SB 151

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law provides that a provision of a memorandum of understanding reached between the state employer and a recognized employee organization representing state civil service employees that requires the expenditure of funds does not become effective unless approved by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act. This bill would approve provisions of memoranda of understanding entered into between the state employer and State Bargaining Units 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13, and would approve addenda to memoranda of understanding entered into by the state employer and State Bargaining Units 1, 3, 4, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21, that require the expenditure of funds, and would provide that these provisions will become effective even if funds for these provisions are approved by the Legislature in legislation other than the annual Budget Act. The bill would provide that provisions of the memoranda of understanding and addenda to memoranda of understanding approved by this bill that require the expenditure of funds will not take effect unless funds for those provisions are specifically appropriated by the Legislature, and would require the state employer and the affected employee organization to meet and confer to renegotiate the affected provisions if funds for those provisions are not specifically appropriated by the Legislature. The annual Budget Act appropriates specified amounts from the General Fund, unallocated special funds, and unallocated nongovernmental cost funds, for state employee compensation. In the event that the annual Budget Act is not enacted prior to July 1 of each year covered by the memoranda of understanding for State Bargaining Units 1, 3, 4, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, and 21, existing law provides for a continuous appropriation for the amount necessary for the payment of compensation and benefits to members of those bargaining units. This bill would expand that provision to also include members of State Bargaining Units 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13. The Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) prescribes contribution rates for state employees who are state miscellaneous, state industrial, state safety members, patrol members, or state peace officer/firefighter members, among others, in amounts based on percentages of monthly compensation, as specified. Member contributions are deposited into the Public Employees' Retirement Fund, which is a continuously appropriated trust fund. This bill would increase the contribution rates by 5% for state miscellaneous, state industrial, or state safety members who are represented by State Bargaining Unit 13, by 3% for state miscellaneous, state industrial, or state safety members who are represented by State Bargaining Unit 2, 6, 7, 9, or 10, by 3% for state peace officer/firefighter members who are represented by State Bargaining Unit 6, and by 2% for state peace officer/firefighter members who are represented by State Bargaining Unit 7, beginning on the first day of the pay period following the operative date of the bill. By increasing member contributions into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. The bill would reduce the contribution rates by 1% for excluded state miscellaneous or state industrial members related to State Bargaining Unit 2. Existing law requires the state to pay sworn members of the California Highway Patrol who are rank-and-file members of State Bargaining Unit 5 the estimated average total compensation for each corresponding rank in specified local police departments. Existing law requires any increase in total compensation resulting from a survey of the average compensation for those departments to be implemented through a memorandum of understanding negotiated pursuant to the Ralph C. Dills Act. Existing law requires that any amount that would otherwise be used to permanently increase compensation for those members of State Bargaining Unit 5 pursuant to those provisions, effective on July 1, 2009, and on July 1, 2010, to permanently prefund postemployment health care benefits for patrol members, as provided. This bill would authorize the Director of the Department of Personnel Administration to apply the provision directing the use of those amounts to prefund postemployment health care benefits for patrol members to excluded patrol members and an officer or employee of the executive branch who is not a member of civil service. The bill would also delete duplicative provisions of law. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.