SB 1089

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law regulates the employment of workers in grocery establishments, as defined, including requiring an incumbent grocery employer, as defined, where there is a change of control, as defined, to post a public notice of the change in control at the location of the affected grocery establishment within 5 business days following the execution of the transfer document, as specified. Existing law requires the notice to include, among other specified information, the name of the incumbent grocery employer, and to be posted in a conspicuous place at the grocery establishment in a manner where it can be readily viewed by specified persons, including eligible grocery workers. Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacies by the California State Board of Pharmacy. Existing law authorizes a pharmacy to furnish prescription drugs only to certain entities, including specific health care entities, and individual patients or another pharmacy either pursuant to prescription or as otherwise authorized by law. Existing law defines a pharmacy as an area, place, or premises licensed by the board in which the profession of pharmacy is practiced and where prescriptions are compounded. This bill would require a covered establishment, defined to include a grocery establishment or a pharmacy establishment, to satisfy specified requirements no later than 60 days before its closure, as defined, takes effect, including providing written notice of the closure to specified entities, including the employees of the covered establishment affected by the closure and their authorized representatives if the covered establishment employs more than 5 employees, and the Employment Development Department. The bill would require, notwithstanding that provision, a covered establishment that employs 5 or fewer employees to, no later than 30 days before a closure of the covered establishment takes effect, provide written notice of the closure to the employees of the covered establishment affected by the closure. The bill would exempt, notwithstanding the same provision, a covered establishment that is a pharmacy and is owned by a person or entity who owns 15 or fewer pharmacies in California from providing written notice to specified persons and entities, including the Employment Development Department. The bill would exempt a covered establishment from these requirements if specified circumstances apply, including that the closure is necessitated by a physical calamity or an act of war, except as specified. (2) Existing law authorizes an aggrieved employee of a grocery establishment or their representative, as described, to bring an action, as specified, for violations of the above-described change of control provisions to recover, among other awards, reasonable attorney's fees and costs, if specified requirements are met, including that the employee provided written notice to the employer of the violations, as specified. Existing law also authorizes a civil penalty not to exceed $100 against, among other specified entities, the grocery employer for each employee whose rights are violated under those provisions. Existing law also authorizes an additional amount of $100 per employee payable as liquidated damages for each day of the violation until the violation is cured, as specified, and authorizes that amount to be recovered by the Labor Commissioner, as specified, and paid to the employee as compensatory damages. This bill would authorize a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each closure to be assessed and collected in a civil action against a covered establishment that violates the above-described written notice provisions brought by specified persons or entities, including any person injured by the violation, except as specified. The bill would authorize the court, in assessing the amount of the civil penalty, to consider relevant circumstances, including the nature and severity of the misconduct, and require the court to award a prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The bill would require, if the action is pursued by specified entities, including the Attorney General, that specified portions of the civil penalty collected be paid to, among other specified sources, the treasurer of the county in which the judgment was entered. The bill would entitle an employee that does not receive the written notice to recover in a civil action an additional sum of $100 payable as liquidated damages per employee for each day of the violation until the violation is cured. The bill would specify that these provisions do not preempt or alter any other rights or remedies, including any causes of action, available under any other federal or state law. (3) Existing law, the California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, establishes local workforce development boards to perform duties related to the planning, oversight, and evaluation of local workforce investment, including identifying workforce training programs. This bill would require a county, after receiving a written notice described above from any covered establishment, to provide the covered establishment with information about safety net programs, including the CalWORKs program, and would require a local workforce development board to provide the covered establishment with information about the availability of local workforce training services. The bill would require a covered establishment that receives information from a county or a local workforce development board as described above, no later than 30 days before its closure, to provide any of that information it receives to each of its employees. By increasing the duties of a county and a local workforce development board, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law provides for various public social services programs in the state, which are administered by the State Department of Social Services, including the CalFresh program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county, and the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals. Existing law requires that any benefits provided to recipients under the department's authority be distributed through an electronic benefits transfer system, as specified. This bill would require the department, after receiving a written notice described above from a grocery establishment, to post on its internet website, as specified, information stating that the grocery establishment will be closing and the closing date. (5) This bill would make findings and declarations relating to these provisions. (6) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.