup shall take into account the physical, mental, and emotional impact of a pandemic or other emergency environment on workers.

(4) The staffing ratios shall compare the number of classified staff needed for each group with the number of pupils. The staffing ratio may compare other factors, as relevant to the group of classified workers.

(c) (1) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the workgroup shall, on or before December 31, 2025, report recommendations on appropriate staffing ratios for classified school employees to the Legislature, consistent with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(2) The working group shall consult with the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges for existing guidance and, if applicable, shall extrapolate from those guidelines in order to include classified employees at community colleges in the report. If there is no guidance, or the workgroup determines that the guidance is not applicable, then the workgroup shall not include community college classified employees in the report.